Wow. So it was a year ago today that PARTY first hit the shelves. A lot has happened — but then, isn’t that true for all of us?
LOOKING BACK:
I discovered two things that I love most about this job: The book people, and the reader people. I’ve met the most amazing booksellers, educators, and authors this year, and I’m indebted to all of them for helping me out along the way. It’s amazing how many awesome authors live in Arizona. And there’s more on the way. But they’re not just good writers; they are great people. Lisa McMann, Robin Brande, Jon Lewis, James Owen, Janette Rallison, Aprilynne Pike…and those’re just the authors. I’ve met friends of friends who I now call my friends too, who love a mean game of Apples to Apples and who sincerely love books and those who write them. I’m just one lucky son-of-a to have met them all.
Then there’s the students I get to talk to at the various high schools and libraries. They’re the real thing, and the real reason I want to do this for the rest of my life. The stories I’ve heard from them and from their teachers and administrators has made me so angry I couldn’t see straight. I am constantly appalled at how many parents out there really don’t get it. For awhile I thought that my PARTY characters were merely vague mirrors of me (and they are) as a high school student. After meeting so many teenagers, though, I realize that people like Mr. and Mrs. Lewis, Morrigan’s parents, are more common than I’d thought.
It’s pretty much my mission in life now to reach as many teens as I can and let them know they can do anything. Sure, there’s a certain measure of “being realistic” that maybe should be observed…but honestly, all said and done, teenagers are biologically wired to be reckless, and I think they should be. Not in a life-threatening way, of course; not in a drink-and-drive kind of way, not at all. I mean in a “I can accomplish anything” way. That’s the message, and I won’t stop saying it. Deal.
Since PARTY, I’ve sold my second novel, ZERO, which should be out about a year from now. So that rocks. I’ve got seven or eight novels in the works at present, I’ve gotten to speak at conferences and write articles, I’ve gotten to teach classes. All in all — a great year. And I saw none of it coming.
LOOKING AHEAD:
So there’s ZERO, and I’m excited to see it finally on the shelves. There’s another couple of possible projects being discussed, but I don’t think I can comment any more than that on it just yet. I’m hoping to release a “new” chapter of PARTY as a free PDF soon, and with a little luck, at some point I hope to have an audiobook ready to go. Time’ll tell.
Then there’s the baby.
Why do I have seven or eight books cooking right now? Because come August, I simply have no idea how exactly my life and schedule is going to change. There’s a baby boy on the way, and…I just don’t know. I can’t wait to meet him, I know that much. I also know that I can’t not write, but I don’t know when or how just yet. I’ll have to ask him.
I’m working on getting a regularly scheduled video blog/vlog/whatever going, but my technology is not currently cooperating. I’m planning on some live-stream events, and am getting setup to do Skype visits. Here’s hoping that all works out!
Mostly, I just want to say thank you to all the readers, all the reviewers (yes, good and bad alike…both are instructive). I’ve gotten to do what I always dreamed of doing, and it’s sometimes unreal. But it should go to show you that anything is possible.
Hear me? Anything.
See ya.
