Books In Hand

Well…I promise to get better at blogging. So for any of you who have been checking this spot (and according to my web sources, some of you have been checking), please forgive me.

I’m obviously a novice blogger. Seasoned bloggers understand that blogging requires commitment and attention. I do get that. And I do appreciate the art of blogging. That’s why I’m committed to getting better. It seems that blogging is a skill you learn by doing. So I guess I’m no further behind than anyone else who took a leap one day and decided to launch a blogspot.

And it’s not that I’ve been without news to share. Copies of my book, “Involuntary Joy,” arrived on a huge transport truck last Friday (much bigger than necessary because my books were simply accompanying one of 3Ms’ shipments). We took delivery at 2 p.m., and I was at the post office just after 4 p.m. mailing complimentary copies to friends and relatives who have lived through the writing and self-publishing process with me.

I’d have to describe the ensuing days as hectic—but exciting. They have been filled with calls to independent bookstores, drives to make book deliveries, orders via the Internet, trips to the post office, and both informal and formal book signings.

I honestly can’t describe what it feels like to have the book in printed form in a way I can share with others. Fulfilling? Yes. But not I’m not as over-the-top-elated as someone might think. Instead there is a pervasive peace underscoring everything that is happening. It all feels so: natural. It’s as if part of me is saying: “Why, of course, this is happening. Haven’t we always known it would?”

I don’t know who the “we” is. It's just that I don’t feel alone in any way. A full team of friends helped get me to this point, and our whole family continues to be in this together—Mark, Stross, Skye. Best of all, the events of this past week have felt natural to each one of us. It's as if we feel we are being led somewhere (I think only literally, and not figuratively), and it’s an honor to be on the trip—and deeply satisfying.

Once I know where we are headed, I’ll let you know. I’m being encouraged to find a way to share my book on a broader scale. And I’m very open to that. I know that—just like the way this book finally made it to print—I won’t be able to accomplish that goal (dream?) alone. For those of you who've read the book, I believe I’ll have to find the current that can carry me that direction, and then prepare to enjoy the ride.

Thank you to all who have been so kind and supportive. I’m deeply touched; I’m humbled. You are numbered among my many involuntary joys.