Tag: local authors

International Firebird Book Awards Celebrate Excellence in Writing with Purpose-Driven Mission

The International Firebird Book Awards celebrate outstanding authors and publishers globally, featuring a diverse range of genres. Submissions are evaluated by a panel of 29 judges, with each entry reviewed by two judges using consistent criteria. Only those with the highest scores win the prestigious Firebird Award, recognizing exceptional talent in the literary community.

One of the winning entries came from Iowa author Sharon L. Clark, whose book titled I’ll Call You Mine won 1st place in the Romantic Suspense category.

Participating in the Firebird Book Awards goes beyond just submitting an entry. Founder Patricia J. Rullo shares that your entry fee is a tax-deductible donation that supports women and children facing homelessness. It helps create cheerful, handmade pillowcases and provides inspiring books to shelters like Enchanted Makeovers. By entering, you’re not only aiming for recognition but also helping transform shelters into welcoming homes filled with warmth and joy. Every entry makes a positive impact!

The Firebird Book Awards, powered by Speak Up Talk Radio, celebrate creative talents and provide authors with opportunities to share their stories. They recognize outstanding books and podcasts and offer services such as author interviews, book reviews, audiobook production, book editing, formatting, and marketing to help authors succeed.

The Firebird Awards host quarterly contests, offering authors a chance to shine year-round. This inclusive competition welcomes all genres and accepts submissions from traditionally published, indie, and self-published writers.

To view past winners or learn how to enter an upcoming round, click HERE.

“I’ll Call You Home” Reviews – And a Chance to Win Free Stuff!

By Sharon Clark

On January 16, 2026

In Book Reviews, Messages From Sharon

There are very few things that warm this author’s heart as thoroughly as a positive book review. After pouring my blood, sweat, and tears – not to mention the many hours and mirror pep talks – into this piece of literature, my soul craves just a little validation.

I cannot possibly be alone in this. 😅

Reader’s Favorite is a website that provides detailed, honest reviews written by authors for authors. I’ve submitted both of my books to them, and I’ll Call You Home received 5-Star reviews from all three authors who read my work!

That’s a bit of dopamine I’ll dine on for quite a while.

#1 Alma Boucher for Readers’ Favorite

In I’ll Call You Home by Sharon L. Clark, Charlotte receives a call informing her that her father has been injured and is in the hospital. Charlotte immediately flies back to her hometown of Zearing, Texas. Since her mother’s passing, Jason Archer has been her source of strength, though after graduation, he encouraged her to pursue her dreams in San Francisco. When Charlotte returns home, she learns the family ranch is in serious financial trouble and on the verge of being lost. A streak of misfortune has plagued the ranch, and Gerard Chancellor, who holds the mortgage, is pressuring them to sell. To make matters worse, a new horse breeder in the area has been poaching their clients. Determined to fight back, Jason teams up with Charlotte to find ways to save the ranch. As they work side by side, old feelings resurface, but can love and determination be enough to save it all?

I’ll Call You Home by Sharon L. Clark is a heartwarming and emotional story. It was filled with family drama, romance, love, and loss. The pace was steady, giving me time to take in every moment. The struggles of Charlotte and her family were suspenseful, keeping me on edge from beginning to end. I found it impossible to put the book down, eagerly turning each page to see what would happen next. Themes of family devotion, perseverance, second chances, and the redemptive power of love are beautifully woven throughout the story. The writing style was engaging, and I was drawn into the emotional struggles of Charlotte and her family. The characters were authentic and relatable. Charlotte was strong and determined to save the ranch. Jason is compassionate and refuses to let Charlotte slip away again. Overall, the story is compelling, heartfelt, and captivating from start to finish.

#2 Priya Mathew for Readers’ Favorite

I’ll Call You Home by Sharon L. Clark is a second-chance romance with an element of suspense. Charlotte Trevino rushes back to Zearing, Texas, when her father is hurt, only to find out that the family ranch is almost on the edge of collapse and her past is waiting in the wings in the form of Jason Archer, the boy who once held her heart and then broke it in two. Their unresolved feelings push them toward each other, while strange accidents and a seedy land buyer circle their property. As Charlotte attempts to transform the ranch into a working farmhouse and untangle the financial mess it’s in, Charlotte and Jason must confront their past to get to the future they didn’t think could be theirs.

In the second book of the Enderlin Calling series, Sharon L. Clark gives us a story built on nostalgia and the pull of returning home. I’ll Call You Home reads like a story you’d share across the table after a long day. The characters felt authentic. Charlotte’s impulsiveness, loyalty, and vulnerability feel true to her experiences. Jason, in contrast, holds steady to her fire. His guilt over their past adds another layer of depth to his grounded demeanor. The secondary characters – Brandon, Dr. Angus, Mitch, and Arthur – add more life and color to the storyline. I’ll Call You Home is a mix of romance and a slow-burning mystery around the ranch’s troubles. If you enjoy second-chance romances with strong family dynamics and a touch of danger, you will find much to love in this novel.

#3 Jennifer Senick for Readers’ Favorite

In I’ll Call You Home by Sharon L. Clark, Charlotte Trevino races back to her small Texas hometown after her father is injured on the family’s struggling horse ranch. Though her relatives try to assure her that things are under control, the ranch’s financial troubles, a string of “bad luck,” and a persistent developer circling their property tell a different story. Determined not to let her family’s legacy slip away, Charlotte throws herself into fixing things, only to be confronted by her own past and the return of her high school sweetheart, Jason Archer. Jason is managing his own challenges, like caring for his mother and balancing loyalty between his family and the renewed spark with Charlotte. As tensions rise and threats to the ranch become more dangerous, Charlotte and Jason find themselves drawn together, trying to protect what matters most as secrets and old feelings surface, with everything on the line. The question is whether love or the past will win.

I’ll Call You Home by Sharon L. Clark pulled me in right away. I really enjoyed the natural, down-to-earth writing style—the dialogue feels real, the humor and bickering are familiar, and the plot doesn’t get bogged down with fancy language. The way Clark brings Charlotte’s stubbornness and big heart to life made her so easy to root for, and Jason is genuine and steady, not your usual brooding hero. The back-and-forth between past hurts and present hopes is handled honestly, with enough detail so that I felt what they were going through without any over-the-top drama. I loved how the story balanced second-chance romance with family ties, small-town quirks, and just enough suspense to keep things tense but not overwhelming. It’s the kind of book that makes you think about what “home” really means.

Have you read I’ll Call You Home? Have you left a review? Reply to this email or send me a direct message with a link to – or a screenshot of – the review you wrote, and you’ll get an entry into a drawing for a FREE signed copy of I’ll Call You Home and a set of stickers and bookmarks!

Giving Books is a Gift for the Reader AND the Writer

By Sharon Clark

On December 2, 2024

In Book Reviews, Messages From Sharon

Picking gifts for the people in your life can be stressful and chaotic. Especially when you have a grab-bag or Secret Santa situation. How do you know what to choose?

Books. Gifting a book is almost always a winning choice.

I don’t know about you, but walking into a bookstore is both heaven and hell for me. I love all the possibilities, all the different genres and gorgeous covers promising to whisk me away to a magical land or into a whirlwind (imaginary) romance. But all the possibilities can be a bit overwhelming, too.

So. Many. Choices.

There are a ton of options out there and even looking through various best-seller lists or celebrity recommendations can be overwhelming. How on earth do you find something good by an author you’ve (likely) never heard of before? If you don’t want to freeze like a deer in the headlights – like I do almost every time – let me throw out some titles for you.

Following is a collection of books from different genres, written by people I personally know, who are self-published or published by small or indie presses that don’t have the marketing clout of one of the major publishing houses.

Take a look!

Stephanie R. Caffrey is one of my very favorite people and we have been on this publishing journey together for nigh on SIX YEARS (along with the next author on my list, Jamie Seitz.) Stephanie writes romantic suspense and does such a terrific job with witty banter and high-stakes danger that you’ll be on the edge of your seat, breathless with laughter, love, or fear. Her London Detective Agency duology was published earlier this year with outstanding reviews, and she’s working on an FBI-based series next, so be sure to follow her!

Jamie Seitz is another amazing, favorite human I’ve been writing with for years, and who has been through the writers’ wringer with Stephanie and me. She writes YA and Middle Grade books with so much heart, humor, and insight that you’ll want to devour everything she writes and still beg for more. Weight of Water was sent forth into the world just this fall and people are LOVING it. If you’re looking for Judy Blume-level coming-of-age stories, gardening tips and stories, or a glimpse into the humorous side of marriage, you need look no further than Jamie.

Janine Amesta and I met through the Writing Community on Twitter several years ago and she is one of my favorites. Not only is she a gifted teller of kissing stories, but she is also a funny and encouraging voice for me and the writing community. Her Love in El Dorado series is a delight – one of them an extremely timely Christmas love story – with great reviews, gorgeous settings, and spicy romance that will get your heart racing! (Seriously, keep a glass of ice water nearby when reading.)

Mary Lee Painter and I are lucky enough to have found the same amazing agent in Katie Salvo and Metamorphosis Literary Agancy, and now get to work with the same fabulous publishing house, Satin Romance. We live almost spitting distance (I know – ew, gross) from each other, but haven’t met – YET. The Other Fork in the Road had me laughing and cringing with the characters from the first page. I love a good “forced proximity/opposites attract” love story, and Mary Lee has written a GREAT one! Her next book is due to release in the spring of 2025, so keep an eye on this one.

I am lucky enough to know many other talented authors with terrific books available, even if I haven’t read them all yet. Inspirational romance, memoir, poetry: If you don’t see something listed here that tickles your fancy, comment below or send me an email with the genre or type of story you’re looking for and I will give you a suggestion* based on my own personal knowledge of the book and/or the author.

*If you’re local, check out Reading In Public in Des Moines, where they are offering to curate a selection of books perfect for that hard-to-buy-for reader on your shopping list! Fill out their online form with your budget, the number of books you’d like to gift, genres to include or topics to exclude, and let the staff do the rest!

Don’t forget that when you buy an indie author’s book, you are showing them love and giving them validation and encouragement. Most of us aren’t in it for the money (it doesn’t hurt, mind you) but because we love to write and want to share that love with all of you!

Support local and Indie authors this holiday season and every day!

Another Year Older, But Wiser Is Debatable

By Sharon Clark

On October 22, 2024

In Messages From Sharon

It’s my birthday today!

Funny how it always seems to sneak up on me. Used to be that I’d count down the days, simply vibrating with excitement for my day. While I still enjoy my birthday – and the cake that comes with it – I’m always surprised when it actually rolls around. Not like it’s the same day every year, or anything.

As I get older, a year feels shorter and shorter. It’s the same number of months, days, and hours, and yet each successive one seems to go by faster. I swear I was just turning forty last year, and yet here I am, magically (not magically) waking up more than a decade older than I thought.

Timey-wimey nonsense.

It’s been an interesting year, to say the least. Lots of changes, lots of excitement, lots of upheaval. At this time last year, I was making the decision to find a different publisher, as the one I’d signed with was struggling. At this time last year, I was beginning to wonder if my book was ever going to be in the hands of readers. And at this time last year, my little novel was accepted by Melange Books.

And now I’m on the cusp of releasing my first novel into the world.

After four years that did not, in fact, fly by, it’s time for the real work to start. It’s time to market, ask for early reviews, plan events, and sign up for local book festivals. And I need to focus on not only marketing my first little book baby, but I need to market myself and hooo boy. That is some kind of a challenge.

While all of that is going on, I am moving to a new house in a new city, participating in a 30-day writing challenge in November (again), finishing two more novels that are part of my romantic suspense series, Enderlin Calling, and working a day job. I think I’d better buckle up for a wild ride!

I LOVE MY LIFE.

Send me an email or leave me comment on this post with any questions, and be sure to sign up for my newsletter to get all the news and updates first!

Have You Met…Sharon Clark, Author

By Sharon Clark

On February 7, 2024

In Messages From Sharon

Okay friends, you’ve signed up to follow me and maybe to receive my newsletter, too. The time has come for you to learn just what you’ve gotten yourselves into.

First of all, thank you for being here. It’s always so surprising to me that anyone would want to read what I write, whether it’s a silly blog post, a short story, or one of my novels. People not only liking something I’ve written but coming back for MORE, well…that’s kind of the dream, isn’t it?

Stay with me a little longer and I’ll tell you a bit about myself, about my writing, and about my upcoming novel. Then I want you to ask me the questions you’re burning to know.

So buckle up and let’s dive in.

Me, In a Nutshell

I grew up smack-dab in the middle of five girls, two older and two younger, and we got along great. For the most part. As I’m sure you can imagine, things got loud, or eerily silent, and there was always some type of psychological warfare under way.

Report cards bore good grades coupled with phrases like, “Talks too much” or “Needs to apply herself” pretty much throughout my school career. I played the flute, was in show choir and in theater, was a cheerleader and a member of the dance team. What? I got bored easily.

College and I didn’t get along as famously as I’d hoped we would. Don’t get me wrong; I had a GREAT time. I just didn’t get a degree and left, chastened, after only four semesters. When I came home, I floundered a bit before meeting the man who has been my husband for the last thirty years and with whom I have raised three amazing humans. I’m just glad I remembered to feed them, and that they all turned out only slightly damaged.

My Writing Journey

Growing up, I always loved to write. I know that’s how most authors start their origin stories, but I was honestly spinning tales for my sisters and kids I babysat before I was in high school. Mine was a life lived vicariously through the characters in my favorite horror, romance, and adventure novels. An overactive imagination inside the mind of a major drama queen inevitably couldn’t just finish a story. What happens next? Do they really live happily ever after? Does the bad guy get punished? How would this end if I was the author?

Of course, the next logical step was to write out what I wanted to see happen. I took creative writing courses in high school and college, and loved every challenge thrown at me. But as so often happens, life takes precedence and writing became something I did only sporadically and just for fun. When my children were older and had their own lives, I joined a local writing group on a whim, and that changed the trajectory of my life.

It sounds dramatic, but I swear it’s the truth.

Every member of that group was welcoming, encouraging, and willing to share their knowledge freely. Through their friendship and generosity, I learned world building and plotting techniques, I read about and practiced writing, joined critique circles and took their comments to heart. I’m still constantly learning and I hope that my skill continues to grow and change with me, but I know for a fact that I wouldn’t be looking toward having my first novel published in the next year without the help I received along the way.

Three Things You’ll Find in My Book, Call You Mine

Charming, small-town vibes
The story takes place in a fictional city in central Iowa, full of tree-lined streets, a local pub where everyone knows your name, and a helping hand from your neighbors when you need it most.
Steamy, butterflies-in-the-stomach romance
Katie literally runs into charming Ben her first night back in town, and sparks fly instantly. Sure, it’s partially from the impact of butting heads, but the electrical charge Katie gets being near Ben proves to be hard to ignore.
Terrifying, heart racing danger
Katie came home for a reason: to escape a mysterious admirer who had evolved from love letters to desperate, delusional ravings. But her stalker won’t be thwarted by mere distance. He’s followed her to her hometown and comes after her harder than ever, putting everyone she cares about in the crosshairs.

Which Author Would I LOVE to Blurb My Book?

There are many options, of course: Jayne Ann Krentz, Sandra Brown, Simone St James, Jeneva Rose, Riley Sager. But for me, the ultimate dream would be the Queen of Romantic Suspense herself, Nora Roberts. I’ve always loved her writing, found it to be so rich and sensual. Having her read my work and like it enough to write a blurb for it would probably go along way toward making me spontaneously combust. No, seriously. Literal flames.

My Favorite Compliment

Hm, that’s kind of a tough one. I gobble up every kind word and adore them all, hoarding them like a dragon with its cache of jewels and gold. But the one review that sticks out in my mind came from an editor we submitted my manuscript to earlier this year. She confessed to her boss that she knew she was only supposed to read a couple of chapters, but couldn’t stop at the designated point because she needed to know what happened hext. I heard that and floated away on a dreamy cloud, feeding off that praise for weeks. Favorite compliment ever.

Still with me?

So there’s a little snapshot of who I am, how I got to this point, and what you can expect from me moving forward. The year ahead holds some exciting things for me and my writing career, and I hope you’ll stick around for the ride.

Now it’s your turn to ask me questions or to tell me what’s on your mind. Leave a comment below, send me an email, or find me on my social media channels.

Let’s chat!

Support Indie Authors This Holiday Season!

By Sharon Clark

On November 22, 2023

In Book Reviews, Messages From Sharon

Black Friday is only a couple of days away and the holiday season is officially upon us! Are you struggling to find a gift for your coworker, neighbor, sister, nephew, random gift grab bag? Don’t panic!!

Give the gift of BOOKS and support your local and indie authors!

You let me make some suggestions.

Following is a collection of books from different genres written by people I personally know who are self-published or independently published and don’t have the marketing clout of one of the major publishing houses. I have read almost all of the books listed – I haven’t finished all the series, unfortunately. Take a look!

Laura A. Barnes is a Des Moines area author I met by doing NaNoWriMo in 2017. (Turns out we were on the same United Nations trip when we were in high school but never met – small world, right?) Laura writes steamy period romances and currently has three series available for purchase. Whether you’re looking for pirates and spies, noble scoundrels, or matchmaking madness, Laura has got the goods to get your pulse racing.

Sarah Latchaw lives near me and is one of the most delightful people I know. Her Hydraulic Series is full of relatable characters, swoon-worthy romantic moments, humor, and a view of mental illness from a place of true love. Her writing style pulls you in and her characters are so real that you can’t help but laugh and cry right along with them. This trilogy isn’t the spicy type, but will get your heart racing.

I met Jethro Weyman through the writing platform Channillo and we became friends via the Twitter #WritingCommunity. I was struck by the amazing prose of his writing and the unique and wickedly clever ways he explores some dark and existential themes. Bang to Begin is a gorgeously written collection of stories that seem unconnected on the surface. Kind of mind-bendy deep stuff.

Taylor Hohulin is a local radio celebrity and all-around terrific human. the first time I read his writing, I was pulled in and have devoured pretty much everything of his since. I met him through NaNoWriMo, as well, and was lucky enough to get encouragement from him through a small critique group and I learned a lot from him.

The Marian Series follows a young man who gets unexpectedly transported to a pirate ship in another world where water is the ultimate prize. This trilogy is kind-of steampunk and has both human and supernatural dangers and lots of terrific science fiction gadgets.
TAR is probably my favorite, though. If you like cybernetic body modifications and a dangerous, living infection that ravages anyone it comes in contact with in horrific ways, set in a post-apocalyptic alternate future, you’ll dig this. It’s a tale of a traveling wizard with a shotgun but told through the exploits of a sometimes-likable survivor.
Your Best Apocalypse Now will have you chuckling almost immediately. In this humorous light fantasy novel, a struggling author jumps on the bandwagon of best-selling doomsday books, making it up as he goes along. Or so he thinks. When he correctly predicts the end of the world, a group of other-worldly beings take him on a journey that he could never have predicted.

Kelly Fumiko Weiss is another tremendous talent that I discovered through Channillo. I have read two of her books, from vastly different genres.

Her science-fiction-esque novel, The Cube, is set in an alternate near future where a mysterious cube has changed the way the world works. The main character and his best friend, Molly, start out on a fun treasure hunt for a series of mysterious symbols, but the fun turns to unexpected romance and danger for them and their friends.
Her other novel, The Stories We Choose Not to Tell, is a story of familial relationships and racial identity for a Japanese-American woman who learns about herself and the roots of her strained relationship with her mother by exploring the life story of her late Obachan (grandmother) who lived in a World War II Japanese internment camp on American soil. Well-written characters that had me crying along with them at the end of the book.

I am lucky enough to know many other talented authors with terrific books available, even if I haven’t read them all yet. Inspirational romance, memoir, poetry: If you don’t see something listed here that tickles your fancy, comment below or send me an email with the genre or type of story you’re looking for and I will give you a suggestion based on my own personal knowledge of the book and/or the author.

Do YOU have any recommendations of books written by indie-published or self-published authors? Share them below

Happy Holidays from my family to yours!

Laptop, coffee and diary on autumn landscape as background

October Means Prep Time

By Sharon Clark

On October 10, 2023

In Messages From Sharon

It’s fall y’all!

This is my favorite time of year for a slew of different reasons. I love the change in weather, the cool nights and comfortable days, the end of sweltering heat and oppressive humidity, and ‘sweatah weathah’. September also celebrates several of my favorite people: my oldest sister, my daughter-in-law, one of my best friends, my daughter, and my husband.

Now it’s October, and I love it even more.

October is my (and my younger sister’s) birthday month, the leaves are changing color, I can put up my silly Halloween decorations, it’s chilly enough to pull out soup and stew recipes, and it’s time for Preptober.

Never heard of it? Don’t worry, you’re not alone.

Next month is National Novel Writing Month (NaNoWriMo) and October is the time to start getting ready, to start plotting, and to reconnect with all the friends I’ve made through writing. I get to help organize events for November and to draw more authors into the fold of our local writing group.

The other day I held my first Preptober event of the season and even though I was awkward and weird, I think it went well. The goal of Preptober is to help authors gather the tools, community, and confidence for a successful and fun November. Don’t get me wrong, it is fully self-serving. I need the encouragement and the kick in the pants to get ready to write next month.

And cheering on other writers is the best way I know to cheerlead for myself.

This will be my seventh year participating in NaNoWriMo and I don’t think it’s an exaggeration to say that it changed my life. Not only did I meet my best friends through the group, but I can now see a future in which I can have a career as an author, doing something I love for the rest of my life. Every year in the fall I get to meet new people, develop new skills, and draw ever closer to reaching my dreams.

What’s not to love?

Will you be participating in National Novel Writing Month? Do you use October to prepare? Leave a comment, ask me questions about NaNoWriMo, or send me an email and let me know!

Book Review: Witches’ Quarters

By Sharon Clark

On November 9, 2019

In Book Reviews

Stephen King has said it time and time again: “If you want to be a writer, you must do two things above all others: read a lot and write a lot.”

Finally, I took some time to read for fun! I started with a book I purchased six months ago at the DSM Book Festival in downtown Des Moines, Iowa. One of the books I purchased was Witches’ Quarters, the debut novel from Des Moines-based author Laura Snider.

This was a thoroughly enjoyable read for me and I hope Laura can turn this into a series, somehow. She made it easy to become invested in the lives and troubles of the characters and I would love to see what happens next!

Siblings Charlotte, Ava, Nolan, and June exist under consistently unpredictable circumstances. They have a violent father who takes his anger out on their detached mother; June, the youngest, lives with epilepsy; and the relationships among the four are tenuous at best, resulting in frequent clashes and arguments.

Their mother’s sister, Aunt Stacie, had given the oldest sibling, Charlotte, a bizarre gift for her 16th birthday: a bag of state quarters and a coin bank in the shape of a creepy, bare tree. In an attempt to distract themselves from the sounds of yet another beating that they are powerless to stop, they decide to examine the bank and slip a quarter from the bag into the slot.

That’s when things get wild.

The siblings are transported to another world that looks much like their own, but things are slightly off. For instance, in Nova animals can talk – and they aren’t happy to see the four children. Before long, they find themselves caught up in a war they know nothing about, June’s seizures are starting up again without her medication, and despite fighting and being separated, they have only each other to rely on.

Laura Snider does an excellent job of establishing the unique personalities of the children and demonstrating how much they change and grow throughout their events of the story. With every chapter, new strengths are revealed for each of the siblings, and they are all forced to make choices and take action in a way none of them thought they ever could.

Witches’ Quarters is full of excitement and danger, laughter and tears. While it could be considered a Young Adult novel, I think it has enough thrills to entertain readers of all ages.

If you’d like to check out this novel for yourself, visit Laura Snider’s website and order your copy today!

Summer Writing Shenanigans

By Sharon Clark

On June 18, 2019

In Messages From Sharon

There is a lot to love about the start of summer: the warmer temps, the longer days, vacations. And this year, it seems that spring is going to stretch at least to the first official day! For me, that means there are days that I can take my trusty laptop outside on the back patio to write without fear of drowning the keyboard in sweat.

Summer also brings with it Camp NaNoWriMo in July. Where NaNoWriMo takes place in November and challenges authors to write a 50,000-word novel in 30 days, Camp NaNo is a little more flexible. Taking place in April and July, Camp lets you build or join a ‘cabin’ of other writers to support and encourage each other. You also can set your own goal, whether that is editing pages, writing lines of poetry, or writing another novel and setting your own word count objective.

I love Camp.

After my first NaNo year, I decided I needed the camaraderie and accountability of a writing group so I’ve created my own Cabin for each Camp for the last two years. It’s so fun to annoy my friends with daily encouragement quotes, to hold virtual meetups, to gather other local authors for donuts and writing on Saturday mornings. I look forward to Camp every spring and summer and kind of can’t wait for July to roll around!

This summer is also a big step for me in my writing journey. I am in the final round of edits for my novel, I’ll Call You Mine, incorporating notes and suggestions from my beta readers. Then, in the middle of July, I will send my baby off to a professional editor to see how I can fully polish it up and get it ready to shop out to agents.

This is a thing that is going to happen and it terrifies me.

It’s one thing to sit down and write for fun, maybe sharing with a friend or two, but with no real plans beyond that. But I have found that I want more than that. I’m realistic, I know it’s not easy to get an agent and even more difficult for that agent to sell an unknown author’s novel to a publisher. Putting myself out there will probably mean hundreds of rejections and stabs at my notoriously thin skin and fragile ego.

But what if…?

My summer is jam-packed with exciting writing, editing, and reading challenges. What are you planning to do this summer to push yourself and reach for your dreams? Comment below and thanks for reading!