What makes an experience?

Yesterday, I hosted my first book launch signing event in Park City, Utah. I've held several book signing events in the last six months, but this was my first launch event where I brought treats, and it was also my first event releasing a sequel. It was also the first event that I've been able to go out and try a new restaurant afterward to celebrate, so I'll include that in the experience, as well. Overall, yesterday was a really lovely experience, so I wanted to take just a minute to break it down. 

1. The People
For me, the people are always the first thing that make or break an experience. So, let's talk about the staff. I've worked with Barnes & Noble staff across central/northern Utah for the last six months, and the staff have all been lovely to work with. The staff at Park City are no exception to that wonderful experience.

I scheduled my event with Katie, one of the managers at that location, and even through our email communication, she was excited, enthusiastic, and wonderful to work with. When I got there, all the staff members I spoke with were so friendly and professional, and when Katie joined for her shift, she was awesome. She'd stop by the table whenever she was in the area to check in and chat, and I absolutely loved having her around! 

Toward the end of my event, another staff member with just as much enthusiasm and spunk came by the table to check out my books and talk with me, and it was an awesome experience. 

Now that I've talked about the staff, I'd like to share my experience with readers that came by. I have to say that yesterday was a dreary, cold and rainy day in Park City, so I think a lot of people were feeling the effects of the weather. However, I was still pleasantly surprised by the amount of people who came by the table who were happy to chat books and writing with me! I was also blown away by how many people stopped by and picked up both Bound and Severed, especially as I was packing up!

I got to meet so many wonderful people yesterday, even people visiting from other parts of the world, and I had some wonderful kids and their parents stop at the table to chat, including other writers I was able to converse with. It was so cool!

2. The Food
Okay, so this next part isn't technically related to my book signing event or writing, but just hang in there with me for a second. When I planned to do this event up in Park City, my colleague invited us to go to dinner afterward at a restaurant that she and her husband own, Cortona cortonaparkcity.com. My husband and I looooove Italian food, and we've been talking about trying it for ages, so we thought this would be a great opportunity. 

You guys, not only was the atmosphere incredible, but the food...

Let's just say, every once in a while, I eat something that makes me actually emotional, and the food at Cortona was nothing short of a beautiful experience, and as close to Italy as I've ever been. I honestly teared up when I tried their meatballs. 

Now this brings me to my next train of thought here, how an experience like what I had at Cortona can really influence writing. When I met with my writing group this week, we discussed how helpful it can be to get out of your comfort zone and experience a new place, paying special attention to the atmosphere, the details, and sensations. I will definitely be using the experience I had at that restaurant to inspire my writing this week.

If you are a writer or reader and you would like to get in touch, feel free to reach out! I'm always happy to talk about books! Thank you to everyone who signed up for my email list. I hope you have a fabulous day, and I'll write again next weekend. 

​Today’s post will likely be a short one. I apologize to everyone who expected a post to come this weekend. I had a book signing event on Saturday and did some much needed yard care/family time on Sunday. 
 
Today, I’d like to talk about how I feel about the different kinds of formats that we deliver books in. Note: These are just my preferences and observations. I am by no means the authority when it comes to which format is best. Truly, I think that determination should be up to personal preference for everyone.
 
Ebooks
I honestly have never been the hugest fan of ebooks. There was a time in my life that I considered getting a Kindle, but that window passed, and I’ve always much preferred the feel of printed books anyway, so I was content continuing on that trend. 
 
In the last two years, I have found some really nice benefits to ebooks (besides saving the planet, of course), that have made reading ebook files something I do on occasion. 

1. They’re inexpensive, which helps when finding new authors I’m not certain about yet. If I really like the ebook, then there is a high chance I’ll end up purchasing a physical copy, as well.
2. They make it a lot more convenient to read in certain locations (like in bed, at 2AM, when I can’t sleep and don’t want to turn on the light and disturb my husband, or in the bathtub – yes, I am one of those people).
3. It’s a lot harder to lose your bookmark in an ebook (though it’s still definitely possible), and an ebook has a lot of really cool features, like being able to tell what percentage of the book you’ve read, or how much time you have left to read in the chapter – or the whole book. 
4. When you purchase (if it’s not a pre-order) you get these books instantaneously. I love ordering books (and enjoy even more when I can go into a bookstore and pick one up), but sometimes I just don’t want to wait!

 
Paperback Books
For a long time, paperback books were my absolute favorite format. I enjoyed the flexibility of paperback books, as I often read curled up in the corner of something, and having something that is bendable and easy to hold helps a ton with getting comfortable in small spaces. They’re a lot easier to fit into a small bag (I never go anywhere without a book to read, so having something that fits in my bag is a big deal to me). 
 
I also enjoyed the price. Growing up, we didn’t have a lot of money, but my parents knew that books were my go-to present for any special occasion. It was nice to get paperback books because I could often get two (or even three) for the price of one hardcover, and thus I would be entertained for longer. Plus, what kid doesn’t like getting more presents? 
 
Hardcover Books
As an adult, I’ve grown increasingly fond of hardcover books. As a parent, I appreciate their durability. I know that if I leave my hardcover book down where my kiddo can get it, the cover will likely be intact when I pick it back up. 
 
I love the sturdy feel of a hardcover book. Hardcover books feel reliable, dependable. They feel like holding history in my hands. And, I absolutely love when hardcover books have elegant designs or art beneath the dust jacket (hence the artwork on the hardcover editions for Bound and Severed). Not to mention that hardcover books look classy as heck on the shelf.

Now, how do I feel about writing for these different formats? I love designing ebook files, but I do it myself, and this always takes a little more effort in the homestretch to get the file ready. I also really enjoy designing the extra cover art for hardcovers. Paperback files are often the easiest for me to get ready to put out into the world.

Today, I will be writing about using writing to process grief in its many forms. Please be advised, today we are going to cover some touchy and potentially painful topics.

Grief can appear in many forms, and life can be really tough to get through, especially when you’re dealing with loss. Today, I had planned to talk about ebooks and print books, but my grandpa passed away last week, and processing that and dealing with all the grief of those around me, trying to support where I can and attending the funeral, that post idea seems pretty meaningless at the moment. So, I thought I would write about grief and how I use writing to process some of life’s most difficult moments. 

Writing is an excellent tool to process emotions.
There’s a reason that journaling has always been so prevalent, and why so many therapists recommend some form of journaling as an exercise for processing and growth. I’ve kept a journal consistently since I was eleven years old, and even when I don’t write what I’m feeling in one of those journals, it’s always been so helpful for me to write out everything on paper so I can look at the big picture of it all, break down the details, and even make decisions. 

Let’s talk first about using writing to break through shock. It’s never easy to discover that you’ve lost someone, even if it’s someone you haven’t met yet (an unborn child), someone you haven’t seen in a while (an old friend, or a distant family member), someone you were very close with, or even someone you had trouble getting along with. Learning that that person is no longer living is a tough pill to swallow. Thankfully, I haven’t experienced a ton of loss in my lifetime, but I have lost enough to know that receiving this news is heartbreaking, and to protect ourselves, sometimes it can even be numbing. One thing I have learned is that if you let that numbing stage linger, it can make moving through life miserable. So how do we make sense of the mess of grief when we may not have fully felt that loss yet? How do we move forward and live life when we’re stuck going through the motions in a numbing mist? 

For me, that answer has always been writing. I don’t mean that if I’m grieving I’m going to sit down and write an entire novel (although, sometimes inspiration does spark from some of the most painful moments). I also don’t mean that I’m going to journal out all my feelings in one neat entry and call it a day. Like writing, grief is a process, and everyone handles their process differently. For me, this process looks like grabbing a piece of paper and a pen, and questioning myself until I reach the answer that makes sense. I’ll explain. 

Sometimes it’s helpful to write out everything, even if that means you start writing with, I don’t know. I don’t know what happened, or how this happened, or what I’m feeling. I don’t know what’s bothering me more. Even starting there is a great way to help you process, and for me, it’s the first step to figuring out what I’m feeling and how to feel it. The first question I always ask is What am I feeling? Write it out. Whatever you’re feeling or thinking. This is an opportunity to get whatever comes to mind out and onto the page. Then, I take a look at what I’ve written so far. Then, for everything I wrote down, I ask myself, Why is this bothering me? OR Why is this affecting me this way?

I find that, once I’ve figured out what I’m feeling, understanding why that particular thing is bothering me is sometimes the most important piece. Sometimes, I find that I can stop the writing process once I understand what I’m feeling and why. However, there is one more step that I often find is helpful when I’m writing to process these big events, and that is… 

How do I move forward? How do I live with this? How do I fix it? Obviously, some things can’t be fixed. If you lose a person in your life, you can’t bring them back. But you can find meaningful ways to bring their memory with you as you move forward with your life. That brings me to the next thing that I love about writing in relation to grieving.

You can use writing as a way to preserve your memories. Memories fade over time, and once a person’s gone, it feels almost urgent to preserve their memory before it, too, is lost. Writing to preserve memories of loved ones can be a great way to honor them and process in your own way. I wasn’t super close with my grandpa growing up, because there were so many of us, and my mom wasn’t very close with him, either. After learning of his passing, I took some time to write everything I could remember about him, and I also listened to the stories my mom would tell, which I plan to write for her. Sharing, writing, or reliving these stories is an excellent way to feel a closeness with the person who has passed, and a wonderful way to reexperience the moments you had together. 

When I was in college, chasing my degree in creative writing, I had many people tell me that it was unlikely at best that I would be successful in this field. Even my writing professors often mentioned that getting paid for your writing is a daunting, difficult task. 

Now, I'm not rich, nor have I made boatloads of money off my writing. Maybe one day, I'll get there - or maybe I won't. Either way, I'm okay with it, because even though I'm not the most well known or well-off author, I feel that my writing endeavors have been successful so far. Here's why:

I am passionate. I adore just about every part of the writing and publishing process, and both writing and publishing makes me feel whole. Accomplished. 

I have made money off my writing, and I continue to make money off my writing. I listened intently when those professors lamented about how difficult it is to get paid for something you've written, and I'm incredibly fortunate that I can say I've profited from the work I've published, especially as an independent author.

Since I started publishing my work in 2017, I have been able to keep the momentum going, constantly learning and honing my craft. The books I plan to publish this year will be my ninth, tenth, eleventh, and twelfth books to release, and I have a whole list of other projects on the docket. The inspiration is still alive and well.

I have hosted - and will continue to host - book signing and author events, where I have connected with readers and other authors. I have even been able to help some of my fellow authors on their pathway to publishing.

My writing passion is now regularly incorporated in my day job through various projects that I'm honored to participate in through the University of Utah Reading Clinic, and I have so many colleagues who are aware of and support my writing. 

My work has made it all around the world! My first couple of books sold a few copies in places like Japan, but outside of that, any sales I made were typically in the United States (if not just family members looking to support). In the last year, my books have been to several other countries, and I feel truly humbled and awe-filled that my work has traveled so far.  

Thank you all for reading, and for every one of you for supporting my writing journey. It really has been the most incredible ride, and I don't plan on stepping off anytime soon. To everyone out there pursuing your passions, it's never too late. You've got this!