Release Day

I had some misgivings about release day.  My theater background means that opening night is a big deal:  you get your first audience, get your first feedback, and of course, you get to see the performance how it was meant to be seen.

But releasing a book is different.  And I was worried it would be a little anticlimactic.

My day started out with the highlight.  My 8-year old daughter invited me to join her in her classroom to celebrate the release.  I was a little worried about talking to second graders about domestic violence.  I told them that Split was inspired by a time when I used to help people handle bullies.  I think that's pretty fair.

I asked them to tell me about a time they had helped someone.  Oh did those hands go up!  Everyone had helped someone:  a baby sister whose diaper needed a change; a friend who needed a band aid, a boy who played with someone who was feeling left out.  We talked about the cover and it didn't take long before someone said he could see the faces, not just the keys.  Oooh.  Ahhh.  Really cute.

I went from there to breakfast with my husband and a couple of friends of mine, Patrick Hueller and Charlotte Sullivan -- both of whom will have books out someday, both of whom helped me along on Split's journey.

Then I had this totally wonderful experience inside Barnes and Noble.


 OMG! Top Shelf. Centered.

Ooo... signing stock!

See the green sticker on the cover.  It says autographed copy!



So amazing.  I hit a bunch of stores before picking up my kids from school.

To finish out this practically perfect day, I headed out to dinner with more friends.  We ate Indian food and celebrated.  They brought me beautiful flowers and a Starbucks gift card "for the next book" they said, knowing that my favorite way to work is at Starbucks with my earbuds in.  They also had bought books and I signed those.

But the best compliment of the night was that I could not sign books for two of my friends.  Why?  Because the wonderful, independent bookstore, The Wild Rumpus SOLD OUT! (More copies due in on Friday.)

Not anticlimactic at all.