It's now 36 hours since the Beauty & Grace Book Launch and Signing.
Like any birth process, the pain and challenges of writing this book and organizing the launch have now become overshadowed by the afterglow of what was a very special evening.
From my family who lovingly saw to the many details of the launch, to friends who always faithfully support my work and readers who came because they enjoy my writing, Monday night at Rosary Hall we all bonded in a moment defined solely by Beauty & Grace. After two years of writing this book, it was a most humbling and rewarding experience.
Yet as any parent knows, giving birth to Beauty & Grace does not mean my author's journey is done. Far from it, in fact.
Now comes the process of bragging about my newborn with endless social media posts and pics, bookstore proposals, media interview pitches and book club queries, all in the hopes that readers will want to buy and read this book.
With any luck what will follow will be cross country book presentations and signings and a growing audience for my work.
While I admit the prospects are exciting, I know the task of parenting a book is demanding and, at times, daunting.
What softens that intimidation is knowing no matter where this Beauty & Grace journey leads, I will travel in the company of 12 women and 3 men who were born from my imaginings and my constant companions for the last two years as I crafted the story of their lives....and as they changed mine.