Gobs and Gobs of Happy Stuff

Hurrah! I've been given the okay to share some of my mysterious GOOD NEWS.

I'm not even sure where to begin. Everything happened quickly and all at once! So I'll just jump right in.

First . . .

DANKE, RANDOM HOUSE GERMANY!!!

I received my first foreign sale. Thank you, Germany! I am thrilled — THRILLED — that Anna will be on your shelves! It has been many years since I've been to Germany (apart from that fifteen minutes I spent running through Frankfurt's airport in January), but suddenly I have a very strong hankering to return. Ich bin glücklick!

[I hope that means "I'm happy." My German is sadly worse than my French. It is a good thing, indeed, that authors do not translate their own novels.]


Second . . .

I GOT BLURBED BY TWO AMAZING AUTHORS!!!

Blurbs are those wonderful little quotes that go on book covers, where Very Important People tell you to Read This Book.

Blurbs are extremely exciting for new authors. Here are mine:

"Very sly. Very funny. Very romantic. You should date this book."
— Maureen Johnson

"Imagine a mug of rich, thick hot chocolate. Now add a swirl of sweet whipped cream. Yummy? Oui. Well, Anna and the French Kiss is richer, sweeter, and—yes—even hotter. You're in for a very special treat.”
— Lauren Myracle


Aren't those ADORABLE??

My head is spinning. I'm not even sure what to say here, you guys. I mean, blurbs are incredible, no question. It means someone liked your book! Enough to put THEIR NAME on it! And Maureen Johnson and Lauren Myracle are both New York Times bestselling authors. So that'll look awesome on my cover, right?

But here's the thing.

Maureen and Lauren aren't just anyone. I've loved their work for years. I buy their novels in hardcover. I read them multiple times and mark my favorite passages. When I was a librarian, I relentlessly faced-out copies of Maureen's Girl at Sea and Suite Scarlett and Lauren's Winnie Years series. I shoved their books into the hands of library patrons on a regular basis. And when their books were challenged or banned (The Bermudez Triangle and TTYL), I made sure those books were sitting on our shelves. I dreamed of one day being able to write like them.

And now they have read my book. And they liked it.

And it feels like nothing short of a miracle.


Third . . .

I saw what my ARCs (Advanced Reading Copies) will look like — inside AND out! And it's beautiful. The designers did a spectacular job, above and beyond my expectations. I can't wait to show you!


Fourth . . .

I have film representation!

If you aren't in the book industry, I want to make it clear that MANY authors have film representation and ALMOST ALL OF THEM see nothing come of it. But I've heard only wonderful things about my agent, and I am over-the-moon to find my toe unexpectedly in this door!


So . . .

HUGE HUGE HUGE thank you to my agent Kate Schafer Testerman, my German sub-agent, my film agent, my editor, my book designer, Lauren Myracle, Maureen Johnson, and everyone else who made this a mind-boggling week!


But . . .

The best part? My favorite piece of good news isn't even my own. A very dear friend had an EVEN BETTER week. But because it's not *my* news, it isn't mine to share. You shall have to wait!