It’s the day of my big debut. Or so it was to be. This weekend is/was the long-awaited New England Crime Bake, a wonderful writers’ conference I’ve enjoyed for several years–except last year, thanks to the COVID lockdowns. I was particularly excited to be returning to this event this year since my debut novel was released into the world in May.
Being with my fellow debut authors in that room, in front of all our peers, the established writers we’d long admired and whose ranks we’d worked so hard to join — it was a day I had dreamed about for a lot of years, through all the ups and downs of writing my first full-length book: painstaking research both in-person and online, drafting and redrafting until my eyes crossed! While workshopping its many iterations through my critique groups, working with editors, finding trusted beta readers, and polishing, polishing, polishing!
There were times I doubted I’d ever see it in print, and yet, there I was one day in May, holding it in my very own hands. Secrets & Lies was published at last. I’d written before about the high hopes I had for this year’s event. But Murphy’s Law became the law of the land for me in recent weeks, and so I am sitting out the one day I really, really wanted to be present.
I’m publishing this post at precisely 5:30 PM, as that’s when my fellow debut authors will be taking their well-earned bows at New England Crime Bake. I salute them, one and all, as I know how much went into their individual efforts. Despite any setbacks or disappointments we may have suffered along the way, what a fabulous day this is for all of us!
I am with you in spirit, my friends.
Cheer to us, until we meet again!
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