I’m pleased (honored, thrilled, happy dancing) to tell you that I have signed with a literary agent! Rachelle Gardner of Books & Such Literary Agency is now my representative to help me sell my stories to a publisher.

I know. I sit and blink a lot.

But, because it’s me, you know there’s a better story behind this. So here goes…

In terms of trying to get my story published, I was in the middle of Query Season. That’s where writers send a peppy email to agents and beg them to read their manuscript. I read that the average number of agents queried before getting an offer is 100. So I was settled in, prepared for the long haul. I had my spreadsheet, my “Novel & Short Story Writers’ Market 2017” index of agents, and my query, synopsis, and manuscript all set to go.

Meanwhile, my sister came to visit. We were shopping online late one night, as we do. And I’m just gonna go ahead and tell you the truth: we were buying underwear.

Oh, yeah.

I was having trouble signing in to a website and I pulled up my spam folder to hunt for a password reset email. Now, I check my spam folder absolutely never. Never.  I know that’s dumb, especially when you’re hoping total strangers will email you and beg to read your manuscript. But that’s the type of rebellion I practice – small and usually insignificant.

Yet on this night, whilst purchasing underwear, I checked my spam folder.

Behold! There was an email from an agent! I did some sort of weird wiggle and a hop without actually standing up from the couch. After a lot of flailing, I managed to read the email and understood that she wanted to talk to me. About my words.

By some miracle, that little email only sat in my spam folder for 10 days before I found it. And it was a miracle. I hadn’t queried Rachelle’s agency yet. It was on my list to do the following week.

The whole thing still overwhelms me. Mostly because it feels like such a kindness of God. He doesn’t have to care about this tiny dream of mine. But I do know He is the giver of gifts and abilities, and I’m thrilled He has provided this opportunity for me to use these gifts of mine. So often I feel He has bigger fish to fry than my little stories. And yet… He puts little surprises in my spam folder.

Isn’t He good? And funny?

In case you’re wondering what comes next: Now we begin the hunt for a publisher. And it’s probably time for me to start tapping out the next story idea. Stay tuned!