Save the Date

The book tour begins! I will be reading/chatting/book signing/question answering/otherwise standing awkwardly up in front of people/hanging out in bookstores and libraries (always a great pleasure) on the following dates in the following places. I'll post more as they come up and reminders (pleas) as well. Please please please please come and bring anyone you can. It will be really really awkward if I'm there all by myself. More to come.

Elliott Bay Bookstore, Seattle
Sat. Aug 21
4 pm

Village Books, Bellingham, WA
Sun. Sept. 12
4 pm

Powell's Books, Portland, OR
Fri. Sept 24
Time TBD

Howard County Public Library, Central Branch
(The library of my childhood -- oh how many social studies reports I completed here) (Note to young readers: we used to have to go to libraries to do research. In books. And, ugh, on microfilm. Man was it a pain in the butt.)
Columbia, MD
Wed. Oct. 13
7 pm

Top Five Things I'm Doing While I Wait

This is a weird time. The book is out of my hands but not yet in anyone else's. In my wildest dreams, every man, woman, and child (and their dogs) in America buys a copy of The Atlas of Love. In my wildest nightmares, no one does but my mom. Probably, reality will fall somewhere in the middle as it always always always does. The path to getting one's novel into a bookstore is looooooong. So here's what I'm doing while I wait through this last (I think?!) bit:

1) Well, blogging. And otherwise trying to make connections with people who might read my book.

2) Marketing/Publicity. And otherwise trying to meet and connect with people who review books and help people find books they might want to read. This is noble work. Aren't you always so, so grateful to people who recommend to you books you read and love? If you know anyone who reviews books or are someone who reviews books, please please let me know.

3) Starting book the second. I had forgotten how daunting it is starting a novel. This one should be different than the first in that now I know that I am capable of writing a novel, a thing I was in no way sure about before I did so. More on that in a future post. For the moment, suffice it to say beginning again remains daunting and scary -- and interesting and fun -- and daunting and scary.

4) Running around after my two-year-old. Many of the people in my life really care that I have a book coming out in a month. My two-year-old isn't one of them. His life -- and my life with him -- is unmoved by such things. We continue to do what we do -- park, beach, playground, nap, food, bath, running around and around and around.

5) Panicking. What if people don't like it? What if people don't buy it? What if people do buy it, and then they don't like it? Et cetera. More on this in a future post too.

Top Five Reasons Why This Blog Makes Me Kinda Nervous

1) Is there anybody out there? I have no idea. If so, please do let me know. I'd love to meet you, however electronically.

2) It's so very public. I mean I realize that's the point here of course. But still. I am used to editing my written thoughts for a year and a half or so before they go out there into the world.

3) The world of book publishing turns out to be a crazy, complex one, and I long not to offend anyone.

4) Blogs whose main goal is not to offend anyone are probably pretty boring.

5) Eh, I worry generally. About everything. So my nervousness here probably shouldn't shock or concern anyone.

All that said, welcome!, whoever you are. I am thrilled you're here, grateful for your interest and support, and eager to blog many offensive and non-worrisome things any minute now.