The Scream Heard ‘Round The World.

Partial Pancakes.

Not to jinx anything, but I recently received agent requests for my YA novel, The Girl Next Door. And, the responding agents are agents from my list of “Dream Agents”.

Did you hear that scream, and wonder what it was? That was me.

O-M-G.

Presently, the first three chapters of my novel are in an agent’s hands on exclusive.

I am so excited.

I woke up late on Saturday morning and groggily kissed my husband goodbye (he had to work this weekend, too) with my face still hurting from smiling so much the day before.

He said, “There’s a surprise for you in the kitchen, almost-published writer.”

The truth was, I’d woken up in the first place because the scent of whatever the heck he was cooking had wafted into the bedroom, first waking up the terriers who then began the usual routine of licking my face and grabbing my nose to wake me up, too — all in the hopes of getting some of whatever smelled so good. 

It was Partial Pancakes!

I had one big ol’ pancake in my hand and was just about to bite down when I thought, camera! just in the nick of time.

My husband promised to give me the recipe to post here, but they’re roughly pancake/waffle batter with added vanilla, chocolate chips, sweetened flake coconut, (toasted first), cooked in the waffle thingamajig. 

I have to say, the terriers were quite disappointed when they couldn’t have a piece, due to the chocolate chips.  

Sometimes snuggling back under the covers is the next best thing.

(Estrella, who is an endless source of love and amusement.)

I know how weary a writer can get on Query Road, receiving form rejection after form rejection. Just the day before, with another Dear Author rejection in my hand, I was wondering what the heck I was thinking.

And then, the floodgate opened — out of nowhere.

There’s a life lesson in all of this, of course, because if we’re not growing, we’re not living. And the lesson is, let other people say no to your dreams, but whatever you do, don’t you be the one saying no.

You never know what fabulous things are just around the bend, my huckleberry friends, and you’ll never know, unless you tell yourself YES.  

I’m going to end this post with a little bit of “corn”, because as my good friend Carly Marchelier likes to say, a little bit of corn never hurt anyone.  

Moon river, wider than a mile
I’m crossing you in style some day.
Oh, dream maker, you heart breaker
Wherever you’re goin’, I’m goin’ your way.

Two drifters, off to see the world
There’s such a lot of world to see.
We’re after the same rainbow’s end, waitin’ ’round the bend
My huckleberry friend, moon river and me.

Moon River

(Photos by Emily Murdoch)