Book Party/Author Reception

Soooo it wasn’t exactly a launch, since the book had several soft coming outs, but last week we had a party to celebrate Woman of a Certain Age. And oh my goodness.

Yes I was nervous and scared—but I wasn’t doing it by myself. I had Dawn Burns a professor in the Rhetoric Dept. at MSU and also a writer with 2 books coming out this year. She’s part of a Great Lakes Anthology and also has a collection of linked stories coming out later this year at Cornerstone Press (part of the University of Wisconsin). LINKS

Also, a friend and workmate who’d read an advance copy volunteered to read a short short titled “I Wish the Virgin Mary was my Girlfriend,” something he said really resonated with him. Me—basically I had to just show up. I did arrange the food table and setting up the books.

These kinds of thing are usually by-the-seat-of-the-pants kind of thing. But I had folks stay the entire 2 hours and also people who rushed in at the last minute from an appointment in Ann Arbor to buy two books. I sold and signed a lot.

My daughter, a big fan, came and was amazed. She said, You have a fan club! It certainly seemed that way. Because after Brennan read another gentleman who had read the book already popped up to read his favorite snippet. Wow! I thought. People really seem to be liking my work. It was a revelation and somewhat humbling.

Brennan reading

I know, you’d expect the opposite: Someone with an inflated ego. But for me, it was amazing that people really genuinely sincerely cared. In this day and age of irony, it was a moment. And that I could be part of it was a blessing. I continue to hope that my stories and words affect people. It’s what every writer dreams of: Readers!

Thanks so much.