Coffee Haus Rock and Other Stories
Have you ever had one of those weeks where you felt like you accomplished nothing only to hit the end of said week, looked back, and said "Holy crap! Look what I did!"
Well, I just did, and, holy geez, am I excited to write this weekly Blog!
First thing's first, I'd like to thank Aaron and Amy at Cornerstone Coffee Haus for letting me come in and hijack their corner again. Today's signing event (7/14/18) went really well overall. I had a great time catching up with friends and putting books into the hands of repeat readers and new adventurers alike. I admit, I wasn't entirely on my game after the poor night's sleep I got coming into this event, but I felt like it came together nicely in spite of feeling like a cotton-headed nitwit. It's nice for an author to have a place that they can call "home" when it comes to getting out there and meeting folks. Aaron and Amy have made Cornerstone Coffee Haus that place for me, and I am incredibly grateful for it.
I was especially happy to see my long distance visitors who made it all the way from Tonganoxi, KS (just outside of Kansas City) and Lincoln, NE. It meant the world to have them show up and share their support for me and the new book. On top of getting to see all of the local fans and supporters, their surprise arrivals made my release event feel all the more special and successful. It also really helps me to feel like I'm on the right track when folks who read the first book came in to get the second book with evident excitement and support.
It's interesting for me to monitor my own personality shift as I get more and more animated in talking about the publishing process and what's coming up next in the series. It's a pretty fantastic feeling to love what you're doing and be able to share that enthusiasm with people who are legitimately excited for you.
(I swear, eventually I'll remember to take more than three pictures during these events.)
In other news, I finally purchased AND ASSEMBLED a storage rack for my book inventory and convention/event materials. This may sound like a minor accomplishment, but seriously, this stuff was overrunning my apartment. Boxes of books, storage totes, empty boxes and shipping materials... I enjoy getting into my work, don't get me wrong, but I wasn't ready for it to consume my living space. Clutter may be the sign of a creative and intelligent mind, but it does nothing positive for a person's anxiety levels or sense of well-being. Finally, I figured out a way to alleviate that problem. Go Team, Go!
Speaking of the Team... (bouncing with excitement)
You may recall some time back when I announced (prematurely) that the audiobook for "Ash to Ashes" had gone into production and should be available sometime #Soon. Funny story... apparently, unbeknownst to me or Jack Voraces, recording and editing the reading of a 400+ page book is actually a rather involved and time-consuming process, especially when you're figuring out the technical aspects of production as you go, working a full time job, preparing a doctoral thesis, and starting a family. Who knew? Well, armed with that knowledge and a tenacious "can do" spirit, Jack has managed to finish recording and editing the audio tracks for the "Ash to Ashes" audiobook this week. The tracks are uploaded to ACX and ready to be sent on to the company for technical review. I don't want to jinx anything by predicting when the audiobook will officially be available, but I feel fairly safe in reporting #SOON! If you're a regular follower of my social media accounts, believe me, you'll know it when this sucker hits the market. Hell, if you live within a 5 block radius of me, you'll know it when this sucker hits the market, I'll be cheering and shouting that loud.
So, to recap:
Thank You Cornerstone Coffee Haus for a great event!
Thanks to everyone who came out to purchase "Wolfkin" and to show your support!
Holy crap! I finally got organized!
Jack Voraces is driving the "Ash to Ashes" audiobook home to release! #SOON!
… and now... I think it's time for a nap.
