That moment when it all becomes real

Writing War Bonds has been a five-year journey with many highs and lows.
The thrill of getting signed with a great agency. The disappointment of realizing your agent’s a dud.

The tremendous excitement of receiving a contract with a great publisher. The sinking realization that you still have a whole lot of work to do on your manuscript and only a few months to get it done.

The joy of receiving the first round of advance review copies. The dread of finding that yep, there’s more words to be written and a just few weeks to write them.

The amazing experience of opening that first box of final copies and resisting the tempation to dump them on your bed and wallow in them. (Not good for the covers. Plus paper cuts.)

Then the dawning knowledge that you have to market the book, talk about the book, have your picture taken for the book, hound people to talk about the book. Daunting for an introvert for sure.

But then comes the moment when it suddenly all becomes real.  A friend posts a photo of your books on display at a local bookstore and it hits you– people are going to buy your book and read it!

The stories you felt so worth telling are going to be read. The people you wrote about won’t be forgotten.

And you laugh and maybe cry, but mostly you stare the photo of the stacks of books and breathe a prayer of gratitude.