The Day Richelle Got Her First Published Book

So..... here I am, running around the house accomplishing the many tasks that a wife and mother must see to, keeping up a seriously darn good pace and multitasking like you've never imagined when...BAM!...out of nowhere the UPS man drops off an unexpected package at my door.  Of course everything comes to a screeching halt.

Hmmmmm.

Honestly, I wasn't even home to receive the small, cardboard box.  I was wisking my son off to guitar lessons and being very careful to keep to the speed limit on my way home, eager to check on the pot roast browning in the oven.  A large, dark, ominous UPS truck passed me as I didn't squeal the tires turning the corner to my house. 

Curious.  The truck, I mean.

As soon as I stepped through the front door my family announced.  "Mom!  It's your book!"

"My what?"

"Your book!  We think it's here!"

I stared at the little cardboard box on the kitchen table.  My eyes flickered to the upper lefthand corner to see.  It read, 'From:  Dorrance Publishing'.  My heart picked up tempo.

Oh wow!  This wasn't suppose to arrive for another week or two!

With trembling hands I managed to swipe a sharp blade through the packaging tape and opened the flaps.  Reaching in, I removed a layer of padding.  Beneath that was a letter from the publishing company that quickly fell to the wayside.  Beneath that was my book. 

My book!

I dared to touch it.  A bright and glossy paperback.  In print!  With my artwork and my name on the front cover!   Eena, The Dawn and Rescue by Richelle E. Goodrich

Whoa.  So how do you react to seeing your story refashioned into an actual book?  Your daring dream come true?  Five years worth of hard effort and painstaking rewrites and earnest prayers all culminated in a small cardboard box?  All I could do was stare while my shaky fingers flipped through the pages. 

"It's my book," I managed to announce to those standing around the table watching me.  (Yeah, duh, Mom.)

This must be what the euphoria of being in shock feels like. 

Here is a portion of the letter that was included in the box.  I finally got around to reading it.

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"Your book's publication date has been tentatively set for eight weeks from the date of this letter. (That would be June 18th)  This is the date used as the official release date for the media and the date by which all of the promotional materials should be sent.  Your printed book is now exclusively available for purchase.  Interested customers may place orders for your book by getting in touch with our Merchandising Coordinator, Kathleen Haak, who can be reached at 800-834-1803 or at bookorders@rosedogbooks.com.  Additionally, customers may order your book online through our Yahoo store at www.rosedogbookstore.com within about fourteen days, during which time it will also be offered for availability to other online booksellers."

So I guess I actually did it.  I accomplished what I set out five years ago to do.  I, Richelle E. Goodrich, am officially a published author. 

"WOW!  Look at me, Mom!"

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