Tracy Goodwin

Well, here I am, a 39-year-old mother of two, finally ready to hit "publish." My son and daughter practically had to bribe me with ice cream and a puppy to get me to do it! I can admit I’ve been a bit chicken... okay, fine, a LOT chicken. I mean, I’ve been writing since middle school—back when my biggest worry was whether my crush liked me back. But this is the first time I’m really putting my words out there for the world to see.

Our little family calls North Carolina home, but we’ve spent the last 20 years gallivanting around the country like we’re on some sort of never-ending road trip. Sure, it was for work, but who’s counting? I like to think of it as an extended family vacation where the kids just happen to learn about geography through the lens of fast-food restaurants and roadside attractions.

My daughter, Summer, and my son, Nathan, have been my guiding lights since day one. I know, I know—super cheesy, right? But hey, that’s just me! My husband deserves a medal for having to put up with my curious nature and my endless quest for “the next big idea.” If it weren’t for him, I might still be sitting on this manuscript like a chicken on an egg, too scared to hatch it.

And as a mom, I have to throw in a little wisdom: If you want to do something, just go for it! If you don’t, then deep down, you probably didn’t want it that much. It’s like my kids’ approach to broccoli—if they really wanted it, they wouldn’t be making that face!

Thank you all for your support, and I genuinely hope to hear from each and every one of you. Now, if you’ll excuse me, I need to go find my kids and remind them that they owe me a puppy for all this!