Dreams

I'm so glad to be part of the Avalon group, both here at the blog and as an author. And since I'm the first author to write for our newly formed blog, I thought I'd share a little about how I came to publish my first book with Avalon.

Dreams give us hope, it's said, a purpose to strive to be more than we are. From the time I was a little girl, I knew I wanted to be a writer. I wrote my class assignments as stories. In high school, I wrote a chapter every night for my ongoing saga - "D is for Dilemma." My friends couldn't wait for my next pages and I was hooked.

My dream to be a writer was nurtured and encouraged first by my parents and teachers and later by my husband. I sold a few articles with teaching tips, wrote short stories for children's markets. I really wanted to write the big stories, though, and developed characters and created plots in the evenings after I finished lesson plans and grading papers. I joined writing groups, listened to published authors when they came to our town, and kept motivational quotes on my wall. I submitted manuscripts and worked toward that magical day when I would be a published author.

AVALON BOOKS was my first book publisher. I can still remember the phone call - even though I can't remember anything that was said! I was downstairs in our family room with my mom. She was holding our new son and our toddler was chattering to her. The phone rang and the next thing I knew, I was telling my mom that the editor wanted to buy my story!! A contract would be coming in the mail in the next few days.

Holding that first book in my hand, even now, years later, can make me smile. If I end up behind a Toyota Avalon vehicle or drive by a business here in town with the same name, I get a little happy hum. I've published more books over the years and just received my latest book in the mail. Something about Avalon gets me every time, though, because that's when my writing dream was first realized.

Any dreams you're willing to share? Any you've reached?

Tessa McDermid
(Tessa's Avalon books are published under the name Terry Zahniser McDermid)
www.tessamcdermid.com