A new book always brings a roller-coaster of emotions. The past few weeks have certainly given me that.
It's been a surreal few weeks. Getting the book ready for publication is always a busy time. Trying to ensure the dimensions of the cover were correct for printing proved to be the trickiest part, but we got there in the end.
I felt I was well prepared this time as I'd managed to put together videos, posters, social media images and other marketing materials well ahead of time, so there's a been a chance everything would be far less stressful. It proved to be a good choice as I had friends over from the UK for a few days in the week before the launch. It was perfect as we focussed on filling the days with new experiences and having some fun, instead of worrying about the book launch. Hopefully, they'll come back soon for some more adventures.
They did bring some wonderful presents with them. Oxo cubes and salt and vinegar hula hoops were greatly appreciated. If you've ever been an expat, you'll understand how it feels to get the occasional treat from home. More importantly, they had copies of the news book and an envelope containing the certificates from the Feed My Reads Awards. I'm still in shock the first book won so many.
I'm so grateful to Fraser for organising the awards and to everyone who voted. Seeing some of the friends I've made on my writing journey also win awards really was the cherry on top. I know from the conversation I had with Jane at Tweetables how much even being nominated meant to all of us. Winning really was dreams coming true.
There's been a wonderful offshoot from the awards, as the amazing team at Voices Newspaper in Didim ran the story on page 3, and the lovely Lucy at The Ege Eye gave it a full page. The support I've had from both publications this year has been astounding. Thanks will never be enough!
Things then went a little crazy. My old school's winter newsletter came out. I was expecting a small paragraph in the old boys update. In truth, I felt a little disappointed when it wasn't there. I needn't have worried. I turned the page and my news launching "It's
A Stray Dog's Life 2" and the award wins had an article all to itself. It was, possibly, the most emotional moment of the whole journey. I can't say thank you to Sue at Edge Grove enough. To still feel part of a community I loved all these years later means so much.
Talking of amazing people called Sue, I was contacted to do an Indie Spotlight by Sue Bavey. If you don't already follow her blog, you really should. I think we were both surprised when the first comment on the interview was a request from Jackie Lambert to feature the books on her blog. Jackie is currently having a life I'd love, driving around Eastern Europe with her 4 dogs. The roadtrip of a lifetime. He blog is wonderful, so please do take a look.
The writing community has been a rock throughout. I'm very lucky to have found it and been so warmly welcomed. Everyone wants to help each other. It matches my ethos of, if someone walks into a bookshop to buy a specific book, they might just buy mine too. It all came together when the incredibly talented David Perlmutter plugged my books on his blog. David was one of the first people I connected with on social media and has always been there to help. Chats about Leyton Orient and Watford will never be the same again. His books are wonderful, so have a look and enjoy finding your new favourite author (OK second favourite as we all know the dogs are you favourite really!).
There are so many people I wish I could say thank you to, but even the blog is too short for that. Rest assured I'm sending you lots of doggy hugs.
There's a lot more news coming down the line in the coming months so keep your eyes peeled. Some of it might even surprise me!
You can buy both books now from all the usual places and have them all wrapped and ready for the holiday period.
Best wishes as always
MaxS and The Strays
PS. The next blog is going to be interesting. I'm going to talk about all the software tools I've used in putting the book together. It doesn't cover everything on offer, but gives honest assessments on the tools I've used. A must read for anyone looking to self-publish, or even someone looking to put together a poster of short video of their own.
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