Introducing the Class of 2017!

Here's the Deal - Darly Jamison

The idea for STRAWBERRY WINE had been rolling around inside of my head for years before I actually wrote the story. I wasn't a huge fan of country music, but for some reason the lyrics really resonated with me. I wanted to know more about the couple being portrayed, but once the song ended, so did the story. I found myself imagining who they were, their names, what they looked like ... Then right around the time my son started Kindergarten (he's ten-years-old now), I started writing. Not much, very little in fact, but it was the beginning. I jotted down a few facts I knew about the story and then became too busy to really dive in, so I shelved the notebook and forgot about it.

A few years after that, I discovered Wattpad and found the whole idea intriguing. A place where I could read and write? I signed up without hesitation. I lurked around the site for several weeks before I decided to write a story of my own. I never anticipated anyone would ever read it, I was just happy to finally have a place to create the story I'd begun so long before. I never made any outlines, I just started to write, and before I knew it, people were reading it. And honestly ... that freaked me out! I cannot tell you how many times I almost pulled STRAWBERRY WINE off of Wattpad! I never told the people in my life I was writing, but eventually my husband wondered what I was doing on the computer all the time so I had to fess up. As it turns out, he was extremely proud and supportive.

Several months after I'd finished writing STRAWBERRY WINE, I heard about a contest on Wattpad sponsored by Kensington Publishing. They were looking for "a new romance writer to add to their roster". I thought, "I have a romance story", and decided to submit at the very last minute. And then I regretted it. There was no way a huge publishing house would ever choose my amateur story and I resigned to the fact that I had just made a fool of myself. Several weeks later, after Wattpad readers voted on their favorite submission, I found out STRAWBERRY WINE had made it into the finals. I couldn't believe it! Yet still ... I didn't think I stood a chance at winning the grand prize, so I forced the whole competition out of my mind.

When I received the message in my inbox from Kensington stating I had won, I thought I was dreaming. I walked away from my computer and then came back only to find the message still there. Then, I logged out of Wattpad and logged back in and the message was still there! All I could do was stare at the words and wonder how in the world they had chosen me. I had read some of the submissions ... they were amazing. I figured it had to be a mistake. I remember calling my husband at work and the first thing he asked was, "Did you hear about the contest?" He actually remembered the date the winner was to be announced, even though I had made it a point to forget. I told him about the message I received and he yelled out to the guys at work, "She won"! On one hand I was horrified he had told people my secret but on the other hand I was touched that he cared about it as much as he did. I'm one lucky girl!

I contacted the editor that was assigned to me and wrote everything she said down ... and it's a good thing I did because that conversation is a blur! She told me I would need to add 40,000 words to the original manuscript because it was not long enough to be considered a romance novel, and she advised me to start a Facebook page and Twitter account, along with a website and blog. To be honest, I walked around in a daze for a couple of weeks. I was so overwhelmed. But Kensington has been so helpful and supportive. They've welcomed me into their family and I feel so lucky to be working with them.

STRAWBERRY WINE is set to be released on January 31st, 2017. I still have to pinch myself when I think about it! To know that my book will be sitting on the shelves of Barnes & Noble and Books-A-Million never fails to bring a tear to my eye. And the kindness and encouragement I have received from Wattpad and readers is humbling. None of this would be happening without them—without YOU.Even though STRAWBERRY WINE is not due out until next year, my editor recently asked me to pitch another idea. I still can't believe this is happening, but it is! And my publication story is only one of many. Finding Wattpad has changed my life. It can change yours, too.