The Magical Moment of the Proof Copy

Yesterday I received the first paperback copy of my book, Plantagenet Princess, Tudor Queen. The result of hours of research, writing, and editing was placed into my hands in this perfect little bundle held between a gorgeous cover with my own name proudly stamped across the front.

It is a magical moment to look at that first proof copy and feel that an important milestone in life has been achieved. This fleeting moment is pure joy before I start to worry again whether people will like it and if I've corrected all of my grammatical errors. For just a few seconds, I can simply be in awe that I have created a 450 page story that other people can access.

Then I get scared again.

If people have access to my book, they can see into my head and criticize my reasoning. They can see inside my heart and judge whether or not they agree with what they find there. Suddenly, I feel guilty for every negative book review I have ever written, because I know that those authors, just like me, felt that they were creating their masterpiece, a story near and dear to their hearts.

Then I flip through the pages, smelling that fresh off the press fragrance and seeing my own turns of phrase popping out at me, and I know that it is all worth it.

Plantagenet Princess, Tudor Queen: The story of Elizabeth of York will be available in paperback and Kindle format on August 18, 2015.

Interview at The Write Chris

I was invited to be featured on Christine Henderson's blog, where I talk about writing and self-publishing. Click here to check it out!