Hey guys. It's official apparently. My debut YA crime fiction novel will be published by the Poisoned Pencil, which is a new young adult imprint of The Poisoned Pen Press. It's a small press that prints 3-5 thousand copies. There is even an advance. I met the publisher and and an editor from Poisoned Pen Press, along with several of their authors. And yes, I fell in love with the Poisoned Pen Bookstore as a result of getting a couple of Jim's autographed books. So it was a natural fit.
I've been in shock mode after the initial squealing. Friends from SCBWI-IA encouraged me to wait until after the fall conference. My critique with an agent was filled with glowing comments and desire for more pages, but after a great deal of thought, I've signed the papers. I will slowly be notifying several of the conferences and schools of the deal. You guys are my first and greatest teachers, mentors, and guides. Thank you.
I can't tell you how excited I will be to search my own name on publishersmarketplace.com. After this, there will be more mountains to climb, a lot of blood, sweat and tears, but it's a time to celebrate.
Take care everyone.