It’s Officially PUB DAY!!!

Man, oh, man, oh, man, oh, man. It’s finally here. It’s Pub Day. Wow, so many feels. I’m running on fumes as I’ve been carrying out a metaphorical “house cleaning” of sorts in preparation for this very moment, so I’ll keep this short and sweet.

Thank you, subscribers, for being early believers in me. I know many of you personally, and I appreciate that you allowed me to avoid the awkward “why haven’t you subscribed yet?” encounters by letting me squawk poetic in your inbox once(ish) a month.

To my family – thank you for your continued support. I know it hasn’t been easy knowing that very real and very personal facts about a couple people you knew and loved deeply may be broadcast for the world. I’m cautiously optimistic you’ll enjoy the book and, hopefully, the dedication and acknowledgement sections as it relates to those two people (read: Mom and Dad).

To my friends – you hope people will be behind you when you do something as insane as publish a book, but you never know. So many of you have shown your support through various ways. The fact you’re even reading this is support enough. Liking the social media channels (and posts), buying the book, attending the events and, in some cases, hyping all of the above to others. It’s just the most amazing feeling to know so many care and root for you. I am truly touched.

To new subscribers – know that you’re the ones I think about when I struggle over newsletter topics, how far is too far and whether it’s funnier to talk about tampons or diarrhea. In all seriousness, though, your presence here continually motivates me to ensure the content is thoughtful, humorous at times and hopefully valuable. You’re the only ones who can judge whether I’m hitting the mark, but know you’re the reason this newsletter and blog process is, well, a process for someone who’s typically a pretty fast writer.

Last Thing…

One of the biggest heartaches to come out of tragedies, in my opinion, is that life will never be the same. I know this firsthand. You play the game of “did that happen before or after XX died?” Or the diagnosis happened. Or the breakup occurred.

Life almost becomes a series of BCs or ADs, except replaced by whatever tragic event occurred. I remember when a family member died shortly after my mom. There was so, so much to be sad about, but what I found just utterly devastating was the notion that life would never be the same for the person’s siblings. A curtain would fall at that point – much like it does at the end of a play – and when it rose again, there would be a different setting.

On a positive note, I think the same can be true when good things happen. I certainly play the numbers game with the day my daughter was born, along with other important events.

Today will certainly be one of them. I have no delusions that life will somehow morph or I’ll spend the afternoon fielding phone calls from every movie distributor and daytime talk show producer.

But you only get to publish your first book once. There is a transition that occurs today that will never, ever happen again. Yesterday, I wasn’t a published author. Today I am. Until the day I die, that statement will remain true.

I have no idea how this book will be received into the world. I’m hopeful, based on some early reviews, that people will enjoy it. Do I want them to? More than anything. Can I control whether they do? Absolutely not.

What I know, though, is that I can hold my head up high knowing that I gave it my best shot. I put forth my best effort. I left it all on the table.

There are so many things I learned throughout this process that I’ll take with me – not to mention mistakes I’ll try to avoid the next time around. Regardless of all that, I’m thrilled with what was produced.

Today truly plays a monumental role in my own “happily ever after,” and I’m so honored I finally get to share it with all of you.

If you haven’t ordered your copy yet, you can do so on…

Amazon

Barnes & Noble

Bookshop.org

(and online pretty much anywhere books are sold)

Select bookstores around the country are also carrying physical copies of the book. I’m working to get a running list, but it’s most widely available in Southern California, Las Vegas and Philadelphia (the book’s setting).

In other news…

The San Gabriel Valley Tribune caught up with Courtney to discuss her high school days in Glendora, hype the book signing and dive into happily ever afters. Read it here.

Courtney will be signing books at the Barnes & Noble in Glendora, CA, on Saturday, April 13, from 1-3!

And at Barnes & Noble in Henderson (Vegas) on Saturday, April 20, also from 1–3.