Counting Down to Book Expo America and BookCon

Yesterday, while having lunch with my mom, I had the holy crap thought that in exactly two weeks I will be at Book Expo America signing advanced reader copies of my young adult novel, RESURRECTING SUNSHINE. (And in a little over two weeks I'll be signing at BookCon too!)

That two-week mark sort of crept up on me. I’ve mostly been counting down to the day I leave here to drive out to Chicago, primarily because that’s my drop-dead date to get everything done.

And I guess I’ve fallen into more of a road-trip mentality. You know how that goes, right? The car needs new tires and an oil change. There are haircuts to be had, clothes to be bought, suitcases to air out, pet-sitters to be sought. Practical things that need to get accomplished before I pack up the car and go.

But yesterday’s realization came with another thought—one that I haven’t really entertained yet (maybe my mind’s way of protecting my sanity just a little longer)—the thought that in two weeks, people will potentially be reading my book.

Wait…what?

Let me try that again.

In two weeks (minus one day, now) people will potentially be reading my book. They will be having it signed by me. They will be bringing it home. They will—maybe just maybe—be opening the cover and turning to Chapter 1, and then maybe (hopefully) Chapter 2 and beyond.

 They’ll be meeting Adam and Marybeth. They’ll be meeting Dr. Elloran. They’ll be meeting characters (I have to stop myself from saying people because that’s what they are to me) and reading about events that have existed only for me and a few select readers up to this point.

They might love it or they might hate it (or maybe a little bit of both), or they will be painfully indifferent.

And granted, this is just the advance reader copy, but still, it will be my book—my book—out in the world. It’s still a little hard (read: impossible) to wrap my mind around, but it will happen just the same.

Whoa!

I mean, really, what more is there to say?