By

Irene Peterson

Well, all I can say is, it’s been swell.

I'm a published author!

The very first cool thing that happened to me was getting a bag of cover flats when I was in the hospital after my surgery. I couldn’t move by myself, but seeing the four hundred covers of my very first book cheered me immensely. I gave some away right there in my tiny room, crowded with some sort of machine that measured some potent painkiller into my arm. Of course, I'm not sure to whom I gave them, but I hope they were as pleased as I was. Maybe I didn’t even give any away or just thought I did. I really wasn’t in any great shape, not my normal brilliant self, shall we say?

Next fantastic thing was feeling better—there were some ugly parts stuck there that I choose not to remember or bore you all with—and the next thing after that was getting a huge box full of my book. Fifty freebies! Wow! After giving one to my mom, then to my girls, then to my friends, then to my wonderful critique partners, then to people who had given me their books as gifts, then to assorted relatives, the pleasure was still there, but lots of the books were gone.

After that, I had my first book signing which took place at the NJRW chapter meeting. I laughed, I cried, I had my five minutes of fame and felt absolutely elated that so many people wanted to buy my book. I think they all thought that “if Irene can do it, I can certainly do it” and that is precisely the way I wanted everyone to feel. I went home and cried after the signing. I just felt so deep down inside good.

I did have to have another book. Getting the second book, Kisses to Go, out on time was not easy. I did not have time to create an entirely new story, so I took another manuscript, one I had tucked away in a box in my bedroom, did to it what I’d learned from my astute editor of the first book had to be done to make it a romance (by that I mean I stuck in some gooey parts and lots more thinking between the hero and heroine) and it sold.

Surprise!

With that obligation out of the way, I was able to concentrate on more book signings, traveling to stores and libraries all over Jersey and Pennsy and being with other authors, even if we didn’t sell many books, we talked and had a fun time.

It’s a heady experience, signing your very own book. And it can go to your head if you’re not careful. You’re only as good as your next book, they say, and they, whoever they are, are probably right. Gives me the shivers.

Okay. Now I gotta move ahead through the summer to October and THE MOST FANTASTIC DAY that MADE UP FOR SOME PRETTY AWFUL DAYS. Glory Days was nominated for the Golden Leaf award.

And it won.

Lemme tell ya, THAT was an utterly incredible feeling, one I cannot begin to describe. There are no words in the English language that work well enough, that are explicit enough, to describe the feeling of walking up to the podium to receive the award.

You all oughtta try it. Well, that means you have to write a book. That means you have to drag yourself and that manuscript out from the desk or closet or wherever you’ve been hiding it…maybe even inside the computer.

Do it.
Finish the book.
Send it out.
Keep sending it out.
Don’t be discouraged.
If Irene can do it, so can you.

graphics by Karyn Peterson || Irene Peterson, Author