I kid you not, I just got teary-eyed writing the title of this post.
About a month ago, with six books left to write in the next twelve months and at least eight books being released, my somewhat frazzled self went to my Flirt Squad. I put up a post mentioning that if anyone was interested, I’d love to take on an assistant intern.
I didn’t think anyone would be interested.
What I knew though was that while I can’t afford to hire an assistant right now, I’d be a kickbutt mentor. I’d LOVE to take someone under my wing, teach them everything I’ve learned about this business in the last few years, and introduce them to industry professionals. Help them build up their resume.
That’s the kind of stuff I love…I am a homeschooling mama, after all.
What I wasn’t prepared for was how many people reached out immediately. I was in shock and teary-eyed over that, too, so I quickly began a more formal process. Applications were sent out, and a round of interviews and emails exchanged with particularly enthusiastic and talented candidates.
And I stressed.
I stressed A LOT.
In fact, while making the final decision, my tummy was one big knot.
I love all my readers, and the Flirt Squad in particular has been a source of so much joy and support the last year that I wanted to pick them all. But in the end, one candidate rose to the top.
World, I’d like to introduce you to my assistant intern, Ashley Bodette.
Ashley went above and beyond helping me during the crazy summer of releases (two back to back in July and August). She has a strong interest (and talent!) in editing and promotions, and she has an intense love for research.
Steal my heart, girl. Steal my heart.
In just the last few days, Ashley reached out in a mega way to help promote the huge Bliss sale on Saturday for Taste the Heat. She read through all the synopsis and plot points for my upcoming work in progress, researched a few things for me, and gave GREAT suggestions for character arcs (if you know me, you know I’m a character girl, so this was huge).
One night after reading an email from her, I literally felt a huge weight being lifted from my shoulders. This woman is a God send, a true life saver, and I’m so grateful to have her in my corner.
Enough of me blabbering… here’s her official bio, in her own words:
After living almost my entire life in Minnesota, I moved to Florida in 2012. Although I miss seeing snow at Christmas time, I definitely can’t complain about the warmer weather! I grew up on a small hobby farm, and lived in/near the same small town for (almost all) the first 25 years of my life!
My grandpa taught me how to read when I was 4 years old, and I haven’t stopped reading since! On average, I read more than a book a day. (Don’t believe me? Check out my 2013 Goodreads challenge..I’ve read 255 books from Jan.1 to Aug. 12!) I have a BA in English Literature with a minor in music, although I’ve mostly done childcare since I graduated from college. I hope to get into a bookish job, whether it be as someone’s assistant, or in proofreading, book promotions, editing…I just love books! 🙂 I also am a proud lover of musicals, whether on stage or film!
Connect with Ashley:
Blog / Blog’s FB Page / Personal Facebook / Twitter / Goodreads
Please congratulate and say hey to Ashley in the comments below.
And again, a HUGE thank you to everyone who applied. You are ALL rock stars, and I’m so grateful to have each and every one of you in my corner. *huggles*
