Pay It Forward

Hi all,
For any of you that are looking to pitch to an agent, I wanted to let you know about this awesome opportunity that Shelli Johannes Wells is doing on her blog.  Click on her name for the details and how you can enter.
And now for my "pay it forward:"
First, I think Shelli's idea to do a pay it forward post is a great idea.  I've often thought about what I'd write in my acknowledgements page if I published a book.  I think I have more people to thank- even before I've ever published- than I could write on a single page.
Every prospective author deserves to have a friend who walks ahead of her, shining a light on the path she should go. I feel lucky enough to have several.
I've loved writing my whole life, but writing fiction is a whole different animal.  When I first decided to give it a try, I finished a very rough, very amateur manuscript and thought, "What do I do now?"  That's when I contacted family friend Bree Despain- who is writing the Dark Divine series.  She was very gracious, and told me to join SCBWI, find a writing/critique group, and get to a writing conference so that I could learn the business of writing fiction.
And so I did just that, and I feel so grateful for her advice.  I went to a writers' conference and met someone who told me about ANWA.  I joined immediately and since then I've been able to develop friendships with both published authors and other unpublished authors like myself.  I've developed some deep friendships, learned about great resources on writing, and progressed as a writer.
So here's a big thanks to Bree and all the other people who support me daily in my passion!