When Life Gives You What You Wish For…

Winner Winner Chicken Dinner

Only I had salmon. That was the meal I chose for the Abitz Family Dinner to honor the award winners of the 2024 Florida Book Awards in Tallhassee. What We Wish For, a book I spent years writing and revising, a book whose main character is largely based on me, won the Gold Medal for the Young Adult Fiction category. This is something I dreamed might happen for my first book, A Work of Art, but alas, it fell short (although it did win other awards).

To say I’m honored is an understatement. At times, I still suffer from Imposter Syndrome, but then I hear people say what an impactful book I wrote, how moving it was, how it made them cry. Recently, I listened to its audio version, which helped me experience it in a more detached way, and I can honestly say I’m pleased with what i created. I wrote it from the heart, based on my experience with being poor, being bullied, suffering from alcholism and seeing others suffer too. It’s also based on my experience with recovery from addiction, with finding myself, and with seeing and working with others who have overcome hardship and who now celebrate the joy of living.

This book is about hope. The longing for hope. The power of hope. I hope it’s meaningful for you.