Celebrating Two Years as a Published Author 

A Dream Turned Reality

When I was a child, I dreamed of becoming a writer. I’d spend hours meticulously creating characters and writing pages upon pages of stories. Every time I would get close to finishing something, I’d look at it, convince myself it wasn’t good enough, and toss it aside. The cycle would repeat, and with each discarded manuscript, I thought my dream of writing a book was slipping further away.

Fast forward to adulthood, and I still held onto the dream—except I wasn’t meant to be a writer, I thought. It was just one of those things I’d never achieve. But then, something incredible happened. A dear friend of mine published her first book. I was bursting with pride for her. She could do it, but I still couldn’t see myself as a published author. It felt like a distant dream, an idea too far out of reach.

Then, that same friend invited me to join her as her assistant at an author event. I’ll never forget walking into that space, surrounded by authors and readers, all coming together to celebrate stories. Something sparked in me that day. I felt so connected to the author community—the passion, the excitement, the way everyone came together to celebrate books. That spark ignited a fire within me to try again, to sit down and write.

And so, I did.

I started writing, and while that first book is still sitting unpublished on my computer—untouched and unedited—I knew something was different this time. I began to believe in myself just enough to keep going. But even then, self-doubt crept in. I didn’t think I was good enough. But then, a friend challenged me to do something radical: join NaNoWriMo (National Novel Writing Month). "Just write," she said. "Don’t worry about whether it’s good enough or how it sounds. Just write the story."

And that’s what I did.

In November 2022, I wrote the first draft of my book, His Christmas Wish, during stolen moments between life’s demands. I’d sit on my couch, laptop in hand, with Hallmark movies playing in the background, and pour my heart into the story. By the time I’d written "The End," I didn’t think it was too terrible. It wasn’t perfect, but it was mine.

I found an editor, and let me tell you, I learned a lot. Editing was a whole new world for me—one that was equal parts thrilling and intimidating. But with each edit, I grew more confident in my writing. I went all in, pushed past the fear, and hit that "publish" button in May of 2023. That moment was surreal. I’d done it. I’d published my first novel.

Since then, the characters haven’t stopped coming. They keep speaking to me, and I keep sitting down to write more stories. It’s a joy I can’t fully explain, except to say that I’m incredibly grateful to be living this dream. The encouragement and inspiration I’ve received from readers, friends, and my family have been nothing short of amazing. Every message, every review, every moment of support makes me believe in this journey even more.

I truly am blessed to do what I love. What once felt impossible is now my reality. To all of you who’ve been a part of this journey—thank you. Your support means the world to me, and I can’t wait to see where this path takes us next.

Here’s to two years of writing, of learning, of growing, and of dreaming. And here’s to many more books to come.