Wednesday, June 12, 2013

Sending Your Baby (Book) Out into the World: Put Your Feelings in Words

Ta-dah! We have winners of the signed copies of Goodness & Mercy: Josey Bozzo, Karen K., Karen Schravemade, Cherry Odelberg, and Lori Benton. I'll try to contact you but let you know if I need to hear from you. Thanks for all of your great comments.

Before I start my post, I must thank the readers of Novel Matters for stepping up and doing a brilliant job of writing Amazon reviews of Goodness & Mercy. You're the best!

Dearest Goodness & Mercy,

Today is your big day. Yes, I've been horribly clingy. It’s terrifying to let you go. You've been in my brain since you were but a wee seed of an idea. And there you are, all 322 pages of you, ready to launch into the great big world. You will try to understand my protectiveness, won’t you? It’s not that I don’t trust you. I only fear I didn't prepare you well enough.

It’s not you; it's me.


And yet, I can’t help myself. I flip through your pages, only to find a cumbersome word or an awkward phrase. As with any parent author, I've had to accept that you’re not perfect. How could you be? I created you. We’re two flawed peas in a pod that way. But please know, while in my hands, I served you heart and soul.

Darling, not everyone will love you like I do. They’ll say cruel things--some deserved, some not. These people believe it’s easy to be a story. We both know that’s not true. You've paid your dues—you've been red-lined, cut and pasted, and deleted. People who call themselves critique partners have pointed out your weaknesses and written letters when they saw that you’d faltered.
I know that stung.


I must also warn you that people will use you as a coaster for sweaty glasses or to level a wobbly table. Others will read you—and this is difficult to say—in the bathroom, where you will be subjected to all sorts of insults to your senses. These kinds of people are out there. I would be lax in my authorial duties, if I didn't warn you.

You go with my blessing, my darling. I’m already proud of you. Just be yourself. Readers will love that about you. Don’t hang out with anything in shades of gray or blood-sucking, and you’ll be fine.

It doesn't hurt that you’re free on Amazon today. You’ll make lots of friends. 

Should I have read through you one more time?



No, you’re going to be fine. Go. Go.

Don’t look back, okay?


Signed,

Your loving author
xoxoxo


P.S. Don’t tell the others, but of all my stories, I love you best.


Goodness & Mercy is indeed FREE as a Kindle book on Amazon today through Friday. Feel free to spread the word by copying the image above and pasting it on your FaceBook timeline or visiting my FaceBook page to simply click and share. 

To WIN one of FIVE SIGNED COPIES of Goodness & Mercy, tell me your favorite flavor of pie in the comment section. I'll draw winners randomly on Thursday, 5:00 pm MT.

24 comments:

V. Gingerich said...

I'm so excited for you! And I want you to know, I noticed your book looking new and a bit uncertain so I hurried over and gave it my shiniest red A-plus sticker. Then I told all my friends to keep an eye out for it as well.

Pie. Why did you mention pie? Pie...pie. My favorite is peanut butter, my husband's is rhubarb custard, and we happily enjoy either or both. (Since your book is full of peaches, I'll also add that once I replaced the rhubarb with peaches and it was divine.)

Megan Sayer said...

Oh oh OH! I love this book. Yay!!

Can I still put my name in for the draw, even if I've already got a Kindle copy? I'll tell you about my favourite pie...steak and mushroom. YUMMO!

Patti Hill said...

Pie equals love in our house. If I could, I would bake one for all of you. Peach! But I love rhubarb! Steak and mushroom? Do you eat that a la mode?

Thanks, Wanderer, I appreciate your enthusiasm for the story.

Megan, yes! You're in the drawing.

Karen @ a house full of sunshine said...

Yay Patti!! Oh, how I love this post! I want to run and give your book a first-day hug, and a cheer, but I wouldn't want to embarrass it in front of its friends. Ooops... too late. Already been cheering. (And tweeting and Facebooking like a madwoman.) YAY FOR PATTI'S BOOK!!!!! :-)

Pie... mmm. Curried vegetable for me. Look at the Aussies picking the savoury pies. Pies are dinner over here. With an occasional apple pie for dessert. ;-) I'm loving the sound of all these delectable sweet pies that I've never tried before! I clearly need to visit the States and have you bake for me, Patti.

Kat Laytham said...

Excellent post. Really looking forward to reading Goodness and Mercy. Pie? Lemon meringue. Is that considered a pie? If not, then apricot.

Mary Wiebe said...

My favorite flavor of pie is Blueberry. Being from Maine, we have the sweetest and juiciest berries I have ever tasted. When you smell the aroma of the cinnamon, the berries and the homemade crust baking together, it's like a good story baking together to produce a delicious product. MMmmmmmmmm

Henrietta Frankensee said...

Yeah Patti! I also love you book and wish it well on Amazon this weekend. I hope you were able to use my review to your best advantage!
I would like a free copy to give away to my mum who is coming in two weeks. Otherwise she will have to try to read my kindle version. She would prefer paper.
As for pie....Chicken Pot Pie, Steak and Kidney (I almost typed Kindle) Pie, Coconut Melktaart, Bumbleberry.... Oh, I'm just a sucker for pie.

Susie Finkbeiner said...

French Silk Pie!!!! It's a tradition in my family. :) SOOOO good.

And I'm loving Goodness & Mercy...but don't put me in the drawing. I'm just here for the fun. (I'm planning on getting on signed this October...)

Jenny Mertes said...

Oh, I loved your send-off, especially, "Don’t hang out with anything in shades of gray or blood-sucking, and you’ll be fine." And pie? Chocolate. No, raspberry. Either and both!

Josey Bozzo said...

Yay!!!!! So happy for you. After I leave here I'm jumping over to Facebook to let everyone know about your book.
Favorite Pie? Really? Could you have asked me a more difficult question. I love pie. That's the problem. I don't think there is a pie I don't like.
But to choose one, would have to be pumpkin. I'm a fall girl.

Patti Hill said...

Karen: You have a standing invitation for tea and pie anytime. Thanks for championing G&M. I'm a guest on Karen's writing blog over at www.thewritersalleys.blogspot. Come on over! BTW, we eat savory pies in the States, too, but we prefer our fruit and cream pies.

Kat: Lemon Meringue is amazing! But then, so is apricot. Let's have both.

Mary: You've made me hungry for blueberry pie, even though I've had my blueberries and yogurt for breakfast. Can you eat too many blueberries?

Henrietta: Coconut Melktaart? Must Google. Thanks for your lovely support, Henrietta.

Susie: Such decadence! Love French Silk. A hug will come with that signed copy in October. Maybe two.

Jenny: Thanks! You're in. Chocolate and raspberries, a match made in heaven.

Josey: Many, many thanks for your support. I'm with you. Pumpkin is at the top of my list, I think. At least, in November it's #1.

Linda Hladun said...

Patti - what excitement...sending your "baby" off into this big world. I know that it will do well. Living in apple country, here in upstate NY, I would have to say that apple pie is my favorite.

Lori Benton said...

I love this letter, Patti. I know the heart of every author can relate. I sure do. Blessings to your baby!

Cherry Odelberg said...

Congratulations!

Stacy (Dacie) said...

Patti,

Congrats on the new book! I'm so excited for you! I miss you guys terribly bad!! (great grammar huh?!)

My favorite pie is Key Lime!! Yummy!!


Love ya!!
Stacy

P.s. I saw the new covers of the The Garden Gate Series with my Meaghan on the cover!! Love, love, love!!!

Anonymous said...

Congratulations on your new book, Patti! May it go out and make you many, many friends!

Only one favorite type of pie? Oh, no! Blueberry, coconut cream, apple, sweet potato...I could go on and on!

Sharon K. Souza said...

Patti, I've long waited for Goodness and Mercy since the evening we were all together at Mount Herman and you read the opening pages. And it didn't disappoint! -- as if it could. I loved Goodness and Mercy and will do my part to get the word out. My husband's aunt was visiting for a family graduation last weekend. She's one of my favorite people in the whole world, and she loves to read. I already told her about G&M and am sending her a copy of the physical book. She'll love it, and she'll tell all her friends!

Patti Hill said...

Lori: The parallels between a child and a created work are too close for comfort.

Cherry: Thanks, Cherry!

Stacy: And we miss you! I saw Meaghan at Lowe's about a week ago. She looked wonderful. If you come back for a visit, please let us know. Until then, we'll meet in stories. I'm so glad you like the covers. Would you like the .jpeg files?

Sharon: You are too wonderful for your kind words. I hope your husband's aunt enjoys the story. Mwah!

Anonymous said...

Cherry, cherry, cherry! It's been my favorite pie all my almost-65 years. :-) Already read G&M on my Kindle and loved it so very much. Nancy Profitt

karenk said...

Congratulations Patti...looking forward to reading your latest novel.

My favourite pie is plain ol' apple :)

karenk
kmkuka at yahoo dot com

Patti Hill said...

Nancy:I once made a cherry pie for my husband, who equates pies to love. One little step I missed nearly landed him in the dentist's chair. Yep, I forgot to pit the cherries. I'm so glad you enjoyed the story.

Karen: I have a new recipe for an apple pie that calls for three kinds of apples. There's a mountain of apples by the time you're done. And they blend to make the perfect apple pie. There's nothing ordinary about a good apple pie.

Marcia said...

Patti, I got right on my Kindle and ordered a copy of Goodness and Mercy. Have been reading it today and am loathe to put it down although I'm supposed to be doing other things. Am a little over 25% done and you've got me hooked!

I'm enjoying this more than the last several Kindle books I've read, including Water For Elephants. Heh, heh!

Thanks for making this available free of charge for us po' folks. That was real kind of you.

As far as pie...it's pumpkin (or sweet potato--it's all in the spices) pie for me, with whipped cream on top. But I do love a good apple pie made with tart Granny Smith apples. More than that, I love apple crisp made from the 1950's Betty Crocker cookbook recipe. The kind my mom has made for us for many years. It's not the kind with oatmeal, just butter, flour and sugar baked to a crispy perfection on top. Mmmm.

Kathy said...

Congratulations on the publishing and introduction of your new book. It sounds like a winner. Speaking of winners, my favorite pie would be a cherry pie. The fruit is also a good healthy fruit and I always minimize the amount of sugar used (1/2 cup) which makes it close to tart but very tasty.

Patti Hill said...

Marcia: I'm happy to hear you're enjoying the story. I love my older cookbooks. They include the comfort food I love. Sweet potato pie, oh my!

Kathy: Thanks! I usually reduce the amount of sugar, too. I like a touch of tartness in my pies. That's why I'm not too fond of pecan pie.