The Ten Year Reunion: Launch Day

Today is an important day; it’s launch day for, The Ten Year Reunion. This is my third full novel in three years. Things have been so busy and have happened so fast, it’s hard to believe that this day is already here… but this day is not any easier than my previous launch days. The same feelings and insecurities creep into your conscious thoughts. It can be an intimidating thing for a story that has lived in your imagination and thoughts for years, to suddenly become public for everyone to read. People say to ‘get tough skin’, ‘it’s part of the business,’ ‘don’t read everything everyone has to say’, etc. But as we all know, it’s not that easy. While fictional, these characters have been with me in some form or fashion for the better part of two years–they feel so personal and alive to me. As the author, I want so desperately for everyone to love them, but I know that won’t happen and have braced myself for the reality of the situation.

The Ten Year Reunion is a different story than I have written before–it’s a little more serious, a little more emotional, and at times it feels a little more real, than fictional. I felt this was an important story to tell. Additionally, it’s difficult to live with a story like this for two years and not let it affect you personally. It almost felt as if I was living the heartbreaks, breakups, and separations when my characters felt them. Much to my husband’s chagrin, a LOT of breakup music was played during that time–as can be reflected in the playlist (click here) I created for this book. I am not saying all of this so that the reader will be depressed or not want to read this book, but simply to say not every story is a fairy tale. In life there are stories of heartbreak, sadness, and emotional struggles–and those stories need to be shared along with the stories of laughter, love, and romance.

As an author, I don’t feel compelled to tell the same story every time I write either. I want to tell stories that have personal meaning to me and those which I would personally want to pick up and read as a reader. I want to explore emotions that fascinate me, scare me, and confuse me, and use the writing as a way to process all the ‘feels’. There is no such thing as one way to love, to experience loss, to have friendship–instead there are endless possibilities of how every human being interacts, feels, and interprets. Those are the things that are important to me when I write–sometimes the topics are light-hearted and funny, and other times they are not. Hopefully that is what keeps you, the reader, coming back to read the next story. With any luck you are just as interested in all the emotions and connections, as you are with the story and journey that each character must take.

I hope you enjoy the ‘feels’ and the journey. Happy Reading!

With love,