As the final hours click by, marking the hours until book launch, I’m reminded of that classic cinematic tension-builder, the one that catapults the story into action – the wedding scene.
“Speak now or forever hold your peace.”
In other words, this is it. My name will hereafter be linked to Stay With Me, for better or for worse, in good times and in bad, in sickness and in health.
That prospect fills me with a range of emotions: excitement, pride, nervousness, embarrassment.
Blast off!
Excitement
Well, that’s one obvious. I wrote a whole book! It’s being published! And some people I don’t even know have told me they loved it. It’s a thrill.
Pride
When I re-read, there are some paragraphs and turns of phrase that I love, that make me stop, and say, “Wow. I wrote that.”
Nervousness
About five weeks ago, I fixated on what a particular character wears in a certain scene, worrying that it would pull readers out of the narrative. Oh, there’s an explanation for what he’s wearing, but it’s irrelevant to the story. This is the kind of nonsense that’s been popping into my mind at random idle moments.
Embarrassment
I’ll just say it: The big theme is freedom, but a lot of Stay With Me is about sex. (There is, however, no explicit sex in the book.) But it’s about freedom and sexuality in the context of authentic love. And the main characters are flawed, flesh-and-blood humans vulnerable to temptation. I write (obliquely) about things I don’t normally discuss. So, yeah, I’m a little embarrassed.
I re-read the book through from start to finish last month. Are there things that I would do, could do better if I were writing now? You betcha. Do I still love this book and these characters? Absolutely. And I hope you do, too.
On Thursday, October 1, aka Launch Day, I will embark on a Virtual Blog Tour. I get to visit all over the blogosphere without worry of breaking the bank or bringing home bedbugs. Below is the run down of my gracious hosts. Please stop by and visit!
Thursday, October 1: Catholicmom.com
Friday, October 2: Reconciled To You (Allison Gingras)
Saturday, October 3: Peace to All Who Enter Here (Don Mulcare)
Sunday, October 4: Karen Kelly Boyce
Monday, October 5: Therese Heckenkamp
Tuesday, October 6:Catholic Fire (Jean Heimann)
Wednesday, October 7: Sarah Damm and Robin Patchen
Thursday, October 8: Snoring Scholar (Sarah Reinhard), Erin McCole Cupp, Plot Line and Sinker (Ellen Gable)
Friday, October 9: Domestic Vocation (Christine Johnson)
Saturday, October 10: Franciscanmom (Barb Szyszkiewicz)
THANKS FOR STOPPING BY! STAY A WHILE AND LOOK AROUND. LEAVE A COMMENT. SHARE WITH A FRIEND. IF YOU LIKE WHAT YOU SEE, PLEASE SIGN UP FROM MY AUTHOR NEWSLETTER TO KEEP UP-TO-DATE ON NEW RELEASES, EXTRAS, AND HOT DEALS!
It’s going to be great!
Thank you, Barb!
Congratulations ! I’m excited for you and looking forward to reading it.
Thanks, Melissa!
Congratulations on your upcoming release, Carolyn! 🙂
I only have short stories published so far, but I definitely can relate to the mixture of feeeling you’re experiencing at the moment. I hope you’ll manage to focus only on the positive ones. After all, you’re having your book release! Yippee!
Thank you! We decided against a real-life launch party, but I think I’m going to buy a bottle of champagne anyway!
Do! Indulge yourself and create good memories! They’ll help you keep going when you’re having a rough day.