Milestone Moments
Photo Credit: David Schmidt
“As life runs on, the road grows strange with faces new—and near the end. The milestones into headstones change, Neath everyone a friend.” ~ James Russell Lowell
One of the ways we mark milestones as a culture is through the celebration of anniversaries, which is my theme for April. Typically, we think of anniversaries in the context of marriage, but for me, they are milestones that give us pause to look back and see how far we’ve come on our journey. Over the month, I’ll be writing about the day I adopted my daughter, Christ’s crucifixion and resurrection, and the federal election here in Canada. Today’s blog is about the launch of each of my three novels and how each story propelled me further along my path of purpose.
The Healing was my first published novel. It launched on April 23, 2021, during the time of COVID-restricted travel. I was living in Saudi Arabia, but somehow Mister and I managed to jump all the hurdles to get from Riyadh to our home in Panama. I had imagined hosting a party at the community pool on our compound, but with social distancing in place, it ended up being a quiet celebration in our own backyard. The party was understated, but the emotional impact of achieving this milestone was to the moon, rocket-blasting, out of this world.
I’ll never forget how I felt when Mister drove us to the MBE mailroom in Coronado to pick up the box of books that Anne Louise O’Connell, my publisher, mentor, and friend of OC Publishing, had shipped from Canada to Panama for me. Picture Christmas morning on the most Hallmark movie you’ve ever seen. My eyes glistened as Mister hefted the box in the trunk of the car. My feet sailed across the floor at Felipe Motte to the chilled champagne section, where we splurged on a bottle of Moet & Chandon. I could hardly sit still on the drive home.
Mister busied himself with selecting two champagne flutes from the cupboard while I fished out a pair of scissors from the junk drawer. My hands trembled as I cut the packing tape and peeled back the cardboard folds. I removed the packing paper like it was a delicate flower to reveal the stacks of books. The Healing cover is a work of art, painted by Nova Scotia artist Krista Wells. A lotus floating on a pond of still water. I lifted a copy and held it to my heart as tears of joy sprang to my eyes. Mister handed me a glass, and we clinked a toast to this milestone.
A few days before the launch, our adopted daughter flew down from Canada. On the day of the launch, they made me a special breakfast that we enjoyed together on the patio beside the pool. In the afternoon, I had an online book launch interview with my publisher, Anne Louise O’Connell, on her Author Journey platform. I was in my happy place, talking about the journey of why I wrote The Healing—to encourage other women in abusive relationships by sharing my story.
By the time I published my second novel, The Holding, on April 23, 2022, the world was beginning to return to a different kind of normal post-COVID. I was still living in Saudi Arabia, but Mister’s five-week Ramadan vacation time aligned with the launch date. I managed to pull off a six-city, cross-Canada tour single-handedly. I contacted Chapters-Indigo representatives just days before arriving in each city to set up author signings.
There were so many milestone moments along the way. At Mayfair Chapters in Victoria, surprise drop-ins from my daughter and a good friend’s sister-in-law. At Robsons Chapters in Vancouver, a woman who read the back cover blurb of The Healing and proceeded to purchase four signed copies to share with the women in her life. At Crowfoot Chapters in Calgary, Lana Shupe, author of outstanding children’s books, stopped by. At Polo Park Winnipeg, a woman who read the blurb for The Healing held her hand to her heart and said, “I need this book.”
Landing in Halifax took the term milestone to a new level. My emotions skyrocketed further than the moon, all the way to Pluto. I’d never stepped foot in Atlantic Canada before, yet it felt like home, the foggy, wet April air reminiscent of my time living in Victoria. Mister and I had coordinated the launch party for the day after our arrival at our Airbnb, sight unseen. We’d pre-ordered online from a local catering company and stocked up at local liquor and grocery stores.
A dear friend whom I’d met in Saudi Arabia but had moved back to Halifax kindly donated glassware. Dear friends we’d met in Saudi Arabia, who’d moved back to their lake house, made the two-hour drive to attend. At the party, I met Anne, my publisher, for the very first time in person. I met my marketing guru, an OC Publishing author and an illustrator. There were fewer than twenty people in attendance, mostly new faces, but my feet barely touched the floor all night. When The Holding made it to the #1 new release in Fatherhood on Amazon, I swooned. I turned to Mister and said, “Pinch me, I’m dreaming.” And just like Cinderella, my prince beheld me.
My third novel, The Rogue Scorpion, was published on April 23, 2023, not quite a year after Mister and I moved to Panama. “The road grows strange with faces new.” A newcomer in a Spanish-speaking country without a local publisher or publicist to support me, I pulled off a launch party at Luna Rossa, my favourite restaurant in Coronado. Hosted by the lovely owner, Lisa, I was supported by my friends and the local expat writing community.
The local bookstore chain, El Hombre de la Mancha, accepted 125 copies of my books on consignment. They supported my request for them to host author signing events at two of their locations. They even invited me to participate in FILPA, the international book fair that takes place every August in Panama City, a two-hour slot in their booth with a local author.
When I look back at the journey, I’m blown away by what I’ve achieved. I’ve written four books from nothing but my imagination and sheer determination. An outstanding team of creators has supported me to edit, design, and publish. Graphic designers and marketing specialists helped me create my own website and YouTube channel. And yet, I feel like I’m just getting started.
I may be suffering from a condition caused by growing too much, too fast. The symptoms are fatigue, overwhelm, and yes, frustration—the imbalance between effort and outcome. Yet the discomfort and challenge have brought me to my most significant milestone yet on my journey. The words I’ve been writing for years, “I trust the process of life; all is well,” have finally become something I feel. I am grateful for everything, but most of all for the people who turned the moments into milestones.
COMING UP…
Books & Projects:
· All four of my books are available online at Amazon, Chapters-Indigo, and Barnes & Noble. You can also find them at select Chapters-Indigo and El Hombre de la Mancha bookstores.
· I am pursuing representation from a traditional publisher for my fifth literary fiction, a psychological drama that explores the complexities of mental illness and trauma. Stay in touch by signing up for my blog or following me on social media to find out when it will be published.
Reviews & Interviews:
· You can read, listen, or watch a large selection of reviews and interviews on my website.
Events:
· There are no events currently scheduled in my calendar.
YouTube Channel:
· Watch The Rogue Scorpion trailer.
· Watch The Holding trailer.
· Watch The Healing trailer.