I wrote my first novel when I was fifteen, and I had no idea how to get it published. I sent out bundles of query letters to every agent who considered my genre, but the only positive responses I received always turned out to be scammers. I got sick of it. Everyone who had been kind enough to read my story loved it, and I wanted to share it with the world, but I realized that if I wanted this to happen sooner, I'd have to take matters into my own hands. I did some research, and not only did I find a perfect fit in self-publishing my novel as an ebook through Smashwords, but I've found a wonderful community of kindred artists that I've become dedicated to helping get their works into publishable shape.

I love Smashwords. It was so easy to figure out how to publish through them, and the fact that they work with so many distributors helps me get my writing to as many potential readers as possible.

I don't market my books. Perhaps this is a mistake, but I'm not publishing with the hopes of earning enough to quit my day job and write full-time. I mean, that would be stupendous, but I like the idea of someone simply happening upon one of my stories, liking the blurb, and reading it from there. That's how I've found the majority of my favorite stories. The serendipity of it all is so romantic, n'est pas?

I'm an old-fashioned girl, and I really prefer a bound and beautiful book in my hands when I read. There's nothing like the feel of turning a page as you progress through a story, the sound of binding cracking and paper slipping against paper, and that crisp scent that emits when you crack open a brand new book for the first time. I don't even own an official e-reader because I could never give up real life books. However, there have been times when I needed something to read and couldn't get to a bookstore or wait for delivery from an online store, so I've used both my computer and my phone to read content in a pinch. Hooray, technology!

I find it strange that I even have fans. I feel so honored that people enjoy my writing enough not only to read and rate it, but to send me messages about how much they enjoyed my characters and their journeys.