I’m home. I had a whirlwind ten days in Toronto with family and friends, doing all things wedding. I’m happy to say that not only did I survive my best friend’s Big Day, I also had a blast! The bride was beautiful, the groom was giddy, my dress fit (hey, who needs to breathe?), my speech didn’t suck, and we danced till we dropped. The whole event reaffirmed why I believe in soul mates. It was a happy, joyous day all around.
But I’m happy to be home. BECAUSE…
I woke up this morning to the best UPS delivery ever. Today was better than Christmas morning.
The doorbell rang at 9 a.m. The UPS man left a padded envelope on the doorstep. It was from Natasha, my editor’s assistant in New York. What could be inside? I honestly had no idea. I was too tired this morning to wonder, so I ripped it open.
I believe my exact words were, “Holy shit, Steve! I made a book!” I can’t even lie – it looks and feels about a thousand times more amazing than I imagined. The cover is embossed. EMBOSSED! You can actually feel the title, my name, and the handcuffs. WOW.
The title page. Look, another pair of handcuffs!
The back jacket flap. There’s my author photo! IT FREAKED ME OUT to see it there, even though that’s where it’s supposed to be.
The back cover contains an excerpt. What’s crazy is that I still remember the day I wrote this page, sometime back in November 2008. The scene takes place in a tuxedo shop and I had to close my eyes for about twenty minutes to visualize it. And now here it is, on the back of my book.
Aw, my little CREEP family! I thought the ARC (on the left) looked pretty damned good… until today. Now, sitting next to the Real Thing, the ARC sort of looks like the “still cute but slightly less good-looking” twin sister. That stack of papers to the right are my first and second-pass page edits from last fall and winter.
Viewer discretion is advised. You might want to avert your eyes, because this is what CREEP looks like naked! I’m sorry, but I just had to undress it. I was curious to see what it looked like without the cover. It’s cute without clothes!
Where’s Waldo CREEP? I organize my books alphabetically by author (but not by author and title – I’m way too lazy for that). And look where it gets to sit. Smack dab between Joe Hill (an author I love, and who also happens to be the son of *cough cough* Stephen King *cough cough*) and my friend, David Hilton, whose debut novel KINGS OF COLORADO just came out this past January. Not bad company to keep!
Holy cow, guys.
I MADE A BOOK.
It really happened. I am so happy. (insert big, goofy, slightly teary grin here)
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