Catching Up . . . AGAIN

Well, 2009 has come and gone, and now we're on to 2010 and lots of exciting things coming up for me. Things seem to be on track for the release of The Sapphire Flute on March 16th. My blog tour has been arranged and that will be posted on the sidebar here shortly so you can keep track of what people are saying. The response I've gotten thus far has been very positive.

On Tuesday the 5th I had something really neat happen. I'm not sure if I've mentioned it much recently, but I volunteer and co-teach a writing class/club for one of the local junior high schools after school with my friend Shanna, who is a REAL teacher. ;) Well, on Tuesday I was honored at the board meeting as Volunteer of the Month, got a certificate and gift card to the local book store, and they talked about me and my book in front of the school board and the superintendent. It was really neat and such an honor. I love these kids and love being able to teach them something I so desperately wanted to know when I was their age. We've got some great writers in the class too. I am rewarded every week just by being able to go and be with them. The award was a nice bonus, but it's the kids that make it so wonderful.

As if that wasn't enough to make my week amazingly wonderful, yesterday I was able to drive to Provo to pick up the Advance Reader Copies of my book (ARCs)! It was the very first time I've seen my book in print in anything but what comes off of my printer. It's a REAL BOOK, with a cover, and amazing art work, and words that I wrote! It is strange looking at those words in book form though. Like they aren't mine. Like somebody else wrote them. It's totally surreal. But I love it! I sat at my editor's house last night visiting for a couple of hours and my book never left contact with me nearly the whole time. I couldn't stop touching it and holding it and looking at it. It blows my mind that after all these years of hard work my dream is finally happening.

Then, the last little bit of coolness came in delivering copies of my ARC to my hat sister, Shari, and letting her see that she was in the acknowledgements, and seeing her eyes light up when she handled my book. Then I ran Shanna's copy over to her and she wanted me to sign it. I'd never signed a book before and I spent five minutes giggling, absolutely giddy about it. I autographed my first book! I have to practice now so I don't giggle every time I sign a book at a signing. That would NOT be professional. lol

I took some pictures of my ARCs last night and was going to post them with this blog, but unfortunately I can't figure out how to upload the pictures from my new camera. As soon as I get it working, I promise to post them.

So life has been crazy, but things are looking good!

Quote of the Day: There are so many different kinds of writing and so many ways to work that the only rule is this: do what works. Almost everything has been tried and found to succeed for somebody. The methods, even the ideas of successful writers contradict each other in a most heartening way, and the only element I find common to all successful writers is persistence-an overwhelming determination to succeed.

Sophy Burnham