Who Inspires You

Today I wanted to do something a little different.  There are people in the world who do amazing things and end up being a big inspiration to those who look up to them.  This is a HUGE honor because you can't make someone look up to you.  It's just something that happens to those who deserve it.  I'd like to take a moment and give thanks to the people who inspire me and who have made an incredible difference in my life.  Some you may know, and some you probably have never heard of and will never hear of again after reading this post.  Despite that, they are people who are amazing and talented and who have pushed me on this extraordinary journey I'm on.

Amber Streed -
For those of you who don't know, Amber is not only my best friend, she is an AMAZINGLY talented artist and also the person responsible for my cover art.  She inspires me with her artistic loving nature and encourages me with her unfailingly faith in me. 

Shawn Mikkelson -
Shawn is an amazing parent, a strongly optimistic person, and one of the best friends I have ever had.  He inspires me to stand up for myself, take true chances in life, and to never give up hope that there is something better out there for me.  He encourages me to take one day at a time and live life for myself and my daughter.  He's reminded me how important it is to let love become a part of your life.

JK Rowling -
Got to give this woman a HUGE chunk of my inspiration.  Not only because she is amazing and I am an enormous fan of Harry Potter, but because she never gave up hope that one day the characters she brought to life would become so much bigger than herself and bring so much joy into the lives of her readers.  Plus, I have forged many friendships on our mutual love for the books, movies and characters in her magically wonderful Wizarding World.

Amanda Hocking -
There has been a lot of hype around Amanda in the past month and I do have to say that it is deserved.  She is an inspiration to me, because she never gave up hope that one day people would read her books and enjoy them.  I have to admit that until I put my own book on sale through self publishing, I didn't know who she was, but now that I do, she is a constant reminder to me that dreams can and do come true. 

Chloe McLaughlin -
She inspires me everyday to see things in a new way, to not take anything for granted and that the simple things in life are often the most rewarding.  For those of you who don't know how she is... She's my 3 year old daughter!

Now don't get me wrong, there are many other people out there who inspire me and I may work this into a weekly or monthly blog post, but for now, today, these are the people at the front of my mind and heart and I want to thank them.


As Always... Happy Reading Everyone!