The Gathering Girl is two months old!
If the book were a baby she’d be sucking on her little fists and smiling at people who smiled at her. She’d be learning object permanence — the Piagetian concept that things still exist even when you can’t see them. She’d be cooing and pooping and living in the moment. Not so her mama. Like an overly anxious parent, I’ve been wasting time worrying about her future. It’s about as pointless as an actual parent worrying about how well their infant will do seventeen years hence on her SAT and whether it’ll be good enough to get into a decent college.
I need to stop worrying and live in the moment. Enjoy the milestones the book has already achieved. It’s written, for one. It’s published, for two. And it’s out in the world, for three. Those are huge and I will try my best as I move forward in this post-publication journey to remember them.
Here are some other milestones in the last month:
- I have two library readings booked for the summer.
- A local book club will be reading the book and having me come talk with them about it.
- The Coover Society in London, Ohio, has invited me to speak at their luncheon — Women Empowering Women — in May of 2024.
- A writer whose work I admire tremendously has invited me to coffee with her in the fall to discuss doing some kind of speaking event at a college I love.
Some of these milestones I anticipated; others I didn’t. I will remember that just because I can’t see the future of my book, a future does indeed exist for it.
Thanks to everyone who has already bought and/or read the book. It means more to me than I can express.
For those who haven’t . . . what are you waiting for?
How to Score a Free Read
If cost is an issue, I get it. There are too many books on the shelf already and not enough bucks in the budget. Here’s how to score a free read: Go to your local library and request that they add The Gathering Girl to their collection. Tell them the book is available on Ingram. They’ll know what that means. 🙂
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