Bookends

February first was my last post and here we are at the end of February... Not good blog consistency!

I'm sitting at my desk on a rare Wednesday. It's not a snow day, I just had a slow morning at my day job and decided to stay home a little later and get some writing done instead.

Book launch is in four days!!! I've got the books, I've got my list if preorders, I'm compiling the door prize in my head, I've got the cake ordered and the library space booked - all I need is the peeps. Time slips by so fast, it's hard to believe the launch is almost here when it seemed so far away at one point.

I've fallen into rambling... Off to do some real writing.

N

Egads!

I did it.

I ordered books.

A lot of books.

I had to fill the pre-orders from the Indiegogo campaign.

I ordered some for the Chapters in New Minas who has agreed to carry it, and a few extra for other Chapters.

I ordered some to have available at the book launch, and a couple for the library since they're hosting.

I ordered a few as gifts, and a few in the name of 'hope' that I'll need a few more than expected.

Can't wait til the big box comes.

N

Proof

Lookie here:

What this young sir is holding is a PROOF of my upcoming release It Should Have Been a #GoodDay! It came for my review in the mail yesterday - and holding a hardcopy paperback of a real live book that came all the way from my brain is just as exciting the third time as the first and second.

But I don't get the word "Proof". I guess it's short for "proof-reading" or something. Right? Maybe? Professor Google says proof can be defined as "a trial print of something" which fits.

But I associate this kind of Proof with the first-listed definition:

This is Proof.

Proof that this book is real. This publication is happening. Proof that I have a book. That I wrote a book. That I write.

See what I did there?

N

Time Flies

Good morning!

How is it already August 24?

Bad news: School starts in just over a week.
Good news: Aptitude comes out in less than a month!!!

Can you believe it?

Today is about editing my story that is coming out in February - can't wait to share it with you. It seems like such a long time away but here we are a month away from Aptitude's release and *that* used to be worlds away so I'm sure it won't take long.

Don't forget Aptitude is available for preorder, and if you show the Fierce peeps your receipt you can be entered to win an Aptitude-minded prize package.

N

Cover!

I've been AWOL I realize, lots of summer events - a week writing in PEI, two weeks not writing in Toronto, a week home with a new furry baby who comes with all the baggage expected with a soul who has had his trust broken over and over.

Lots has happened in the meantime!

Here's the biggest one:

Isn't it awesome???

Aptitude comes out NEXT MONTH!!!  Jo Treggiari, who wrote Ashes,Ashes said this:

"Akin to the haunting subtleties of Atwood's The Handmaid's Tale, and Lowry's The Giver, Natalie Corbett Sampson delivers in Aptitude, a richly-imagined dystopian world which seems scarily all to plausible."

It's available for preorder right now! And if you do preorder it you can enter a contest with Fierce Ink Press for a super cool prize. Check it out HERE.

Now, back to editing :) Vacation time is over.

N

Launch!

Wow! What a mixed bag of emotions!!!

I hate tights and wasn't allowed to wear my hoodie so that's a tough place to start right there! I suck at mingling and there were so many people I love but don't get to see nearly enough in one place I didn't know what to do. I hate being the center of attention, but was so touched that everyone worked the Game Plan launch into their schedules. I was proud of my book and appreciative of the people who got it to be a book and terrified to read in front of everyone - I think it would be easier to read in front of 300 strangers than the 30 or so faces there last night. Honestly, I don't even know how many people were there - but we kept running out of chairs :)

Once I was done the reading it was much better. The sweets were awesome! (what good Moms I have). And I got to chat with people a bit as they  moved around. Book sales were amazing! (we're short now on books!) Best of all, I didn't trip in my heeled boots and I didn't puke. If that's not a success...

Thanks so much to everyone for the night - Colleen and Kimberly, who hosted and organized, Colleen's Jason and friends Crystal and Adrianna who trekked from PEI and helped set up, my Moms - Sue and Diane who brought yummy sweets, and friends and family who came to support me. I really am blessed.

N

Reviews!!!

The blog tour is in full swing! I thought I had posted the blogs, but... I didn't. What can I say? I'm a flake sometimes. Fierce Ink Press has a list of the blogs and dates, HERE.

You gotta check them out!!!  Here's one from today at WhY.A. not Reviews.

I received a review on GoodReads too! Not from someone who was asked to review it either! HERE is that one, if you're interested.

It's sooo exciting to have people who don't HAVE to like it, like it! Don't forget the launch party is tonight at the CGC at 630pm. Treats are being provided by Diane Sampson - that's reason enough right there!

N

YAY! It's out!!! Here's where to get it!

And the list of places to buy the book are increasing! So exciting! You can get 'Real Life' paperback copies of the Collectors Editions here:

Amazon

Barnes & Noble

McNally Robinson

Fierce Ink Press

And for the regular paperback:

Fierce Ink Press (best spot!)

CreateSpace

Amazon

YAY!!! Need a Christmas present for someone?

N

Monday Monday

Everyone hates Mondays - 'cept me.

I love Mondays. I get the kids off to school and then I write until I have to pick them up for the rush to music and swimming and chair ball.

TV interview this morning - EEEK!  I was up at 445. I don't do mornings well. I was out the door by 540 mostly because I couldn't sit down in my house in my black jeans for fear the pet hair would overtake me. I picked up Crystal at the Crossroads - she was there to make sure I went through with it! All my prep - hair mousse and blow-dry, make up and dressy clothes, tall back heeled boots which meant - socks GASP! for five minutes of tv time, but if it helps Game Plan get noticed, I'll do it!

Here's the Video:

Now I'm off to work on UntitledSeondBook so I can push my 15mins of fame to 20mins!

Natalie

PD Day...

Mondays and Fridays are my writing days. To make up for those two days I work three long days at my clinic on T/W/Th. But Monday and Friday are also prime PD Day choices and when the kids are off, well, not much writing gets done.

Yesterday I worked in the morning and then did some grocery shopping. Steve was off so the kids were with him. Then he took the kids to music and swimming so I had the whole afternoon to pluck at my computer. See? what would I do without him? I did some good work with my UntitledSecondStory.

The Indiegogo campaign is creeping up, over 55% of the funding goal! If you haven't seen it, there is a video of my girlies interviewing me that is pretty cute. Well half cute - their half! Now that it's October 1 I can say Game Plan will be out NEXT MONTH!

N

Book Launch - A taste of what's to come

So I'm told that not all books are celebrated with a book launch but Fierce Ink Press has made a practice of doing so with the books they publish. YAY! and YIKES.

Last night I attended the book launch of Membrane, by Carol Moreira. It was held in a coffee shop where I sipped on Blueberry Italian soda. There were itty bitty cupcakes with itty bitty prints of the beautiful cover. Colleen, of Fierce Ink Press did an intro and then Carol said somethings and read somethings. It was very cool, and very scary.

I'm currently lobbying the idea that I should attend the launch for Game Plan incognito. I'll wear a big plastic nose and sit in the back. Someone else can read. Someone else can talk. Someone else can stand in front of everyone. There's a reason why writers like to write. It's very comfortable for me to hide at my MeStation desk and type away at a computer instead of talking to everyone.

SO while the launch was super cool, it was a little daunting to see what will be coming up for me in November. I'm terribly excited about it, and I'm terribly terrified at the same time.

N