I read my first romance book when I was 12 after I snuck a Harlequin paperback out of my mom’s bedroom. I couldn’t stop thinking about it and wanted to create my own stories about two people falling in love and going on a grand adventure.

As soon as I turned 18, I submitted a few manuscripts to some publishers and agents. Unsurprising to me now, those books soon ended up in the slush pile, and I was lucky to even get a standard form rejection email. I’ve learned so much about writing, style guides, plotting, and grammar over the years that I wince when I think about my earlier works.

When I was 26, one of my books finally snagged the attention of a small press. That book was Forever Winter, but let me back up a little…

In 2012, I found a Christmas-themed anthology call that specifically wanted sweet romances, either contemporary or historical, with a word count of around 15k. The deadline was in two weeks, so I figured I didn’t have enough time to plot and write something. Besides, I prefer writing spicy romances, not sweet and clean. But I kept thinking about the call, and for some reason, I set it in the Regency period. The characters of Susanna and Camden formed on their own, and they kept talking to me, urging me to tell their story. So I finally relented and did as they demanded. I wrote, edited, and submitted Forever Winter on the day before the deadline. A few days later, I got my first ever acceptance email. I re-read the message at least two or three times before I realized I wasn’t imagining it.

Forever Winter paved the way of my publishing journey. I’ve met several wonderful authors, awesome reviewers and bloggers, and so many other people in the writing and publishing industry. This career has a reputation for being a “loner” type of job, and it is to some degree, but there are so many people out there that are in the same boat. We all confine ourselves to our own little space to write the words that’s threatening to burst from our chests. We’re all familiar with that solitary existence of staring at a computer screen while the world spins by. That’s why writing groups—either online or in person groups—are so helpful. We can interact, swap ideas, and ask for advice from like-minded individuals. We can crawl out of our shells and experience something real, not the fictional worlds in our heads.

Now that I’ve received the rights back to Forever Winter, I’ve re-edited the story, added a subplot, and designed a new cover. The re-release publication date is October 5^th, and I’m more than excited to welcome my debut novella back into the world.

I hope you enjoy it as much as I do.