Wow, I am an author!

I signed my release today and my book is off to the printer! Such an exciting and amazing feeling! So many years of writing all grouped together, in one place. I'm so excited and yet so nervous. My style is not for everyone, so I know I will probably have some haters. I finally decided to do this project at the urging of several great friends, my husband and mother and a stranger. While sitting in "Julie's room" one day while getting a treatment for my lupus, a lady read a couple of my poems and said "you need to publish this. There are probably a lot of girls and women going through these same situations, but they aren't able to put it in words like this. It could really help someone to know that what they are going through, others have gone through. That they aren't alone".  That touched me and made me realize that at the time I wrote some of them, I was really feeling alone. I would have felt a little better knowing I wasn't crazy. But since my poems are really ME, about me or about things my friends were going through, it's so personal. It's like putting my life into the hands of a total stranger. Kind of a weird feeling to be so excited yet knowing that there will be those don't like it. I'm somewhat of a sensitive soul, so the haters will hurt, but it's a risk worth of taking I think if it might help someone realize they aren't the only ones feeling a certain emotion.....sigh...where is my suit of armor?