Updates on Publishing and the 5 P's

Well, hello all! I'm so excited that the book process is moving right along. Technically, I could click a button and my publish date would by 7/1/25. However, I have decided to hold off on publishing until 10/1/25 BECAUSE(!) I have entered into a contest through The Novelry, the world's top-rated novel writing school! Three pages only to showcase The Next Big Story! They want you to focus on the 5 P's, Person, Problem, Place, Plot & Prose ...all in three little pages! I submitted the first chapter of The People We Meet and now we wait! I think Louise, sharing her grief, at the Queen Anne-style home she is saddled with, while learning to grow and heal amongst a community of kind people...fits the bill.

The contest is for a cash prize as well as assistance in perfecting my story, marketing, and publishing. I will know by 9/28 if I am on the short list of winners. If I am, voting is opened up and we wait with all our fingers and toes crossed. If I'm not, then I push that button and we publish on 10/1! (That is a great day as it will also be my 15th wedding anniversary to the best guy.)

I kept telling myself that I shouldn't enter because I don't win things. Then I talked myself into, because, why not?! Then I started telling myself, again, that I don't win things and 100's of other, better, works will be submitted, so I should just go ahead and publish my book now. (One of the rules is that it can't be a published work...yet.) It took a few friends and my wonderful husband to say, "But what if you DO win?" I mean, I'd be giving up $100k and assistance in getting my book out there if I didn't get my head out of the sand. There is a chance. And why not me?! Someone has to win, WHY NOT ME?! What is three more months in the grand scheme of things?

Imposter syndrome has been big over the course of of this writing process, but I'm growing. I used to not even tell people I was writing a book, let alone that I was excited about it. I was embarrassed and worried no one would like it and think, "Gah, why does LIZ think she would ever write anything of quality?" Then, I'd share that I was writing it, but couldn't even explain what it was about. Now, I'm pumped and stop to show people my beautiful cover (Thank you, Travis!) and tell them that I AM SO CLOSE!

I appreciate the support of my friends, family, and followers so much and thank you for going on this journey with me.

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