"Congratulations, Chrissy, we have chosen the Lion Cubs as our winner this year!"My heart stopped. My feet left the floor. What I've wanted since I was 15 years old has happened. My book is getting published!
But I don't want this first post to be about how I got to this point. (I'm sure there will be another post to cover that). I want this post to be a great big thank you to all my friends and family who made this moment, and all the moments leading up to that moment, the most special time of my life.
I cannot even begin to tell you the immense joy I felt when I heard those words from Word Alive Press, the company who chose my book for publication. It was like I swallowed the sun, or something equally big. But even that was pale in comparison to what happened when I hung up the phone. To have a group of friends run into my room all at the same time, all screaming and jumping, as I screamed and jumped, was too much for words. As we all collapsed into this weird attempt at a group hug (hard to do with jumping and freaking out), I couldn't help but feel the support and love from so many important people. I cried into their shoulders, I laughed, I leapt, I basically felt like I was the luckiest girl in the world.
To be a published author: well, yes, I do admit, that is fantastic, and mind-blowing, and, even two days later, still catching me by surprise, but it's the people around you who make these moments count. I mean, come on: to have your little sister tell you how proud she is of you, to have your friend actually shriek when you tell her the news, to see mouths drop, to be hugged by so many people, and then, to have 30 comments in just one hour when you finally announce it on facebook, that's when you realize the reason why becoming a published author is so amazing is because of all the wonderful people you get to share it with. When you wake up the next morning and find your apartment riddled with little post-it notes with encouraging messages like "The Lion Cubs: Bestseller", you know you're blessed. When your roommate says we have to celebrate and asks you where you want to go to celebrate, you know you're blessed. When your quadmates sit up at night after you go to bed, and cry together as they discuss your book, you know you're blessed. And these are only some of the reasons. I am so blessed, and so excited to begin this journey toward publication, but it would not be what it is without the support and AMAZING love of my friends and family who have made this whole thing too good for words. So, for this reason, I thank you all, love you all. The Lion Cubs wouldn't have made it here if it wasn't for all of you :)
