After I handed in my acknowledgements to my editor, a funny thing happened. I kept receiving all of the help and guidance and love from all of the people! So today, one day before The City Baker’s Guide to Country Living is launched into the world, let me say thank you to the people who have done so much for me and my debut novel after I turned my acknowledgements in.
Thank you, Librarians!
Librarians were the first to embrace The City Baker’s Guide. They wrote wonderful reviews on Edelweiss, shared the book on their libraries book blogs, and voted for The City Baker’s Guide to Country Living to be a Library Reads pick for August! I could not be more proud. Librarians are readers. Librarians are devoted to people reading books—how awesome is that? Librarians are my people!
Thank you, Book Bloggers!
Book Bloggers are another incredible group of people dedicated to sharing their love of reading. I am so grateful to ALL of the book bloggers who have chosen to review The City Baker’s Guide, or to add it to their TBR list, or to tweet about it. Special heaps of love to the fabulous Jenny O’Regan of Confessions of a Bookaholic and Tamara Welch of Traveling with T who are running energetic, delightful book giveaways of The City Baker’s Guide—you are both amazing! I cant thank you enough for spreading the word!
Thank you, Indie Book Sellers!
Like librarians, I have received so much wonderful, early support from Indie Booksellers. When I found out The City Baker was chosen for the August IndieNext list I cried. I am that geeky girl that pours over the list every month, adding to my endless TBR pile. And I could not be happier about launching the city baker at my favorite bookstore in the world, Brookline Booksmith. Booksmith has been my bookstore for twenty-five years! They have recommended endless books, provided decades worth of gifts, and stuffed my dog full of biscuits. My weekly visits to Booksmith feel like visiting a favorite relative.
Thank you, Author Friends!
The absolutely best part of publishing a book has been all of the amazing authors I have had the chance to connect with. I have been continuously blown away by the generosity and kindness of the author community. I only hope I can give to other new authors as much as I have received over the past year. Special, heart-filled thanks to the writers who blurbed my book—J. Ryan Stradal, Kate Racculia, Natasha Solomons, Mameve Medwed, Erica Bauermeister, Ellen Airgood, Juliette Fay and Brenda Bowen. and to Allie Larkin, for inviting me onto her blog and for being such a wonderful cheerleader!
Thank you, Early Readers!
For reading, for sharing what you loved, for fan-girling over characters, and for the important act of leaving reviews—you are the reason people have heard about the book. Thank you for taking a chance on a debut writer!
And lastly, to the three women whose boundless generosity has made this year more special than I could ever have imagined, all of my love and thanks to:
The Book of Speculation author Erika Swyler, who as been such an incredible mentor to me, and friend. Publishing your first novel can be scary at times, and overwhelming, and Erika was always there to answer my hardest questions, to give me perspective, and often times to give me the permission I needed just to freak out a little. Every debut author needs an Erika Swyler. I am so grateful for my own.
The Indie Bookseller and Events Director Pamela Klinger-Horn. Pamela took me under her wing very early in my publication process. She has been such an incredible support. I am pretty sure she is single-handily responsible for all my book orders in the entire Midwest and beyond. I am so excited to do an event at Excelsior Bay Books this fall, and to finally get to meet this amazing book champion I am so lucky to call friend!
And to my fairy-bookmother, Robin Kall. I met Robin at the Muse and the Marketplace conference this spring, and ever since she has become a wonderful friend and a tireless supporter. Robin does so much for authors and books! She has an amazing book podcast! She interviews authors! She runs a book club! She is the creator of the incredible reading series Point Street readings in Providence, RI and holds delightful ticketed Reading with Robin author events. On top of all of this, she finds the time to hold book giveaway contests and to spread the word on social media about books she loves. Robin brings all the book cheer! I am so inspired by her and all the work she does, and my TBR stack is twice as high because of all of her wonderful recommendations.
On this day before my book launch, I am filled with gratitude. Thank you, book friends, for making my dreams come true. You are all extraordinary.
What a wonderful post! And how lucky you are for all the support you’ve had along the way! I am so excited for The City Baker’s Guide to Country Living to be BORN tomorrow!!