This post was originally sent through my author newsletter on August 26, 2022. To subscribe to my newsletter and receive up-to-date news, musings, and more, click HERE.
On Monday, it was supposed to rain all day long. Not just rain—thunderstorm. I was awoken at 6:00 a.m. by a clap of thunder so loud and so close, it shook our entire beach house. As the sun rose, it continued to rain so hard, we could barely see past the porch railing.
Then, mid-morning...it started to clear up.
And so, we decided to be optimistic. We got into our swimsuits, grabbed our beach bags, and headed out to see what the day would bring. When we arrived at the beach, it was still overcast. The wind was gusty. The water was cold. Not exactly the fun in the sun you hope for from a beach vacation.
But the clouds blew away. The sun came out. By the afternoon, it was HOT. I sat in a rented beach chair letting the high tide wash over my ankles (and occasionally up over my knees, into my seat) and stared at the ocean, so very glad we'd decided to show up.
I've been thinking a bit about choosing the path of optimism. I've written about this before, in a sense, when I talked about writing for publication being an act of radical hope. The thing is, the weather might not have improved on Monday. We might have gotten caught in another storm. We might have had to turn around and go home. We took a risk, and ended up having a wonderful day...but it could just as easily have turned out differently.
Last week was release week for Madison Morris is NOT a Mouse! I threw just about everything I had at that book launch. I organized giveaways. I bombarded social media. I did podcast and blog interviews. I emailed my friends and family. I visited and contacted bookstores. I shared link after link after link. Will any or all of those things move the needle? Will Madison take off and help Class Critters become the successful series I so very much want it to be?
I don't know.
I don't know, any more than I knew whether the weather would work out for us on Monday. But I choose the path of optimism. I tried my hardest and will keep trying to let as many people as possible know about this book I love and believe in. I'm hoping for fair skies ahead for my Class Critters kids.
That's all for this week. I am, after all, on vacation.
~Kathryn
What I'm:
Reading: I brought two new paperbacks to the beach: the historical romance A Lady for a Duke by Alexis Hall, and Yolk by Mary H.K. Choi. Both were recommended by the bookseller at my local indie, Terrace Books! I've finished the romance, and it was a perfect beach read. I'm about to start Yolk, which is a coming-of-age sister story set in NYC, and which Goodreads says is a tearjerker.
Watching: We started "The Sandman," and it's so good so far! We also watched the "House of the Dragon" premiere on Sunday. It was...fine? Curious to see if it comes to feel like must-see TV in the weeks ahead...
Loving: This donut. Hello, gorgeous. *heart-eyes*
