It's 11:30 pm on Sunday, January 22nd, 2017, and all I can think about is how my book baby is two years old today.

A toddler.  What do you know.


The last two years included a lot of crying, a lot of fear, a lot of overcoming.  They were two years that made me a stronger person.  And I'm a better writer now, because of these two years.  I understand myself and others more.

It's all because of this book, you know.  This massive sweet little book baby that swept me up in its arms from the first paragraph.  (Usually my first lines change over time but this one had to stay the same.  So important.  So poignant for where the story ends up.)  I was over the moon writing my first contemporary, something so new and...weird.  I could suddenly mention musicians I loved and throw in Harry Potter references and the characters could use cell phones.  What the heck?!  My fantasy writing brain was overjoyed.

But this book is more than just a fun writing experience.  It's a beautiful beastie that I've used as a solid wall to lean on, a stepping stone to the next big decision of my life, a pillow to cry into when things are hard.  It stood in front of me and let me see my life and all of it's beautiful, terrible, extraordinary, scary moments - and suddenly I wasn't afraid.

For that alone, I owe this book my life.

So.

To The Color Project, my first book baby to be published and a beautiful piece of my soul.  Thank you for latching yourself onto my brain and not letting me stop thinking about you, writing you, fixing you up until you were exactly what you were meant to be.  You're about to go into the world, little baby.  I hope you're okay with this.  I know I am.  I'm so ready for you to make everyone laugh and cry and feel whole again.  I look at you now, and see that you're everything I wanted you to be when I first started writing you on January 22nd, 2015, when I was supposed to be working on draft 6 of a fantasy novel.  I thought that fantasy novel was supposed to be my first book published, and I thought very, very wrong.

You were a new vision for me and you pulled through in more ways than I can count.


You might not make everyone as happy as you make me, and that's okay.  I know there will always be somebody who doesn't love you like I do.  But today - perfect timing, right? - I saw tweets from a reviewer (pictured/linked above) that make me hopeful.  This tweet in particular pushes me forward.  Somewhere, there are more people who need you in their lives, they just don't know it yet.

I can only pray you'll make it into their hands and bless them the way you bless me every day.

Happy birthday.

I love you lots.