My Book Baby is 3 Days Old

When The Trees All Burned launched into the world on April 1, not as a joke I was playing on all the fools out there, but as a cautionary tale—reminding people that we are called to be stewards of our planet and that there might be some wisdom in heeding the warnings of those who are experts in such areas.

The term “launch” is exciting (unless you’re working on one of Elon’s Starship prototypes that tends to provide more explosive finales than planned takeoffs 👀), but there’s something anti-climactic about releasing a new product from the quiet comfort of your office.

I have spent months campaigning for this book, fighting the noise of all that is going on in the world, knocking on doors for a minute of attention that I might plant a little seed among all those bigger seeds in the minds of North Americans these days. It is a terrible time to release a book. Headlines are stealing attention away from the arts. Not to mention that Onyx Storm and Sunrise on the Reaping were just released and it seems like that’s all anyone is talking about in the online book space.

It’s fine. I’m fine. Everything is fine.

I am incredibly proud of this book and I am thrilled to see it out in the world, and though I may sound a little cynical, it’s only because this launch has put me through the paces and tested my resolve in many different ways.

The truth is, since the moment on April 1 that I told the world my book was available, I have felt nothing but love and support. The outpouring of kind messages has been affirming and heartwarming. And the early reviews have been incredibly encouraging:

“The plot, characters, and settings of When the Trees All Burned draw you in, surprise you, and keep you turning pages... I loved it.” —Ruth

“Beautiful descriptions of nature and moments in life both big and small, glorious pop culture references, and deliciously rendered vignettes from around the world that hit perfectly and left me shivering. Everything about When the Trees All Burned was highly satisfying.” —Jennifer

“This story is so thought provoking. I’m still thinking about how she shared the human experience when life’s future is uncertain.” —Fred

While I continue to pour effort into marketing myself online, I am turning a lot of attention to this Saturday’s launch party. That’s when I feel like I’ll really experience the LAUNCH of it all. To be in a room of people who have set aside all their other distractions and obligations to show up and give me an “atta girl” is the kind of moment I’m craving.

Writers are often introverts. Yes, that’s true. We are stoic and brave and risk-takers. But we’re also deeply sensitive and crave a glimpse at the other side: the side where people get to consume what we create, where we get to learn what they liked (or didn’t like) about it, where we get to see this thing we’ve held so intimately be held by someone else and we get to remember that while we did write this for ourself, we also wrote it for every single person who dares to give it a chance.

I’ve spoken with other authors—much more prolific than me—who have never held a launch event. I always encourage them to try it. Writing a book takes a long time and a lot of mental energy—I mean (good grief) I started writing When The Trees All Burned in 2016! And this lady deserves a party for seeing it through!

I know that people put a lot of weight on being humble and shrugging off their accomplishments. I’m choosing not to be humble. I am proud of what I’ve done and the world I’ve created and it’s going to take a pretty epic natural disaster to stop me from getting to that party on Saturday.

If you’re within driving distance of Durham, Ontario and wanted to join me for the big hoopla, come to the Durham Art Gallery at 2:00 p.m. on Saturday, April 5. I’ll be doing a reading and will have books available for purchase and signing and I might even sing you a little song.

And speaking of the event, I’m thrilled to share that Stay Social is sponsoring the launch by providing refreshments! If you’ve been following my journey, you know The Path That Takes Us Home follows characters navigating the end of the world—some fitting in while hiding their true selves, others finding authenticity just as everything falls apart.

Stay Social’s concept perfectly mirrors this theme! Their cans look like beer (fitting in) but contain pure spring water (staying true). As Jan said in her review, the book raises “a number of statements and underlying philosophies that would lend themselves well to discussion”—much like the conversations you can have while enjoying a refreshing Stay Social drink without the pressure of alcohol.

If you can’t make it on Saturday, but still want to support me, please buy a copy of the book. You can order directly from me, find it on Amazon, and KU members can even read it for free on their Kindles. Please request a copy at your library, ask your local bookstore to bring it in, consider choosing the book for your book club, tell your friends about it, and please leave a review after you’ve read it—this tells “the almighty algorithm” to share the book with others!

I hope to see you on Saturday, and if not there, I hope you find the little pieces of my heart I left all over the pages for you.