A Day in the Life of a New Author

My alarm plays a little Nokia song at 6:00 AM. I push snooze, and I am overcome with this sick urge that repeatedly plagues my mind. Yes, I'm at it again. Yes, I give in and reach for my phone. I awaken my Windows Nokia Lumia, the screen lighting up the room with it's bright light. My husband grunts, but drifts back to sleep. I tap the internet explorer, which is ALWAYS at my Amazon page because, other than my husband's handsome face, it is the last thing I look at before bed (we'll get back to that). I scroll down and there it is: MY RANKING . I cringe, hold my breath, my chest tightens...#685. Hallelujah. I wake up my husband, and whisper, "685." He mumbles, "Good shhhhmob mmmmmf," and falls back asleep. From there, I can start my day.

I head into work and set up my laptop. I chat away with my colleagues who repeatedly ask, "How's the book doing?" I say something exciting--to what extent all depends on whatever happened the day before. I may or may not drift off into my own thoughts of my current WIP, which usually equal out to Can I make this one as good as Under the Orange Moon? Will they like it? This, of course, brings forth the ever-present thoughts of discouragement, self doubt, fear, resentment, guilt, regret...you know...the usual. And then I read another fabulous message from the die-hard readers/bloggers who are kind enough to keep me going; this helps in ways I wish they could all understand.

During lunch, I chat with my darling Steph Nuss (author of Wanted By You) and we share our latest woes or great news. Before I return to the university students whom I work with, I sneak another peek at my ranking: #790.

I leave work humbled and full of self assurance. A student has brought in a letter of acceptance or an award that she wants to thank ME (??) for achieving. This overwhelming feeling of being able to teach and watch students grow is enough for me...

Until I get home. I check my ranking again: #705. Yeeeee!

I make my family dinner. We chat away about anything that is NOT book related, because, really, they're over it. We work on homework, etc., and sit down to watch TV. Life is good. I sneak away to sit down at the computer in my office. I have an idea for my WIP that I just have to get down. What do I do first?? Why check my Facebook, of course. This then turns into me clicking on the link from my FB page to what else? Yes, the Amazon page for Under the Orange Moon, which is presenting a ranking of #726.

Am I relieved? Nope. Am I full of self doubt? Nope. Do I end up writing? NOPE. What do I do? I post a GIVEAWAY. Why? Because I freaking love my readers.

Later, I holler the usual commands to my children: "Clean up your mess, take a shower, brush your teeth, pick your clothes up off the bathroom floor, stop peeing on the toilet seat, stop hitting your brother..." After they are snuggled up in their beds and I have, yet again, attempted to sing a creepy lullaby to them to no avail (they're 15 and 11; someday I'll accept that they are not babies), I crawl into bed with my beloved husband. What do I do?? I CHECK MY F-ING RANKING, which is #785. I tell him. Is he listening? Nope.

I set my alarm and drift off to sleep, where I dream about reviews, rankings, and sometimes scary waitressing dreams even though I haven't waitressed since I was in my early twenties.

6:00 AM...repeat.

That, my friends, is the day in the life of a new author. I hope by the time I get my current WIP transitioned into Novel #2 I will get over this sick and twisted addiction. Until then, there is always wine.

PS...I love you all. It is because of YOU, my darling readers/bloggers, that I am where I am now. THANK YOU.

xoxo