EBookMall.com has put on a contest called, "America's Next Author." A long-time friend of mine sent it my way as something I might be interested in.

I thought, why not? So I looked into it.

But this writing contest is not just any writing contest. This one's different. This one has me trying to be popular.

I'm gonna lose.

It's official; I'm signed! Paula Munier of the Talcott Notch Literary has deemed me worthy as a writer and is willing to take a chance on me. This is bigger than you can begin to comprehend.

I know what you're thinking: So. You have an agent. Have you sold anything yet? No? Have you made any money yet? No? Loser.

I ran to the grocery store today to get some onions for the homemade spaghetti sauce I'm making for dinner, and the trip took me by a Hardees restaurant. The guy behind the counter was obviously on his first day.

Let me try to recreate the experience for you ...

Zweibrucken translates to “two bridges,” and is a city about 15 minutes south of Schmitshausen, near the border to France. It’s a small town with some attractions of a larger one.

Specifically, they have one of the largest and most beautiful Rose Gardens I’ve ever seen.  No, really. The website (http://www.europas-rosengarten.de/) claims they have 11 acres of flowers, and I totally think they underestimated. It’s gorgeous.

When we first arrived, we walked around the waterway, and a young German girl approached us excitedly talking and gesturing. I looked at the grandmother hurrying behind her and said with all the apologies I could, “Speak English?”