Ah, the Sweet Smell of Success~

Nancy Cavanaugh's dream, since 1994, was to become a published author of children's books. Her path toward that goal has involved learning to love each part of the process which she describes as:

• "the excitement of a new idea for a story,
• the challenge of a first draft, the fast and furious writing to get it all down before the good stuff evaporates away,  
• the satisfaction of seeing my book get better and better as I revise draft after draft after draft.
• And finally, the anticipation of submitting the manuscript, hoping the agent or editor will love my characters and story as much as I do."

     Nancy credits the SCBWI (Society of Children's Book Writers and Illustrators) as playing a key role in her development as a story teller. Through the SCBWI, I've met many talented writers who have become life-long friends. We encourage each other, help one another become better writers, and celebrate, together, whatever successes come our way."
     I met Nancy when hosting a critique group in my home. She inspired us with her determination to expand her story telling skills, and develop material for different venues, including articles and curriculum for mid-grade students.
     Nancy's path to publication has not been straight forward (very few are). She launched her quest with a dynamite query letter which landed an excellent agent who recognized her ability to tell stories beautifully tailored to the mid-grade market. 
     However, and here's where the process took off in an un-anticipated direction. The agent couldn't sell Nancy's first book, "This Journey Belongs to Ratchet" because a similar one, with excellent reviews and upward sales, already was on the market.

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     At that time, Nancy was polishing a second book
(smart move: always have your next book underway). So, her agent shifted gears and sold Book #2, "Always Abigail" to Jabberwocky (2013), a division of Sourcebooks.
     One year later, Nancy's agent sold her first book, "Ratchet." Her third book, "Just Like Me" was released this year (2016).
     Nancy's future is filled with  books, books, and more books, geared to the market she knows and loves. When asked how she managed to keep plodding along toward her goal of becoming a children's book author, Nancy cites her personal motto, "Slow and steady finishes the race."

                                         Comment from Molli: So, what's your motto?

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