My figure skating novel, SUGAR AND ICE, is officially out in the world this morning! I’m visiting a couple more blogs today, talking about winter inspiration with Terry Lynn Johnson and chatting with Jill of the O.W.L. and her students. You can read the first page of the book today on First Page Panda.
I’d probably be remiss if I didn’t tell you that I’ll be signing books at The Bookstore Plus in Lake Placid this Saturday from 3-5. And that you can get a personalized, signed copy even if you live far away – just call the awesome Bookstore Plus people at (518) 523-2950 by Friday to order.
But the real reason for this blog post is to answer this question that authors are almost always asked when a book’s due out in the world:
So what are you doing for your big release day?
Fits of laughter threaten to consume me when someone asks this question. I suspect they are imagining long leisurely lunches with publicists, limousines, caviar, unicorns, fireworks, and other kinds of revelry. I explain that reality is slightly different:
What I’m doing for release day:
6:00 Put meat & veggies in crock pot, pack lunch, check email.
6:40 Leave house to get son to jazz band on time.
7:00-8:00 Respond to students’ reading letters. Drink coffee. Try not to spill on reading letters. Spill on skirt instead.
8:00-8:11 Homeroom. Take attendance. Pass out school pictures. Attack coffee stain with Tide Stain Stick from desk drawer.
8:15-3:45 Help students find additional notes to add detail to Colonial America diaries, parent conference.Teach bibliography format. Show Easy-Bib website. Conference with student writers in computer lab. During lunch, finish grading reading letters. Help find books for kids who finished theirs last night. Then use last eight minutes to eat soup, chugging second half straight from Tupperware as students arrive for silent reading period. Clean soup off shirt with Tide Stain Stick while taking attendance. Read & conference with student readers. Recommend books. Record progress. Cheer. Try again with Stain Stick. Teach more 7th grade English students. Bibliography, conferences on student writing, etc. Answer email, call parents, prep for Friday school-wide book club mtg & Skype visit with Nora Baskin. Work with students who need after-school help.
3:45-4:30 Take daughter to piano lesson.
4:45-5:15 Pick up son from track practice. Go home. Thank Universe for crock pot.
5:15-9:00 Dinner with family, clean up, homework help, answer email, (and okay…Twitter, too) listen to Jingle Bells played on piano, violin, and recorder, read aloud.
9:00-11:00 Write.
11:00-11:03 Bedtime…Try to stay awake for a few more pages of reading.
Fail.
Remember in the haze between sleep and waking that readers have my new book today.
Smile.
Dream.