I have good news to share. I signed my first book contract in 2023 and the first story in my Best-laid Plans series will publish in June, 2024.
How did this book contract come about, you ask?
I’m excited to share I won the grand prize in the Scrivenings Press #GetPubbed writing contest. My novel, When Plans Go Awry, won first place in the Historical Romance category, and then went on to win the grand prize. The grand prize includes a book contract. My novel is scheduled to be launched into the world on June 4, 2024.
What’s amazing is looking back over the past thirteen (yes, 13!) years of working on my stories, making friends, learning, and growing as both a person and as a writer. I’m so thankful for the journey.
The path has been a lot of winding cross-backed, up and down, narrow and wide dirt trails, with a few paved and flat sections along the way. Then, on November 16, these contest results were announced, and everything has changed — and I’m on a new path now!
The word CHANGE was the perfect word for me in 2023.
From a writing perspective I chose this word because I wanted to change how I approached my writing. To not be afraid to change my opening or what my characters said. I wanted to be able to try new phrasing and change my manuscript for the better. I wanted to embrace change in different ways including pitching and trying new contests.
And because of that, I can now add additional changes that have happened this year!
- I finaled in a contest and got to submit my entire manuscript
- That entire manuscript won 1st place in a contest
- And then won the grand prize in that contest
- That grand prize included my first book contract
- My first book contract is now a 3-book series titled Best-laid Plans
- And my first book, When Plans Go Awry, will be published June 4, 2024
Very Big Changes in My Personal Life, Too
Change has been up front and center in my personal life this year as well. With one college graduation and our youngest’s high school graduation, we are moving on from being booster presidents and weekly performances or activities to attend. Our middle son asked his sweetheart to marry him, and we are experiencing new things with being parents of the groom. We’ve been blessed with new responsiblities in our day jobs, and been able to travel quite a bit this year.
I’m so excited for June 2024. We will celebrate a book launch and a new marriage.
Celebrate my book contract with me!
To follow my publishing journey in 2024, sign up for my newsletter or follow me on my facebook or instagram pages. I will be building a street team to help with the book launch, so stay tuned for more details in the coming months.
As the year 2023 ends, all of these things are the best changes possible. And I’m so excited for 2024 and what is to come. I also can’t wait to share my 2024 focus word with you. That will be in my next post!
Denise M. Colby loves to write words to encourage, enrich, and engage with others. You can find similar encouraging posts on A Slice of Orange such as meeting writing goals or when your confidence wavers, and on her own website Moments of Encouragement. She also loves to write about her word of the year and share quotes that include that specific word in them. Each word builds a new layer in her writing journey (and her life). In 2022, her word was Work. 2023 year, her word was change.