When I was in college I was in the marching band. (What? That’s right, I said it.) We followed our football team to a bowl game in Memphis, Tennessee, and the day before the game, we marched in a parade in the pouring rain. Marching down Beale Street, there was a sign for a club that flashed the words: “This! Is! It! (pause) This is it!” As we approached the sign, the drenched trumpet section, to keep ourselves amused, in time, and from shivering to death, began chanting along to the sign: This! Is! It! This is it!
Well kids, I can only say: This! Is! It! This is it!
Its here! My book is here! (I’m going to use a lot of exclamation points in this post. Fair warning.) Compromised is on store shelves! I popped into Barnes and Noble, wandered over to the Romance section, and low and behold it was there. My friend texted me from Borders. There too! On a table next to Meg Cabot! I love her books!
Seriously though, this has been an effort a long time coming, and there were a lot of people involved. I have many, many people to thank, and since I’m pretty sure I’m never going to win an Oscar – it’s ok, I’ve made my peace with it – I would like to take this opportunity to give my Oscar speech:
I would like to thank the Academy.
I would like to thank my family and friends for their unending support, and my Mom in particular for having her book club read my book.
I would like to thank my agent Kelly, who plucked me from all the queries on her desk and her incredible patience when I ask stupid questions.
I would like to thank my editor, who guided my words, and got them in shape. She’s like a personal trainer who made my sentences and chapters start doing pilates 5 days a week.
(The orchestra starts up, forcing me to speak louder and faster)
I…I would like to thank my 10th grade English teacher Mrs. Reeves! I would like to thank my roommate for not taking it personally when I only grunted at her from behind my laptop! I would like to thank
my –
(The orchestra gets louder now, and the camera goes to a wide shot of the Kodak theater)
Hey! I want to thank the RWA! I want to thank all the judges of all those contests I entered when I first started for your criticism! I want to thank my cat Cordelia! And most of all I want to thank you! Thank you, for reading, and I hope you enjoy Compromised!
Not too shabby, right? I do hope you all have a wonderful Tuesday, and if you happen to wander by a book store, and notice a book with a girl in a yellow dress on the cover called Compromised, pick it up, give it a once over. I loved writing this book, and sincerely hope you enjoy it too.
This is it!
