Went on vacation a writer…Returned home an author
Updated: Jun 9, 2021
Out in the middle of nowhere, my dream of getting published became reality.
What’s the difference? An author has published a book. Plain and simple.
It was our first vacation in our RV since November 2019. Between the pandemic and my husband’s back surgery, The Albatross (alias RV) had rested snugly in a storage facility.
We wanted…needed to get away from home. Even fully vaccinated, we were leery of big cities and tourist destinations. We decided to head to South Dakota and enjoy the Black Hills for a few days. Then, we headed out in the middle of nowhere at Fort Robinson, Nebraska. No television. No Internet. Only spotty cellphone service.
It was the Saturday before Mother’s Day. We set up our campsite and I finally checked my email. It had been sitting there since Wednesday. We were out sightseeing the town of Deadwood, taking long walks, and just taking a technology break.
I looked at the heading of the email. My heart dipped as my most recent manuscript submission filled the screen. I steeled myself for another rejection. I had many. I had just talked up quitting. Why not add one as a morbid Mother’s Day present?
I click it. My heart raced as I read the words “offer you a contract….” They wanted my book. I was going to get published. A lifetime dream turned into reality. I ran to my husband, Rod, and in breathy words share the good news. He offered me my first “congratulations.” I was going to be an author.
What a fabulous Mother’s Day gift! I was floating for days. Because we were in the middle of nowhere, Rod had to lend me the hotspot on his phone for me to sign the contract and get it back to the publisher.
Signed and delivered. Join me on this journey with future posts. Filling out forms on an outdated computer. Heading into the land of Editors. And….
What have you really wanted to happen in your life and how did you achieve it?