Greetings From Vacation!

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.

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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

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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*

Friday Five: The Returned-From-Awesome-Travels Edition

I'm back at my desk today after nine days away, and it's so nice to be sitting here with my coffee and my manuscript and my usual to-do list. Don't get me wrong—the time away was fantastic! But nine days on the road is a lot. For today's Friday Five, I thought I'd give a little recap of my travels, because as I said, it's been a blast. 

1) Last Wednesday, my husband and I flew to North Carolina to meet his family at the Outer Banks. It's our third year renting a beach house there, and this year was by far the most relaxing. I sat on the beach and jumped around in the waves and got some reading done and tanned a tiny, tiny bit...and even got in a couple hours of revision, with a nice view. When I was younger, beach vacations weren't my favorite. Now, I love the sand between my toes and the sound of the waves. (I've also learned how to sunscreen for optimal protection, making it less likely I'll end up as a lobster...) Plus, spending time with family is always a good thing! 

2) Duck Donuts, y'all. One of my favorite things about heading to the Outer Banks is this (now not-so-local) donut chain. They make them fresh on demand, literally churning out warm cakes and topping them with your choice of glazes and extras. While I am normally a chocolate person, at Duck Donuts I am addicted to their maple-bacon option. Seriously. To die for. 

3) After leaving the beach, my husband and I drove to Raleigh, where we enjoyed a relaxing day and a half before he had to head back to NYC. We ate some amazing food (if you're in the area, don't miss Angus Barn and Relish Cafe & Bar) and—hope he's not mad at me for sharing this—even got side-by-side pedicures. 

4) I continued solo to Asheville, where I had my first of two book events! I was lucky to get to panel with Jaye Robin Brown, Lauren Gibaldi, Ashley Herring Blake, and Amy Reed at Malaprop's, a beloved independent bookstore downtown, and the event went great. We were celebrating the release of Jaye's second book, GEORGIA PEACHES & OTHER FORBIDDEN FRUIT, which I can't wait to read! 

5) Our second panel was in Greenville, South Carolina, at Fiction Addiction—and it was extra fun because the audience included several fellow YA authors. Afterward, a bunch of us went out for Mexican food—and plenty of publishing gossip. Get a bunch of writers together and we'll book-talk for ages... Oh, and I have to give a shout-out to Lauren Gibaldi, for being an excellent travel buddy. We had so much fun exploring Asheville and Greenville together. :) 

What's been going on in your world? Can you believe it's already September?!?!

~Kathryn