She was a used car salesperson!

It's not often that something that someone says at one of these conferences really blows me away. Yes, I sometimes get blown away just being in the presence of greatness (witness my FanGirlSqueeMoment the first time I met Jenny Crusie - and every time thereafter!), but I rarely hear something that just makes me .

This morning, at the Opening Ceremony, I had one of those moments.


Janet Evanovich spoke.

Wow, did she speak. She answered questions about things from her writing process to when she sold her first book. She's a NYT Bestseller, right? She's won awards, made a pile of cash, been interviewed for the Today show, etc. She was funny and engaging.

She was also honest.

It took her 10 years to sell her first book.

Let me repeat that. It took Janet Evanovich, writer of the world famous Stephanie Plum series, TEN FREAKING YEARS to get published the first time. Her first book sold for $2000.

After going at this for a few years, finishing one book and starting another, it has gotten to be discouraging. I sometimes feel like it will NEVER happen.

But today, I learned that I have something in common with someone that has made it to THAT level - we both have families that believe in our ability to achieve our dream.

Without getting all sappy here about my great group of kids and my amazingly supportive husband, it was nice to know that the thing that kept her going is the same thing that keeps me going - the people that love me.

Thanks, Janet. That was an hour well spent.