How is it possible that it is already August 15th? I swear I was just signing the contract to start this adventure….
Apparently I went through a worm hole because all of a sudden it’s publication weekend. And it has been an absolute whirlwind in all the best ways. Buckle up because we’ve got some catching up to do!
*SCREEEEECH* (that’s the sound of brakes being hit and us coming to a halt)
Before we get to this weekend, I just want to say that none of this would have been possible if it were not for YOU. Yes, you. The person reading this post. Ok – I see your eyes rolling as you begin to realize that this is the part of the blog post where the author gets sappy. But - indulge me.
You are the reason why I keep writing. The reason I get up in the morning, enjoy my morning coffee, and then trod down to the basement to churn out words. You are who I have in mind when I am stuck at a roadblock and just want to throw in the towel. The driving force behind my creative mind is knowing I have YOU waiting to see where the story goes next.
So, thank YOU for giving me the opportunity at having a second pub day.
July 27th - 2.5 weeks out - Dan Kenner Podcast
I’m someone who loves listening to podcasts while I am being active outside. I blast music while I write, but podcasts have become my guilty pleasure while I’m out walking or working in the yard. So, for Fire & Ice’s marketing approach, I told my team I wanted to try and get on some shows to share about writing, the new book, and generally get more involved with the community. July brought me my first opportunity with fellow author Dan Kenner. We bonded over trying to understand how the other person writes. Dan is a pantser- someone who writes “by the seat of their pants”. Whereas I am considered a HEAVY plotter (super surprising, I know). It was a lot of fun trading stories, and if you want to check out the episode and leave a review - head here!
August 5th - 1 Week and some change - The Author Show Podcast
Another podcasting opportunity opened up for August, this time with The Author Show. It was a different podcasting style from Dan’s show, but enjoyable as well! With interviewer Linda Thompson we had a GREAT time talking about all the research that went into Fire & Ice, as well how a man in his sixties got into writing cozy mysteries! The episode drops tomorrow (August 16th) so give it a listen – I’ll be on “Channel 1”!
August 9th – Less than a week - TV Recording
I recorded a virtual television segment with my friend Greg Funderburg for Good Morning Chattanooga. What you don’t see on TV is the crazy lighting setup and pure chaos that is behind the camera. Greg and I had a great time on our video call. We discussed Fire & Ice, but also promoted the Humane Educational Society event I was sponsoring at the end of the week. The segment aired August 11th and kicked off the weekend.
August 12th – 3 Days Before – The Last Meeting
This was my last meeting with my marketing team before the launch weekend. The agenda was massive, the rules were specific. And they were also in and out of my house toting around all kinds of things! Tablecloths and metal tins and easels - oh my!
August 13th - 2 Days Before - HES Adoption Event
Not going to lie, I was actually a little nervous for the event. The Humane Educational Society was great throughout the entire process. And when I say “the entire process” I’m including the fact that we first reached out to them several months back!
Writing a book and hoping people like it is one thing. Setting up a whole table display and sitting there and not knowing if people will even show up is a whole other thing. But when the blinds were drawn up at opening, and I saw the crowd gathered at the doors, I was overcome with a wave of relief. People came to the event. My favorite part of the entire event was seeing how equally excited the humans and animals were at finding one another.
August 14th – 1 Day Before - Launch Party
Since Fire & Ice’s pub day is a Monday, I opted to have my launch party Sunday afternoon so my friends and family could more easily attend. This was a very new experience for me, considering when Against My Better Judgment was released everyone was still under quarantine (especially me since I was fighting Long Covid! Something we never actually announced…) So finally getting to have a gathering of people to celebrate was really special. My wife and daughter even kept all the decorations a surprise so I could have my own little wow moment. They did a great job!
August 15th - Pub Day
TODAY! I woke up to an email my daughter sent at 12:02am wishing me a happy pub day. A whole twelve hours later I was prepping my office for an interview with an amazing local bookshop The Book & Cover. Not only was I being interviewed, but I was being interviewed by their shop manager Bertie the Dappled Dachshund! He was a hard-hitting interviewer, asking some really unique questions. The Book & Cover’s guiding principles are to “Read Books” and “Stay Curious” as they examine their reads through a constantly curious lens. It was a great conversation, and hard to believe the interview went almost 30 minutes long! You can check out the saved video HERE.
After the interview concluded, I decided to hop in my Jeep and head down to the store to thank Bertie in person and see my book for sale in a physical shop on pub day. Nothing can beat that feeling.
And now I rest. For tomorrow carries with it the need to write.
For as long as you want to keep reading, I’ll keep writing.
-B.T.