Reflecting on Just Whistle

In gearing up for the release of Running Through the Words, I've been sending out copies of Just Whistle to book bloggers. So far, everyone who's received the novel has raved about the cover art and the synopsis... but today I got my first review. And it was AMAZING.

If you are on Instagram, you really and truly should follow Katie (@checkmyshelf) because she's an avid reader and she posts truly insightful reviews. In addition to that, she seems like a genuinely kind human being and I'm hoping our paths cross at some point in time. I mean, we only live about forty minutes apart; it could easily happen.

When I woke up this morning, I was not expecting my confidence level to boost so very much. Some of my favorite lines from Katie's review are "I cannot say enough good things about Just Whistle!" and "This book had it all for me: a charming (and realistic) romance, small town charm, family history & secrets. It had just the right touch of magic too." Also, in a comment to another reader under her post, she said, "I didn't know what to expect going in, but from the first page I couldn't put it down!" (That last line is my favorite line. 😊)

The really cool thing about Katie's review is that I wrote Just Whistle in 2015... and here it is, seven years later, and it's receiving some of the praise that I initially thought it maybe deserved. I guess I didn't know what I was doing in 2015, though; I had no idea how to self-promote my books and get them into the hands of strangers. I'm obviously older and wiser now. Plus, social media has opened so many doors to so very many possibilities. It's cool, you know? And validating. Because this experience has really made me see that I can write... and that I should keep writing... and that people who aren't necessarily a part of my inner circle are still able to fall in love with my characters, settings, and imagery.

I'm super excited to start releasing Running Through the Words on my website in January... and I'm even more excited today about it because Katie posted on her page, "Can't wait for the next book ❤️❤️"

To quote my friend and marketing manager Mary, "It's happening."

I really think it might finally be happening!