Coffee, Checklists, Chaos 2 days to go to launch…
2 days to go to launch… The to-do list is real. I’m due for a freak out. I need to pack the tiara. I’m almost ready… sort of.
2 Days to Launch: Send Help (and More Coffee)
There’s a certain point in every book launch where the to-do lists stop looking like lists and start looking like manifestos.
That’s where I’m at. Two days to go until Betrayed on the Promenade releases, three days until I’m on a plane, and five days until I’m standing at the Mississippi Book Festival trying to look like a woman who has it all together.
Spoiler alert: I do not have it all together. Yesterday, I took Elvis for a walk wearing two completely different shoes and didn’t notice until my neighbor waved. I waved back like I meant to start a new trend.
The To-Do List: Final Boss Edition
Here’s what’s still on my list:
• Finish packing for the festival – have I decided what outfit to wear? Of course not!
• Triple-check that my festival display fits in my suitcase without breaking airline weight limits or physics. Did I remember the skeletons? I NEED the skeletons.
• Hope customs doesn’t think my digital book displays are some kind of high-tech contraband (Honestly officer, it’s just a display, but while we’re here, can I interest you in my cozy mystery series? It’s about a Cruise Director…)
• Remind myself not to joke with the Houston Immigration Agent when they ask if I have anything to declare. “Nothing but plot twists and who get’s it first,” because while hilarious in my head, it’s probably not airport-approved humor.
Nightmares I’ve Already Had (Because Why Not?)
• Opening a box of books only to find every single one printed upside down. Reminder - CALL MOM!!!
• My suitcases getting lost somewhere between Panama and Mississippi
• My voice vanishing mid-sentence at the festival with a reader who is a cozy mystery influencer with a following of 1M readers
But I’m (Sort of) Ready
Despite the caffeine shakes, my fear that my suitcase is one rogue bookmark away from being overweight, and the small voice in my head screaming, “WHAT IF EVERYTHING GOES WRONG?”… I’m doing this.
In 48 hours, Betrayed on the Promenade will be out in the wild. Kennedy Reeves and her most treacherous cruise yet will be in readers’ hands. And in five days, I’ll be in Mississippi surrounded by books, coasters (not contraband), and readers who remind me why I do all of this in the first place.
It’s not perfect. It’s not calm. But it’s mine. And honestly? I wouldn’t trade it for anything… except maybe a refill on this coffee.
P.S. Mississippi, I’m Coming for You
Headed to the Mississippi Book Festival? Stop by my table and say hi. I’ll be the one in a tiara, grinning like a sleep-deprived raccoon in Author's Alley.
Didn’t pre-order Betrayed on the Promenade at launch? Shame! But lucky for you, it’s just a click away.
________________________________________
Now, if you’ll excuse me…
There’s a cruise director with more than cocktails to juggle. Kennedy’s just received a text message that could sink her ship, and let’s not even talk about the email she hasn’t opened yet. I really should check on her before things spiral… further.
2 Days to Launch: Send Help (and More Coffee)
There’s a certain point in every book launch where the to-do lists stop looking like lists and start looking like manifestos.
That’s where I’m at. Two days to go until Betrayed on the Promenade releases, three days until I’m on a plane, and five days until I’m standing at the Mississippi Book Festival trying to look like a woman who has it all together.
Spoiler alert: I do not have it all together. Yesterday, I took Elvis for a walk wearing two completely different shoes and didn’t notice until my neighbor waved. I waved back like I meant to start a new trend.
The To-Do List: Final Boss Edition
Here’s what’s still on my list:
• Finish packing for the festival – have I decided what outfit to wear? Of course not!
• Triple-check that my festival display fits in my suitcase without breaking airline weight limits or physics. Did I remember the skeletons? I NEED the skeletons.
• Hope customs doesn’t think my digital book displays are some kind of high-tech contraband (Honestly officer, it’s just a display, but while we’re here, can I interest you in my cozy mystery series? It’s about a Cruise Director…)
• Remind myself not to joke with the Houston Immigration Agent when they ask if I have anything to declare. “Nothing but plot twists and who get’s it first,” because while hilarious in my head, it’s probably not airport-approved humor.
Nightmares I’ve Already Had (Because Why Not?)
• Opening a box of books only to find every single one printed upside down. Reminder - CALL MOM!!!
• My suitcases getting lost somewhere between Panama and Mississippi
• My voice vanishing mid-sentence at the festival with a reader who is a cozy mystery influencer with a following of 1M readers
But I’m (Sort of) Ready
Despite the caffeine shakes, my fear that my suitcase is one rogue bookmark away from being overweight, and the small voice in my head screaming, “WHAT IF EVERYTHING GOES WRONG?”… I’m doing this.
In 48 hours, Betrayed on the Promenade will be out in the wild. Kennedy Reeves and her most treacherous cruise yet will be in readers’ hands. And in five days, I’ll be in Mississippi surrounded by books, coasters (not contraband), and readers who remind me why I do all of this in the first place.
It’s not perfect. It’s not calm. But it’s mine. And honestly? I wouldn’t trade it for anything… except maybe a refill on this coffee.
P.S. Mississippi, I’m Coming for You
Headed to the Mississippi Book Festival? Stop by my table and say hi. I’ll be the one in a tiara, grinning like a sleep-deprived raccoon in Author's Alley.
Didn’t pre-order Betrayed on the Promenade at launch? Shame! But lucky for you, it’s just a click away.
________________________________________
Now, if you’ll excuse me…
There’s a cruise director with more than cocktails to juggle. Kennedy’s just received a text message that could sink her ship, and let’s not even talk about the email she hasn’t opened yet. I really should check on her before things spiral… further.
No comments have been added yet.
