Monday, September 22, 2014

The journey.... it's been a bumpy one.

Two years ago, when I sat down to write Izzy's story, I had no idea it would lead me here.  To this place where I have found who I really want to be, what I want to do.......  In a way, if Izzy hadn't shown up to drive me completely insane and pressured me to write her story, I never would've found that thing that completely fulfilled me.

Don't get me wrong, up until that point my life was miraculous.  I met and married the most amazing man on the planet... no really... he is seriously the most awesome person in the universe.  He takes me on grand adventures, helps hold me up when I am down, and is the very definition of what unconditional love should be.  And then there is our daughter, the Squish, who brightens my days with her voracious imagination and uncontainable energy.  My life was brilliant..... but I was missing something, something that I could call solely my own. 

Izzy fixed that.  She gave me an outlet for my creativity, a place to put all of my unspoken emotions, and a journey unlike any other.  In the course of writing this series I've found out a lot about the kind of person I want to be.  Izzy.  Plain and simple, she is brave, selfless, and loves without reservation. 

So this, this long and wordy post, is my thank you letter to her. 

Izzy, you showed up in my head and wouldn't go away until I told your story.  You put me through the ringer, made me drown in sorrow and soar on the greatest heights of happiness.  You were made flesh in my mind and I will always, ALWAYS remember that you were where it all started.  You gave me something that I never knew I wanted.  Now that it is time to say goodbye, to move on to other worlds and other characters......  I just wanted to take a moment and reflect. 

The past two years I've accomplished more than I thought possible.  I've met incredible writers, and found a community of supportive men and women unlike any other.  Through signings, facebook, and pretty much any social avenue, I've had the chance to meet incredible readers.  People that have fallen as much in love with Izzy as I have.  The letters I've received and countless messages telling me how much people love this series keeps me going.  When I sit down to write, I do it because I can't rest until the story is out in the world.  I do it for me, first and foremost, but I've found that sharing these stories with the world, with readers, is the cherry on top of an already awesome sundae.  Having people relate to Izzy, and fall in love with her journey, it motivates me to keep going!  I set out to sell 100 books when I hit publish.... I never in a million years thought it would lead to here.  So anything from this point on is just a really awesome bonus to an already fulfilling venture!

This journey, this incredible experience, is just beginning and I will never, EVER, forget that it is all because of you, Izzy. 

Thank you for reminding me to be brave.

Thank you for helping me to face my own demons and come out stronger.

Most of all, thank you for being so insistent.  You were just the nudge I needed.

I will miss you Izzy Boone....

xoxo,
Michelle Graves

2 comments:

  1. Awwe.. I Love this. We will all be sad and miss Izzy after her story is finished.

    Thanks Izzy for being so persistent :)

    I truly Love each and every one of the Characters in The Chronicle Of Izzy.. Especially Aberto "wags eyebrows" LOL

    I can't wait to meet all the other Characters floating in your head.. Thank You Michelle for writing this Awesome Story. I am so glad to have met you through FB and hope to meet you in person one day.

    Love you to Pieces

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  2. Awwww! I'm glad Izzy bugged you that much. Without her I would have missed an amazing story. Thank you for sharing it with us!

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