Shelving My First Book

I have fond memories of my father taking me to the library from the time I was about four, sitting with me in our wonderfully sixties-era postmodern library, with its bright orange bean bag chairs and russet-colored, triangular wall decor. I learned to read at age four, and from the time I cracked my first picture book and inhaled its glossy illustrations (I have always been an ardent fan of new book smells), I have dreamed about someday having a shelf full of my own books--books I wrote--somewhere in my home.

Two days ago, my first shipment of books arrived on my doorstep. It was a sunny day, rain-free, and when I (ever-so-carefully) ripped open the package, excitement built and my smile began to glow. There they were, two little stacks of books with my name on the cover. The first thing I did was run my fingers over the glossy cover, and then of course, as per old habit, I flipped through its pages and let its scent carry under my nose. Then I really flipped through it, looking at the illustrations, graphics I created, authors I interviewed, text I wrote.

It is quite a different thing to toil away and research well into the night, to build and edit and create this project, this book; quite a different thing to eat, sleep, and breathe it, than it is to hold the finished product in your hand. How to Write and Publish a Successful Children's Book is something I am very proud of. The cover is handsome, and I am so pleased with the professionalism of Atlantic Publishing's layout department.

And there are two more coming out this year. My first poetry chapbook, of course, Light and Trials of Light, ships from Finishing Line Press January 22. And I finish up my book on publishing for the Kindle in one week; the anticipated release date for that book is early spring 2010.

And sometime in February, the first issue of the bi-annual Artifice Magazine will be arriving on my doorstep.

There is another exciting thing in the works, but I can't reveal trade secrets, even to my closest friends. Sorry, guys! Hate me now, but when my toilsome work of coding for about a week straight comes to fruition (pending approval, keeping my fingers crossed!) I will crow like someone dropped an anvil on my foot (what are those used for, anyway?).

Til then, sincerely yours,
Cynthia