I know the controversy and I've studied the argument, but I have to defend SP and my fellow cohorts in the industry. All I have ever wanted is to write and to publish, but reality hinders this dream when the bills pile up and life dictates our life goals. Self-publishing has allowed me to realize my dream without waiting around for a pay check to materialize as a result of the luck of the agent draw. Sure, I would LOVE to have an agent and to sell bushels of books, but when I held my debut novel in my hands and knew without a doubt that is was a QUALITY piece of work, my dreams all came true. Oh, yea, I will still push those queries and search for an agent savior, but self-publishing has given me hope before it's too late to accomplish my goal. It gets better...a fellow author, Kristen Kehoe, received Honorable Mention in the 2011 Reader's Choice contest with her novel Finding You. Kimberly Norton came in second place with The Crystal Princess. These are two very impressiv