Today Shades of Milk and Honey is officially a published novel.
I have to say that sitting here in my bathrobe with a cat curled up in my lap today does not feel externally different from yesterday. There are no fireworks going off outside. And yet… I’m aware that I’ve published a novel.
That sentence alone makes my head boggle. Which really is a little absurd when you consider that I’ve been building up to this with short fiction for quite a while now. And yet… I’ve published a novel.
Right now, my novel is sitting in a bookstore . It’s available in libraries. People can listen to it in audio. Or download it as an ebook. It’s hard to wrap my head around all of that even though I also understand and expect it. It’s the difference between my internal map and and my external map and it will take me a few days to align them.
I suppose one of the reasons that this takes alignment is that I still think of myself as primarily a puppeteer. That’s been my job for the last twenty years. But gradually, writing has been shifting to become my dominant art form. Publishing a novel is a pretty clear marker, you know? Late tonight I’ll get on a plane to go to North Carolina for NasFic and when my seatmate asks the inevitable, “What do you do?” I think I might have a new answer.
“I’m a writer.”
Congratulations!!!!!
Thank you! And thanks for the nice mention on your blog, too.
Congratulations!!
Eee! congrats! And you’re coming to town that early? Hope the travel is safe.
I grew up in Raleigh so it makes sense to have an extra day there. I also am taking a red-eye so I get in around noon on Wednesday.
Dude. I had no idea you were a local girl! Very cool. Looking forward to seeing you soon!
Totally. Went to Enloe High School, class of ’87 and then ECU for college.
I’m a Raleigh-ite and Enloe grad (Class of ’99). I was introduced to your work via Writing Excuses, but obviously had no idea you were originally local. Great to see a fellow Enloe alum doing so well! Now I’m looking forward to NASFIC even more (and, of course, reading your new novel– congrats!).
Oh fantastic! We definitely need to say hello and all of that at some point during the con. Come to the launch party on Friday! 8pm in the Raleigh suite on the 3rd floor.
Thank God! I just received the car repair bill for my son’s car and I really, really, really need to escape reality. Safe traveling and because you’ll be in Raleigh, will Mur interview you? Her podcase is wonderful and it would be a treat to hear both of you together.
Congratulations Mary! I remember your stories back at Liberty Hall some years ago. I am looking forward to purchasing your novel.
Super congrats!!!! Lovely cover! And you are most definitely a writer!!!
Thank you! I should probably clarify that identifying myself as a writer, means that I will no longer identify as a puppeteer. That’s the weird bit.
Happy Book Day!!!
Congratulations!
(I just bought a copy for my Kindle. Woot!)
Congrats, Mary!!! Very excited for you and your bouncing baby book…
Congrats! Happy Book Day!
Congratulations! I’ve been following your blog for a little while (I think I found my way over from Whatever or vice versa), so I’ve been looking forward to this day vicariously. I’m excited for you and the release of your book, and can’t wait to read it.
The best of all worlds to you! How very, very exciting that you can add “Novelist” to your repertoire. I always think of myself as an artist rather than teacher, but if I were you, I would answer that question on the plane with “Renaissance Woman”. You truly are.
Have fun at NASFiC. I’ll be in Vegas with the Trekkies (hopefully making money). Then off to New Zealand and Australia soon after, so no chance to see you soon. Good luck in your panels!
Are you going to have copies of the book to sell on the plane? Are you even allowed to do that?
Ha! I don’t know but I don’t think that will be anywhere close to my plans for the plane.
My copy of “Shades of Milk and Honey” was in today’s mail (actually in today’s UPS delivery from Amazon).
Hurah!
My plans for this afternoon involved getting your book. However, the two Big Chains here in town have both professed on their Big Websites to not have any actual copies in any bookstore, let alone mine. Sure, I can ORDER it, but I wanted to pick it up and do a giddy dance and pay and take it home, you know?
But the bookstores have a few more days because fate and the rain decided to fail a nice waitress’s brakes and smash in the rear of my car, so I never got to browse just in case anyway.
I shall engage in official sulking until I may buy it in a physical bookstore. *sulk*
I think sulking is warranted.
Happy Release Day, Mary!!! I’m so psyched for the book to finally be out. You only get to have that first novel feeling once, so I hope you’re enjoying it!
Very, very much so.