On June 18th release day arrived for Ember Creek. Years of keeping a story inside, months of writing, editing and perfecting to arrive at a single day called release day.
The buildup was overwhelming with worry and fear. The unknown of a books destiny is excruciating after the blood, sweat and tears put into the work.
Will it be good enough? Will people care? Will anyone buy my book? What if they hate the story? So many questions spinning while waiting for the big day. The thought of failing became suffocating at times. However; the incredible book community I have been blessed to find helped me breath through the suffocation. Helped me keep my head above the water when I thought I was drowning.
From ARC readers to a street team and the book community itself, I learned that I wasn't alone. Not only was I not alone, but I was also accepted, supported, encouraged and loved. The receiving on my debut novel was humbling. They LOVED my book. They loved the town of Ember Creek. They loved Brian and Diane's story. They even jumped on the #teamgerald bandwagon. It was more than I ever expected. It was beautiful.
The night before release I couldn't sleep. At some point in the wee hours of the early morning, I passed out when my body gave in to the exhaustion. I woke up in a frenzy, the kind you feel when you hit the snooze button, but it was actually the off button and now you are late to the airport and will miss your flight. It was a horrible feeling.
I grabbed my phone and took a deep breath. Would anyone support me today? All the promise of hype and support, would they show up? I was so scared to open my phone. But I put my big girl panties on and looked.
OH, MY WORD!!!!!!! When I logged on to my socials my heart froze. Not because it was quiet but because I had hundreds of notifications waiting for me. HUNDREDS. So and so tagged you in their post. Someone mentioned you. You've been tagged. Messages from XYZ... It went on and on and on. Endless notifications of excitement, support and my community showed up for me. For Ember Creek.
I froze in bed. I was unable to move from the shock and awe I was in. Was this truly happening? I might be dreaming, right? Oh, it was all real. So real. Before I could even think about getting out of bed I started crying. Tears of joy flooded down my face as I reviewed post after tag after mention. I couldn't believe what my eyes were witnessing. It was my dream and it was now a reality. Everyone showed up.
All I could think to do was start sharing my gratitude. I made a video and although I tried really hard to hide my tears, they took over. Good tears. Well-deserved tears. For not being a publicly emotional person, I chose to share my true self and be authentic with everyone.
The rest of the day was full of smiles, lots more tears, joy, excitement and gratitude. The momentum of Ember Creek's release never died. It lasted all day long. Well into the evening hours. Release day for Ember Creek was one of the top 5 days I've experienced in my entire life.
Thank you. I know that this was never possible without the community who chose to take a chance on an unknown Indie Author. Your kindness, love and support of my work meant everything to me, and I'll never forget this release day.
~Elle~