Why didn't I give up?

I almost did, and we almost didn't have Stake-Out.

As we close in on the 10th anniversary of Stake-Out, I want to talk about how it came to be, and how it saved a young writer from quitting.

I had been querying since I was 16, rejection after rejection, including one for Stake-Out that made me consider throwing in the towel for good, sticking to proofreading only at the time.

Then my blog (now defunct) got a book review request from a subsidiary of a major indie publisher. My mom looked at me and said, "Just submit one more time. Just once. For me."

So I submitted. For Mom.

AND I GOT A PUBLISHING CONTRACT. My first one. No advance, but a great royalty deal. I got the notice in October 2014, right after my 21st birthday. And Mom and I both collapsed on my bed and cried with joy.

Stake-Out was written on a whim, and supposed to be a standalone novel, not the start to an 8-book series and multiple spinoffs depicting a rich world I crafted.

I was watching a crime show on TV and asked, "What happens if that guy they're hunting isn't human?"

BAM.

There came the opening chapter to Stake-Out. This was around March 2014.

Stake-Out, my Angelica Cross, her book saved me from quitting. Angelica launched my career, made me the writer I am today. That book started EVERYTHING, and is the reason I sit here now, talking to you all.

That is why I am going all-out for her anniversary. And it would be a true joy if you'd join me too.