The book birthday came and went, and I may have subconsciously hidden on a small island hundreds of miles away. But who’s really paying attention? My fellow writers will understand the mix of feelings that come with actually knowing your book is in print—on shelves, out there. Ready to be judged by an audience beyond reviewers (who are terrifying enough). Of course it’s an awesome feeling after the slog to publication, but it’s also pretty scary. After years (YEARS 😳) of rejection and revision, many writers suffer with a good deal of “imposter syndrome.” Just getting yourself to say aloud, “I am a writer” can be riddled with anxiety. Add to that, “I have a book out” or “You should buy it.” Completely cringe inducing. I should mention, I’ve been on both sides of this equation, the editor and the writer, the reject-or and the reject-ee. I’ve dished it and I’ve taken it, and quite frankly see the logic in it all. Not everything is publish-able. Even good writers and books with potential need pushing to be their best, and at the end of the day, like it or not, this is a business.

All that said, I want to thank everyone for making this book birthing as painless as possible. Buying the book and saying you love it means a lot. Even if there’s a large part of me that will never believe you, I still appreciate you. I won’t lie. The comments that have meant the most come from your kids. My good friend from back home asked her daughter if the book was actually good or, “is it just because I know the author?” (This is why I love this friend.) Her daughter said it was. (This is why I love her daughter. Hi, Elizabeth! 👋) Another friend read it to a kid who wasn’t her child at pick up. And another friend’s son has given me a great future jacket blurb—“This book is so great. It makes me wanna wrestle!”—and might be my new publicist. (Hi, Sam!👋)

So thank you grown ups for all of your support and for getting my book into the hands that matter most. At the end of the day, it’s the kid validation that counts. Not because grown ups aren’t cool—(we’re awesome!)—but because if I’m speaking to kids, I’m doing my job. And maybe just maybe, one day I’ll start to believe I’m doing it well. 💛

Happy reading! Happy wrestling!