I received my printed copy of Angelica’s Christmas Wish yesterday. I am so excited that Anaiah Press decided to publish it in print, not only as a Kindle version. I really like my Kindle and have an extensive library on it, but there is nothing like holding a brand new book in your hands. Especially if you wrote the book!

When I submitted my manuscript to Anaiah Press, it was a very rough draft. They were having a special for June. If you submitted a query and sample of a manuscript, an editor would give personal feedback. I had already started a Christmas story, so I hurried up and completed it and emailed it.

I expected feedback, but what I didn’t expect were the editor’s comments that she liked it and wanted to see the whole manuscript. I also didn’t expect her response upon reviewing it being that she wanted to present it to the board for approval to publish it.

A couple of weeks later, I signed a contract with Anaiah Press.

Perfect timing? I believe it was God’s perfect timing, that I was writing a Christmas story at the same time Anaiah Press was looking for them.

I spent Saturday with my dad’s family. He was one of 12 children, and now there are almost 300 descendants of my grandparents. When we gather for our family Christmas, there are times when we’ve had 70 people present. The number was a little lower this year. Our aunts and uncles are getting older, and some couldn’t come because of health reasons.

This family is rich in faith. My grandparents prayed daily for each child and grandchild. Now our family has a prayer chain, so when someone is hurt or sick, we can all take time out of our day to pray for them. I email or send Facebook messages to my aunts when I need prayer for someone in my family, or for myself.

My aunts and uncles have been very supportive of my writing. When I was self-published, they bought all of my books, twice. I first published my historical series in spiral bound books, which they purchased. A few years later, I was able to afford a better book with nice covers, and they bought those, also, even though they already had spiral copies of them.

I was so excited when Anaiah Press decided to publish printed copies of my novella available, especially for these aunts and uncles, many of whom prefer paper books and don’t use Kindle. I am thankful for this family’s prayers and encouragement. I’m excited to share my success with them.

It was 1994. I had a toddler and a new baby. I had quit a job I liked when my first child was born. Staying at home and taking care of my children should have been enough for me, but admittedly, I was bored. I had written several stories in high school but not any since then.

While I was up in the night with my infant, a story idea came to mind. My husband bought me a word processor, and I burned the candle at both ends writing.

I called the story “Love Unexpected.” It was about a woman who came home after a divorce and found comfort in the friendship of the “boy next door.” When it was complete, I mailed a sample to a publisher. I had read other books they published that were contemporary Christian romances.

The editor who responded to the query asked to see the whole manuscript. Unfortunately, it didn’t make it through the acquisitions board. The rejection letter was personally written by the editor. She mentioned that my novel had enough flair for her to recommend it to the board, and 80% of the manuscripts that came across her desk didn’t make it that far.

Fast forward to 1019. I read a lot of sweet romances on Kindle. I discovered some books about billionaires that I really enjoyed. I thought about the book I had written in 1994. The main character in that story had received a large inheritance. I decided to rewrite “Love Unexpected” and update it to make it contemporary. When it was finished, I had “The Reluctant Billionaire,” a Christian romance.

Last week I signed an agreement with Anaiah Press to publish my billionaire story. It’s been 25 years since I first wrote it. I am looking forward to working with my editor on turning my story into a book I can be proud of.

Anaiah Press released the online version of Angelica’s Christmas Wish on November 15. A print copy will be available in a couple of weeks. It is my first traditionally published book. I’ve been trying to get my work published for a long time. Since 1994, I’ve written a dozen or more complete novels and sought publishers for them. After working with my editor on the Christmas novella, I realized that despite my writing experience, I lacked the skills to polish my books. It was a pleasure to have professional help to improve my writing.

I signed a contract with Anaiah Press for a contemporary romance. I look forward to the journey to publication with The Reluctant Billionaire.