My older son recently got his first full-time job, and he called to ask about which health plan he should join. It was in that moment that I realized he was an adult. Health benefits = real adult.

I began this blog to share the highs and lows of being a debut author, but with the year-end onslaught of work deadlines and holiday shopping (not to mention a flu that had me in bed for several days), I’ve been remiss in sharing one of the all-time highs: getting my box of Advance Reader Copies (ARCs).

My parents will proudly tell you I have always been a good student. They never had to tell me to do my homework. They never worried if I studied for the test. If I got anything less than a perfect score, they never said a word — I was already obsessing about what I got wrong.

One of the first hurdles I had to overcome in my quest to become a published author was my fear — abject terror would not be an overstatement — of sharing my writing with other people. The person I credit with helping me get over this hurdle is my dear friend and writing coach Christopher DeLorenzo.

In my July 14 post “Chasing the Dream,” I said the original title of my book was FALSE CLAIMS. It was the title I had in mind the whole time I was writing the book. It was the title I used in my query letter to my agent, and the title we used when we sent the book out to publishers. It was the title my editor and I repeated over the months we polished the book into final form, and the title I spent many dreamy hours imagining on the glossy cover of my debut novel.

Then one day, my editor told me the publishers wanted to change the title.

Ever since I got my book deal, I’ve been on the search for opportunities to support and interact with other writers, particularly debut authors. In May, I attended the Bay Area Book Festival in downtown Berkeley, where I had the good fortune to hear Angie Kim, Chia-Chia Lin, and Lauren Wilkinson talk about their debut novels. I’ve since read all three books, and they deserve every bit of acclaim they’ve received.

One of the first questions I get from my writer friends when I tell them about my forthcoming book is: how did you get an agent?

There is a line in my book that my friends and family will recognize as true: “I’ve always hated being the center of attention, even on my birthday.” In this case, perhaps that line should be edited to read “even on my own blog.”

I was on vacation with my family when I picked up a copy of John Green’s The Fault In Our Stars. I’ve always been a fan of children’s and YA literature, and the book was getting tons of buzz. By the time I finished, I was a blubbering mess. After wiping my eyes and catching my breath, I was left with one very clear thought: I wanted to write a novel. And because that wasn’t crazy enough, I decided I wanted to be published by the time I was 50.