A few days ago, I hosted my Book Group for cocktails, conversation and a preview of Lagging Indicators. My Book Group is comprised of women who share one fact in common: We’re all expats—hailing from the United States, Canada, France, England and Australia, to name but a few—who moved to Sweden for a relationship or work.
We meet about once a month and many of these women have become dear friends. Like most Book Groups, our choices range from commercial to literary novels; classics to contemporary fiction and non-fiction; and sometimes we eliminate books all together and go to a museum or watch a movie. In other words, we’re not too hard on ourselves! So, I thought it could be a nice change before the summer to have an event around the subject of following one’s creative passion and discuss my writing and self-publishing journey. Book groups are a curious phenomenon; the themes from the stories can spark an openness and exchange of confidences that may not occur in a regular setting. I have found myself revealing things to my Book Group that I haven’t even articulated to close friends! For this reason, I felt very comfortable giving them a sneak peek of Lagging Indicators. After mingling over wine and finger food, we sat in my living room and I gave a little presentation (slides created so professionally by my daughter) about the pros and cons of being an indie author. The questions and comments I received from the Group were so thoughtful, perceptive and encouraging! I am grateful beyond words for their support and positive energy. I hope you’ll enjoy these pictures from the evening as much as I enjoyed spending time with these wonderful women.
I had ordered 25 advance reading copies to distribute to my Book Group and was so nervous they wouldn’t arrive, but they came as scheduled the day before. I couldn’t wait to open the box and see the bound version of Lagging Indicators for the first time.
Putting some finishing touches in the living room. I moved the dining room chairs there so everyone would have a place to sit while I made my presentation.
I ordered a spring buffet from Carotte Catering, cupcakes from Cupcake Sthlm and macarons from Wiener Konditoriet. As you can see, the theme was pink, mirroring the cover of Lagging Indicators. I call it “Power Pink!”
My daughter suggested displaying the books in the office and I love the way she arranged them. I have to admit it was pretty cool–and surreal–seeing them lined up like that! My protagonist, Mia Lewis, looked like she had come to life!
Pouring rosé of course!
During my presentation, I discussed traditional publishing vs. indie publishing and gave my Book Group a look at the different cover drafts for Lagging Indicators. Choosing the right image, font and colors was one of the hardest parts of the creative process, but I’m so pleased with the final product!
I really appreciated how interested they all seemed :).
Signing books: I have to work on my signature–it’s been a while!
My Book Group friends gave me the best present by attending my little preview, but they also spoiled me with these lovely congratulatory gifts.
Lagging Indicators will be released on July 2nd, but it’s available for pre-order now on Amazon!