Ghost of Blog Posts Past

When I started this blog it was originally titled "My Life in the Slush Pile." It was the place I would come to vent about rejections, discuss how my current WIP was going, talk about submissions and looking for publishers. Back then I'd only had a very short story published in an unheard of chapbook. I'd never been paid for writing before.

I started writing Sweet Dreams in 2007. Through the blog I made new friends, found a few contacts, and got some good tips from authors who had stumbled upon my new venture. It was all so new and exciting to me. In October of 2007 I submitted my very first book to Total E Bound Publishing. And can you believe they accepted it? It was one of the best days of my life. I was an author. An honest to God AUTHOR. Someone was going to edit, clean up, teach me and publish an entire book that I had written. And then they were going to PAY ME when people bought it. And you did. You went out and you bought Sweet Dreams and I got an actual ROYALTY CHECK. I had made it. You all helped me make it.

Fast forward five years with me. I've got a new blog address, the old one was compromised by myself when I vomited personal information all over it in a fit of rage and sadness. Good riddance I say. Though there are times it might be funny to take a peek back at what my fears were then compared to what they are now. But whatever. Now I'm just Dakota Rebel. I've got lots of stuff published with several different publishers. Most of my original friends are still here, and I have been blessed to "meet" so many more of you.

You all are the reason I am still here. The reason I still put fingers to the keyboard and bare my soul through my characters. If it weren't for you all I would probably only write Harry/Draco fanfic and be bitter about my lack of success. But I don't have to be that way. Because you like me. You really like me. And I love you all right back.

Thank you so much to everyone who has supported and encouraged me in this endeavor. It has been one of the most thrilling experiences of my life and I just can't wait to see where the next five years will take me.

XoXoXo
D