FAOM: A Few Words From the Author (the Sorta-Interview-Part-3)

In Her Own Words.... A Guest Post by Kelly Lyman 

When I was first asked to write a guest post I was thrilled. And excited. And anxious (only in the best way possible). However, when I sat down at my computer to type the words, my mind went blank.

BLANK.

And for a writer, a writer who has been asked to compose a guest post, well...a blank mind isn’t a good thing. 

Then it hit me. That lightbulb moment. I’ll use gifs. Seriously though, I was asked to write about my thoughts, feeling, process, etc. of releasing my debut novel. In a nutshell, I had/still have ALL THE FEELS.

At first, I was all kinds of excited. Jumping up and down, telling everyone I knew, popping the champagne bottles, throwing confetti...you know, typical stuff.

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Then the edits came. I admit, there were times during the editing process where I had those feelings of “My 11-year-old could write this better...”

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But then I’d read his writing and take a deep breath. In all honesty, there were plenty of times where I truly didn’t think I was good enough. That my idea, plot, writing, etc. were awful. But, I have the BEST people in my life. People who ground me. People who encourage me. It is entirely too easy to fall into the comparison trap in this business (actually, in any area of life) so when those negative feelings started to arise, I would quickly shut them down. I did my best to focus on my story. On my writing. On my voice. Because there is only one me. And hopefully, someone out there (not including my mom) will enjoy it. And because I have the best critique partner around, she would constantly remind me of the same sentiments whenever I doubted myself (because let’s be real, in this business, writers are always doubting themselves. Always.)

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After the pep talk, and several rounds of edits, there was pretty much a loooooong wait. I admit, I was a tiny bit bored.

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Within this “season” of waiting, my family of six went to Disney World in Florida. And while we were away in the magical kingdom, my publisher sent me an email. Finally, I had a release date!

And because my book was going to be released first in ebook, things were now going to move quickly. Very quickly. Like, a month away from release quickly.

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Once I got over the shock (I think I was in line for the Tower of Terror when I received the news...’cause you know, when in line for about 45 minutes at some point one will check their email in case there is any news from one’s publisher), I set to work on market/promotion. And then I waited, and waited and...yep...waited for release day like a kid who is waiting for Christmas morning...or one who is in trouble so they keep pacing...both totally fit how I was feeling at this point in time.

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RELEASE DAY! IT’S HERE! IT’S HERE! 

OMG! IT’S HERE! 

AHHHHHHHHHH! I was up waaaaaayyyy to early...or perhaps I didn’t actually fall asleep. And nervous. And excited. And scared. And, and, and...I experienced ALL THE FEELS. But, since I am a mom of four, breakfast had to be made. Lunches had to be packed. Kids had to make the bus. Laundry needed done. But after all that, my two best friends came over and surprised me with roses, champagne (there’s an actual mark on my kitchen ceiling from the cork being popped!), and took me to lunch. It was awesome.

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And after lunch, I picked up my son early from school because he came down with the stomach bug...so...yeah...the stomach bug does not care about your book release day. Just sayin’.

Aside from my wedding day and the birth of each of my kiddos, it was the BEST DAY EVER. The best week ever. You see, I had been pursuing this publishing dream for eight years. EIGHT YEARS. And it was finally happening. My book, the book of my heart, was published. It was on Amazon, BN, iBooks, Smashwords, Kobo.

I still get giddy.

I know I’m not a house hold name (expect in my own house. “Mom!”...which really is the best ever) but I had found a dream and went after it. I was rejected more times than I can count. BUT, it only takes one yes. Just one.

Now, with one book under my belt, I’m continuing on. And guess what? I’m in the process of drafting Book 2 in my Rebels of the Revolution series, and all those feelings are happening all over again. The excitement. The self-doubt. The thrills. The worry. It’s a never ending cycle. But it is a cycle I don’t mind being on.

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So there you have it. A few words from Kelly Lyman herself about what if took and how it felt to release her debut novel The Petticoat Letters. 

Before I say goodbye... have you entered the giveaway yet? There are only a couple days left and I would hate for anyone to miss out on their chance to win a copy of this truly wonderful book. 

Enter the January FAOM Giveaway here. 

And did you see the review for The Petticoat Letters? Check out the review here and my addendum to it here. (Apparently one post for a review just wasn't enough for me 😲 ) 

And now... 

Till next time, Happy Reading Everybody!