Celebrating All Month Long!
- Erika Swift
- 1 day ago
- 2 min read
March 2 was my birthday, but honestly, we’re celebrating all month long. Because when life gives you moments like this, you stretch them out, savor them, and invite everyone you love to join in the joy.
I turned 41. Forty-one. That number still feels surreal, because as the Black eldest daughter, I never really thought about the future past the next day. I grew up in survival mode, and if I’m being honest, pieces of that still linger. The idea of getting older, of thriving, wasn’t something I could picture. I was just trying to make it through.
But here I am, forty-one, breathing, creating, celebrating, and that alone deserves to be honored.
It’s wild to look back and see how much life shifted once I allowed myself to move out of survival and into joy. One of the first sparks of that change was writing Campaigning For Her Heart, a love story that’s lived in my chest far longer than I’ll admit out loud. Wyatt and Naomi changed everything for me. I poured so much love, growth, and hope into them, and finishing that novel felt like stepping into a whole new chapter of my life.
Around my birthday in 2025, I made a decision: either take my author life seriously… or stop pretending. I chose seriously. And wow, did I learn a lot. Turns out, being an author isn’t just about writing beautiful words, it’s about understanding the business of storytelling. I dug in, studied everything I could, joined BRAE (an amazing experience!), and grew in ways I couldn’t have imagined.
And now, one year later, I get to celebrate some truly incredible things:
I finished my favorite story.
I got it translated into four languages, French, German, Italian, and Spanish, just in time for a special event happening today!
And best of all… someone overseas read my book, in their own language, and gave it a four-star review.
Someone connected with my story. Someone felt what I hoped readers would feel. That’s the kind of moment you dream about, and I’m still floating from it.
So yes, we’re celebrating this birthday, but more than that, we’re celebrating growth, courage, and faith. We’re celebrating the decision to choose joy and purpose over fear and hesitation.
And if you know someone who reads in French, German, Italian, or Spanish, send them my way! Campaigning For Her Heart is available for free today as part of our celebration. Let’s spread the love (and the story) as far as it’ll go.
Here’s to 41. Here’s to freedom. Here’s to another year of walking boldly into everything that’s waiting for me, and for us.
Cheers, Zahra 💕
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