Some Cool Things That Have Happened

I've had three cool author things happen to me lately and I was excited and wanted to share with you.  (And really, you need to write the awesome stuff down so you can go back and read it on those days when your self-doubt creeps in to tell you that you are a terrible writer).

The First Cool Thing

I was sitting in a dental office's reception area and the receptionist had read my new book All Fall Down and was telling me how much she liked it when the lady next to me interrupted.  "You're Julie Bellon?  I've read your books! They're so good."  She was so happy to meet me and acted like she was meeting a rock star for the first time.  Which made me thrilled she liked my books and also glad I'd put makeup on to come to the dentist office.

The Second Cool Thing

I was mentioned in the 2012 Mormon Literature Year in Review.  You can read the entire article here but the best part of it, for me, was this paragraph in the recommended novels section:  

“In mystery/suspense, S. P. Bailey’s Millstone City (Zarahemla), a crime thriller centering on a pair of missionaries on the run from gangsters in Brazil, was a favorite. William Morris wrote, “In Millstone City, the LDS mission novel and the thriller collide to create something new: an intense, gritty story that is nevertheless shot through with resilience, honesty, optimism, and, yes, that certain willful naïveté that missionaries possess. Call it Mormon neo-noir. Or full-throttle faithful realism.” Gregg Luke’s medical suspense Deadly Undertakings (Covenant) also was frequently mentioned to me as a favorite book. Others receiving attention include Stephanie Black’s murder mystery Shadowed (Covenant), Josi Kilpack’s cozy/culinary mysteries Banana Split and Tres Leches Cupcakes (Shadow Mountain), Rachelle Christensen’s crime drama Caller ID (Cedar Fort), Julie Coulter Bellon’s romantic thriller All Fall Down (self), Traci Abramson’s romantic thrillers Royal Secrets and Code Word (Covenant), and Tristi Pinkston’s cozy mystery Targets in Ties (Walnut Springs).”

The Third Cool Thing

I've been asked to present at the Pleasant Grove Library Professional Writers Series on May 16, 2013 on Achieving Your Publishing Dreams.  I'm excited about this because there are a lot of options available for every writer out there now.  And I'm always happy to support a library and its literacy efforts.

So there you have it---my three cool things that are making me smile these days and feel like a worthwhile author.  Have you had anything cool happen to you recently?  What makes you feel like a worthwhile author?

Read more about 2012 Mormon Literature Year in Review, Part 2, Mormon market and independent publishing | Dawning of a Brighter Day on:
http://blog.mormonletters.org/?p=5710&utm_source=INK&utm_medium=copy&utm_campaign=share&