Another Break, Another Debt Owed

Some time ago I came across a Web site called DailyPeloton.com. It is a great source of information about both the domestic and international road cycling scenes. On one occasion I read an article about a fundraiser they were doing for the Lance Armstrong Foundation. It included a contest that would send a donor to the Ride for the Roses in Austin, Texas. I made a small donation.

On another occasion I learned that they were holding a writing contest. I decided to submit the prologue of my as yet unpublished novel. The chapter got good response on their site, then something even more fortunate happened. My name was drawn as the winner of the trip to Austin.

It just so happened that I was headed to Interbike in Vegas to hand out manuscripts to media and cycling celebrities. I learned that the owners of DailyPeloton.com, Vaughn and Janna Trevisanut, would be there as well. We were able to meet for a short time. I gave them a copy of my manuscript, and they suggested that I apply for a press credential at Ride for the Roses and write about my experience for their site. What a cool deal. Maybe I’d get to interview Lance!

I quickly raised additional money for LAF and reached a contribution level that gave me access to some private events. I spoke only briefly with Lance, but got an even better reward in the many cancer survivors and other great people that I met. I wrote about my experiences in this article.

Simultaneously, Vaughn and Janna were reading my manuscript. Not only did they love the book, and tell me so in no uncertain terms, but then they followed up their words by suggesting and implementing all sorts of ways to help get the word out. I can’t adequately express how important the support of a reputable publication like DailyPeloton was as I worked to find a way to get my book printed. Like all authors, I was confronting a seemingly endless array of obstacles, but now I’d made a friend who could help me earn legitimacy. I owe the Trevisanuts a huge thank you for the influential people they introduced me to, for the thousands they told about my book through reviews and other efforts, and for the encouragement they provided for me to see the project through. I hope the day comes that I can assist someone else’s dreams in a similar way that Vaughn and Janna have assisted mine.