DRUM ROLL PLEASE!

You guys! 

EVER has been picked up for PUBLICATION 

by CURIOSITY QUILLS!!!!

Curiosity Quills Logo = I'M IN LOVE

Just LOOK at their logo. Are you kidding me? We are a match made in Heaven. HEAVEN I tell you! 

Pull up a chair, pour some champagne, and I'll give you a brief story of how this awesomeness happened. 

Here are a few things I've learned in my journey:

Queries suck. 

The synopsis killed me. 

Contests did a fabulous job of making me feel like the biggest loser ever.

But wait just one minute .... 

It was a CONTEST that lead to this amazing announcement! WHAT!?  I know! I know! It's crazy!

Back in May, I entered The Wilde's Fire Editor-Judged Contest, hosted by Sharon Bayliss. The judge was author and editor Krystal Wade from Curiosity Quills. When the contest opened, I submitted the plot snippet from my query and my first 500 words of EVER, as well as posted a blog post for other contestants to visit and add their critique.

Then I waited.

Then comments started trickling in.

Then I revised, based on the wonderful points and observations made by my peers.

Then I resubmitted via email.

AND THEN I WAS CHOSEN AS A RUNNER-UP! 

Woohoo! I was so happy! I was asked to submit the first three chapters to Krystal Wade at Curiosity Quills. I did so immediately, thinking I'd get a little feedback, which would be awesome, and then I'd continue on my querying journey.

Well guess what? Here's where it gets really good.

Within a matter of hours, Krystal wrote back to tell me that she was very impressed and wanted the FULL manuscript! EEEEK! I quickly sent it. (Obviously!)

Within three days, Krystal contacted me with an offer of publication.  

An. Offer. Of. Publication. *faints*

AAAAAAAHHHHHHHHHHHHHH!!!!!

I then nudged a few agents and other publishers who had my work, or my query, gave them a small time frame in which to respond, and waited. 

But you want to know the truth? 

I knew it would be Krystal and Curiosity Quills. Something kept telling me that my home (EVER's home) was with Curiosity Quills. Maybe it was a gut instinct. Maybe it was God. Maybe it was Krystal's honesty and excitement. 

Maybe it was the AMAZING skull-tastic website and logo. (Did I mention how much I love that?) 

But whatever it was, I went with it.

Here I am, making it OFFICIAL!  *squeeeeeeee*
(PS. Is this my dorktastic "super happy" face. Now you know.)

Krystal Wade is now my AMAZING editor, and EVER will soon be published (AAAH!) by Curiosity Quills. I am beyond thrilled, and beyond blessed, and beyond even finding the appropriate words to describe how incredible this feels! I can't wait to share EVER with all of you soon!

So now, for the THANK YOUS: 

IMMENSE THANK YOUS to Sharon Bayliss for the contest opportunity and the priceless advice she offered on the changes that needed to be made in my first 500, as well as the advice from the other contestants.  YOU are the reason I am making this announcement today, so THANK YOU!

My gratitude for my crit partner will never be successfully put into words. Tamara Mataya - you are amazing, and talented, and so incredibly awesome. I can't believe I went my entire life without knowing you. Especially when we're clearly related. Duh. How could we not be? Thank you for your support and encouragement, and for always knowing how to pull me out of that damn tree. Your friendship means so much to me. 

HUGE thank yous go to all of my beta readers (Mom, Melissa, Michelle, Mat, Kathleen, Nanette - the list goes on and on.) You all watched EVER change and morph so many times and never complained about having to read it ... again and again and again. For the hundredth time. 

You all rock, and your support has been everything to me.  Thank you for loving me and believing in EVER. I am so truly blessed in friendship and love. 

Finally, and most importantly, Krystal.  Thank you for believing in EVER, and loving her as much as I do. I can't even express what this means to me. I'm so thankful and humbled. I can't wait to further get to know you and everyone at Curiosity Quills, and I am just beside myself with joy. I am so excited!

The moral of the story? 


Keep writing.
Keep querying.
Find an amazing critique partner who "gets" you, and "gets" your story. (An added bonus if they will send you pictures of sloths when you're feeling down.)
Enter every contest you can.
Trust in yourself.
Trust in God. 
And keep on keeping on.