Digressions: My Life in 500 Words or Less

So what have you been up to this summer? Typical summer stuff like cookouts and swimming, you say? Cool. Me? I’ve been filling my book promotion schedule, experiencing a successful book signing and selling fiction, all of which contributed to missed blog deadlines.

You know: normal stuff.

OK. You see through my cool demeanor, don’t you?

What I meant to say is, “Hot damn! Sorry I’ve missed a blog earlier this month, but I’ve had some freakin’ sweet things happen recently!”

Here’s the thing: ever since I switched days for my blog earlier this year I’ve had trouble hitting my deadlines on occasion. I even missed my July 11 blog completely.

The new blog schedule still throws me off. Add to that the fact I spent a good amount of time making preparations for my first in-store book signing at Barnes & Noble as well as continued efforts to sell my work.

Several months ago I ramped up my efforts to promote my book “A Fable of Freedom and Other Stories.” I began filling my 2019 calendar with reading and book signing events.

The most recent event was my first ever in-store book signing held July 13 at Barnes & Noble. It was a four-hour event. In preparation, I created a Facebook event page, sent hundreds of invitations, posted frequent reminders and shared the event to my three other pages, where I also posted reminders.

I have to say, as I headed to the book signing I expected a good amount of down time. After all, it was four hours long and the book had been out for more than a year. On top of that the previous two events this year, while good publicity, had yielded no sales. I had even told Rebecca, who agreed to come along with me to the Barnes & Noble event, that during down time we could discuss some plans we were in the midst of.

We never got that down time.

When we got to Barnes & Noble, a friend was there waiting with book in hand, ready for me to sign it. In the four hours that followed I sat down only a few minutes. A steady flow of the best friends and supporters dropped by. It was truly overwhelming and humbling.

At one point, I had a line of people with my book waiting for me to sign their copies!

I had a line!

I had a line!

Uh, I mean, it was, you know, cool. I’m cool.

Two days later, before I came down from that proverbial cloud, I was notified a magazine wanted to buy and publish the short story I had submitted to them.

I sold another short story!

My 2019 calendar has three more readings and book signing events on it. Additionally, I have been contacted about a possible event in 2020.

I hate that I missed a blog this month.

But I’m sure you understand.

I had a line.