Anna DeStefano's Blog

Last May,  I was working with my editor and my agent and my family and my doctor, to try and find a way to finish Secret Legacy. Because if I didn’t, there was a very real chance I’d lose my nerve and never attempt another novel. My health was in that bad a place. Fast forward 12 months, and this is me and Secret Legacy this May, at a spotlight signing at the Book Expo in New York City.

Both my beautiful mainstream novels were there, actually, repackaged as sci-fi/fantasy, because that’s what Secret Legacy became with each word I wrote and rewrote last year, until it emerged as a dream come true I hadn’t fully grasped until I held the finished draft in my hands.

The opportunity to sign at BEA came at a difficult time this year, when I could only make it for a day. But I went anyway, because when dreams call you, you go.

Yes, I was as tired as I look in the photo, from flying late the night before and not getting much sleep and getting up early that morning to catch car service into NYC. But I was surrounded by enthusiastic associates from my  publishing house. And readers and librarians and book sellers who flocked around our table and got more and more excited about the dream theory and parapsychology and metaphysical concepts in my fiction, the more I answered questions and talked about what inspired me. And there the vice president of the publisher was, holding books open so I could sign them quicker because the line was getting ridiculously long. Amazing. Absolutely surreal and amazing, to feel that kind of support and encouragement and positive energy surrounding something that almost never was.

There were smiles and wows and surprised expressions from readers, and looks of satisfaction and pride on those publishing faces around me. And I was glowing. Exhausted, but glowing as I took the red-eye home to my family and the “other” life I’m so lucky to have here, too. That one day was, hands-down, the most exciting experience I’ve had with readers yet. And I’ve been doing convention and conference signing events for the last six years.

All just a year beyond me wondering if I’d be able to finish Secret Legacy or ever again travel to meet fans and readers and my business associates.

Some days are still hard, and sometimes my system’s still not back one hundred percent, but I couldn’t stop writing a year ago. And I’ll never stop wanting to connect with readers who love what I write, the way I was lucky to have the chance to this week. I’ll always be grateful for the family I have supporting me here at home, as well as the extended family I’ve built in my writing world that are always there for me, making amazing dreams like this one come true.

It’s been an amazing year.

Here’s to revising an even more fearless, exciting, dream-filled year to come ;o)