The List!

In addition to the below awesomeness (not me, the list), I was just informed that the book has gone into its fourth printing. Holy smokes! I didn't even know it had gone into its third. Thanks again to everyone who has picked up a copy and kept booksellers both busy and excited about the title! Next week, this blog will be less about me and more about answering your questions. I promise.

The Making of a Best Seller

So, hmmm, okay, in case you didn't hear: I am officially and forever will be a NY Times Best Selling Author!!! Yay! What does this mean? Well, it means that for the future on out, all of my books will say that I'm a NY Times Best Selling author. For the present, it means that I'm working it into as many conversations as possible. :)

Actually, what it means is something fairly intangible. I've learned some interesting stuff this past week about best seller lists, and I thought that you guys might find it interesting too. When whispers of the fact that I might have a chance of making one (or more) first found their way to me, the first thing I asked was, "Well, how are these lists quantified?" And the answers I got back -from just about everyone - editors, writers, my agent - is that no one really seems to know.

Huh.

You'd think that it would be simple math: add up the top sellers and put them on the list. But evidently, this isn't exactly how it's done. And each list has its own method of going about it. From what I've learned, the news outlets not only look at numbers, but they also survey bookstores to see what is hot and what is selling like wildfire, and some lists, like the NY Times, ignore big box stores (which served to my advantage, as I'm not yet in Costco, but now hope to be), while others (like, I think, USA Today, but I'm not certain) do not. USA Today lists the top 150 books period. They don't differentiate between fiction and non, children's and adult, paperback and hardcover. It is strictly: these are the top 150 sellers (based on some secret calculation) in the country, which, of course means that it's tougher for a novel to land on the list, as non-fiction sells far, far more copies than fiction.

So, as the days and hours approached, I was nervous. I was more than nervous, I was full-on freaking out, albeit mostly internally and taking a good deal of it out on the elliptical! :) But the fact is that you CAN sell more copies than another book and not end up on the list. I knew this. I knew that there is no transparency with the decision-making process, and while I also knew that my sales should have been strong enough to land me somewhere, really, no one knew for sure. You also have to keep in mind that these lists are like a grading curve: if you sell well in a week where there are no big releases or other books fall short of expectations, you have a much greater chance of making it. If my book had come out in May? I probably wouldn't be in my designated slot.

So back to the original question: what does all of this mean? To be honest, I'm not sure yet. I know that book stores get the list today and tomorrow and will probably offer more support/sales. I know that, as mentioned, I get a shiny new title that excites the marketing folks. I know that I get a tiny thrill when I see my name on the actual pdf I have of the list. I know that this will likely give me more leverage when I sell my next book. But right now? In this moment? Well, maybe it will convince people to fork over $15 when they otherwise wouldn't have. Maybe it will convince a few more newspapers or magazines to run reviews.

But to be honest, life goes on. I got the news and had a wonderful, like, 20 minute bubble of pure elation/oh-my-f-ing-god-I-can't-believe-I-did-it moment, and then my kids needed dinner, and my son needed cough medicine, and we had our daily bedtime routine, and then I got dinner ready, and then I fell into bed and watched my DVRed episode of Samantha Who and the intro to Lipstick Jungle. (Sue me, it's a guilty pleasure.)

We'll see what happens from here. You know I'll keep you posted!

And thanks AGAIN to EVERY LAST ONE OF YOU who helped get me here. Truly. I'm sure that some authors don't recognize that it takes a village to make a best-seller, but I do. I feel grateful and humbled that I have found such wonderful neighbors in all of you.

NY Times Best Seller List!!!!!!!!!!!!

I just found out!!!

AAAAHHHHHHHHHH!!!!!

I hit the list (albeit extended list) this week!!! I haven't seen the list, so I can't remember who I'm ahead of - the lovely folks at Random House called me, and I was working out to distract myself from knowing that the list was coming out, and thus when they called, and I was breathless and sweating and then crying and basically near hysterics - but I do remember that it was names that I never in a million years imagined I'd be in the same vicinity of.

More tomorrow. A lot more tomorrow. About how you get on the list. About what it means. About all of that.

Now? Coincidentally, I'd scheduled a massage for tonight. But life is good now. There will be no unblocking of chis for me.

And. Most importantly. THANK YOU to you guys. I've said it here before and often, but no matter how good a book is, is does NOT do well without the support of readers, friends of the author, the publisher and the author's team. I really, really, really am so grateful to all of you who helped get me there. THANK YOU!!!!!!

If and When Blogger Ever Unlocks This Blog...

Ugh. Apologies! For some reason, Blogger has locked this blog to review it for potential spamming, and I've been unable to post since Friday! SO ANNOYING. So I'm writing this in the hopes that I can get it online sometime soon.

I don't want to write anything too important in case by the time this goes up, it's outdated, but in the meantime, I'm actually on my GCC tour this week! So to keep you occupied until I get up to speed with blog posts, here are some links to various Q/As I've done.

Again, apologies on the inactive blog. Blame Blogger.

Brant Flakes - http://marilynbrant.blogspot.com/

Wendy Nelson Tokunaga - http://blog.wendytokunaga.com/

FOOTNOTES - http://joannerendell.blogspot.com/

Kelly Parra: http://publishersmarketplace.com/members/writerwords/

Meet Me In New Hampshire

So the car and the kiddies are packed, and we're heading up to New Hampshire for my reading/signing on Saturday. If you're in the area, please stop by!

In the meantime, if you haven't bought the book, will you pretty, pretty, pretty please pick it up this weekend? And email your friends and ask them to too? :) And then have them email their friends? LOL. Okay, maybe not. But I ask because, I can't believe this, it actually looks like I have a shot at making the bestseller list THIS WEEK, so THIS WEEK'S sales really, really, really matter. So please, please, please - buy it today! If your local store doesn't have it, please ask them to order it! I was told that this is the best way to help boost store support. (The things you learn...I'd normally rush home and buy it from Amazon, but apparently not.)

Okay, enough of my begging (one more time: please???): my GCC tour begins next week, but two lovely bloggers were kind enough to tour me early, which should keep you occupied until I'm back in town and at the computer.

Roberta Isleib's Blog - http://robertaisleib.com/blog/

Granny Panty Chronicles - http://grannypantychronicles.blogspot.com/

Happy weekend, everyone! (And hit the bookstore asap!)

The Secrets to Success (And Oh Yeah, A 2nd Print Run, Baby!)

Hey - New Englanders: mark your calendars: I will be reading and signing this weekend, Saturday, October 25th, at the Barnes and Noble in Manchester, NH on South Willow St. at 4pm. I hope to see some of you there!

Also, more good news! Time of My Life went into its second printing yesterday! Yay! If you haven't bought it, I hope that you'll consider buying it now!

I was asked this week, on one of my writer's boards, to share the secrets of my success. The question made me both laugh and cringe, and it feels really narcissistic to even indulge myself into thinking that I'm someone who should have secrets to her success, much less share them, but once I started thinking about it, I thought, eh, maybe I do have some tips that might be helpful or inspirational to blog readers, and so, here are a few ways that I think I helped boost my career. Take them for what you will, knowing that there are many, many writers out there who are more successful than I am, and that I in no way am placing myself into their vaulted category.

So anyway, here are some tips:

1) I'm not afraid of failure. For me, it's not that failure isn't an option. Of course it's an option, but it's not a reason not to do something. I push myself my very, very hardest, and I truly and fully believe that I will succeed at virtually everything I do, but I also know that if I don't, it's not the end of the world. Failure really isn't that scary to me, but I think for some writers that fear of failure can be paralyzing. But you know what? So what if your ms doesn't sell? Mine didn't. Eat cookies, move on. (As I've been known to say.) Use it as a lesson for improvement.

2) I'm open, very open, to constructive criticism. This sort of goes along with #1. I think a lot of writers tie their egos to their work, but what really happens is their egos bog them down like boulders. I got criticism earlier in my career (hell, I still get it, let's be honest), and rather than raise a wall of defensiveness, I took an honest look at what these people were saying about my writing and I tried my very best to implement the advice, when sound. I often say here that improvement in your writing is a limitless ceiling, but many times, the only way to improve is to take a hard look at your weaknesses. Even if your mother tells you that your ms is perfect, it's most likely not, so stop thinking that it is.

3) I dream big. I don't know if this makes me particularly unique. I'm guessing that most writers hope to write big books and have their novels turned into movies and all of that good stuff. But regardless, I dream big, but I don't just dream: as I alluded to in #1, I fully, fully believe that I am capable of making this stuff happen. I honestly give this credit to my parents: I have been over-confident since I was a kid; it's just full-blown innate assuredness (is that even a word?) that if I want to get something done, I have the skills and capacity to do so. So I use everything in my control to make it happen. If it doesn't, it's not going to be for my lack of trying. (Think of that Chumba Wumba song: "I get knocked down, then I get up again, you're never gonna knock me out." Well, I love that song. It is my motto to a tee.)

4) I surround myself with very, very, very good people. I keep getting congratulatory emails and phone calls, but really, I think a lot of the kudos goes to the team (ugh, yes, I said that I have a team, forgive me) that has worked to make this book a success. I have been with my agent since the beginning (well, after my first agent gave up on me - see #1 about failure), and she wasn't the most established and she wasn't the biggest and she wasn't the a-numero-uno. But I believed in her, and she believed in me, and together, we've ascended the ranks. I trusted that she was smart and capable and talented and my ally, and she has proven to be all of these things, and without her, I would not be here. Ditto the team at Random House: people congratulate me on The Today Show, and I say, "Congratulate my publicist because she did it, not me!" And it's true: from the person who designed the incredible cover to my publicist to my incredible editor who suggested some tweaks in my first draft that made this book so, so, so much better...it was a collaborative effort. And an intentional one as well. My agent and I knew that we wanted to work with these folks before we shopped the book around, so we found a way to make it happen, even if it meant, for example, that I pulled out from an auction and took less money.

5) I had some good luck. Let's be honest here. There are plenty of incredibly talented writers out there who haven't yet been discovered. My timing has worked out. If my best friend hadn't called me on the day I was gestating a time-travel idea and hadn't started talking about her what-ifs and if I hadn't then gone for a run on that incredible summer day, who knows? I worked very, very hard, but I also got lucky. I'm smart enough to know that too.

Anyone else want to chime in on their own secrets to success? I'd love to hear them!

GCC Presents: Nadine Dajani and

Whew! So I'm taking a break from the whirlwind of ToML stuff to promote someone else's book, something you know that I'm always happy to do! We're returning to our regular programming with a GCC tour stop. Today, we have Nadine Dajini and her new book, Cutting Loose, which Publishers Weekly deemed "engrossing," and the Romantic Times calls, "hard to put down." Nice! Pick up a copy on Amazon today!

Here's the scoop, and then Nadine answers my usual questions (aspiritng novelists - be sure to read her answer to #3):

Ranya is a modern-day princess—brought up behind the gilded walls of Saudi Arabian high society and winner of the dream husband sweepstakes . . . until said husband turns out to be more interested in Paolo, the interior-decorator-cum-underwear-model, than in his virginal new wife.

Smart, independent, but painfully shy, Zahra has managed to escape her impoverished Palestinian roots to carve out a life of comfort. But she can’t reveal her secrets to the man she adores or shake off the fear that she doesn’t deserve any of it. Neither can she stop herself from thinking that if she holds on to anything—or anyone—too dearly, they will be taken away in the blink of a kohl-lined eye.

Rio has risen above the slums of her native Honduras—not to mention the jeers of her none too supportive family—to become editor in chief of Suéltate magazine, the hottest Latina-targeted glossy in town, and this in spite of Georges Mallouk, her clueless boss, and in spite of Rio’s affair with Georges’ delicious but despicable younger brother, Joe.

In this city of fast cars, sleek clubs, and unapologetic superficiality, Ranya, Zahra, and Rio wrestle with the ties that bind them to their difficult pasts, each wondering if she will ever manage to cut loose…

1) What’s the backstory behind your book?

I always look at a new book as an opportunity to address an issue that’s bugging me – looking at it from different angles, finding characters that embody the clashing views and struggles, and then put them in a room together against some dazzling backdrop.

In Cutting Loose, there are many issues – every single character in this book has a different ethnic makeup – there’s the Lebanese Muslim social butterfly, the shy Palestinian Christian accountant whose family is struggling to survive under military occupation, the Honduran-American whose piece of the American dream was much more hard-earned than most, and then there’s a multi-generational dynasty of Lebanese Christians with roots in the US going back to Frontier times, and who’ve built a business empire. Every one of these characters represents a demographic that flies in the face of the conventional narrative we’re always being fed about who really occupies this world we live in, and what it is that really matters to them. Their struggles unfold against a few cities – Montreal, London, and Miami, but most of the action takes place in sizzling Miami, where I love to spend time when I can.

2) It seems that a lot of readers confuse fiction with real life, assuming that a novel must be an autobiography of the author as well. How many elements of your real life are reflected in your book?

There are a few elements of Ranya’s experiences as an expat in Saudi Arabia that were lifted from my memories, but I was too young back then to really be out and about and have something memorable to comment on – I lifted some of my cousin’s experiences, who is older and so had more interesting things happen to her… like sharing a classroom with actual princesses from the Saudi royal family. There are so many of the (last stat I came across was 11,000 in a relatively unpopulated country!) so it’s certainly possible (probable even), if you go to the top schools. Like Zahra, I’m originally Palestinian, though born in Lebanon, and I did want to explore that a little bit. But the most autobiographical element is right up front in the first chapter – I was sitting in a posh London restaurant (Harvey Nichols rooftop terrace, to be precise), thinking about how to begin this book. Just as Ranya notices, Middle Eastern wealth is really on display over there, as may Gulf Arabs spend their holidays in Europe and take advantage of the excursion to as (as do tourists all over the globe…). I guess the lady sitting at the table next to me was a little miffed by all the headscarf-clad heads in this posh place, and the loud, jovial chatter, so she turned around to her companion and said” “C’est payant, le terrorisme” which I’m sure you guessed, means “terrorism pays”.

Let me tell you, for an author who was looking for a good way to start a novel dealing with racism, it couldn’t have been more inspirational.

3) A lot of my blog readers are aspiring or new authors. How did you land your first book deal?

The old fashioned way – polishing and polishing and polishing my first effort until it was obviously ridiculous not to send it out. I researched agents, pitched at an RWA conference, identified my top two “perfect fit” agents, queried them both. They both requested a partial (that’s the first chapter and a 5 page summary). They both came back with both positive and negative feedback and gave me a shot at spiffing up my first few chapters and resubmitting. I did, and with their feedback, the chapters really were much better – and they both made an offer! It was an incredible moment in my life. In fact, I was keenly aware that no other “first” would top this one – it was the first time I’d gotten validation from someone willing to pay actual money for these sentences I’d strung together, mostly for fun. I decided on the agent I felt had the best experience, and the one who could offer constructive criticism (and not just gush over my writing, or want to be my friend). A couple of months later, I had a deal!

4) I have a serious procrastination problem when it comes to tackling my fiction. What’s your routine? How do you dive it? Do you have any rituals or necessary to-dos before or while you write?

I also have a serious procrastination problem, and there are no better motivators than meeting deadlines and getting that check in! I tried to weed television out of my life, but with all these Planet Earth reruns and the constant election coverage, I can’t resist anymore! It’s a constant struggle with no shortcuts… sorry.

5) Clearly, your book will be optioned for a multi-million dollar film deal! Who would you cast as the leads, if you were given creative control?

I love this question! The whole time I was writing, I had a clear picture of Aishwayra Rai (even made a reference in the novel…) of Bride and Prejudice as Ranya, the doe-eyed, mocha-skinned beauty being taken for a ride by the ageing blond-bombshell cad, Jude Law. As for her studly but darker-humored savior Georges, my dream casting would be my current Hollywood crush – Javier Bardem. But the boys are supposed to be brothers and I have a hard time picturing Jude and Javier as remotely related!

For the driven and snarky Latina editor of Sueltate magazine where Ranya lands her first ever job, I can see Rosario Dawson (who shares the character’s first name!) with a no-nonsense pixie cut. Marisa Tomei would be great too.

As for Zahra, the slightly overweight, shy Palestinian accountant, I think Jennifer Aniston would be fabulous if she agreed to put on 30 pounds and be made up to look frumpy, à la Nicole Kidman in The Hours or Renee in her infamous take on Bridget Jones.

And for my favorite character of all, the unlikely young Latin hunk poised to rock Rio’s cynical world, I would love to see Jay Hernandez who totally rocked my world in Crazy/Beautiful opposite a nutty Kirstin Dunst.

The Today Show, Baby!

So I didn't want to jinx myself by mentioning this on the blog earlier, but Time of My Life was just named one of the top 10 reads for fall on The Today Show!

!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

The company that I keep on that list is UNBELIEVABLE. Truly. Dennis Lehane. Anita Shreve. Wally Lamb!?!? Are you kidding me? I cannot describe how much my mind is blown.

Here's the link if you want to see their top 10 picks:

http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/27237637/

Or watch the video: http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/21134540/vp/27250840#27250840

Also, because this blog is not - nor has it ever been - all about me, I just want to say that all of you aspiring writers out there, keep plugging away. Four or five years ago, writing fiction was an aspiration for me, something I thought I was capable of but daunted all the same. But because I don't believe in limiting myself, I gave it a crack, and while (as well documented on this blog), my first manuscript never sold, I kept at it. Because that's what you have to do. So keep at it. That's really your only choice.

In addition, I am so sorry that for the past few weeks, I haven't been able to answer any of your Ask Allison questions! I know that first and foremost, you guys come to this blog not to read about my book release (ha!) but to get advice on the industry, but the truth is that things have exploded in ways that I couldn't anticipate, and I am just so, so, so busy that I haven't had time to sit down and answer your questions. But I do hope to get back to that soon!

Anyway, enjoy your weekend! I know that I will!!

People! PEOPLE!!

Oh What a Night!

Last night was so great! We SOLD OUT Borders, drank mojitos, and all in all had a blast. I'm posting some pics when I get a second.

But I just had the most SURREAL experience at the grocery store. I wandered in to pick up a few things after dropping my son off at school, and saw the new People magazine. I flipped through to see which books were reviewed, and TIME OF MY LIFE is in there!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! I was so freaked out (in a good way!) that I could barely sign my credit card receipt! And now, I'm wondering if it's too early to start drinking! :) As we've discussed here before, People is the ultimate (though I hope to have some other very, very big news to announce on Saturday), and I am going totally bananas. Ba. Na. Nas.

Anyway, pictures are coming asap. Thanks to everyone who came and celebrated and got a copy!

Oh, several people have posted here or sent me emails as to how to get a signed copy. The best thing to do is to send me an email, and I'll send you my address: you can mail me a copy, and for Ask Allison readers, I'll throw in free return postage and send it back to you. :)

Okay, off to make that drink!!

Tonight, Tonight, Tonight

Whoa-oh!

(Yes, I just quoted Genesis on my blog. Am I old or what?)

But all of you New Yorkers or folks in the New York vicinity, I'm reading/signing/discussing ToML TONIGHT at the Borders at Time Warner Center at 7pm. Check out the spiffy window display (taken from my Blackberry, so the quality ain't great)!

I hope to see some of you there, and please feel free to pass this along to any/all friends in the area!

What, Really, Is the Goal Here?

So a writer friend, Tricia Lawrence, was kind enough to post a lovely review of ToML last week, and it got me thinking. Specifically, the last line of her review got me thinking. She said, "And to my very good writing friend, Allison, cheers. You outdid your first success, I think," and I was so touched by this sentiment. And this is why I started thinking. What I was thinking about, specifically, was what the goal of putting out a novel has to be. This past week has been so stressful - are people buying the book?, are people enjoying the book?, will Random House be pleased with the results?, can I come up with a new concept to top this one? - the questions were (and are) unending. But then I read Tricia's post, and I thought, hmmmmmmmmm.

I've long said on this blog that my goal is never to be more prolific or better than any of my writing peers. My goal has been - and will always be, I hope - to simply be the best that I can be. And this is why Tricia's post resonated so soundly. The goal of ToML, for me, was to evolve into a better writer than my last effort. To not rest on the fact that I was now a published fiction author. To, in fact, use the fact that I was now a published fiction author to become a better author period. So when I was writing, I pushed myself to not take the easy way out in the plot, to read and reread my work until I was satisfied with every last sentence (though I still see some and cringe), to listen to the constructive criticism offered by my team and really take it to heart and allow my work to improve because of it. Not that I didn't do this with my first effort; I did. Only now I had a bar and knew I could raise it higher.

And, because I think I met all of these goals, I have to be satisfied no matter what happens with this book. And once I considered this, I felt a little bit more at ease about all of those other questions that are clanging so loudly around my brain. The truth is that you can't control if people buy your book (to a certain extent), you can't control if everyone loves your book (they won't), you can't control your publisher's expectations. What you can control is being your very best, and since I'm satisfied that I did, indeed, put my best effort forward, I can take this satisfaction and hopefully, let the other stuff take a back seat. I think this is true whether or not you're a published author, whether or not you're on your first or your fifth novel. I think this has to be our ultimate aspiration as writers because, if not, you'll get too caught up in the question marks to really come up with any solid answers.

So readers, how do you stay on top of your games?

I'm in Recovery

So after going full-throttle all week and capping it off with my son's birthday party Sunday morning, my body gave up...as soon as I walked in the door from the party, my temp shot up to 102, and all viral hell broke out inside of me.

So, I promise a real post on Tues, but for now, it's all I can do to moan under my covers and enjoy the occasional reprieve that Aleve brings. Sigh.

But to hold you over (not that you're chomping at the bit for a blog post or anything), here's a TV interview that I shot that ran over the weekend.

http://www.ny1.com/content/features/87109/author-of--time-of-my-life--says-past-is-hard-to-fix/Default.aspx

Enjoy Columbus Day!

Want My Book for Free?

Well, today is your lucky day! (Actually, you still have to win to really be lucky, but at least I'm pointing you in the right direction!) There are a slew of contests going on all over the web to win Time of My Life, and if you don't want to pay for it (though I really, really, really hope that you will), try your hand at winning one of them:

1) Betty Confidential's Lit Lounge

2) GoodReads' Giveaway Program

3) Kristen Kirk's Family That Reads Together Blog

4) Sandra Joseph's Blog

Good luck!

Yet More Me

Thanks so much to EVERYONE who sent well-wishes on release day, either here, via email, on Facebook or wherever! I am so, so, so appreciative!

I'm running around like a total nut, signing copies at various stores around the city, but in the meantime, here are some Q/As to keep you entertained!

I'm over on Writer Unboxed answering some questions about craft and what was different with novel #2, and then, I'm over on one of my favorite author's blog, Eileen Cook, who wrote the hilarious Unpredictable and whose blog seriously makes me giggle every day, answering some more questions about ToML.

Enjoy! (And don't forget to pick up THE BOOK!)

Today's the Day!!!!

So in case you didn't know, I have A BOOK COMING OUT TODAY! Yes, really. I'm not sure if I've mentioned it lately. :)

It's called Time of My Life, and it's a story about regret, what ifs, longing, motherhood, parenting, lost love, found love, friendship and redemption. And I truly hope that you will RUSH OUT AND BUY IT ASAP! In all seriousness, the first two weeks a books sales are critical to its success and to publisher support, and I would be so, so, so indebted if you could pick up a copy (and tell all of your friends!) within the next few days.

You can buy it here:

Amazon and Barnes and Noble and pretty much any bookstore near you.

Still not convinced? Here are a few objective reviews (because, let's be honest, I'm not objective):

"After this hilarious read, you may just return to your own crazy-busy routine a little happier." - Redbook

"Perfect to read with friends. A book we love." -Cosmopolitan

"Book pick of the month. Insightful and honest, Winn Scotch keeps it light but delves into the dark doubts of the road not taken." - Family Circle

"A must-read. A fantastic, often funny novel." -Hallmark Magazine

"Scotch’s second book shows a writer coming into her own, a storyteller who doesn’t take the easy way out, and a woman with a fine understanding of human nature." - Booklist

"An engaging, fast-moving, high-concept drama. Scotch keeps one dexterous step ahead of page-flipping readers eager to guess the outcome." - Publishers Weekly

"If you've ever wanted your own do-over, this read will keep you guessing 'til the end." - Library Journal

"Time of My Life is a fabulous, madcap read, but don't be fooled: Allison Winn Scotch's narrator is wrestling with some tough issues: how do I find my place in the world? Can I become a wife and mother without losing myself? Would I have been happier if I had chosen another path? Scotch's book is hilarious and true. I loved it." -Amanda Eyre Ward, author of Sleep Toward Heaven, How To Be Lost and Forgive Me

"I loved this book! Time of My Life is funny and delightful and honest in the way only the best novels can be. Scotch's protagonist, Jillian Westfield, asks the highly-relatable question: "Did I pick the wrong life?" And, as she finds her answer, she also finds her best self. I could not put down this novel, reading it all in one delicious sitting. I envy the reader picking up this book for the first time." - Laura Dave, bestselling author of London is the Best City in America and The Divorce Party

"Time of My Life is for anyone who has asked the question "what if?", which is to say that this book is for everyone. This story of one woman's big regrets and choices will keep you reading all night, and guessing till the very end. An honest and engaging tale about how hindsight may not be twenty-twenty, and how our decisions are rarely black and white. I loved it." -Julie Buxbaum, author of The Opposite of Love

Thanks everyone! Now shut down your computer and rush to your nearest bookstore! (Unless, of course, you're buying online, in which case, stay right where you are.)

Hey, So Did You Know...

...That I have a book coming out tomorrow? :) Yep, just in case you hadn't heard.

Whew! And so begins the next few weeks of craziness.

The good news is that I did a lot of Q/As in advance, so here's some reading (and a BOOK GIVEAWAY!) for you guys:

http://www.fracturedfriendships.com/ : This was a really neat Q/A because it focused on the friendships in the book, which I really enjoyed talking about.)

http://www.bettyconfidential.com/ar/h/a/a02164.html: I did a Q/A over at the great women's site, Betty Confidential, and they're GIVING AWAY A BOOK! Check it out!

http://www.seizeadaisy.blogspot.com/: The wonderful Larramie discusses the book, as well as has me chime in on some thoughts. If you don't check out her blog, you should: you won't find a more upbeat, positive person to warm your day!

Oh, and you know, in case you want to order the book, head to Amazon and nab it! (More on that tomorrow!)

When You're In the Pressure Cooker

Okay, I won't lie. Despite my post earlier this week about trying to be zen about next week, I don't think I'm being particularly zen. This was pretty clear when I was up at 4am last night, trying desperately to fall back asleep but sensing that my brain wasn't going to allow it. So now, I'm just all about coping mechanisms. I've found that really, the only way to sap any stress from my body is via exercise, but even that isn't totally cutting the mustard right now. I got a massage earlier this week, and now...I'm wondering what else I should do. It seems like distraction might be a good tactic: maybe immerse myself in a movie or something so I actually forget about what's happening (my book is coming out!) next week.

So what do you guys do when you feel like you're about to spontaneously combust? I bet we could all learn a thing or two!

And with that, I'm off to shoot a tv spot for ToML - how cool, right? I can only hope that I don't appear as exhausted on screen as I am off! :)

Man, Sometimes I Love My Job

So, despite the fact that I am feeling all sorts of anxious pressure this week, I am also seriously loving my job right now too. One of the things I love most about what I do is that I get the chance to speak to all sorts of people whose work I admire, so I am super-super-super psyched to interview Kyle Chandler and Connie Britton from Friday Night Lights this week. I even got to see an advanced screener of the season three premiere episode! My husband walked into my office and said, "Nice, I thought you were working," and I said, "I AM working, darling! THIS is my work!" I mean, what a great job I have: watching one of my favorite all-time shows as a requirement for an interview! Btw, if you're not watching this show, you are seriously missing out. I was a late-comer to it, but bought both seasons of DVDs (like, $25 on Amazon), and it was the best money I've ever spent. For real.

I'm also loving life this week because I wrote the cover story for American Way that comes out today, in which I interviewed Brooke Shields. I do a lot of celebrity interviews, but most of these are Q/As, and when I was assigned this piece, my editor and I chatted about the fact that I'd write it as a straight profile. And man, I was nervous. Nervous, nervous, nervous. But I pushed myself and pushed myself, and I got over my nerves, and I focused, and I wrote a piece that I'm really proud of. Which just goes to show that even after years in this business, you can always challenge yourself and find new ways to raise the bar. It went so well that I wrote the next cover piece for American Way too.

And then, to top off this already awesome week, I'm also profiled in American Way! Squeee! Check out the interview they did of me about Time of My Life. It was soooo strange to be on the other side of the interview, but it was a lot of fun, and I'm thrilled with how it came out.

So tell me, what's your favorite part of your job? Have you ever tackled a project that you thought might be out of your league, and then proved to yourself that you could do it?

The Second Time Around

So So I am ONE WEEK away from publication (ahhhhhhhh!!!!!), and it's been an interesting contrast compared to the first time around. I was mulling this over this weekend, and at the risk of sounding a wee bit crude, your first time being published is a bit like your first time doing something else, ahem, if you know what I mean. It's exhilarating and nauseating and a little painful and and you're not sure what the hell you're doing and you want to call everyone you know and tell them about it. The second time? Well, you hope you're a smarter and a little better all-around. Know what I mean?

So, here's where I am. I am trying my very, very best to be fairly zen about the whole experience. Which, of course, I can't be, but I can be a little more zen than last time, though, really, that's not hard since I was a frenetic tornado the last time around. What you learn through your first experience is that so much of a book's success is out of your control. It's hard to understand this before you've been published. It's hard to recognize that even if you've written an amazing book or written a book that you think really should connect with audiences or written a book that your mom thinks should land you on Oprah, what really affects a book's success often has very little to do with what you've written.

Okay, wait, I'll take that back. Don't throw tomatoes. What I mean is that, of course, it helps if you write a universally-appealing, well-prosed, well-praised book. Of course. But plenty of mid-list authors have done just that - just ask them or look at their reviews - but that doesn't mean that they sold all that well. (This is a depressing fact. Consider how many books are in Barnes and Noble, and then consider how many of them you've actually heard of. The rest of them are considered mid-list: they sold decently, though not great, and no one's career took off because of them.) This is the stomach-churning reality that a second-time author understands. You can promote the hell out of your book, and it might not matter. You can tap-dance naked across the country, and it might not matter. You can send out emails and get small bites of press and beg everyone you know to tell everyone they know to buy the book, and it might not matter.

On the other hand, it might. But, again, this is what a second-time around author understands. It's not that I don't hope for all of the success in the world; of course I do. But I also understand that what matters now is left up to my publisher - saturating stores with the book, buying good co-op space, pushing the book into notable reviewers' hands - and the press - if a big-name magazine or paper runs a review, it will change the trajectory of both my career and the book. I don't have a whole lot to do with any of the above things.

So now, I'll try to breathe. I'll try not to check my Amazon numbers or wonder why my BN.com number shot sky-high this past weekend or search the web for reviews. I don't know if I'll really be able to be as zen as I'd like to be, but I also know that last time, all of my obsessing didn't do anything other than drive me bananas. We'll see how well I do...I'll keep you posted. :)

First time authors - how did you deal with your book's launch? Second-time (or more) authors - what did you do differently?