But I think sometimes authors don't get the credit they deserve. Like, how many people they have helped, inspired and brought into the writing world all together.
So today there are a few people I am going to take the time to tell you about. And I am going to tell you some pretty amazing things about them. And hopefully when I have finished, you will have found some more authors you'll end up loving just as much!
The first person I am going to tell you about, is the one who started a chain of events that has brought me to where I am at today.
Laurel is a friend whom I spent a lot of time hanging out with. We met when I was 12 and meeting her was one of the best things that ever happened to me. A few short months after I turned 13 I decided I wanted to try writing a book. (Yeah, no one will ever see my first piece of work.) And so I told my great friend Laurel. And months after that she told me about a group her mother along with eight other women were doing to help young writers get started. It was exciting but I told her I probably couldn't come due to the fact that I was home-schooled and worked for my parents at their store.
This brings us to the second wonderful woman.
After I told Laurel I couldn't come to the writing group, I let it go and moved on. Laurel didn't. She e-mailed Karen, told her about my situation and what did Karen do? Took matters into her own hands. She called my mom, arranged everything and sent me an e-mail with instructions. (Where the writers group was meeting, what to bring. . . etc).
If not for Karen Hoover, I would have never gone to that writers group. If not for that writing group, I wouldn't be writing this post right now.
I already knew C. Michelle Jeffries. But let me tell you, she is incredible and was also very helpful!
Karen and Michelle got me started, kept me coming and then I met Shanna.
Shanna helped me with EVERYTHING! I called, e-mailed and talked to her in any form possible at least once a day. I ALWAYS had questions for her. I looked up to her, and just LOVED her advice and help. She never once told me she couldn't help me at the moment or she was "busy" or "go away", or "you're annoying. I don't want to talk to you" (I'm pretty sure I was really annoying at the time).
Between these four women, I started going to writers conferences, doing my work and really getting into writing. During my first time to LTUE, I met Elizabeth Mueller.
We met, said "Hi", added each other on Facebook and left it at that. Until I had a really rough time. I couldn't write, I hadn't written in months! And it felt horrible. I was on a schedule and I was really trying to complete my manuscript. I just wanted to cry!
Instead I logged onto Facebook. And there her name was in my chat box. No one else was online. So I clicked on her name, opened a conversation and began asking her writing questions!
After that night, I wrote like crazy and finished my manuscript ahead of time.
Now, after almost 7 years since it all began, I am so happy to say that 3 out of five of these beautiful women are published.
Karen got published after trying for 14 years!
Author of The Wolfchild Saga:
The Sapphire Flute,
The Armor of Light
The Emerald Wolf (coming November 2012)
And
The Misadventures of a teenage wizard: Two Souls are better than one
Elizabeth got published and I got to be one of her minions!
Author of Darkspell
And coming next month is C. Michelle Jeffries first published book!
Author of Emergence (September 2012)
When The Emerald Wolf is released I will be throwing a HUGE celebration here. It is gonna be a giveaway party you do not want to miss out on.
I will also be throwing a blog party in celebration of the release of Emergence.
More information to come as these events get closer.
So please, give these wonderful women a hand! Without them, I wouldn't be here. I can't even imagine how many others they have inspired!
And I encourage everyone to blog about the people who helped, encouraged and got you writing! (And come leave the link in the comments so I can check it out).
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