In all reality this book has been a long time coming. I've always wanted to write and my parents continually encouraged this. Frequently, on weekends when we are hanging out (because as much as you try to avoid them when you're a teenager, they've turned out to be sincerely cool people), my parents will come up with ideas. Story ideas, book titles, character names, pen names and such but one night, many years ago when we were still living in North Carolina, my dad came up with a book title that stuck. As we were sitting on the back porch looking out over the yard and into the woods you could see the lightning bugs just in the space before the woods started and it was beautiful but scary. What monsters awaited in the dark when you walked into the cover of trees? What was beyond those lightning bugs? My characters find out it's safer to stay out of the woods and away from the lightning bugs altogether.
Last week was rough. As some of you know, we lost my grandfather and had to travel to North Carolina. On the Friday we were there, my first book was released and it was awesome but I didn't get a chance to be really excited about it or even talk about it very much.
But I did this weekend. My proud and thoughtful best friends threw me a surprise book signing! And what a surprise it was. I went through about twelve different emotions when I walked in to a chorus of "Congratulations!", ultimately ending in happy, overwhelming tears because who doesn't cry when being faced with the actualization that you're loved and you've done something that's actually pretty amazing. At minimum, I promised to dedicate a book to each of them in the future. I also let them know this has started a tradition, so at each new book release we'll have to have a party and of course they agreed because my friends are THE best and I wouldn't be where I am without their love and support.
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