So today is release day! One Step Behind is finally out in the world and it’s so exciting and scary and lovely and I will probably dance around my living room and drink champagne and be very messy emotionally. Starting now (with the #feels part, not the drinking part).
[But first, click here to get your copy of One Step Behind]
When I was a kid, my head was always buried in a book. It’s what I spent my babysitting money on, it’s what I asked for at Christmas, it’s where all my free time went. You get the picture. And, god, was I a sucker for a good romance novel. Happy endings were my drug, and I couldn’t get enough.
Somewhere between devouring Harry Potter and laughing along with Julia Quinn I realized how much I enjoyed stringing together sentences in just the right way. Words are so pretty and versatile and powerful and being able to play with them is one of the greatest pleasures of life.
But every time I tried to write more than a short story I would give up, move on to something else. That’s where New Year’s Eve 2014 comes in. It was an hour before midnight and my friend and I were swapping resolutions. This is the year I’m finally going to do it, I told her. I’m going to write a book. Granted, I had said this before, but it had always been to myself and never out loud. Maybe it would help hold me accountable.
The next day I came up with the opening scene to One Step Behind.
A bucket of luck, a lot of work and a fair amount of wine later and it’s heading out into the world.
One of the biggest lessons Harry Potter teaches us (I TOLD you I’m a book nerd) is that you can’t do any of it without the support of the people around you. Though my “it” here was slightly less traumatizing than fighting Voldemort, my Ron, Hermione, Dumbledore, etc. all deserve huge shout outs. I couldn’t have done it without you.
From my sister who celebrated every tiny milestone with complete enthusiasm and talked me off a couple ledges; to my lovely friends who have absolutely humbled me with their outpouring of support; to my fantastically wonderful editor who pushed me and challenged me and cheered me on; to my whole Entangled team — you all are so wonderful, amazing and brilliant. Today would not have been possible without you. THANK YOU!
That doesn’t even get into the authors, bloggers and members of the book community that I’ve met along the way. What a fantastic group to be a part of.
Last, but absolutely not least, is, of course, my parents. You know, the ones who bought me Harry Potter, who nurtured my love of words, who rolled their eyes at me when I didn’t hear them because I was too immersed in a book, who encouraged me to do my best but were there for me if I fell short, who taught me persistence in the face of obstacles and so many other lessons that all add up to make me who I am today. A thank you will never be enough.
Now, if you’ll excuse me, I’m going to go have my Leslie Knope moment and download One Step Behind onto my Kindle. You should do the same!!
All my love,
Bri