The ULA conference was a lot of fun; I got to meet some great people and talk to librarians from all over the state. I also got to sit in the audience for the morning session of the Teen Author Panel and visit just a bit with Bree Despain and Emily Wing Smith. They are both such nice people. My panel was later in the day and I enjoyed sitting with L. E. Modesett, Jr. and Philip Jones. (James Dashner was also supposed to be on the panel, but I think something must have come up at the last minute because he wasn’t able to attend.) One thing I really enjoy about being on panels with other authors is to hear their views and opinions about writing, reading, and books. I always seem to learn something new.

My three book signings were a lot of fun, too. I had a steady stream of people coming up to see me or ask about my books. One lady had even come all the way from Beaver to Cedar City (about 100 miles) just to have me sign her books. That is both flattering and humbling at the same time. In St. George, I got to meet one of my fans, Rachel, who had come to see me between her performances of Grease, Jr.

It’s a long drive from Taylorsville all the way to St. George and back again. But I did my best to make the time in the car count. I worked a bit on some editing projects, and I thought a lot about Abby and Dante. And somewhere on the outskirts of Kanosh, I figured out something important about Forgotten Locket. And, oh, yeah, it’s gonna be good.

When The Hourglass Door came out last May, I invited some friends and family to a party at the park to celebrate and followed it up with a book signing. This year, for the release of The Golden Spiral, I had two book signings scheduled, so I had to skip the party in the park. It worked out okay, though, since my family and lots of my friends came to see me anyway. (Plus, last year the weather was windy and cold; this year, the weather inside the stores was warm and dry.)

As far as I’m concerned, the launch party day was a complete success. I sold lots of books, signed some that people had brought from home, and handed out probably more than 100 bookmarks. I was tickled to sit down at the table that held three stacks of my books: Hourglass in hardback AND paperback and Spiral in hardback. They looked so good sitting next to each other. I can’t wait until I can add The Forgotten Locket to the row and have the whole story out for people to enjoy.

One of the things I have learned after a year of marketing outreach is that I actually really like book signings. Maybe it’s because I cut my employment teeth working in a bookstore that I feel at home there. Maybe it’s because I love any chance I get to be surrounded by books. But I think a big part of it is that I really like meeting people and talking about books and writing. And if we want to talk about my books, so much the better.

I’ve meet a lot of wonderful people from my signings. Many come to see me at multiple locations. Many are my friends on Facebook. Many are writing books of their own and ask my advice about writing and publishing. Many are simply browsing and take a bookmark and move on. And that’s okay too.

Beyond the number of books sold or bookmarks handed out, what made the day a success for me was seeing the smiles on the faces of so many people who had come out to meet me and tell me that they love Abby and Dante as much as I do.

So thank you to all the people—my family, my friends, my fans—who came to see me on Saturday, May 8th, to celebrate the release of The Golden Spiral. None of this would be happening without you.

And for the last three months or so, I had plunked down on my calendar: 12/1 Golden Spiral manuscript due to editor.

It was an ambitious deadline and, I’ll be honest, there were more than a few days where I looked at that “To-Do” item on my list and despaired of ever being able to draw a line through it.

So, yesterday was 12/1. The Big Day. The Can’t-Miss-It Deadline.

And today, I have had the extreme joy of checking it off my list.

It’s amazing to me to think–and to be able to say–I’m done with my second book. I’m not sure the reality has set in quite yet. (Of course, that may be because I wrote nonstop for 12 hours yesterday and went to bed at 2:30, didn’t fall asleep until 3:30, and got up at 7:00 to come to work. Ah, the glamorous life of an author!) But every time I’ve be able to tell someone those magical words “I’m done,” I feel a little thrill of impossible joy. An unspeakable relief of having set a goal and, more importantly, of having met it.

And every day I doubted and fretted and struggled, my husband was always quick to remind me: Just get it down on paper. You can’t change what you don’t have.

So now I have 93,882 words down on paper. And however many of those words end up changing during the reading, revision, and editing stages of the process, I know one thing: this experience has changed me as well.

Now, let’s see, what’s my deadline for book three?

There certainly were enough authors to qualify as a palooza on Tuesday night at the Orem Barnes and Noble. A whole crowd of us writer-folk stormed into the bookstore, set up camp, and had a grand ol’time talking to customers and to each other (and of course, talking up our respective books), until the exhausted store employees kicked us all out at closing time. I was lucky enough to be at a table with my good friend J. Scott Savage as well as Nathan Hale and Mette Ivie Harrison. I had never been to an official “authorpalooza” before so I didn’t know quite what to expect. I guess I expected it to be a little quiet—a few shoppers browsing the stacks, maybe some soft music playing in the background, while we all waited attentively for someone to wander by and say hello. But what happened was much more fun.

The store employees all had custom T-shirts on and were collecting signatures as passionately as the customers were. There were free samples from the café (and even some free cookies for the authors. They had me at chocolate-chocolate-chip.) I loved visiting with the other authors and the customers. I loved talking shop and recommending books. It took me right back to the days when I used to work in a bookstore. I always secretly liked to imagine that people were not just buying a book from the store, they were adopting the story, taking it home to love and treasure. A good book deserves to go to a good home, after all. So it did my heart good to see so many people walking around with stack of books cradled in their arms. (A few people even had my book in their hand, which, I’ll be honest, was all kinds of nice.)

I also met a nice young man who goes by Jacoby (even when we all know he looks much more like a “Spencer” J) and the two of us visited about books we’d read and loved. All in all, it was a joyous occasion and I’m excited and honored to be counted among the palooza of local authors who give writing and books such a good name.

So, yes, I was thrilled when, on Thursday, I took a look at my work schedule and realized that if I wanted to, I could ditch work on Friday. Say no more. J I did have one bit of business to do Friday morning: I attended a committee meeting for the upcoming writer’s conference, The Book Academy, that will be held at UVU on September 25. But that hardly felt like work; it was more like planning a party.

After the meeting, I indulged myself with a trip to the salon and a shopping spree for some new clothes. I treated myself to lunch at Great Harvest Bread. (Delicious sandwiches!) I also made a stop at the post office to mail a very important envelope—the final payment on my credit card. But again, that hardly felt like work; it was the culmination of a year’s worth of intense budgeting and financial sacrifice. It feels so good to be on the other side of that debt.

I had two book signings scheduled for Saturday. (I’ve been trying to do at least one Hourglass Door event a week, so this was a bonus week for me.) My first stop was at the SLC Costco at 11:00. I’ve been on the Costco tour for the past several weeks and while I enjoy talking about my book to people who otherwise might have walked on by, after a couple of hours of smiling and handing out free bookmarks, I’m about ready to close up shop. I’ve had varying degrees of success at Costco. Some locations are happy to have me come by and my sales are strong and the people are nice. Other locations, it’s a hard-fought fight to hand out 100 free bookmarks and sell a dozen copies. (It’s a free bookmark, people, it’s not going to bite. J)

The SLC Costco was a hard-fought fight and by 1:00 I was happy to head to lunch with Tracy (Café Rio, my favorite) and then on to book signing number two: Barnes and Noble at the Jordan Landing location. This is my neighborhood B&N and Angie is the best customer service person I’ve ever met at a bookstore. She had my signing all set up with a table and chairs and even had a little bottle of water ready for me. She made me feel like I was famous. The signing was scheduled for 2:00 and included some time for me to have a Q&A with the guests as well as read a little from Hourglass Door.  (I read the Prologue, which is one of my favorite bits.) There were about 15 people there, including the incomparable James Dashner, and I like to think the event was a success. I certainly felt good about it and loved visiting with everyone who came. (Of course, maybe it was the free Oreo cheesecake that put me in such a good mood. Thanks, Angie!)

One other very important thing happened this weekend: I received my first royalty check. So it’s official. I wrote a book, I got it published, and I have been paid for it. It’s an amazing feeling to be able to say I am a writer by profession. But what’s even better is the fact that I didn’t need a check to validate something I already knew in my heart. I’m a writer, plain and simple. And I wouldn’t have it any other way.

 On July 25, I had the great privilege and pleasure of visiting The Purple Cow bookstore in Tooele, Utah. I had heard great things about this bookstore that specializes in children’s and YA literature and I was not disappointed. Isa, the proprietress, was so gracious and friendly that I immediately felt like one of the family. 

The Purple Cow may be a small store, but it has a big heart. Custom posters of cows dancing, fencing, racing, and, of course, reading, cover the walls. The bookcases are just the right height for young readers to browse titles with ease, and there is an extremely comfy couch if you feel inclined to read a little before you decide to buy.

The book club met in the open space at the back of the store. There were about seventeen people and we had a lively conversation about The Hourglass Door. A few people hadn’t finished it yet, so we were careful not to talk about too many details; no one wanted to spoil the story for anyone else. Instead we talked a lot about the process of writing, what it was like to get published, and even a bit about my job as an editor. I was happily surprised to see how many kids were writing their own stories. (One girl said she had even submitted her story to Shadow Mountain. Way to go!) The kids asked intelligent, thoughtful questions and afterwards we took lots of pictures, signed books, and visited with everyone in the group. It was a thoroughly enjoyable way to spend a Saturday afternoon. I can’t wait to go back in September for another signing. J

            I’d never been to Helper before, and it turned out to be a quaint, quiet little town. I found the library without any trouble. But I guess when there is a giant statue of a man with a pick-axe it front of the library it makes it a pretty recognizable landmark.

            Amanda the Librarian was a wonderful hostess and made me feel right at home. She had a table set up for me and refreshments. A group of kids were already working on making personalized hardback books when I arrived. It looked like a lot of fun and I asked for a copy of instructions so I could make one of my own later.

            I made a short speech about the importance of creative writing and reading and then fielding questions from the sizable crowd (I’d say maybe 30 or 35 people were there). After the Q&A, I sold some copies of my book. It was a lot of fun to mingle with the crowd and learn more about Helper (pop. 1,800).

            Amanda had planned to take me to dinner after the event, but something came up and so she asked some of her friends to take me instead. “The Sweeties” took me to the Balanced Rock Pub and Café where we enjoyed some delicious sandwiches and delightful conversation. We talked about my book and about writing and Mr. Sweetie told me all the ghost stories he knew about the ghosts haunting the Helper museum. Spooky!

            And speaking of spooky—the sun was on its way down by the time I headed out of Helper and started the two-hour drive home. I had been listening to Just After Sunset by Stephen King on audio CD and, just my luck, the scariest story in the collection played as I drove home in the dark down a winding, twisting canyon road. As much as love stories by Stephen King, I learned the hard way that they are best read in the safety of your own living room.

My first paying job was at the public library as a Page shelving books for a four-hour shift and as a result I have a soft spot in my heart for libraries of all kinds. So perhaps it wasn’t surprising how much I ended up loving the Tremonton City Library  who hosted me for an evening for a book signing last week.

 The building was small, and had beautiful vaulted ceilings, wide open windows, and hand-painted murals in the  children’s corner. It was cozy and homey and felt welcoming the minute I stepped inside. The friendly librarians had  set aside a conference room right up front for us (Tracy came with me not only to keep me company but also to be my  official cashier since I had a stack of books to sell).

 The book signing started out with a bang with a handful of people showing up right at 5:00 to buy books, including a  trio of girls—Angela, Dahla, and Bethany.  (Read Bethany’s review of “The Hourglass Door” here)   The girls sat down  and visited with me and Tracy for the better part of an hour, and honestly, it was so much fun. Two of the girls were  writers and regaled us with plot summaries of the stories they were working on and asked questions about how to write  and how to get published. (And would I included them as characters in book 2?) Tracy and I had such a good time  visiting with the “Tremonton Three” that I was surprised when I looked up and saw that my time in Tremonton was  almost up. I personalized the girls’ books and gave them all hugs and took some pictures. 

Even though I was tired from working all day and the long drive north to Tremonton, visiting with those girls reenergized me and reminded me how easy is it to connect with someone through a book. I write a story; the girls in Tremonton read it; and then, when we meet, it’s like we already know each other. So to the Tremonton Three I say, “Rock on, girls! I’ll see if there is a spot for you in book two.”

Media Blitz: Okay, so I don’t know if it qualifies as an actual media blitz, but with the official release of my book this week, I have had the chance to be interviewed by the Deseret News and by Doug Wright for his KSL radio show, and my book had a full-page ad in the Deseret Book summer catalog. Plus I’ve had some nice reviews at Amazon.com, DeseretBook.com, BarnesAndNoble.com, and GoodReads.com. Not to mention that I had a launch party for my book, had my first official book signing, and my first school visit (more on those later), and yeah, maybe it does qualify as a blitz. I know I certainly feel a little overwhelmed at the moment.

Photo Shoot: When the Deseret News called to interview me earlier this month, they also requested a photograph of me to run with the article and book review. And so I had the chance to play dress-up one day, get my hair and makeup done by a professional stylist, and channel my inner Tyra Banks (fierce, but smiling with my eyes) in an honest-to-goodness photo shoot. I was a little nervous, but Butch Adams (the photographer) was really nice and gave me some good direction. It helped that Tracy was able to meet me at the studio for the last half-hour or so and I’m always a lot more relaxed when he’s with me. I thought the shoot went pretty well and I hoped we had some decent shots—maybe at least one good shot we could use for the paper, anyway. So imagine my surprise when the pictures came back and well, see for yourself . ..

Pretty nice, huh? Sometimes it’s hard to believe that those are pictures of me. It’s like when you hear your recorded voice: you know it’s you, but at the same time, it doesn’t sound like you.

Launch Party: Tracy organized a launch party for me for the release of Hourglass Door. We reserved the park by our house and invited a bunch of people to come for sandwiches, treats, games, and fun. The day was absolutely beautiful—sunshine, warm and clear—and the very instant we snapped open the tablecloths to cover the picnic tables at the park . . . Whoosh! A cold wind sprang up, roaring through the pavilion like a tornado. The temperature dropped, the clouds moved in, and I started to think maybe we should have served hot chocolate instead of cold sodas. But despite the fickle weather, we still had a great time. My family came and so did a bunch of friends from work and the neighborhood. Here are some pictures from the party.

Book Signing: After the launch party, I had my first official book signing at the Deseret Book store in Jordan Landing. I was a little nervous—what if no one showed up?—but as it turned out, a whole bunch of people showed up! In fact, I had a line of people waiting for me when I arrived. And what’s more, those people wanted to buy my book and have me sign it! It was great to see all my friends and visit with everyone for a few minutes. I even had some friends that I hadn’t seen since high school come to the signing. Small world! I had a steady stream of people for more than an hour—including some people who were just shopping at the store and bought my book without knowing anything about it. And while I know that not every book signing will be like this one—I’m sure there will be some events where I’ll be lucky to have even a couple people stop by my table—I think that as far as book signings go, this one was a complete success.

School Visit: This week I kicked off my Author Tour by visiting Rocky Mountain Middle School in Idaho Falls, Idaho—Go Panthers!—for my first ever school presentation. I spent the day with Mrs. Olsen’s eighth-grade English classes, talking about writing, creativity, and my book. I had a fantastic time and was impressed with the kids, who asked interesting questions and either paid attention to my presentation or were at least polite enough not to disrupt it. I was a little surprised—but pleased—at how many kids said that they were writing stories or wanted to be writers someday. It’s fun to think that maybe I visited with an undiscovered bestselling author. And speaking of authors, in all the scenarios I imagined might happen during my school visit—equipment malfunction, for example (the projector died halfway through my first class)—I confess I didn’t expect what happened to me after lunch.

After grabbing a bite to eat at the cafeteria—complete with a carton of milk and an oatmeal chocolate-chip cookie—I was visiting with some girls in the library. The bell rang and all the students turned to leave. All but one, that is. She came up to me and said, “I heard that you also worked for a publishing company, is that right?” When I said yes, she gathered up some papers and said, “Well, I wrote a short story, can I give it to you?” And then she handed me her manuscript! I was so impressed with her bravery and confidence—there was no way I would have done the same thing when I was in the seventh grade. I had some time that afternoon to read her short story and write a few comments and make a few suggestions for her to think about. So take note, all you writers out there, you never know when an opportunity to network will present itself, and when it does, you better be ready!