This is the week it finally happened, folks… I became a ‘writer’. Oh, sure, I’ve been writing like an addict for years, and I’ve been telling stories since before I could read them (just ask my mam), but on the 28th February my debut novel was released into the wild. For me, that is a dream come true.
To be clear, I don’t simply define a writer as someone who has been published, but in my own worldview, I could never really consider myself achieving that lofty and ambitious title until it happened the old fashioned way. And on Tuesday, it did. The Book and the Blade is out now, ladies and gents, published by the wonderful people at Parliament House Press.
It's real! You can buy it, you can touch it, and if you feel that way inclined, you can even read it!
It has been a surreal week, so I thought I’d give you a bit of a run-through of events so far. Here’s a list:
1) Woke up Tuesday to a message from a lady in Canada who was feeling unwell, so she stayed off work and read half the novel before lunch. She was loving it. I was buzzing before I even got out of bed.
2) I went to work with a copy of the book in my bag and showed my mates like a proud dad.
3) Throughout the day, Instagram and Twitter went a bit nuts with the MTMC book tour under the hashtag #TheBookandTheBladeMTMC. This has been going on all week and it has been so cool to read people’s thoughts and first impressions.
4) An interview with my hometown newspaper was published. It was great. I chatted to the lovely lady via Zoom on Sunday, but for some unknown reason, reading it bummed me out. I don’t know why. Peaks and troughs, I guess. I felt like a fraud.
5) I drank some English ales as the sun set and a box of books arrived at the house. I talked to libraries about adding my book to their list.
6) The lovely Canadian lady finished it, said she loved it, and is waiting for the sequel.
7) Congratuwelldones from all over the place! Photos from friends and strangers holding the book (or screenshots of Amazon saying there’s a delay in delivery 🤣).
8) An interview published by my University Alumni – LOVED this.
9) The book bizarrely ended up on a list alongside my idol, Sir Terry Pratchett and I momentarily lost my damn mind!
10) My mam sent me a photo of me in the local paper.
11) My amazing wife has gone above a beyond organising a book launch this Saturday at one of my favourite bars… Netherworld in Brisbane.
12) And today, as I started writing this, I received an email rejection for another novel. What a bookend to the week!
I must really be a writer now!