On December 10, 2013, I was thrilled to be part of a book launch at Towne Center Books in Pleasanton, CA. Four authors, including me, joined in reading excerpts from our books. Julaina Kleist-Corwin and I read from our true Christmas romance stories, which appear in an anthology, A Kiss Under the Mistletoe by Jennifer Basye Sander. This book was published by Harlequin and released on October 29, 2013, in time for the holiday season. It is available on www.amazon.com in paperback or Kindle formats. It is also on Nook. Jordan Bernal’s novel, The Keepers of Eire, is set in Ireland. It’s an adult fantasy book that takes you into the world of dragons and magic. You can order it on Kindle or from Jordan’s website: www.jordanbernal.com. Elaine Schmitz’s cookbook, Recipes and Recollections of My Greek American Family contains entertaining tales and delectable recipes, which range from easy to gourmet. To order: www.elaineschmitz-writer.com.

Our warm, welcoming audience had the chance to purchase books and we were privileged to autograph them. We basked in the glow of the evening as our audience laughed and applauded. We enjoyed our fifteen minutes of fame and look forward to more chances to promote our work in our progression of being published.

Any success in publishing I receive also goes to my critique group and my writing teacher, Julaina Kleist-Corwin, who encouraged me to enter this contest. My learning curve has been steep, and the practice of my craft is important. Previous credits were in local anthologies, which was a good start. Now, I desire to continue writing and entering other contests for short essays, stories and poems. This should help me build a better following, which will aid in sales of my novel when that day comes.

I can’t emphasize enough the importance of the support of my fellow writers who cheer me to go forward and also critique my writing, as well as the family and friends who encourage me to write. I appreciate everyone who has purchased this book. Your support has been a source of encouragement to me.