HAPPY NEW YEAR!!!
In celebration of the new year as well as the ending of a decade, I've decided to take a stroll down memory lane. A lot can happen in ten years.
2000-My dad had just been diagnosed with cancer and was facing surgery. I was a junior at TCU and trying to decide what the heck I wanted to do with my life. I spent a month in Ireland that summer, lived with the most amazing family I didn't know and loved every minute of it. I had a December wedding planned to my high school sweetheart, but we postponed it due to my dad's illness. I started writing my first book, but never finished it because I was "too busy".
2001-I was in my last semester of college at TCU, and I finally got married during spring break in Las Vegas. Found out shortly after that we'd brought a surprise home from Vegas, and Ava Grace was born in December. We lived in Valley Ranch because my husband taught in Garland, and I hated the traffic.
2002-We moved into an apartment in Cedar Hill, and the husband and I both started teaching in Midlothian (the town we grew up in). My hair was extremely short.
2003-I found out I was pregnant again, so we decided to build a house in Midlothian. The house was finished and we moved in three days before Eleanor Olivia was born. I started teaching private lessons out of the house to earn extra money.
2004-Life was crazy with two babies still in diapers, and when you add marching band and other things teaching related to the mix, I can't even remember most of the year. Teaching was starting to take its toll as I spent more time at school than I did with my own kids. I felt guilty all the time, and I missed a lot of the things they did.
2005-Teaching schedule got more hectic (for those that don't know band hours are the equivalent of coach's hours as far as weekends, early mornings and late nights are concerned), and the guilt continued. During spring break I started my first novel and finished it by June. I'd finally figured out what I wanted to do when I grew up. I joined Romance Writers of America and never looked back. I wrote two more books that same year.
2006-Went to my first writer's conference in Scottsdale, Arizona. My eyes were opened, and I got my first full request to see my manuscript. While I was in Arizona I began writing my fourth book, which is the same book that landed me my first agent. Went to another conference in Atlanta. After serious soul searching, I decided to resign my job at the school to write full time and stay at home with my kids. Hardest decision I've ever made, but also the best one. My husband was incredibly understanding and supportive in my decision, especially since it would be cutting our income in half. I wrote a total of four books in this year.
2007-We decided we'd outgrown our old house and decided to build a new one. My oldest daughter started kindergarten, the second started pre-school and Jameson Reed was born. I only wrote one new novel this year, but did complete rewrites on two. Went to a conference in Dallas just before Jamie was born.
2008-Both older kids were in school full time now (yay!). Decided the agent I had was not aggressive enough for me and decided to let her go. This felt like starting my whole writing career over, so it was a very difficult time for me. Went to a conference in Tulsa, where I met some of the most amazing friends ever who broke me out of my career depression. That fall I had three different offers from different agents, but I took my time and picked the one I thought would be best for me. Also found out I was pregnant with baby #4 just before Christmas. Two new books written.
2009- Signed with agent of awesomeness. Wrote two new books and three proposals. Graham Nolan was born. Life became extremely busy (I know, weird, right?) Ability to reproduce any more children was taken away surgically (praise, Jesus!) Went to another conference. Started teaching 25 students private lessons again for some extra money. Became a T.V. addict for the first time ever and watch BONES, FRINGE, CASTLE, GLEE and COUGAR TOWN religiously. Weigh thirty pounds more than I did in 2000. My hair is longer and has to be colored more regularly.
Here's hoping the next ten years have more incredible things in store for me. First item on the bill for 2010 is to join the YMCA and get rid of that thirty pounds!
