I have a big announcement and no it's not that I'm pregnant with twins or triplets.
Please bare with me as I try to type all of this while my mind is currently fried. I'm really hoping it ends up making sense and doesn't come out as a bundle of gibberish.
Before I get to the big news, I want to start off by saying I am completely blown away by the responses I received from my first blog post. I never imagined that by telling my story I would touch so many people in so many different ways. I want to thank everyone who did reach out to me, it meant the world hearing all your thoughts and all of your encouraging words. And I want to say that for those people who are struggling with the same issues as I did and are in need of someone to talk to, my door is always open. Sometimes it can be helpful talking to someone who has been there, survived, and is living the life you don't think you could accomplish. I want to be able to raise awareness to the situations I went through even though I'm just one person in a giant world, I think my story can bring more light to the subject and I think that the best way to do that is to talk to people in the same place I was. Also, for those of you who might not want to reach out but are struggling in life, just know, it does get better, I promise.
So, I do have some big news. When I wrote Limitless I couldn't imagine more than five people buying my book. I had no idea what to expect when I hit publish. I could have sold just one book and I would have been as ecstatic as I am right now. I wrote it for me and although I knew it was good, and my beta readers thought so too, I never really expected anything big to happen. My goal was not, and still isn't, to make money but to share my work with others in the reader community. Reading has always been such a big part of my life and I wanted nothing more than to contribute to that. I can't tell you how many times reading has saved me from a low point in my life, a panic attack, or even a time where I just felt lost. So to me, the idea of writing a book and the possibility of Limitless being someone's escape from the world was most important to me. However, I would be lying if I said I didn't envision being on the New York's Best Seller's list and having Limitless being the number one book of the year. I think anyone who releases a book, for whatever reason, has the same dream despite how unreachable it may seem.
When I hit publish for Limitless, I also took a chance and submitted my book to Booktrope. For those of you who don't know what Booktrope is it's a hybrid publishing company that provides a creative team to help you publish your book. It's actually a really cool and unique concept which is the main reason why I submitted Limitless in the first place. I researched several publishing companies and Booktrope is the one that caught my eye. I figured if I ever decided to do anything but self publishing I wanted it to be with a company like this. On a complete whim I decided to submit. I never thought anything would come from it and if I'm being completely honest, after the first week of obsessively checking my email, I kind of forgot I even submitted. That sounds horrible, I know, but the thing was, I didn't think anything would come from it. I mean, my book is just one of thousands of books being submitted to publishers daily, it was a long shot that mine would be picked. But, about a week ago, I got the acceptance email. If I could put a pause here for dramatic effect, I totally would.
When I read the email my heart stopped. I mean literally it stopped, started back up, and then stopped again. Which, now that I think of it, might mean I should get my heart checked out. Okay, I'm kidding. Anyways, it was right after my kids were in bed and I had to fight with myself from full blown screaming and jumping for joy. I didn't dare wake my kids up but I was tempted to go in them and squeeze them because in reality they are the reason I pushed myself to follow my dreams in the first place. K was at work so I sent him a thousand texts in all caps and called my family to share my near hysterical excitement. And even right now as I type this, I have a giant smile on my face. I can't even explain how much pride and excitement I have inside of me right now. My dreams are coming true and it's all because I took a chance on submitting my manuscript to a publisher, and that amazing publisher is now taking a chance on me. I just signed the acceptance papers today and I don't even think it has fully hit me yet. I'll be picking my team soon and that means that the ball will be rolling on the latest chapter in my life. I don't know what I did in a past life to deserve the good things that have been coming my way lately, but I do know that I am more than thankful.
A lot of big things are happening with Limitless and with my career (I just did a little squeal as I typed that) as an author. I hit publish as an indie author less than a month ago, I have my first signing coming up in September, and I'm now signed to a publisher. And honestly I couldn't have done with without my K, my babies, my family, my friends (HI STEPHANIE), and all the awesome support I have in the community. Y'all rock! Seriously, if I could hug you all I would.
I promise to try to make these posts a daily thing but forgive me if there are some days that are skipped. To say my life as a twin mom of one year old toddlers is hectic would be an understatement. Sometimes my days just kind of fly by and before I know it, it's midnight and I'm too tired to think. And as tiring as it is though, I wouldn't trade it for anything in the world! Keep your eyes out for more posts and updates on the next step for Limitless!
xoxo
Danielle Ione
Please bare with me as I try to type all of this while my mind is currently fried. I'm really hoping it ends up making sense and doesn't come out as a bundle of gibberish.
Before I get to the big news, I want to start off by saying I am completely blown away by the responses I received from my first blog post. I never imagined that by telling my story I would touch so many people in so many different ways. I want to thank everyone who did reach out to me, it meant the world hearing all your thoughts and all of your encouraging words. And I want to say that for those people who are struggling with the same issues as I did and are in need of someone to talk to, my door is always open. Sometimes it can be helpful talking to someone who has been there, survived, and is living the life you don't think you could accomplish. I want to be able to raise awareness to the situations I went through even though I'm just one person in a giant world, I think my story can bring more light to the subject and I think that the best way to do that is to talk to people in the same place I was. Also, for those of you who might not want to reach out but are struggling in life, just know, it does get better, I promise.
So, I do have some big news. When I wrote Limitless I couldn't imagine more than five people buying my book. I had no idea what to expect when I hit publish. I could have sold just one book and I would have been as ecstatic as I am right now. I wrote it for me and although I knew it was good, and my beta readers thought so too, I never really expected anything big to happen. My goal was not, and still isn't, to make money but to share my work with others in the reader community. Reading has always been such a big part of my life and I wanted nothing more than to contribute to that. I can't tell you how many times reading has saved me from a low point in my life, a panic attack, or even a time where I just felt lost. So to me, the idea of writing a book and the possibility of Limitless being someone's escape from the world was most important to me. However, I would be lying if I said I didn't envision being on the New York's Best Seller's list and having Limitless being the number one book of the year. I think anyone who releases a book, for whatever reason, has the same dream despite how unreachable it may seem.
When I hit publish for Limitless, I also took a chance and submitted my book to Booktrope. For those of you who don't know what Booktrope is it's a hybrid publishing company that provides a creative team to help you publish your book. It's actually a really cool and unique concept which is the main reason why I submitted Limitless in the first place. I researched several publishing companies and Booktrope is the one that caught my eye. I figured if I ever decided to do anything but self publishing I wanted it to be with a company like this. On a complete whim I decided to submit. I never thought anything would come from it and if I'm being completely honest, after the first week of obsessively checking my email, I kind of forgot I even submitted. That sounds horrible, I know, but the thing was, I didn't think anything would come from it. I mean, my book is just one of thousands of books being submitted to publishers daily, it was a long shot that mine would be picked. But, about a week ago, I got the acceptance email. If I could put a pause here for dramatic effect, I totally would.
When I read the email my heart stopped. I mean literally it stopped, started back up, and then stopped again. Which, now that I think of it, might mean I should get my heart checked out. Okay, I'm kidding. Anyways, it was right after my kids were in bed and I had to fight with myself from full blown screaming and jumping for joy. I didn't dare wake my kids up but I was tempted to go in them and squeeze them because in reality they are the reason I pushed myself to follow my dreams in the first place. K was at work so I sent him a thousand texts in all caps and called my family to share my near hysterical excitement. And even right now as I type this, I have a giant smile on my face. I can't even explain how much pride and excitement I have inside of me right now. My dreams are coming true and it's all because I took a chance on submitting my manuscript to a publisher, and that amazing publisher is now taking a chance on me. I just signed the acceptance papers today and I don't even think it has fully hit me yet. I'll be picking my team soon and that means that the ball will be rolling on the latest chapter in my life. I don't know what I did in a past life to deserve the good things that have been coming my way lately, but I do know that I am more than thankful.
A lot of big things are happening with Limitless and with my career (I just did a little squeal as I typed that) as an author. I hit publish as an indie author less than a month ago, I have my first signing coming up in September, and I'm now signed to a publisher. And honestly I couldn't have done with without my K, my babies, my family, my friends (HI STEPHANIE), and all the awesome support I have in the community. Y'all rock! Seriously, if I could hug you all I would.
I promise to try to make these posts a daily thing but forgive me if there are some days that are skipped. To say my life as a twin mom of one year old toddlers is hectic would be an understatement. Sometimes my days just kind of fly by and before I know it, it's midnight and I'm too tired to think. And as tiring as it is though, I wouldn't trade it for anything in the world! Keep your eyes out for more posts and updates on the next step for Limitless!
xoxo
Danielle Ione