Crazy Dreams

First off, let me just say this: CONGRATULATIONS, LISA! Today is her official release date for her book, Whistlin' Dixie in a Nor'easter. I've been waiting for this book for months--and not just because Lisa and I share an editor and an agent. I think once I buy it, I'm simply going to stare at the gorgeous cover for awhile--possibly also pet it. It's still so cool to me that I can walk into a bookstore and see not only my own book, but point to a bunch of others and squeal, "I know her! Like, for real!"

The fabulous Lisa has chosen "The Craziest Thing We've Ever Done" as her release week topic. Now, I have to admit, there are so, so many stories that I would love to share, but...no. Many, many of them occured in college and while I don't mind incriminating myself, I'm sure my friends don't want all of our crazy stories aired publicly. Although, many of the scenes in A Bump in the Road were, shall we say, inspired by true life.

One thing I can talk about, without fear of death threats from my friends, is this crazy dream I had way back in 2005. I decided that I was going to write a book; that I was going to write 80,000 related words. Not only the act of writing, I was going to get this book published. I'd never written a book before, but no matter. It was going to end up on store shelves.

Looking back, I was probably totally insane to think I could just sit down, write a book, and poof! everything else would fall into place. Knowing what I know now--things like market saturation, editor layoffs, poor sell-through and teeny tiny advances, it's a wonder that anyone gets published, let alone a debut writer with her first book.

But that innocence was what pushed me forward. I mean, of course my book was going to be published and of course people would like it, right? We can all snicker a little now, thanks to the wisdom of having lived through our respective book launches. But I sometimes miss my publishing naivete.

I was just a writer who had a messy manuscript with an unshakable dream of publication. Scratch that--it wasn't even a dream. It was the knowledge that I would be published, some way and some how.

Funny sometimes how the craziest things we do in life turn out to be the best, huh?