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I know what you’re about to say: “She sure does travel a lot!” And maybe I do, but trust me, I spend way more time traveling to coffee shops around here than going to the beach. And even while at the beach last week, I woke up every morning and went straight to Starbucks. Is that healthy? Probably not.

Anyway, I was in Pensacola, Florida, with a ton of friends last week. We soaked up the sun, ate good food, and went to bed early each night so we could hit the beach early the following morning (with our coffees in hand).

But one morning, I woke up before everyone else. I slipped into a sundress, hopped in my car, and drove thirty minutes away to a little breakfast joint to meet an author.

She’s a nineteen year old author of the self-published young adult novel “Untouchable.” She and I had connected on social media over a year ago, and we’ve kept up with each other’s writing journeys ever since. As a resident of where I was vacationing, she invited me to enjoy breakfast with her, and I’ve never had a more fun, face-to-face-with-an-author moment.

My most inspiring moment with an author? Let me share that.

Picture it: I’m fourteen years old, sitting in a dentist office lobby, braces in full swing, and I’m waiting for one of the ladies to walk out and give me my not-broken retainer.

Across from me, a big, long-haired, scary man with a cane sat by the door. I can’t exactly remember how we started talking, but it somehow got directed toward the fact that he was an author. My fourteen-year-old little wanna-be-author self freaked out!

This man was the author of a traditionally published book, and I was sitting there right across from him. I told him that I absolutely loved to write, and he had an episode of freaking out like a proud grandpa.

He and I talked for at least 30 minutes. He wanted to know what I’d written, and I asked about his writing journey. I’ll never forget one of the most memorable things anyone has ever said to me. . .

I listened intently  as he said, “The two best days of your life are going to be the day you get married to the love of your life and the day your agent calls to tell you ‘we did it. We made it to the list.’”

Of course, he was talking about the New York Times Bestselling list, the ultimate goal for any author.

Finally, after talking for a while, I got my retainer, and his ride arrived to pick him up, and we never saw each other again.

I bought his book and it still sits on my shelf. Every time I look at it, I happily remember our conversation. 

 

I haven’t lived those two days just yet, but until I do, I’ll continue to just enjoy all the days between now and then.