I’m posting a little early this month (alright – two weeks and three days early if anyone’s counting) But, oh the white-knuckled, hair-raising, stomach-churning, eyeball-popping, roller-coaster ride that is life as a published author. Avid readers may remember the depths of last month’s post, What Do You Do With Your First Bad Review? After its publication, I drew strength from the positive, uplifting and inspiring comments I received as I continued my daily meditations (or was that medications?) Anyway. This week I Know Why Your Mother’s Crazy won second prize in the Amazon Breakthrough Novel Award. And Publishers Weekly (The International News Magazine of Book Publishing and Bookselling) sent me their review. After last month’s mauling, I was scared of opening the document. I practised my deep breathing. The first line began, “After a peculiar false start involving abuse…” I felt tears forming. My fragile ego hadn’t recovered sufficiently. I wasn’t ready for this. I wished someone had told me you had to be brave to be a writer. (I would have listened more in computer studies or something) I continued reading. “…this page-turner of a novel quickly finds its legs.” Worried that my eyes might be blurred from said tears forming, I re-read the line several times. But not as many times as I read this: “Intelligently, compassionately written…” Or this: “The book makes that difficult thing — the ensemble cast — succeed, and what helps immeasurably is a light touch and lots of genuine comedy.” It is, in ….. read full article and comment