Where do I begin? The last 365 days have been a total whirlwind. It's honestly hard to believe it's been a full year since I became a published author. Since that was the one thing I wanted to be since I was 8 years old, I never thought I would be able to achieve that at 24. But- I owe it all to all of you.

Many of you don't know this but if it wasn't for all of the continued support, I probably wouldn't have followed through with actually publishing my book. Putting my writing out there was scary... it still is. Two years ago I took a gamble and posted on Facebook how I was near completion of my very first book I would want to publish. Only a few reacted to the post and I thought to myself, "who is even going to read this thing?" I questioned my writing and the idea of publishing it for a while. Then as I dove deeper into my novel, I decided to I would publish the first chapter unedited on my blog to see what would happen. I don't know what I was expecting - well, I do, I was expecting people to not even read it. So when so many people reached out saying they wanted to read more, I was in a state of disbelief.

Fun fact: the amount of time I spent researching how to publish a book and actually writing my book probably would equal to about the same. I tried to get an agent. I tried to get my writing picked up by a publishing house. The answer was always the same, "we're sorry but this is not what we are looking for at this time." Why? Because I wasn't an established author. I was only 23 years old. Who would want to risk taking on a young girl who's never published before? Well- none of the 50 I queried. I received 50 rejections. Fifty.

What was I to do now? Was my writing not good enough? Would I ever make it as an author? Would it even be worth publishing a book? Would everyone hate it? These questions ran continuously throughout my mind as each rejection letter hit my inbox.

But - because of how many of you expressed heavy interest in reading my book, and continued to support my desire, I decided to self-publish. What did this mean? It meant doing it all by myself. It meant I could have my book published within months only if I picked up and moved back home. At this point, I was living 12 hours away in North Carolina but only a year out of college, I was barely making enough money to cover all of my bills and self-publishing would cost thousands. As much as I hated saying goodbye to the new place I had come to love, I called my parents and told them I was moving back home to achieve my dream.

Flashback to one year ago- March 17th, 2016. After moving home, I worked on editing my book and building up the hype for the seven months leading up to this day...release day. At exactly 12:00 A.M. I announced that my book was available to purchase on Amazon. The emotions I felt as I hit post were a combination of nerve-wracking, excitement, terrifying, and the greatest sense of accomplishment. I woke up to messages, phone calls, and so many posts on Facebook that books were being purchased. It was overwhelming. That first day I sold over 100 copies and to my honest surprise...it didn't stop there.

Today - one year later, my first book, "A Saint For Life" is an international seller it's been sold across the entire country. Although it's not technically a best-seller, it is in my mind and YOU helped me achieve that.

Thank you to those who read my first chapter and asked for more. You gave me the courage and the belief that I could really do this.

Thank you to those who continued to encourage me throughout the entire publishing process.

Thank you to those who purchased my book and helped diminish my fear that I wouldn't sell any.

Thank you to those who recommend it to their friends and continue to spread the word.

Thank you to everyone who showed up for my very first book signing to show your support.

Thank you to everyone who has reviewed my book - there is no greater gift to an author.

Thank you to everyone who has taken time out of their day to read it.

Thank you to everyone who has sent me honest and kind words - it means more than you know.

And, the most important thank you...THANK YOU to my parents, my brother, sister, family, friends, co-workers, and every single one of you who have supported me from day one. You've inspired me to continue to go after my dreams. You've brightened dark days. You helped me to believe that I can do anything I set my mind to and you've helped me achieve what I once thought was impossible.

For that and for all of you - I will be forever grateful.