Recognition

I think I've said before here that this whole getting published thing is pretty surreal. Picking up my book and holding it in my hand is still kind of like a dream, like I'm watching it happen to someone else. Same with being in the Newfoundland Herald or with someone telling me that he/she loves my book. Last night something maybe even more surreal than that happened. I was at a wedding celebration and someone I had never met, recognized me. From across the room. From my picture on the back of my book. And she loved the book ("I devoured it", she said--what a great review quote for a book jacket) and she seemed so pleased to meet me. Me! It was such a new and strange experience but great, not only to get good feedback about the book from someone who had never met me before but because she was a really fun, nice person who I could easily hang out with. I honestly did not think I would ever get recognized like that, let alone so soon after the book came out.

I debated posting here about this because I don't want to sound too full of myself but I put this blog here to talk about the writing life and how getting published feels and this definitely counts. I mean that is why one wants to be published. No, not to be recognized but to have someone read your work and enjoy it, be swept away by it, to connect with it. Sure, there are other perks to getting published but for me, all I ever wanted is for someone to have the book click for them like that. And now I've gotten that (many times over but for the first time from someone I don't know in any way) and it is great. So, thanks MJ.