February 14, 2016 was not just Valentine's Day for me, it was the day that I pitched literary agent, Mark Gottlieb of Trident Media Group at the San Francisco Writers' Conference. I had already begun to query agents, regarding my epic fantasy series for adults. I'd had positive responses and requests for synopses and partials. But then I met Mark Gottlieb at SFWC and I changed my perspective on who would be the right fit for me. After pitching my book to him, he requested a full manuscript. His response was what any author hopes for, enthusiastic with an offer of representation. My review of Mark's track record, along with that of the larger agency, confirmed what I already intuitively knew, this was the right fit for me. Within three months of signing, Mark had sold not just my first book, but my trilogy. With the third book in the series in the works, I can say that Mark has been my greatest advocate throughout the publishing process. The learning curve for a debut author is long and steep, but knowing that I can rely on Mark has made it possible for me to not work to complete this series, but consider what might come next.