Let Me Wallow in the Thrill for a Minute
A good thing happened on a really crummy day, and I'm going to tell everyone I know. You can roll your eyes if you want, or jump in the thrill with me. It's the first one. Let's hope there's more!
As some of you know, the publication date for my debut novel is July 1. It took me two terrifying years to talk myself into publishing it at all. I’ve been writing a long time. I have three books finished and two more in the works. I just write. People are fighting in my head and I write to set them free.
Several “big name” writers told me the same thing. “Just put it out there.” Even my faithful excessively polite editor told me that “maybe it was time.” And my best friend gave me the final kick in the butt to just do it. So I did it. I learned how to do everything it took to put it out there. I learned how to self-publish.
Then for the past six weeks, I’ve put my head down and kept working on the next one while Marketing Genie did her thing.
This week I’ve been slogging along with the last round of editing the second book in the domestic series, Malevolent Intent, as the deadline to get it to the editor is looming large. I’ve had little sleep, and my body is sore from getting used to the farm chores. We have to new rescue horses, and the rest of the farm (and my husband) is shocked at how big they are. Everyone’s acclimating. Just a personally tough week.
And I’ve watched while trying not to, and holding my breath, as reviews for the ARC readers are coming in now. And to tell you how strangely thrilling it feels to see people I don’t know (not my family, my friends, my writing buddies) write something like this:
“As someone who is also a lawyer, I found the legal aspects of this book refreshingly realistic. The way the legal system is portrayed, including the solicitor’s resistance and the personal risks Lee faces, felt both familiar and believable. It is rare to see a legal thriller that gets this balance right. 🤓”
I feel validated. And Lee, the main character, is hysterically laughing in my head.
To everyone who has read my book, THANK YOU. You read it. It’s a real book. You’ve posted reviews and told others it’s a REAL BOOK.
So thank you Thriller Bookie. I needed this today. You have no idea how much this means.
