I did it!!!

Yes. It’s true! I accomplished my goal. My huge, impossible, silly goal.

So you want to know what it is?

Are you ready for the big reveal?

Drum roll please

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I WROTE A BOOK!

Isn’t that amazing? Come on, people, it’s fantastic! I wrote an entire 400+ page novel. That’s fricken unreal! Do you know how many people have “Write a book” on their bucket list? A lot. Do you know how many people actually do it? 3% THREE PERCENT!!!! And me, the un-finisher of everything, the never accomplish goals kinda girl actually did it! Celebrate with me, will ya! It’s cool!

So, yes. After five years of dreaming, and a year of working, I am ready to come out of the preverbal closet and admit, without shame, that I am a writer.

*Whew! I feel better now that everyone knows my secret*

I feel strange calling myself a writer, like I’m claiming the right to belong to an elite group of people who are leagues above me. But I guess since I’ve lived and breathed it for the last few years, I can all myself nothing else but a writer.

So you want to know more? I know you do.

“What is your book about?” It seems like a simple question, but ask any writer and they’ll tell you it’s a difficult one to answer. It’s hard to wind down my giant (oversized really) novel into a few simple sentences, but I’ll try.

Deep in the Black Hills of South Dakota lies a secret. A secret that has been protected for centuries. A secret that the world would kill for.

Shea Chapman doesn’t know what she’s getting herself into when she spends time with Kalem, an intriguing native who protects the boundary lines of the Sacred Mountains, which are forbidden to all but the Matakee natives who live near by. She’s pulled into his world, and uncovers an ancient civilization that has existed for centuries within the peaks of the Black Hills. As she learns more about them, about Kalem and about their secrets, she discovers that her fate is more intertwined with theirs than she ever thought possible.

As tensions rise, and allies fall short, Shea is the only one left who can protect Kalem and his people. But can she do it? And at what costs? Will her fragile heart break, or will the walls she’s built around her heart weld shut forever? Find out in NaTahsha Ford’s debut novel which will overwhelm bookstores world wide in the year 2030.

(okay obviously I got a little slack at the end, but you get the idea. By the way, that took me about thirty minutes to write)

Cool huh? Obviously I think so.

So why have I kept it a secret?

When I started this whole thing, it was silly. Just me and my never aging imagination staring at the moon which hung over endless mountain peaks and thinking, I should write this story. Like I said. Silly. Me? Write? I’m not an english major or even a good speller. But I couldn’t stop thinking about my stories. So when I started writing, I decided to keep it to myself, but I never thought that it would get so complicated. See, it was supposed to be a personal thing, something that only happened within the confines of my own home. But it got bigger. I took some writing classes. Met the most amazing nine people I’ve ever met, my writing group. (Officially Writers Cubed.) I started meeting with them twice a month. We went away on writers weekends and Writing Conferences. It was starting to get hard to lie to my family about all this, which is why I came out with my goal on April 27th. (You can find out more about why I kept it a secret on my writing blog, Write for Delight.)

Let me tell you how crazy and awesome this month has been. It took me a little over a year to complete twenty-two chapters, and in the last month, I’ve wrote ten! (And Writers Cubed can tell you, my chapters aren’t short) I’m so glad I made this goal! I worked harder and got more accomplished than I ever thought I could, so thank you for your encouragement.

I’ve still got a ways to go. While I’m so proud that I wrote a book, I’m not going to claim that it’s a good book. It feels more like a giant puzzle to me, the pieces splattered across the table. Some pieces are clipped together and the scene is perfect, while there are holes in other parts, and pieces in the wrong places. I need to sort it all out and make it look like a beautiful picture. My characters need to have more personality and be consistent. My details, world, rules and facts need to work together. My romance needs to build better,(yes, hot steamy romance involving a hunky shirtless Indian. It’s good.) and my plots need to be intriguing, mysterious and make sense. Once that is done, I’ve got to edit, chop and clean up. Once I finally feel satisfied with the book, (which will probably never happen) then I will start the daunting . . . no terrifying road to publication.

But for now, I’m just going to bask in my accomplishment, be proud of myself, and enjoy dinner at the Melting Pot! (which Brad promised me a year ago as a reward for finishing. Grab your wallet baby!)

I’ve started another blog that I’ll probably spend a little more time with. Please check it out. www.writefordelight.blogspot.com and do me a favor. On the side bar is a box of followers. Please click follow. (I’m begging you shamelessly)

Thanks everyone for your encouragement and support! This has seriously been a huge accomplishment for me!

WHAHOO!!!!!