Have You Heard?

I can't believe I haven't wrote this post yet. I dreamed about writing this post for five years and when I finally can, I totally flake and don't. If you haven't heard you are probably wondering what it is I am babbling about.

A few months ago I got a phone call while I was at work from the awesomeness that is my agent Brittany Booker. (If you want to read about my getting an agent you can go here.) I happened to go to lunch early that day because I was starving and couldn't bear to wait another half hour like I usually did. Because I went so early only my one coworker, one of the only coworkers who knows I'm a writer, came with me. The two of us sat at a table in a corner and started eating when my phone rang. Let me tell you, it took all I had not to jump up on the table and start dancing like this:

You know when you just know. As soon as I saw the number flash on my screen that feeling you get in your gut told me this was going to be a call of epic proportions. I answered, voice shakey, hands shaking even worse and let Brittany tell me what I had been waiting and hoping for for so, so long.

I was getting published!!! As the words came out of her mouth I went from dancing fool to:

Because even though I had a feeling, until you hear the words you just don't know. My coworker watched me as all these facial expressions formed on my face. And let me just say a cafeteria is probably the worst place to get the call. It is loud and makes it almost impossible to hear. I want to apologize to Brittany now for saying What? Excuse me? What was that? like nine hundred times in that one conversation.

I hung up and told my coworker. And I went from shock to:

Then of course I called my Mom and then my Boyfriend. And did a little more Elaine dancing. It was a long journey and now that I got here, I realized as long as it was, really it's just begun. I am so excited and I can't wait to meet the world and for them to meet my characters.

My debut novel, (NEVER) AGAIN, will be out this fall with Berkley (Penguin) Yes that says Penguin! I know! HOLY CRAP is right!!!!

New Deal: Theresa Paolo's (NEVER) AGAIN, a New Adult romance, where just as the college student forgets about her ex-boyfriend, he moves back and into her life, to Julie Mianecki at Berkley (Penguin), in a nice deal, for publication in October, by Brittany Booker of the Booker Albert Agency (World).

There were so many times when I thought I'd never be published and my mom would always say, "Good things happen to those who wait" and I would tell her well I'm sick of waiting and that saying is annoying. Well as always, Mom was right. Good things definitely happen to those who wait and I wouldn't change a thing. My five year journey to get an agent and to get a publisher has shaped me into who I am today and I'm a better writer for it and most of all a better person.

I want you all to know, this wasn't as easy as a submit and yes either. It never is with me. Once again I had to do another rewrite, this time completely changing my story from YA to NA. I will write about that in a future post. But let me just say my book is better than I ever imagined because of that. When it comes to my writing, life likes to throw me hurdles, but I just keep climbing over them, and I don't plan on stopping.

As soon as I get more details about the release/cover I will let you all know! Thanks for being with me on this journey. It's only going to get better :)

Oh! Oh! Oh! There's not much detail, but ahhhh you can find me on Amazon and Barnes and Noble!!!