The season is upon us for giving thanks.  To the casual reader it might appear that the pursuit of publication is a solitary mission.  For me that has not been the case.  In fact, if it were not for some very special people, I never would have had the courage or knowledge to sit here and write a blog about writing. 

For years I wrote in silence.  Only my husband and parents knew of the dream that took root shortly after I left my dreams of a life in the theatre behind.  My Father wanted to be my editor.  The fact that I was too self conscious to let him read my work, no matter how many times he asked, is a regret that I will live with forever as he is now gone.  My mother wanted to be my first reader and cheerleader, and my husband BELIEVED.  He believed in me 100% from the first day I uttered my dreams.  He believed without ever reading a word that I wrote, and because he believed, I started to believe. 

About four years ago, hubby knew that it was time to emerge from my cloak of secrecy and he (along with the kids and the dog!) gave me a membership to the Romance Writers Association (RWA) and New Jersey Romance Writers (NJRW) for Mother’s Day.  I never felt more touched by a simple piece of paper inside a card.

I was terrified.  Joining a writers association would lead to the inevitable…sharing my work with people who would want to pull it apart and tell me everything that I was doing wrong!  What I found, was a great group of wonderfully supportive women.  The writer is an amazing breed.  I have now attended numerous conferences, meetings and workshops.  All of these events are sponsored, organized and taught by successful romance writers.  The collective sharing of knowledge among the women in these organizations along with the recently formed Liberty States Fiction Writers, for which I am also a member, is enough to want to give thanks! 

So, thank you…To my first friends in the associations, who took me under their wing and offered a safe and fun place to work on my craft; to all the additional friends and mentors in the associations that I have since met along the way who have been so giving of their time and talents; to those outside of the writers circle who lovingly read my work…my mom and cousin who offered their best readers perspective; to my BFF and critique partner for giving me the safest audience of one to write that first draft for; and to my husband, who to this day has yet to read much of what I’ve written, but still unequivocally believes in me.  I am blessed.  Thank you!