Happy Birthday Kody Keplinger!!

So back in 2008 when I finished writing my first book, I went looking for information online about query letters and found the website Absolute Write. I posted a few snippets of my work and read around the other samples there.

One particular user, who was posting AMAZING snippets for some project called The Duff, started commenting on my snippets.

That's how I met Kody Keplinger.

Years later, both Kody and I are agented (we have the same agent even!) and her second book is about to come out. I traveled to New York City for the release of her first book, The Duff, and she'll be flying out to Arizona this September to visit us and meet the Squidling for the first time. Kody has been such a supportive friend since the beginning of my journey, and even though I'm not published yet, I hope that one day she'll have the opportunity to come to my own first book launch party. She's pretty ballin', if I do say so myself.

So, here's the thing guys. Kody turns twenty years old today.

And she's wiggin' out a little. She loved her teenage years a lot and is quite bummed to be officially out of the "teen" stage in her life, so I'm here to tell Kody in front of the world that being in your twenties freakin' ROCKS!

Being an adult can be scary sometimes, but the pay-off is beyond great, and in the end age truly is only a number. So don't be bummed Kody, be excited to enjoy yourself in this great big world.

The end of an era only means that another one is beginning, my friend. TIME TO CELEBRATE!!

Just wait till you turn twenty one, girl. WE WILL PAINT VEGAS RED DO YA HEAR ME?!