The arrived in the mail, wrapped in a plain brown box. On the 'ship to' label between my name and address were the words that caught my eye, holding it: Romance Author. Guess it's official now.

Holding my first published novel, gently liks a newborn, my fingers caressed the cover as I tenderly thumbed through the pages looking for familiar scenes and favorite lines.

I won't lie, my toes were shaking, my knees trembling, my heart thudding and pulse racing. I am actually holding my book! I love the cover, the size of it, the fit into my hand. My name is boldly splashed across the cover, the spine and each page inside.

Running my fingertips down the row of stacked spines, I feel the shiver of excitement racing down my own spine. Stacks of my book, ready to go marching like good little soldiers, into the world of retail readers.