In a few hours I will fly out to Samoa where I will spend a week in various TELESA book launch activities. I will do things like - chat to media at a press conference, visit a school or two, bake furiously for a Literary Evening at Plantation House, sign books at some local bookshops, do a couple of tv interviews, launch my book at a gathering of 200 invited guests,,,and generally try not to sound like a dork.I'm getting more and more apprehensive as the countdown continues. Why?
* I'm already missing my family and I haven't even left yet. I bought them all chocolate donuts for breakfast. (Assuaging my guilt with sugar.) And I had tears in my eyes when I kissed them goodbye for school. I wish, I wish that they were all going with me but it's exam time. And I'm not rich enough, not unless I squirrel them away in my suitcase.
*I'm worried about the 'traditional' generation who might think that I have ripped off their 'telesa' geneaology and ancestral family legends. They might get mad and throw rocks at me. Or tell everyone not to buy my book. Both of which would be really bad... Im hoping the media will alert them to the fact that no, my book is not a historical account of myth and legend but rather, a romance-laden, thriller with hints of the supernatural. And an overabundance of rippling muscle and gleaming abs...
*I love my hermit cave. I love my online friends. I love my blogging buddies. The thought of getting out into the real world, talking to real people, organizing real functions for masses of those real people, giving speeches, smiling, answering questions about my book, possibly dodging missiles of criticism about my book...well, lets just say that its kinda freaking me out. For me, this is the most challenging and difficult part of being a writer. The social interaction that's required to promote my writing and get my book out there. I can't wait to be back in my cave. Writing book two.
So I may not be able to blog regularly in the next week - but if you're a Sleepless in Samoa blog reader who lives in Samoa? Pleeease, I have a favor to ask of you... if you see me skulking about, could you please be nice, say "Hi", reassure me that nobody is waiting to throw rocks at me, remind me that life will go on even if I make a mistake in my launch speech...and generally make life outside the Hermit Cave a less scary place to be! Thank you.
Sincerely, Me.