It's been awhile since I've written, so I thought it would be fun to do a #FridayReads post. 

For the past several months, I've been reading through Lisa McMann's amazing UNWANTEDS  series AND the UNWANTEDS QUESTS series.

You guys, I cannot recommend these books enough. If you are a fan of MG fantasy/adventure, promise me you'll check out the first Unwanteds book like... yesterday! Great for ages 10+ (even 8+ for kids who can tackle a full-length novel). 
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These books have everything.

Adventure, friendship, first-crushes, love and loss, super fun magic, talking stone statues, whimsy, courage, and... did I mention adventure? 

​Trust me-- you won't be disappointed! And with 7 books in each series (total of 14 book!) you'll get to spend time in these books for a good long while. :) 

10 years
200+ rejected queries from agents
6 books
Signed with my agent - 2020
​Book Deal - 2020

I signed with my agent in early 2020 (one the absolute best moments of my life!). By the end of February, we were ready to submit my book to editors. I was fully of hope (and dread) as I stepped into the world of Going on Submission (that is, my book was sent to a handful of editors who work for book publishers). 

And then, two weeks later, the world shut down. 

With COVID-19 officially reaching the United States, it felt as if everyone's world collectively turned upside-down. Needless to say, my submission--along with the rest of the publishing industry--was put on hold. While we did hear back from a few editors over the next few months, it was mostly radio silence. (To pass the time, I wrote my next book!) 

In the summer of 2020, my agent and I decided to rework my manuscript based on editorial feedback. I worked with the fabulous Kate Sullivan (New Leaf Literary & Media's in-house editor) through revisions then we sent my book back out on submissions in the fall. 

And that's when the Fates came together and birthed a miracle. 

It just so happened that in the fall of 2020 editor extraordinaire, Liesa Abrams, was making a career change. After maintaining an immensely successful book list at Simon & Schuster, Liesa started a new journey at Random House--specifically to launch a new imprint: Labyrinth Road. During this transition, my agent decided to send Liesa my book to see if it was a good fit for the new imprint. 

I've been a fan of Liesa's from afar for years. I knew she was the editor for the Keeper of the Lost Cities series (my favorite book series EVER!) and she has a reputation in the publishing world as a phenomenal editor. 

So I could not believe when I got the call from my agent that Liesa LIKED MY BOOK! The next day, I was on the phone with Liesa to talk about the book and I instantly connected to her ideas/thoughts. Then came the OFFER OF PUBLICATION. I couldn't  believe it--I was getting emails from Random House! 

Fast forward to today. Liesa and I have worked through several rounds of revisions on my manuscript and I am still in complete awe that I get to work with her. She is kind and brilliant and my characters are so much better off because of her suggestions and feedback.