We have a cat named Snow White. She is a fat, fluffy, lovable friend. She chose us last summer. We weren’t looking for a new cat — we already had three! We asked around at the neighboring farms if they needed more cats, and one family — a mile away through a soy bean field — said they’d love to have her. So we drove her over, where they gave her some food, and we came home. The next morning she was back on our doorstep. We packed her up and drove her back. This went on for two weeks, during which we neither fed nor paid much attention to her (the neighbors fed her lots of things, from sausage to luxurious wet cat food), until we finally threw up our hands and said, “Fine! You are ours and your name is Snow White.” (Although first it was Princess, then Snow Princess, and some other things I forget) She is now a fully vaccinated and spayed member of the feline segment of our family.

Lots of people ask me how I got published. I guess it comes down to behaving a lot like Snow White. Writers who want to be *published* writers must be persistent. I hammered away at agents and editors (and my manuscript) until I finally got a “yes.” It’s a painful process, for sure, but unless you put your work out there for someone to potentially reject, you’re not going to get any positive responses, either. So if you want to be published, if you want the possibility that people will enjoy your work, you’ve got to persevere. Walk that extra mile through the dew-drenched field. When you find your home, it will be well worth the effort.

**Just finished reading Girls in Pants, by Ann Brashares. Now reading A Hole in Juan, by Gillian Roberts**