Thoughts on the release of a book…

I’m more than a month into published authordom, and I’m still reeling.

It’s just crazy!  All of it!   The story I hammered out–in my tiny, Upper West Side apartment, in my tiny Parisian flat,  in notebooks and napkins, on weekends and lunch breaks and late summer nights–is now being read in Cleveland, Cairo, and Copenhagen.  The characters that have been running around my mind for years now have other peoples’ heads to in which to roam.

And what a humbling experience this all is:  from the warm reception I’ve gotten from teachers and librarians at the schools I’ve visited across the United States, to the kind and knowledgeable booksellers, to the thoughtful reviews I’ve received by critics and bloggers, to the encouragement and advice I’ve gotten from the author community, to the support of family and friends.

But the best part?  The kids.  There’s nothing been nothing better than talking to young book-enthusiasts about Samantha’s first adventure.  The piercing, perfect questions I field at school visits have introduced me to my book in a whole new way. Why did Samantha do this? What did Jay say that? Kids are careful, dynamic readers, and they’re helping me get to know my characters even better.

They’re also giving me lots to think about for book 2!