As a River for the Holidays

Me and Margaret Atwood hanging out in the entry of the Red Wheelbarrow in Paris.

It’s been 3 months since my debut novel came out and what a whirlwind!

Signing at the Paris launch party. (You’ll notice by all those wine glasses we were prepared for success. And it was! Full house and sold out!)

I had a fantastic little self-created tour. Only 5 events, but that’s just about all this introvert could handle. Launched in Paris and finished with a bang in New York with some great stops in Stockbridge, MA and Philly in between. Had some ups and downs but largely huge ups. Saw old friends and made new ones everywhere.

WHAT. MEMORIES.

Culminating event at Brooklyn’s Books are Magic with some literary superstars. Left to right: Michele Filgate, Kristen Arnett, Briallen Hopper, Angie Cruz, Elizabet Velasquez & me!

And literally the day after I returned to Valencia…I got a new job out of the blue and started work a few days later. I’m now teaching English exam prep classes at a university and it is INTENSE. I still haven’t caught up – and it’s mid-term exam time! – so I simply have not had the time to post here.

Reading at Shakespeare & Company…the one in Philadelphia! Someone told me I looked glamorous in this shot. I was reading to 3 people in the audience. WONDERFUL people. But yeah. Glamorous feels a reach 😉

But, I hope I may sate you with some photos and many THANK YOUs to everyone who has been so kind to my book baby since it’s entered the world. I’ve been so heartened by the generous response…and the lovely reviews…and the numerous interviews! (Feel free to check out the list on my website!)

Honestly nothing will ever compare with seeing my book in a beautiful bookshop right next to a novel by my literary hero, James Baldwin!

And speaking of lists, AS A RIVER is on a Holiday Book Recommendation list from Read Her Like An Open Book! I’m sandwiched between some of this year’s biggest titles (Melissa Rivera’s THE AFFAIRS OF THE FALCONS and Tea Obreht’s INLAND). Swoon! My novel has certainly not made any other list, but I’m quite content that the book is continuing to spread its wings and fly. I think of it as the little small press book that could 😉

And I’m apparently very animated when I talk about it! Here’s a picture from the New York launch. Maybe I’m talking about the book sandwich!

In case you’re still looking for holiday gifts, books are *always* a good idea. I’d be thrilled if you considered giving AS A RIVER to your loved ones.

You can buy it on Indiebound, Amazon, Barnes & Noble, Book Depository – or ask your local bookseller to order it for you! It’s available as a paperback or an ebook!

Thanks to my friend Jennifer Geraghty for this lovely photo. One of my favorite parts of this process is people sending me creative photos of them receiving the book!

I’ll admit that the holidays have not really been on my mind. December has completely crept up on me! I can’t believe we’re starting a new decade soon! Oh my, what do we have in store?

I have some ideas brewing, but that will have to wait until after grading.

The only holiday party I’ve been to so far, but I did don the reindeer antlers and make the most of it.

Still, it’s quite something to stop and take stock of how interesting life continues to be…and how change can still arrive in a moment.

Sending you warm wishes as we wind down the year. I’ll be waiting for the winter solstice and welcoming the light that will start returning a little more each day after.

In front of the Red Wheelbarrow Bookstore in Paris

[Thanks to the kind reader who just let me know I didn’t even link to my book in this post! HA! Thank you, Catt!]

Here are the purchase links for AS A RIVER again for good measure:
Indiebound, Amazon, Barnes & Noble, Book Depository

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Today is Pub Day! (+ How You Can Help!)

Hello, friends!

The big day has finally arrived. My novel AS A RIVER is officially out in the world. As of today, I am a published novelist. WOOHOO!

I wrote the first line of this book way back in 2005. Many of you were here while I was working on it and when I started sending it out in late 2011/early 2012. Who knew how long it would take to finally reach this milestone? To say I’m feeling all the feelings would obviously be an understatement.

A lot has been going on the last few weeks in the lead-up to launch. I’ve had nice reviews and interviews already – today I even appeared on a podcast! (For those not already subscribed, you can find some advance reviews in the last newsletter). I’ve also added a section on my website to collect all of the links.

But for now, I just wanted to thank you all for the support over these many years. I am so grateful for the encouragement and comments and kind words.

My book is with a very small press. We don’t have the resources of a big house. So anything that happens now comes from community word of mouth. If you’d like to help, here are some things you can do.

1. Buy the book.
Simple, yet so effective! Indiebound, Amazon, Book Depository, your local independent bookstore. I didn’t receive a dime in advance so know that any sales now aid me directly.

2. Tell your friends, family, and coworkers to buy the book.
The more the merrier!

3. Take and share selfies of you with the book and share on social media with the hashtag #asariver. Be sure to tag me; I want to see!

4. Snap photos of book sightings “in the wild” (bookstores, airports, on your subway ride) and post those, too!

5. Ask your local library to order a copy.
My mom, who was a librarian for 45 years, went into my hometown library to do this. Turns out, they already had because two patrons had already asked. SWOON!

6. Write a review on Amazon and Goodreads.
These are reportedly VERY helpful. I already have some great reviews on Goodreads. Please help me keep the high star rating!

7. If you’re a writer/reviewer, pitch a review to a publication. Send me a message if you want deets.

8. Choose AAR for your book club!

9. Read the book in public, with the cover conspicuously showing.

10. Hmm, everyone likes a top 10, right? Feel free to comment with other ideas!

THANK YOU!

If you’d like to see photos from my upcoming tour, follow along on Instagram. I’ll post from the road. First stop: Paris!

Novel News + Goodreads Giveaway!

Friends! We’re in the dog days of summer and I have several items of hot news to share. I’d hoped to chronicle the publication process of my debut novel As a River here and/or in my newsletter, but it’s all been a whirlwind.

So let’s jump straight to this moment:

Do I look really happy? Are there also tears in my eyes? Yes on both counts!

This photo was taken right after I opened a package and held my book for the first time. I grinned wide – then immediately burst out crying.

As you all know, it’s been *such* a long journey. To finally hold my book, to see that it was real…well, there’s simply no overstating how moving it was. It’s been a dream since I was a child.

There have been a dizzying amount of steps to get here. I have friends who have been through this before so I knew some of what to expect. But just because you’ve heard about what it’s like doesn’t mean actually experiencing it isn’t still a doozy.

There’s much to fill you in on – like this stunning review that literally made me gasp. Or having one of my favorite authors – who I did not know before! – say this:

Reader, I put that quote on my front cover. (And reader, this amazing author, Rene Denfeld, also has a new book coming out in October. The Butterfly Girl. Get it!)

My book, As a River, officially comes out on September 3.

But friends, I have a chance for you to get your hands on an early copy before then!

Advance Reader Copies (ARC) are free copies publishers make of their forthcoming titles before publication to send to potential reviewers, media outlets, booksellers, etc, to try to get the book on the radar screen. Many venues need the book at least 3 to 6 months before the pub date to consider it for coverage.

So, the past several months we’ve been busy approaching different people and venues to see if they might like an ARC to hopefully drum up some press. I still have a few ARCs remaining and I would like to give them to you!

Just click on the link to enter a Goodreads giveaway to win an ARC. (US entries only. Sorry sibling international folks! But I have more opportunities for you below!)

The ARC has a different blurb on the front than what will be on the final (Rene wrote that blurb after reading the ARC!! So now I get to put her words on the final version. See how it works?)

The ARC also has a different author photo and description on the back. And a few minor changes inside. (You can read your book ONE TRILLION TIMES and you still find mistakes and things you want to change!) But the story is the same. It’s your chance to get an early peek!

These are the two photos I was going back and forth between. Do I want to look warm and approachable or soulful and contemplative? I am all of those things!

The Goodreads giveaway runs until August 17. I hope you enter! And if for whatever reason you don’t want to (though who doesn’t want a free book?) it’s still really helpful to put my book on your “want to read” shelf. This helps with visibility on the site so more people will see it. I’m with a small press so we don’t have the same level of resources as big publishers. Word of mouth and organic community support is what makes a title like mine rise. I would love your help!

A photo of a beautiful bookshop here in Valencia, Libreria Ramon Llull. Posting it here to break up this long string of text and because it’s pretty!

But wait! There’s more!

After the Goodreads giveaway, I will randomly select a subscriber to my newsletter to win another copy on August 20. So, you might want to sign up there, too! (If you’re already signed up, you’ll automatically be entered). The winner can be based anywhere for that one. No borders! I love you all!

This is turning into an epic update. Thank you for sticking with it!

Before I go, I want to give you the dates for a few events in case you’re in any of these areas. I would love to see/meet you!

Can you guess? I’ll launch my book in Paris. September 12 at the lovely new incarnation of The Red Wheelbarrow Bookshop in front of the Luxumbourg Gardens. Swoon!

Then I’ll head to the US. Yes, I’ll be flying Stateside!
Anyone near New York, Philadelphia, or the Berkshires, come on out!

More soon, friends.

For now, don’t forget to click over to Goodreads to enter the giveaway or put my book on your shelf.

And feel free to sign up for my newsletter for a second chance to win.

Bisous, besos, kisses!