There
are people who think us creative types are a little cuckoo. I'll admit I've
known a few doozies through the years. I even have a few (ahem, okay more than
a few) quirks of my own. But nothing prepared me for Debut Author Neurosis.
You
see, I have 2 Indie ebooks, but this month brings the release of my very first
Harlequin Desire. In Paperback. On the shelves of my local bookstore.
*Deep
breath. Don't hyperventilate.*
To
my surprise, listening to my family, friends, and fans discuss their
excitement, seeing that book on an actual shelf, brought on a sickness I'd
never even heard of before!
Debut
Author Neurosis, a disturbing malady that creeps up on the Debut Author. What
is that, you ask? Well, it presents with a variety of symptoms, but commonly
includes:
1.
Vocal Spasms
This
involves the urge to squee at any given moment, regardless of whether or not
there's an audience, from sheer glee.
2.
Mild Tourette Syndrome
Hand
in hand with #1 comes the urge to blurt out phrases like "This in MY
book!" or "I wrote this book. This 1 right here!" to random
strangers. With no sense of shame whatsoever.
3.
Watery Eyes
All
that excitement might alternate with tears, because the author has waited so
long for this day (2 years or 10, it all feels long) and now it's finally HERE.
4.
Trembling
Shaking
of the hands is a common symptom, whether or not the author thinks she's nervous.
Caution: This will most often show up when the author needs to be steady. For
instance, when she's trying to sign her books or shake hands with a book store
manager.
5.
Aching Muscles
This
could manifest in cramped hands from signing so many books for friends and
family, or overworked cheeks because the author just can't stop grinning all
the time.
6.
Low-grade Fever
Twinges
of heated embarrassment might make an appearance as you realize people are
actually reading those sex scenes you were so proud of -- people you might
actually know!
So
please bear with me while I deal with this author sickness... It's the worst
I've had in a long time!!!! Just so I don't feel alone, when was the last time
YOU experienced any of these exciting symptoms and what was the special
occasion? I'd love to hear about it!
ONE
LUCKY COMMENTER WILL WIN AN AMAZON OR B&N GIFT CARD!
Dani
Wade astonished her local librarians as a teenager when she carried home 10
books every week – and actually read them all. Now she writes her own
characters who clamor for attention in the midst of the chaos that is her life.
Residing in the southern U.S. with a husband, two kids, two dogs, and one
grumpy cat, she stays busy until she can closet herself away with her characters
once more. Her debut print release, HIS BY DESIGN, is available now with
Harlequin Desire.
***Dani's winner is Aly. Please email totebag@authorsoundrelations.com with your mailing address!***
21 comments:
Congratulations on your print debut!!! To actually be able to hold your book in hand must feel amazing.
I experienced some of the symptoms when I was accepted for my dream job. That was ages ago now.
WOW! Dani I'm so excited for you. The cover is quite eye catching and sexy!
I experienced those symptoms when I had to apply for a new job after an eighteen year hiatus raising four children.
Congratulations! That's GREAT!!!
I rewrote the words to "TO ALL THE GIRLS I'VE LOVED BEFORE" by Julio Iglesias and Willie Nelson for someone else to sing at our annual badminton awards banquet. That girl (who has taken voice lessons) wasn't able to make it, so I ended up singing it to the guy myself, acapella, with my daughter videotaping, as well as my husband and about 60 others listening. I am not a singer, nor will I ever be one, but my friends and their friends were very nice to me afterward, and even acted disappointed when I didn't "perform" at last year's banquet too. (I DID make myself get up and speak, though.)
Congrats on your debut print release. I love the cover. I experience those feelings on my wedding day.
WOW! Super cover! "Congratulations" on the
release of your debut novel! Some of these
symptoms appeared on the occasion of the
surprise party for my 70th birthday some
seven years ago! (OUCH! I still can't be-
lieve it myself!)
Pat C.
Congrats, Mary Preston! It may have been a while ago, but finding your dream job and being able to actually accomplish it in this lifetime is a great opportunity! I hope it worked out awesome for you!
And trust me, holding that book in my hands was almost as happy-making as the first time I held my children. :)
Ah, Laurie G, I feel your pain! I had to find a job after 13 years as a SAHM. Boy, were the nerves awful! I'm proud of you for getting out there and doing that. I hope it all worked out for you.
Thanks for all the kudos on my cover, ladies! I love the redesign Desire has done for their covers, but I'm especially partial to mine. :)
Laney4, you are 1 brave woman!!!! I sang as a teenager, but not since I was an adult. And how awesome to have such supportive friends. Great job!
CrystalGB, I was so nervous on my wedding day, I was almost speechless! :) Thanks for joining me today!
Pat, Thank you! Wow, a 70th birthday surprise! I love to give surprise parties more than getting them. :) One year I threw one for my hubby 2 months before his real birthday. I wonder why he never saw it coming... :)
Congratulations on you debut for Desire. When I get new books, I smell them. I love the smell of new books.
Well the last time I had trembling hands was just a little over a month ago. We had to take our very big strong and scared of everything cat to the vet. The vet's assistant said she was going to weigh Dash. I said you might want to weigh him in the kennel and then we can somehow deduct the weight of the kennel. She went ahead and lifted him our of the bottom half of the kennel and he flew out of her arms, half way up a wall and knocked down a huge framed poster, then he bounced to the other side of the room and cleared off the counter. Next came the top of the cupboard where he wiped out the small computer running the films that they show. He ended up in a corner trying to dig his way under a solid wall. I ended up a nervous trembling wreck. We sat on the floor together trembling.
The vet now treats Dash over the phone. She also understands why we found it so hard to catch him to take him to see her in the first place.
Congrats on your latest book... I'm hoping your symptoms subside soon so you can enjoy the ride!
Want to wish you the best with this book being in the stores.
I would get symptoms like that after getting a great grade on an exam that was difficult.
I love the Harlequin Desire line so I'll be looking for this one. Great cover too. Congratulations on your Harlequin Desire debut. I'm sure this will just be the first of many more to come. The last time I felt anything like that was when I was waiting for my last grandchild to be born.
seriousreader at live dot com
How exciting! That must the new author's form of stage fright. Have a nice cup of tea and try and relax.
Hi, Dani! I love the cover of HIS BY DESIGN. I love Harlequin books. The last time I experienced any of those symptoms was when I got my last job.
Congrats on your Harlequin debut! Hopefully your symptoms don't disappear for a long time.
Congrats! I can understand how you feel since anyone can read your book in your home town :D
PS: Such a lovely cover.
Jobs, and grandkids, and exams, oh my!!! And goodness gracious, Kaelee, that sounds awful! Heaven bless you, and your cat. :) Mine just howls at the top of his lungs....from the moment we get out the cat carrier.
Yes, Di, I do think its a form of stage fright combined with overwhelming excitement. :) I'm absolutely loving it but surprised at how emotional it is (though I shouldn't be). I mean, this is really important to me, after all. But I wasn't quite prepared for it. I've heard that same excitement comes with every box of author copies. Yay!!!
And Linda Hendersen, you are right! I hope it will be the first of many, but I know for sure there'll be more. I'm currently working on my second book for Desire, and its the first of a trilogy (they really like me! Thank God!). :)
Super congratulations! (confetti! confetti!) Another author to look forward too. Anyway, I've just experienced those symptoms, since I just recently got hired. The employment process was really nerve wracking. Glad that I passed them on. Now time for training. :)
Oh my gosh! That is so fantastic Dani! The cover is very nice, mmm.... Yes, I have had the very same symptoms myself on a job interview in front of a board of engineers. The room they held the interview in was round and had vertical paneling on the walls. It was very claustrophobic in there which added to the atmosphere and my feelings of impending doom! The interview did not go well to say the least! This was a long time ago but I still remember the feeling like it was yesterday!
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