My first reading recap

First of all, if you ever have to do a first reading of your first book, I highly recommend doing it at an event with 'Wine' in its title (as in the Wine and Words reading series I did). Also, if you can arrange for part of your payment for the reading to be a glass of wine, I highly recommend that as well. Calms the nerves quite well (but not quite enough to make you feel totally calm or stop the nervous shaking of the book in your hand). As well, if you have anything that might be considered humourous in your reading, allow for pauses for laughter when you are timing how long your reading will take.

So, the reading went really well. About twenty people showed up, sold a couple of books, signed a few autographs (still a very strange thing to do) but the great part was that people "got it". They laughed in all the right places and that was great because you never know if people will get it or not. You write in your own little section of the world in solitude, people tell you they found it funny or sad or whatever but to get an actual instant reaction to your work like that was great. I'm not sure how it would have felt if the funny parts thudded but they didn't, so yay.

I read the three letters home at the beginning of three separate chapters (The Road to Hell, the Cubby-Hole and The Grass Is Always Browner--even that title got a laugh) then read a bit from Lisa's "real story" from each of those chapters.

Now, I have a reading under my belt and I hope that means I will feel more relaxed when the book is officially launched which should be around the end of next month. But I will keep you updated on that.