From Reader to Author

Today I hit publish on my third novel in six months.
Being an author has always been a dream of mine, but not one I thought I'd actually accomplish. I was a huge bookworm growing up. While other kids my age asked for scooters and gaming systems for Christmas, I was the kid begging for the 3 Doors Down CD and Barnes & Noble gift cards (because tunes while reading is a must). My mother, worried that I'd been locked away in my room all day, would come to check on me and find me sprawled across my bed--often upside down--reading the latest Lynne Ewing or Sarah Dessen book. I filled dozens of spiral notebooks with character descriptions and backstories. My desk was littered with stationary and steno pads, random thoughts and ideas scrawled across the pages. Once I got to high school I dived head first into journalism and creative writing classes, anything that would give me an excuse to put my words on paper.
As I got older though, like many people, my priorities changed. I was focused on my family and career, letting my passions fall by the wayside. 2012 was one of the worst and best years of my life. With a failed marriage looming over my head, I was adjusting to the life of a single parent while struggling to find a way back to the person I used to be. It was then, in the midst of chaos, that I discovered ebooks. I may be young, but I'm a bit slow on the uptake when it comes to technology. From the very first download, my passion for reading was reignited. Over the course of the next few years I devoured book after book, discovering new authors I would've never known had there not been a platform for self-publishing. I continued to toy with the idea of writing a book, but every time I'd start a story I'd get stuck 20k words in and eventually lose interest.
On a camping trip almost two years ago, this scene just popped in my head: A young man, dressed in a tailored suit, stood over a bound and beaten older man in a dingy basement. The sound of a struggle announced the arrival of the older man's beautiful young daughter and his wife.
Words cannot do the feeling I had justice, the scene was so vivid and I instinctively knew these characters. Their thoughts and motivations flooded my mind and I had this overwhelming impulse to get it all down on paper. I ran to my tent, snatching up my trusty notebook, and I wrote it all out. For the rest of the camping trip I basically ignored everyone. Opting to sit beside the fire and jot down the story as it unfolded in my imagination. Only stopping when my pen ran out of ink or it got too dark to see what I was writing. Carlo, Mia and all the others were born on that trip and while I'd like to tell you that I went home and kept at it until it was done, that just wasn't the case.
After that trip, the normal day to day distractions took hold and Carlo and Mia sat stuck between the pages of an old notebook, collecting dust on top of my refrigerator for the next nine months. I had told a friend of mine, Dani, about the story and she demanded to see it. Once she got a taste of Carlo and Mia she insisted I finish the story. At first I brushed her off, assuming she was just being nice. I mean come on, who would want to read something I wrote, right? But Dani wouldn't let up, every Monday morning she'd ask me if I'd worked on the story over the weekend until finally I was able to tell her yes. I fed her bits here and there as I slowly fumbled my way through a story arc. I had no idea how to write a novel, sure I'd written articles and short stories, but an entire novel?
I found myself googling average word counts and self-publishing options as the light at the end of the tunnel started to get brighter. Finally, after a very long journey, Omertà was finished.
I'd done it. I'd finally achieved something that I never thought was actually possible, I was an author.
Now here I am, six months after publishing Omertà and I still feel like I need to pinch myself to make sure it's all real. I get emails from people on different continents telling me how much they loved my book and I can't help but be amazed. To think, it all started with a vivid daydream about someone being tortured in a basement...go figure.
I feel truly blessed to have had the support from my friends and family as well as the readers and new friends I've made in the book world. I can't wait to see what the future will bring.