The Aftermath...

It took me a couple of hours to move from the corner of my couch where I usually sit when I am depressed. “One book, you lost by one book.” I kept telling myself while wondering whose fault that was. Was it me for not moving fast enough? For not asking enough people? For skipping doors in my neighborhood? Or was it that friend who said she was pre-ordering 3 weeks ago and after 5 reminders never did?

If I have learned anything from 50 years of Doctor Who, is that there are moments fixed in time that cannot be changed no matter what we do. I believe this was one of them. I was not meant to win The Nerdist contest, and I have to live with that.

Yesterday’s urgency and  later on grief made me miss something magical happening around me. A chain of people from all over the world; from Eugene –Oregon-  to Sydney; and from Hamden to the Chilean Atacama Desert, spent a day fighting shoulder to shoulder with me to help me win.

My phone was ringing the whole day with messages and texts from friends who decided to turn yesterday into a global “get out the vote” day for The Catcher’s Trap.

 It certainly felt like an election day. By noon –Eastern Time- I knew it was going to come down to 1 or 2 books. I was hopeful, though; orders were pouring, and an entire contingency from the University of Utah had joined the campaign mid-morning. In the opposite side of the globe, my massive Chilean family worked as a team trying to figure out a website written in a language unfamiliar to them.

At 2:58 I knew I had fallen short. I watched the seconds fly away as a landslide of rage and sadness overcame me. For the next two hours, I obsessed over the failure.

Today I feel nothing but blessed. The universe decided that the best way to show me how many people care about me was making me lose one of the most important campaigns I’ve ever run. Well played universe; I get it, I totally get it.

The Catcher’s Trap will become a reality one day. I am not sure when, though. I am really close to the 750 copies needed for an electronic run of the book, but I am not sure I will go that road.  I need an actual book, one that I can sign and personally deliver to that core group of people who yesterday put their lives on hold, just to support a friend’s silly dream.

Thank you all for your support. I promise I’ll be in touch.  

Going to take a break from talking about my book in order to congratulate the top 5 in the Nerdist contest.  If you haven't checked out any/all of these books already, then I've went ahead and embedded the links in the titles, so click away and enjoy.

Zachary Tyler Linville("Welcome to Deadland"),  Brian Guthrie("Rise"),   Richard Heinz("The Seventh Age: Dawn"),  Andrew J. Ainsworth("These Old Bones"),  and Dave Barrett("It's All Fun and Games"), congratulations on great work at both writing and marketing.  Keep it up.

And the remainder of the top ten all deserve your and my praise and attention as well, links also embedded for ease of checking out.  Good job to Ricardo Henriquez("The Catcher's Trap"),  Scott T. Barsotti("Single Version"),  Robert Wren("Ophelia, Doll"),  Rachael Berkey("The Fable Hunt"),  and last in this listing but most certainly not least Jamison Stone("Rune of the Apprentice").

Again, if you haven't already taken the time to check out their books, then do yourself a favor and do so now.

That's all I've got for today, but more news of myself is somewhere on the horizon.

Dear friends

Just a quick and final update to thank you all for your support. The contest will be over in a couple of hours and it seems like the most likely outcome will be that I end up in 6th place. Being so close, and at the same time, so far away from the prize is going to sting. But that’s life.

If I have learned anything during my years living in this country is that everything is possible; so who knows, maybe those of you who are following me but have not ordered the book will get inspired and make a difference.

No matter what, I am thankful for this whole process. Through it I learned a lot about the author’s community, my friends and myself; all good things.

If I don’t make it to top 5, I have to think what the future of The Catcher’s Trap will be. I can tell you that one way or another I will make sure this book gets published. I believe in my work, I believe in the inspiration behind it, and I believe in the good that it can do.

That’s it!

Love you all

Have a fantastic day!