Release Day - Small Town Girl

It's July. That means Small Town Girl is officially released. It's always a banner day for a writer like me when a new book hits the market. Way back in 1978 when my first book was published in the general market as a mass market paperback, I expected to see it on every stand. I didn't think about how many books are released every month and how the store shelves couldn't possibly hold all those books. I just thought about my new book and how much I wanted to see it on one of those shelves. I even went store hopping, hoping to spot my book. We had no bookstores in my hometown then and still don't, although we do have a Wal-Mart that carries a small selection of books now. 

So I went to the towns close by where there were bookstores and retail places that carried books. The nearest bookstore was called The Little Professor. They didn't have my book until I very shyly asked them about carrying my book, but then they were very supportive. The other place I could tell people they could find my book was Klink's, a local drugstore in my hometown. The owners stocked my book even though they didn't normally carry books. That was a real boost for a young writer like me and gave my hometown friends an easy way to get the book. 

Of course, people could ask for the book by title at any bookstore and the bookstore would order it, but that's something not many people seem willing to do. They don't have to now. A reader can find everything on the internet, but I still like those bookstores. And I still like seeing my books on the shelves at some of the retail places. It's also fun when readers and friends tell me they spotted my book at a store in this or that place. If they've known me a long time, they always sound a little surprised that my book is showing up in Florida or Kansas or wherever. I'm always a little surprised too. But glad. Very, very glad. 

So I'm hoping Small Town Girl will be popping up in lots of places and finding its way into readers' hands. I haven't checked the internet so don't know if there are reviews out there yet except for the Publisher's Weekly one I wrote about here a few weeks ago. I have gotten a few comments from family and friends who got an early copy of the book. Thank goodness, family and friends are nearly always nice. So I've gotten a few "I enjoyed your book" comments and I'm sure I'll be seeing reviews popping up soon. But today, I'll just enjoy it being RELEASE DAY! It never gets old seeing a new book ready for readers. 

So remember, I'm celebrating Small Town Girl with a website giveaway. The winner will get two dozen roses and a choice of one of my books. The second place winner will get a choice of one of my books and a couple of other Christian fiction books. Then the prize for those people who tell me they "never win anything" will be a wind chime and a choice of one of my books. Plus, she or he won't be able to say she or he never wins anything any more. Just send me a message via my website or leave a comment here on One Writer's Journal with a way to reach you should you be one of the winners. Deadline for entries is July 13 at midnight EST.

Thanks for sharing my release day and for telling your friends if you like my stories. And I do hope you'll like going back to Rosey Corner to see how Kate and the gang are getting along five years after the story in Angel Sister. 

Celebrating Release Day

My new book, The Believer, was officially released by the publishers for sale yesterday. Actually it was already out in stores, or so I've been told. I haven't personally seen it on any store shelves yet, but then the only shelves I've been seeing are the ones where I've been setting my newly canned jars of green beans. Trust me. Bookstore shelves are more exciting. But last week was too hectic to go bookstore hopping although I do have to admit I love to browse in bookstores whether I have a new book releasing or not. Bookstores are about the only place I truly like to shop which is why my family has to like getting books as presents. Although antique malls can be fun if you have a friend along. And if they have a book section. :-)

I haven't gotten much feedback yet from the new story. I don't think the readers in my family realize how needy writers can be when we have a new book out. We need to hear positive things that we can hope are not just made up to stroke our egos. But we want to know if our story was okay. Plus a few things that maybe made it okay. Well, actually we want to hear things like "It was great." Or "I couldn't put it down." Or "I stayed up way too late to find out what happened." You know, that sort of thing. Sounds like I'm begging for ego stroking comments, doesn't it?

But it is fun having a new book out, and it is fun hearing readers' reactions. Of course it's more fun when they are good reactions, but writers can't always expect that. In fact this one writers' bunch I know even have a contest to pick the most terrible review when they have a meeting . So they all bring their bad reviews and compete to see who has the worst one. I guess the idea is that it's better to laugh about them than to cry about them. One thing sure, once the book is out there in readers' hands, there's nothing you can do to change what you wrote. Plus even if you changed things to suit one reader then another reader would probably think that change messed things up.

A writer has to trust her inner ear and tell the story as best she can. Then she has to turn it loose. Let it go out into the world and find readers. If those readers find fault or even if she herself looks over her words once they are between the covers of a book and finds fault, she just has to file that away as experience and hope to do better on the next story. That's what I try to do, but I still hope for good reviews and good comments. Everybody, no matter what they do, can use some encouraging words.

I drew for my final book winner for this giveaway yesterday on release day and it's Linda. I'll be sending her an e-mail to let her know she's a winner. And a newsletter will go out this week. If you're not signed up for my occasional newsletter and want to be, just click on the newsletter link on my webpage. Thanks to everyone who entered the giveaway. I'll have to think up something new to give away next month.

Hope you hear nothing but encouraging words this week. And nobody says, "The beans need picking." A bountiful harvest is a blessing, but there are only so many hours in a day. I've promised myself I'm getting back to writing next week even if all the closets aren't cleaned out and I still need to paint the back hall. I've got to remember that writing is what I do. Housekeeping chores are secondary.

Thanks for reading.