Tuesday, February 24, 2015

Birthdays and Book Day

Since I was seven years old, I wanted to write and publish a book. It's the item on my bucket list that I've neglected the longest. Well, not anymore. I have to find another awesome goal to totally put off for way too long.

Because bucket list item: Write and publish a book?


On New Years, I didn't want to set any resolutions. I'm perfectly perfect how I am (well, I'm perfectly happy with my life) that I didn't see any reason to change any of it. Then I thought to myself, "Self, I don't need a resolution, how about a goal. What do I want to accomplish this year?" 

And in answered, "Our birthday is in a few weeks. Think you could get that running book you've been sitting on all these years out by then?"

And I marveled at such a brilliant thought. I'd written it, all it needed was another editing pass, and then click a few buttons and boom, publication! That easy, right?

Wrong.

Remind myself to never rush a book like that again. I haven't had a decent light's sleep before committing to pull that off. 

However, as I write this, I am three hours shy of my birthday. I wanted to share my birthday with my book launch day, but it ended I must have missed specifying where Amazon gave me an option to specify a date and it went on sale a day before I wanted it to.

Good grief.

I'm sure I have only myself to blame, but this morning people started telling me, writing me, messaging me, and commenting on Facebook that they bought a copy. Fine, fine, but in my mind I'm still considering the release to be February 25th, because it isn't like I need yet ANOTHER date to memorize.

I can hear you behind your computer screen saying, "Tell me about the book. Stop rambling and tell me already!"

Okay! Sheesh. You're getting really pushing in my old age. 

My book is called Pushing the Wall: a Memoir. It's a memoir, about walls, and pushing them to--, you know what, let me just use the blurb I wrote back when I could think straight:

Pushing the Wall: A Memoir
What kind of idiot would run a marathon without training for it first? Me.  
I’d know the horror stories. Endurance athletes always fear “hitting the wall,” or reaching the point where the body runs out of energy and BAM! Roadkill. With no preparation, I’d most likely smash into this wall hard enough to leave a dent. 
I wanted to train for the 2010 St. George Marathon, but after breaking my foot, the only marathon I could handle was on Netflix. When the race came, I just wanted to pick up the shirt I paid for, but peer pressure and the energy of the other 6,000 runners convinced me to try it anyway. My plan? Push the wall past the finish line, grab some ice cream, crawl into my truck, and then drive home. 
This memoir details my love/hate affair with running and how I survived 26.2 grueling miles that I had no business attempting. I also include tips for new runners. It’s whimsical, yet educational. It’s whimsucational!

I don't want to spoil the ending too much, but I will give you one hint how it turns out: I did not take first place.

The speed-demon who did, Aaron Metler, was nice enough to write the foreward to Pushing the Wall, so you can get the inside scoop of running a marathon from a winner's perspective.

I'm really excited for February 25th. I turn 29 again and my first book is (in my eyes) officially released. Also, the fabulous girls at Loving the Book are throwing me a launch party on Facebook at 6:00 PM mountain time. There will be much chatting, celebrating, and--most important--giving away some fun, fabulous prizes. Please, join us, I think it will be a blast! Here's the link:

Pushing the Wall Online Launch Party

I'm publishing exclusively through Amazon for now, sorry Nook and iBook readers. You can still get it in paperback. Here are the links for the book and the ebook:

Pushing the Wall: a Memoir Paperback Edition
Pushing the Wall: a Memoir Kindle Edition

I hope if you pick it up, that you find as much enjoyment reading it as I did putting it together.

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