Oh poop. I've been waiting and waiting and anticipating and anticipating

As everyone knows, I'm a writer. Although writing a dissertation (that's the serious stuff), I also write children's stories. One has been published (hurray!) and another is supposed to be published but I've been waiting for SO LONG. Here's the thing. It's almost impossible to get into children's publishing unless you know someone or you yourself are a name. My name is not Brittany Spears, Jamie Lee Curtis or Katie Couric so my writing is pretty much ignored. I have so many blasted rejection slips, it's depressing.

Nevertheless, there is a thing called "self publishing" that some authors do in order to get published - then sometimes they are discovered by virtue of that work so I've been recommended to go that route. That's what I did. In children's publishing or picture books, I either have to do the illustrating myself or pay someone to do it. I was lucky, I found someone very taleneted to has offered to do it at no cost.

This young lady (Nicole) was supposed to come and visit me on March 14. She was bringing the illustrations for "A Year at Santa's Workshop" and we were going to get together to put them together in a lovely style, et cetera. I've never had the pleasure of meeting Nicole since she is in Nevada (Reno) and I'm in Fort Lauderdale (and we all know my doggone fear of flying). I only discovered her through my nephew who also lives in Reno. So I've only communicated with Nicole via e-mail and a few times over the telephone. I found myself getting so excited over her visit, not only because of the illustrations (actually, that was at the bottom of the list albeit I was certainly excited over that) but because I was dying to meet the person who so generously offered her time and talent to help me, someone she had never met. And to do it for nothing!! She wanted to attend my class and I had gotten permission for her to do so, I was SO looking forward to her visit!!

But now she can't come. She was terribly sick a few weeks ago with strep and was out of school (she is a student) for two weeks and alas must miss her spring break to make up much of the work that she missed. She might come over the summer.....

Poop. I'm so disappointed. What a let down.