I can't play it cool. I am not cool. So. . .
It came today! It came today!
My book is a real book!!!!!!!
And here it is!!!!
There may come a day, many years in the future, when a book of my own, arriving in my hands for the first time as a real book, will not make my heart race. But I sincerely doubt it. I still remember the random scene from Back to the Future when the dad was an author and a box of new books arrived from his publisher; that's about all I remember -- I thought: how cool.
I guess maybe I'm a novice and a dork, but so be it. Last week when I found out about the ALA nomination, I happily sent congratulations to the 4 or 5 of my new Myspace friends (only one of whom I have ever met in person) who are also nominated. I got a few pleasant replies, a few nothings, and one genial sort of pat on the head to the effect of, it's so cute that you think this is such a big deal. heh heh! wait til you have a few more books out. there are a million different lists. . . That sort of thing. It was kindly meant, and kindly received but still, I say: "Whatever." I AM excited that librarians have read my book and liked it. HUGELY excited! AND I'm really excited to hold my book for the first time and see the shiny foil letters, and flip through it and see Jim's illustrations looking all lovely and crisp on the nice paper, and where the fancy fonts were used, and all that stuff. Wheeeeee!
My new hope is that some day, somewhere, I will randomly see someone reading it, in a cafe or on the bus or something. THAT would be awesome.
P.S. The book won't actually be in stores until June. Drat.
Here are some sneak peeks:
54 comments:
(Sentientmarrow included you in his Thursday Thirteen)
Your excitement is heart warming. It shows you are alive and aware of life! I cannot imagine anyone being indifferent to such an accomplishment, whether their first or thirtieth. I am quite sure when I finish my novel, if it is published I will be reacting just like you - each time.
Congratulations.
yay!!!!!! That is soooo cool Laini!
I am sooo excited for you!
I cannot wait to get my hands on a copy! It looks soooooo amazing!
Best Wishes and if it were me, I would sleep with that nice shiny copy! Just curl up with it in total bliss! :)
Jennifer :)
So pretty, inside and out! How exciting. :)
Of course you should be excited! You should be jumping up and down with delight. I can't wait to recommend it to all the litttle kiddies at BookSmart (and their parents). And I'm a bit jealous--my galley did NOT have all those cool illustrations :(
Wow!! I don't know how anyone could possibly become blase about something like that - because how cool and amazing it must be to actually be holding your ideas and words in your hands in your very own book!! It must be - well, maybe not completely - but at least a little bit - like seeing your baby for the first time, after just having the idea of one being inside there for so long.
It looks beautiful, Laini and Jim - and I'm chomping at the bit, drooling, waiting to hold my own copy of it and read it come this summer when all of the rest of us can see it and hold it, too.
Congratulations! It's a book!
Woo hoo! The illustrations look totally awesome!!!
Cyst
I think that being on any list of favorites when it comes to the book business is incredible! Its big Big BIG business. And librarians are a tough crowd! I know I work with one.
Congratulations! Looks dreamy, dark, scary, lovely and exciting!
Sam
I am so happy to have found your blog. Your enthusiasm about your book and being nominated to the list is great! I hope that you don't lose that excitement even after writing 20 books. I was impressed by the few pages of your book that I've read so far and now have two books I'm looking forward to reading this summer. I am in the process of writing my own faery tale... something like a five year process but slow and steady wins the race, right? So, it excited me to see someone's blog who had finished one, gotten it published and is writing a second one already. Your story is captivating! I'll probably blog about you at some point to direct my friends who are HP fans to your book... if you don't mind. And, I'd love to post a photo of the cover and one of the illustrations if I have your permission with the link. let me know.
Congratulations, Laini! I discovered your blog last week and have loved reading about your life and about Faeries of Dreamdark. I work in book publishing and find your enthusiasm refreshing and inspiring. Thank you!
Can't wait to read the book!
It's beautiful, Laini! I can't wait until I see a spread of them at the bookstore.
I can only imagine how satisfying it is to hold the real thing. I look forward to reading it with my daughter.
I don't know you -- but way cool! What a thrill it must be for you. Congratulations!
...Rob
And I can FINALLY buy it! EEEEE! I'm thrilled for you! How awesome is THIS? You are a PUBLISHED author!
EEEEEEE!
Congratulations! It's a beautiful book!
Keep that enthusiasm - it is such a gift in our cynical "been there, done that " world. Looking forward to reading this tale ang enjoying all the illustrations. I just love a book with lots of lovely illustrations. You go girl!!
Fiona ( a Scottish librarian)
YAY, YAY! HOORAY, HOORAY!! YIPPEE!! I am SO SO SO SO SO SO thrilled for you - what an incredible thing you have done - you have PUT OUT into the world!! I am so happy for you! I can't wait to own a copy (will you sign one for me one day??!) Laini - you did it, you really did and you should be as excited and proud and FULL as you can possibly be - I AM SO PROUD OF YOU!!!!!!!!
Oh Laini, How exciting!! You can take it to Kansas. Yay. and may you never get over that thrill of the book arriving on your doorstep or being nominated for even your 20th title. Life is too short to be complacent! I can't wait to get the hardback signed by you.
I am also happy for you. Here's to keeping that thrilling feeling in your stomach. What's the fun of being cynical, blase, and ho hum? I'm off to find the book, I know not where.
Congratulations. It is a wonderful event. One you will doubtless always remember. :)
I personally think the ALA nomination is a very big deal! I'm so thrilled for you, Laini - you go, girl! :)
YAY! So cool!
I think we share a brain or something -- I was talking to someone just two days ago about that scene in Back to the Future and how I can't wait for that moment when the box of books arrives. The person had no clue what I was talking about, and I wondered if I was the only person who remembered that scene.
Anyway, your book is GORGEOUS. I can't wait to read it! I'm so excited for you!
Congratulations! May the wonder of it all never abandon you. I hope you are always so excited about your accomplishments.
~ Chris
www.bright-phoenix.com
It IS so exciting Laini! and i hope you always feel this level of excitement! it is incredible, amazing, fantastical, and wonderful...and so much more.
congratulations! can't wait to hold my own copy in june!!!
Wow! It looks gorgeous - I'm so excited for you and can't wait to see the copy on my bookshelf. (On my bookshelf? Who am I kidding, that puppy will be wildly fought over in my house between me and my two kids who are anxiously waiting to read it!) Congrats!!!
Laini, you're a true doll who deserves every success that comes your way, including an ALA nomination which indeed is a very BIG deal! Congratulations on a beautiful book! K.
yay! Yay! YAAAYYYYY!
I can't help but be excited tooooo! yippeeee! I think that is the coolest thing!
Congratulations!!!
The DAY you don't feel your heart race when you see your "real book" in your hands is seriously probably the day you should get a nice sensible job doing something besides creating new worlds for us all to crawl into. Congratulations on the well-deserved pulse-pounding day...on all of your success. Your joy inspires me.
Love,
D.
it looks fantastic! oh laini, the joy! i'd be a little concerned if you weren't a total spaz right now! this is big shit!!!! congratulations!
xo
ps. i just preordered it on amazon!!!
Laini it looks fantastic!
Is it out now?
Can i go get it?
:)
SOOOOO cool! Congrats:) It looks awesome! Wow.....you rock.
Soooooo Cool indeed!!
Congratulations!
Congrats, congrats, congrats! Though you said that there may come a day when holding your book in your hands doesn't make your heart race--I hope not! Being proud of what you've done is such a wonderful feeling. And the art is beautiful! Hope you got to celebrate this weekend.
Congratulations!
It looks and sounds like a book that would be popular here in Japan. Best wishes with it...maybe we'll see it on bookshleves here someday.
Gorgeous! Fantastic! Congratulations!
And here's to not being jaded! May it never happen! May you feel the heart race and joy for all the many books that you will write and all the great beauty you share with the world.
Here's to shouting from the rooftops, "Look what I did!" Yay!
Congrats! Your very own book in your very own hands must feel so frickin' awesome!
That is soooo exciting for you! I can hardly wait till the book comes out and I can have my very own copy. I can't tell you what an inspiration you truly are. I am so happy that I stumbled upon your blog! Your enthusiasm for life is so infectious! Thank you so much!
Congratulations!
Oh boy, that's two books I need to get the next time I'm at Borders. The other one is the Pope's new book on the life of Christ. That puts you in great company. But seriously. Laini, congratulations. You have put together a beautiful book.
Shoot, I am GETTING THAT!!!!! [My mother loves fantasy fiction...esp. fairies & goblins...THIS is gonna be a present for her!!!!!! :D] The cover is just fab. It's not all cutesy-magic fluff, I love that it looks kinda dark...& the crow is creepy.
Congratulations! It must feel amazing to finally hold it in your hands after all that work. Well done, and I can't wait to get my own copy :)
I'm so excited about getting your book into my hands that I feel like a big ol' spaz too. I've never actually known the author of the book I'm reading, so this is definitely spaz-worthy. :)
Congratulations! I can't imagine NOT being that excited. Hell just today I was reading my issue of Writers digest and saw the write up about you and your book in there. EYE almost flipped out and I only know you very very minutely through SS. Looking forward to when it comes out. RE: the seeing someone reading it idea. I kind of think along those same lines, though in MY version I am walking in a store and it happens to be on the shelf.
BD
Congratulations! tha's wonderful! will be available by internet?
Congratulations, Laini! Soon enough, your readers are going to be reacting the same way when your book arrives at their doors.
Congratulations! Your reaction is beyond understated if you ask me. I hope you'll let us all know when you stumble across someone reading *your* book :)
Totally AWESOME!! I saw your picture in Writer's Digest and thought, "Way to go girl!!" Your wings have sprouted and off you go....an inspiration to us all. Thanks!!
It's so wonderful that you are so excited!!! This is all very exciting stuff. :)
Many congratulations to you. I found you a while back through Sunday Scribblings, and from what I've read on your blog so far, your book promises to be quite fabulous.
Congratulations to our dear Laini! It looks fantastic. Please pose a link when it is available for preorder.
Success!
~ Autrice
Congratulations! That is indeed a huge accomplishment and one of my very own dreams. Thanks for sharing your excitement with us. The book looks very inviting.
Enjoy this moment and keep writing.
Mimi Lenox
Mimi Writes (mimiwrites.blogspot.com)
Your book looks absolutely wonderful. I want a copy! I LOVE fairy books. I especailly liked my Mum's old Pixie O'Harris Fiary Book and I also love the delightful odes of Charles Van Sandwyk. Congratulations on your book's release.
Brilliant!! Many warm and happy congrats ... enjoy this experience!! xx, JP
Congratulations! :)
CONGRATULATIONS LAINI!!! I love the title and art work. Your excitement is adorable and understandable! I would be screaming out all my windows! I can't wait to see it in my bookstore in June! Lot's and Lot's of Success and Luck to you! :)
Hi Laini,
(I know you from "Sunday Scribblings" even though I haven't been able to post to that prompt for a while, due to other committments.) This IS a WONDERFUL reason to be excited! Your natural enthusiasm shines on these pages, like the energy you bring to the writings I've read of yours.
You hit it on the mark about pride, joy, and thrilled at your deserved achievement. It's terrific. I love reading that Jim illustrates your writings.
(It is a downer when others are not as excited as you, as in "ho hum." I'm STILL proud and excited when my work is accepted to certain artshows. I hope that incredible tingly feeling that grows from the pit of my stomach and rises to the twinkle in my eyes never leaves. Each time is like the first time to me.
Congrats again! I hope to meet you some day at a book signing or casually. I have very exciting news in regard to someone who bought one of my paintings, but I haven't been able to stop to breathe long enought to compose a blog post that is beyond: Yipeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeee! :)
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