Book Launch, Mergers and Five Star Reviews

If you have been following me on Facebook or Twitter you will be aware my first ever book, Debutantes Don't Date was released on April 30th.  I can't describe the feeling of seeing my name in print or in type as the case may be, since it is an e-book.  I am so immensely proud of accomplishing one of my life goals. I still can't believe it is real and this all is not a dream but actually reality.  As much as I wanted this I'm not sure if I truly believed I could do it.

The thing that's humbled me the most is the fact that there are a lot of people out there who are really excited for me.  Of course I should be excited, it is my book after all, but to have others just as or more so excited than I am is so um...humbling. So thank you for all your well wishes.  I really appreciate it, you have no idea how much.

Because Debutantes Don't Date is my first book I really wanted to celebrate it releasing, so what better way than a book launch?  How do you have a book launch if there is no actual physical book?  Well i have been asked about that a lot and I would have loved to be able to print on demand (POD), it is not the case.  So instead, I have printed a cover with the blurb and links on the back in compensation.  I will be giving a little talk about what started me writing and how I was 'discovered'.  I will also be reading a excerpt from the book.

Because I'm living between two towns and because I know people in both places and because the towns are too far apart for people to want to travel, I decided to have two book launches.  My mom and her sister have travelled all the way from Canada to celebrate with me.  It is fantastic to have them here and I was so excited when they told me they were really coming.  They are not staying long but to have them here makes it that much more special.

The first launch was last Friday at a great little book store called Beattie and Forbes Booksellers in Napier and the other one will be this Saturday May 10th in Wairoa in the upstairs function room of the Wairoa Community Centre from 4 to 6 pm.  If you are around come and check it out. There will be nibbles and wine too, so in case you don't like books, you can at least have a drink!

Last week I received an email from Harlequin (Carina UK's parent company) informing me that they will be merging with Harper Collins.  What this means for the authors like me I'm not sure, but we have been assured everything, at least for the moment, is business as usual.  I have been in contact with my editor and as far as I can tell, nothing has changed as of yet.  Of course the merger doesn't take affect until September so we'll see what happens then.

After Debutantes Don't Date was released I spent the next few days checking my standings on Amazon and Kobo.  When I came home from my first book launch I was so excited to see that Debutantes Don't Date was #1 at Kobo under Romance, Science Fiction & Fantasy.  How cool is that?  I totally didn't expect that to happen!

While I was spying on how my standing at Amazon was doing (I never did as well there) I noticed I had a five star review!  I was even more over the moon when I realised it is from someone I don't even know!  Not only did I not have to bribe someone to say something nice about my writing, but it also means there is at least one person out there reading Debutantes Don't Date that's not my friend or family.  Ya!

If you would like to read Debutantes Don't Date, please see my Home page http://www.kristinaogrady.com, for links to Amazon in the States, Canada and UK and iTunes and Kobo.  They are all located at the bottom of the page so make sure you scroll to the end.

Next post I will have pictures of the launches.