This book started out as a way to illustrate what it is like when you are pursuing a dream, or at least how it was for me. A lot of people seemed to view my life as much harder or much easier than it really is. I thought I could give them a better picture if I write about it. I was certain that by the end of the book, I would be a wildly famous artist, hence the name, "my meteoric rise (to here.)" However, the "here" was a different place than what I thought it would be. I think my own writing showed me some things that I would have missed. This is the book I wish I could have read when I quit my job years ago. I mean, if you KNEW things would work out all right, you could take any leap. So I want any reader to know that no matter how it turns out, it will be all right.

The books I read are generally self-help books. I am curious by nature so if I see something on FaceBook, that often prompts me to Google the person who wrote it. I like books that can show me ways to make my life better.

I like to write so that a person will feel as though I am talking with them. My hope is that people will see me as open and accepting because I am.

The mosaic that is on the cover of my book is a self portrait. It is called "comfortable (the fushigi life)" and shows an imaginary picture of myself underwater. At the time I often felt as if I was drowning, and what helped me was to use Jillian Michael's quote, "Get comfortable with being uncomfortable," as a mantra. Fushigi means magic and when things get tough, I try to remember just how magic my life is.

I am not really what anyone would consider an author. I am a full time glass artisan and that takes up most of my day. When I thought about my book, it was actually in the middle of the night when I couldn't sleep. Surely, a lot of thought would have been lost when I fell asleep again. Whatever topics made it through till the morning were keepers. I have a laptop that had quotes on post it notes all over and a file with things that I wanted included. I worked on an Ikea shelving unit that is about three times bigger than the laptop. Besides a mousepad, router, two speakers, and a jar of pens, I have room for a cup of tea.

I grew up in Central Pennsylvania. The thing that most influenced this book is the really religious phase that my mom went through starting when I was in about ninth grade. I was taken out of public school and sent to a church school. Many weeks had some kind of church activity every day of the week!

I started writing this book in 2010, and finished it in 2013. Then I sat on it for a few years and edited it, adding interjections from an older and wiser version of myself in 2015. I finally released it early 2016.

I didn't realize I was an indie author till just now when asked that. I had to google it. I found, "If you see yourself as the creative director of your books, from concept to completion and beyond, then you're indie." on selfpublishingadvice.org. I am an artist so I want things MY way. As a novice, I didn't realize that self publishing is the way to go if you want this kind of control. For instance, on my website (http://lindabillet.com/) or anywhere I sign my work, I never use capital letters just because I don't like the way it looks. I have that freedom in self publishing with very few things being rejected for these "errors." During the years I spent writing, I was unaware that there was a possibility of self publishing. Now that I know about it, I cannot imagine any other way my book could have been published because my time is mostly devoted to my glass work.

My greatest joy is when someone says that I helped them. I wish I could help everyone!

I am a glass artisan. I make beautiful things. I love living this magic adventure.

I had said in my book that I never want to write again. My book has been out for a little over a month and I am already contemplating the next one. I just became a grandmother about two weeks before my book was released. Everything changed. I have more stuff on my mind and am spending sleepless nights again. I think maybe, just MAYBE, I will again write about how we look at things... but then that's IT. No really.