So the past few weeks for me have been crazy. Turns out that preparing for a book launch is a LOT more time consuming than I would have ever expected and, of course, life doesn’t stop just because Far from Ordinary is ranked 1185 in book sales on Amazon.

Seriously, check it out

This week I have *takes deep breath* Proofread for the bajillionth time / Organized venues / Dropped my keys down an elevator shaft / Coordinated cover art (Thanks Scott!!) / Learnt marketing 101 / DONE marketing 101 / Promised to drive across the city to sign copies of the book / Ordered author proofs / Gotten professional pictures taken (I look like THAT? Uh-oh…) / Second guessed myself.

And most importantly, I’ve held my book in my hands. It was a feeling like I’ve never experienced before. It was so fragile. I didn’t want to open the pages and crinkle the spine. Usually, I’m all about that. A book is meant to be worn and dog-eared. It’s the sign of a good book. But with this one, it was different.

I remember staring at it for the better part of an hour. Holding it in my hands and gently flipping through the pages. Everything I had worked towards for the past fifteen years was right in front of me. I wanted that moment to last forever. And it did, for a time. It settled and hovered for much, much more than a moment.

But then it was gone. I had been staring at a book without reading any of it for 45 minutes.

I’ve taken off my “author” hat and have put on a “marketing” hat. It feels foreign to me, and awkward. I’m super excited about it all. It’s just a lot of different “hats” that I’m not used to wearing.

And it’s all been worth it. I want to do this one hundred times more, at least We’re talking Stephen King-eque levels of book output. But the first one will always be special.

I want to feel this feeling over and over again.

So what did we learn this week?

1. Always answer Social Media comments in a timely manner, or your sister will yell at you
2. Your “Blue Steel” face is never as sexy as you want it to be
3. Don’t drop your keys down an elevator shaft. But if you do, they can be recovered. Most of the time
4. There is nothing better than holding your baby in your arms. Even if that baby is a paperback novel.

My first book, Far from Ordinary, is now available on Amazon. Pick up a copy today!

Far from Ordinary