I quit!

Recently I went back to work.  It's the same old story, I had a good job, was laid off, wrote some books, and finally found another good job.   Okay, so it's not the SAME old story, but close.  Anyway, anyone whose written a book knows that getting published takes time - and a lot of it.  Now, I could sit here and re-hash what Erika and I have said over and over again - that everything will work out, and SOMEDAY we will be published.  BUT I am not going to do that (did you read the title of this blog?)

I quit.

I am giving up on my dream of being a published author.

Let me go back a few days. I started my new, full-time job on a Monday.  The first week was okay, the kids did great, homework still got done, no one died, no one starved, and no one ended up in the ER (if you knew my kids you'd laugh) The second week I had to travel to Philadelphia for training.  Obviously I had no control over kids eating, homework, or bedtime - and as usual, the kids did great (have I ever mentioned my wonderful husband??? Yah, he's awesome!) The third week, I was there 1 day before we went on a previously scheduled vacation - rough, I know.  You'd think that having a vacation so soon into the madness would have helped, and in some ways it did.

It showed me what was important.  My family.

By the time we got home and I finished my errands (Target, Costco, and groceries in a matter of 4 hours!) I had enough time to help the boys with all their homework (and speeches) that they had missed over the previous week. Somewhere in that time frame reality slapped me across the face.  I had signed up for a writer's conference and had submitted my latest YA book for a reading.  Only problem is that is isn't done.  Not even close. And now I had a little over a week to FINISH it.  And let me say - there is NO possible way that I can get this book done by then!

To top it off, I got the first chapter of another book I had written, back from someone who had taken the time to edit it.  The first thing I saw was A LOT of writing.  My brain went straight for worst case - it was horrible, there was so much to be changed, blah, blah, blah.  I was so tired from vacation and work that I put it away.

It took me 10 minutes to officially give up.





It was hours later that I read an e-mail that the person who edited the first chapter sent.  And it contained 4 words.  4 words changed everything.


You have a gift.

4 words.  They could have been any words, in any order, with any meaning, and yet they were the words I needed to hear the most.

So, as I am sure you could have guessed, I am replacing the 2 words I came up with (I quit!) with 5 new words - I will never give up!

Ever.

So let this post remind you that you never know what or who your words will inspire!!  So Thank you, anonymous editor, I can not thank you enough.

Toni