HI!!! It’s Me! I’m Breathless! The BIG Announcement Is Finally Here: WE DID A BOOK DEAL WITH PENGUIN RANDOM HOUSE!

Remember that one time I wrote and said that I'd soon be sending you an email full of exclamation points as our bat signal when I had THE BIG NEWS to share?

Well, here we go, team. Here it is!

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And one more for good measure!

Let it be known that I, Ash Ambirge, daughter of the late Elizabeth and James Ambirge, of the esteemed Pennsylvania trailer park clan, am proud to announce that from this day forward, small town girls around the world will be able to go into a Barnes & Noble and—are you ready?—​​GET INSPIRED BY OUR FORTHCOMING BOOK!!!!!!!!!!!!

YES, OUR BOOK! OUR BOOK, OUR BOOK, OUR BOOK! It's true, it's here, the moment has arrived! The Middle Finger Project book is soon-to-be published by none other than the one-and-only Penguin Random House, the New York publishing company of my dreams, through their phenomenal Portfolio imprint, responsible for the likes of #GIRLBOSS as well as books from Richard Branson, Seth Godin, Ryan Holiday, Simon Sinek, and insanely awesome humans like Emily Chang. In other words, I'm in incredible company, and I should probably buy a new freaking dress.

THIS IS MY CHILDHOOD DREAM, YA'LL. I have worked my entire life for this moment. In fact, when I was a little girl, my parents and I would take the 45 minute drive to Vestal, New York, where I saw a glimmer of hope for a future that did not include heating the pipes with a blow dryer under our mobile home. We'd park in the same place at the strip mall—unless “some nitwit” took our spot—and then we'd disperse. My father would go into Dick's, where he'd look at the hottest new hunting gear; my mother would go into A.C. Moore, where she'd finger the eucalyptus and dream about her next exotic wreath creation; and I? I'd escape the real world by stealing away into the Barnes & Noble next door.

I had always felt safe with books; the bookstore was like my very own bomb shelter. There, I was protected from all of the bad in the world. Books represented good ideas, and I thought that if I'd spent enough time with them, maybe I'd become good, too.

I viewed my favorite authors like the Dali F*cking Lama. I'd have private conversations with them, there in that bookstore, and imagine that they'd written those words just for me. Though much of it felt like looking at the world through a one-way mirror: I could see them, but they couldn't see me back. But I always wanted to join their ranks. The fact that these people were so fearless made me want to be fearless, too. Their stories of triumph made me believe in myself the way that an astronaut makes you believe in Mars. It was far away, but not impossible. Nothing was impossible with the right book in my hands.

And that's why writing is so important to me: every word is a little beacon of possibility for us all. Books always have been, ever since prehistoric times (you know, BTI: before the Internet). Writing is our way of shooting a flare into the air, so others can find their way. That's why I started The Middle Finger Project, nearly ten years ago: I wanted girls like me to know they had a chance out there. A really good chance.

But girls like me don't always grow up knowing that. When you come from the kind of town where guns are raffled at local bars and couples go on dates at truck stops (or spaghetti dinners, depending on your religion), the outside feels like a foreign country. A friend's father never even left the county—refused to do so, in fact. Others have never seen the ocean. Fewer have visited New York City, or even Philadelphia—both of which are two hours away. The lack of exposure creates a skewed sense of reality in many ways, but most importantly?

It blinds you to your own potential.

I want this book to be their vision. A new lens through which the underdogs of the world can renew their sense of possibility. I want my story to be a guidepost for their journey; to believe that they, too, can start little fires. This is about so much more than the surface-level mission of merely “quitting the 9-5″—this is about cultivating a strong and determined sense of self. This is about courage and bravery and guts. This is about learning how to trust in your own voice, and your own ideas, and your own mind. And, yes, sometimes it's about not giving a shit when duty calls.

And that's why, more than anything, I wanted to traditionally publish a book. Many people said to me: “Why not just self-publish?” There's certainly nothing wrong with self-publishing, but this isn't about “having a book.” This is about spreading a message, and giving that message the opportunity it deserves on the global stage. And who better than PRH to help me to do that?

So with that, I will leave you with the official industry deal announcement—the single most important paragraph of text I have ever had the pleasure of authoring. (My very first assignment from my wonderful editor, Stephanie.)

 

Oh, by the way! Are you interested in getting an insider's peek into the book publishing process as I go? I don't want to take over this blog completely with that theme, so if you want to hear more about that, click the button below and you'll be added to the list. (The book isn't slated to be published until 2020, so we've got lots of time to learn about it together!)

We are going to have so much fun, in the next couple of years, preparing for this. I'll want your opinion on everything! This isn't just my book deal—its ours. You've been with me through thick and thin, and I want you to know that this is, in every way, your accomplishment, too. By reading this blog, you have helped to make this possible. Now you'll be able tell all your friends that you contributed to Penguin Random House's hottest new release!!! ;). (And just WAIT until I do some kind of hilariously unconventional book tour. I can't wait to kiss and hug your human faces!)

Thank you.

Thank you from the bottom of my crazy little heart.

If you learn anything from me, I hope it's that you are more unstoppable than you know.

You don't need anyone's permission to do the work.

You just need to start.

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