As we wrap things up tonight, breaking into any career presents its fair share of challenges.

And for aspiring authors, those challenges are especially daunting.

Of all books submitted to agents and publishers, the odds of getting one published are estimated to be just one to 2%.

"Carolina Impact's" Jason Terzis joins us with the story of a local author whose perseverance and fighting against those odds have paid off.

- Well, getting published is a lifelong dream for many aspiring writers, but the reality is, very few actually get to experience it.

In fact, there are books out there that focus on just that.

How to become a published author.

In most cases, it takes years of heartbreak, rejection, and unrelenting perseverance.

All things that Charlotte native Joy Callaway went through firsthand.

(screen whooshing) Hand in hand, they arrived.

Crowds filling up one porch, a band playing on the other.

(upbeat music) People gathering at Whitehead Manor in Charlotte, enjoying hor d'oeuvres, drinks, and conversation.

There, not for a concert or a party, but for a book launch.

- Thank you for being here.

- [Jason] A meet-and-greet with local author Joy Callaway, and the release of her latest novel, "Sing Me Home to Carolina."

It's the story of a small town girl turned big city businesswoman with a little romantic twist.

- It is inspired by a barn party my mom and I went to.

- [Jason] The summer release, coming right on the heels of "The Star of Camp Greene," which is set in Charlotte during World War I.

- I had been fascinated about it ever since I had read Sarah Crosland's book called "Secret Charlotte."

- [Jason] Drawing from real life places and people to inspire fictional worlds, Joy has blossomed into an international bestselling author.

- Like a lot of authors, the spark of creativity, it happened from a young age.

I mean, I was always interested in writing.

- [Jason] Exploring history has always been a big part of Joy's life.

She served as historian of her sorority while at Marshall University, earning her degree in Journalism and Public Relations.

It's also where she met future husband, John.

- Even when we were in college in undergrad, she would write for the school newspaper.

- Then I went to work here in Charlotte for a wealth management company.

I was their marketing director for about five years.

And throughout that time, that's kind of when my creative writing started kicking back in.

Like I said, it was a really random, I was just looking at my bookshelf one day, and thought, "Hey, I used to love to do this.

Why don't I do this anymore?"

- And I can still remember clearly Joy saying, "Hey, I've started writing a book."

- [Jason] But Joy's first book was rejected by agents.

- I went into it blind.

I wrote the story 'cause I loved it.

I didn't really think about the parameters of publishing.

- [Jason] Books two and three, also rejected.

- So those two other books were me trying to write something I thought somebody else would like, instead of me writing something that I knew came from my heart.

- I would say early on, there's tons of frustration, because there's so much time spent on it, and it's like, "Hey, I don't know if this is ever gonna work out."

- [Jason] So she kept writing, kept persevering.

- I don't know at the time when I was getting all those rejections, I'm not sure that I could have predicted that I would've kept going.

- In my best effort I would say, "Hey, look at this author.

He was rejected millions of times."

- But I tell people all the time, this all the time in book talks that, if you look on the shelf at authors, and who's published, it is simply the people that didn't stop and didn't give up.

Because there are many authors that I think are probably out there that have given up.

- [Jason] That determination finally paying off with her fourth attempt, with the publishing of "The Fifth Avenue Artists Society" in 2016.

- My fourth novel was the one that got me an agent and book deal, and interestingly enough, it was a story based on my family history.

They always say, "Write what you know."

Well, that couldn't be more true.

It takes a lot of perseverance.

And it takes a lot of being able to endure the no's and the rejections, and the not now's.

- [Jason] And since her first release, there's been six others.

"Secret Sisters" in 2017.

- It's about sororities during the Gilded Age.

- [Jason] "The Grand Design" came in '22, about the Greenbrier Resort in West Virginia.

- I kind of branched out, and used a setting as my inspiration first.

- [Jason] The family history inspired "All the Pretty Places" in 2023.

- It's about my grandma's paternal side of the family.

- [Jason] "What the Mountains Remember" in 2024, about the skilled labor workforce that built the Grove Park Inn in Asheville.

- I was always fascinated by the workers who built Grove Park with their hands.

It's a magnificent structure and it's a beautiful place.

- Every book that Joy writes, she gets immersed into the history.

- [Jason] And then her two releases this year, "The Star of Camp Greene."

- So it's set in 1918.

And it follows a Broadway star named Calla Connolly.

She is inspired by Elsie Janis, who is a real person.

So there are definitely similarities between the two characters.

- [Jason] And her latest release, "Sing Me Home to Carolina."

- My first foray into contemporary rom-com.

- [Jason] It's all made for a jam-packed summer, complete with online chats, book tours, signings, even an appearance at the PBS Charlotte Studios.

- Joy Callaway.

(audience applauding) - Thank you guys, so much.

- [Jason] Joy says it takes her about a year to put a book together, with a majority of the time spent on research and character development.

The actual writing takes about four months or so.

- I think the satisfaction for me was seeing her accomplish what she set out to accomplish.

- So I tell that to aspiring authors.

I say, if you are passionate about the written word and you're passionate about books, keep going, keep writing.

Someday there's gonna be a story that is so much a part of you, and that resonates so much with readers because of it that an agent's gonna say yes, and an editor's gonna say yes, and you'll see your book on the shelf someday too, if you just keep going.

- [Jason] As her professional career has taken off over the last decade, so too has Joy's personal life as a wife and mother, with 10-year-old John, and soon to be 12-year-old Alevia.

The kids may not know a lot about what mom's books are all about, but they do think she's pretty cool.

- I was like, "Wow, my mom must be a big deal.

She's an author."

- I know they're about history and like our family, but I don't know exactly what they're about.

- And then at these book events, I see her as like a cool mom, like she's famous.

- I realized how people actually wait in line for her to sign it, and how they're actually interested in what she does.

But before, I didn't really think about it, like it's just Mom.

- Jason, I just loved meeting Joy when she was here for our event.

An amazing woman, and so incredibly talented.

When does the next book come out?

- Next book coming out maybe the year after next?

So she's under a book a year contract with Harper Muse Publishing, but since she had two books come out this year, she's planning on taking next year off.

But she tells me her next one will be about an esteemed Hollywood star who's about to go out on tour to promote a new film, but she passes away.

So the studio gets a lookalike to go out and play her for all these promotional appearances.

So it should be interesting to see how that little story plays out.

- So much historical fiction and her story is fantastic.

Appreciate you sharing the story, Jason.

- Absolutely.