Cole Smith

It’s Nicole, actually.

But after I took the married name, Smith, I realized Anna Nicole Smith would beat me in a Google search every single time. And–voila!–my pen name was born. (Creative, I know.)

I had that pen name before I had any finished manuscripts. For years, it felt weird. I knew I wanted to be an author. And a couple of times each year I’d get super-inspired to make it happen *somehow*. Whatever it took, I resolved to do it…unless it involved finishing a book, sending out query letters, or pitching agents. Like…yuck.

Then, through a strange series of events, I started this blog. Suddenly, I was writing every day–I was a writer! In blogging groups, I heard about the Miracle Morning and read it. Holy mole, I was a morning person!!! I started listening to the Achieve Your Goals podcast and discovered Chandler Bolt’s book Published. That book doused the hot coals of my ticked-off-for-not-publishing-yet attitude with jet fuel. In just a few months, I finished and self-pubbed Waiting for Jacob. I was an author!?!!