Dear Sweethearts,
I hope that you all are doing well! I wanted to send you a very short, but really exciting update: this past week How to Get Run Over by a Truck was in the Top 20 best selling non-fiction books on Amazon last week! We made it to #17 - which is nothing short of incredible! Especially almost a year after the book was first published!!!
Thank you for believing that this book would be successful, even when no one in the publishing world did. You have put this book into the hands (and ears!) of so many people!!! You are an amazing, generous and kind person. Words can’t express how grateful I am for your support then, and now!
Heart,
Katie
Dear Sweethearts,
I hope that you are doing well and that you’re having a wonderful Tuesday, and that your summer has been nothing short of glorious! I wanted to write you a quick note to tell you a few really exciting things about How to Get Run Over by a Truck! (I know, it’s the little book that just.wont.quit.)
Last week the team at Audible reached out to me to let me know that my the audiobook of How to Get Run Over by a Truck is going to go on sale today for the gloriously low price of $2.95! So, if you have ever wanted to hear what my sweet, sweet voice sounds like - this is your chance! This is a great gift to get for someone who is about to go on a long road trip, or someone who is ill and reading isn’t a tangible possibility because the pain from their illness is too distracting (I was in that camp, and I know I would have loved an audiobook!) or for the older people in your life (who don’t mind a couple of well placed curse words…) If you do get one, please let me know! I would LOVE to hear what you thought about it!
In some other amazing news, How to Get Run Over by a Truck was featured in 3 different news magazines this past week! Including, Shape Magazine, Reader’s Digest, and (most surprisingly!!) The Daily Mail in the UK! To see that almost a year after the book was published that there is still a such a huge interest in the story is SO incredibly moving!
I hope that when you see these articles you are reminded of what a huge gift that you gave to me and to these reader by being an early supporter of this work! The messages from perfect strangers about how much they needed this story of hope, amazingly, continue to roll in, and they have you to thank for that!
I am so grateful to you for believing in this story, for believing in me and for your support in bringing this story to thousands of people around the world!! You are amazing
Heart,
Katie
Good Morning Sweethearts!
I hope that you all are doing well and that you’re having a lovely Friday! The last two weeks since the book has launched has been such a dream. I have been so touched that so many of you have texted or emailed me pictures of the books as they arrived at your homes, sent me photos of your children with the books, and also have given me your feedback on "How to Get Run Over by a Truck" It has been so wonderful to hear from you, and I am incredibly grateful to you for sharing your experience with me!
A few really wonderful things have happened that I wanted to share with you! I have done a couple of interviews about the book, and about my experience that I wanted to share with you.
In this interview I spoke about the day of the accident, and what it is like to be aware of the fact that you might lose your life in this Arrvls Podcast entitled "40 Blinks"
I spoke with Brooklyn Paper Radio about being a cyclist in Brooklyn, about what happened to the Truck driver, and they also asked me some tough questions about Warren. It was awesome and overwhelming all at the same time!
I also spoke with my best friend Leah Bonvissuto on this Storycorp interview, where we talked about how important it is to use your voice and to tell your story. It was an incredible interview with one of my favorite people in the world!
There was also some buzz about the book recently, which was unexpected and amazing! Jaime King, the beautiful and talented actress sent out an Instagram picture of the books that she’s reading right now to her 1 million followers, and "How to Get Run Over by a Truck" was on the top of the pile! It was such a happy surprise!
Also, New York Magazine listed "How to Get Run Over by a Truck" as one of the 13 Books We’re Reading Right Now! Which is mind blowing, because #1 its an amazing magazine and #2 because New York Magazine is my favorite magazine of all time! I can’t even believe that this is all happening!
I want to share with you all a really touching thing that has happened just yesterday - my insanely talented friend Arian Saleh, composed a score for the book for his musical project entitled The Libretto Project. It is so beautiful that I can’t help but I weep every time I hear it. On his site are all of the books that he has created scores for, and they are stunning! I am so honored to be a part of that list!
So, that’s what’s been happening in my world sweethearts! Thank you for making all of this possible! I am so incredibly grateful for your love and support!
Heart,
Katie
Hello Sweethearts!
I hope that you are doing well and that you’re having an exceptional day! I am sorry to be emailing you twice in one week, but this update was one that I couldn’t wait to share with you.
We have decided to update the cover of the book! The team at Inkshares thought that having a brighter and lighter cover would be more in the spirit of the book itself, so they updated it. I was just emailed the image moments ago, and I had to send it to you all immediately.
I didn’t think that I could love a cover more than the original cover, but I am so over the moon about this new version! I hope that you like it too!
Heart,
Katie
Good Morning Sweethearts!
I hope that you all are doing well and that you are having a wonderful summer! I have a few exciting updates that I wanted to share with you all as the publication date gets closer and closer!
Over the last few months we have seen independent, as well as corporate bookstores purchasing copies of How to Get Run Over by a Truck. With this push from these bookstores (as of today) we have pre-sold 2,450 books! Which is unbelievable! So unbelievable in fact, that when I got the email saying that over 2,000 books had been sold I threw my phone across the table at my friend Tommy and immediately started to cry (are we sensing a theme with how I handle good news?!)
We have also seen more reviews of the book start to come in that I would love to share with you:
"Katie McKenna has written an incredibly moving and insightful journey through her horrific medical trauma and painful rehabilitation. In courageously confronting her brokenness she reminds us of the inestimable value of faith, family, friends and a remarkable sense of humor. Her narrative emerges as a constant reminder that compassionately listening to the patient is the primary instrument of healing. This book should be required reading for all professionals who work in the field of medical trauma and rehabilitation."
Leo J. Shea III, Ph.D. Clinical Associate Professor of Rehabilitation Medicine NYU-Langone Medical Center
"Gripping, honest and full of humor, I couldn’t put Katie McKenna’s How to Get Run Over by a Truck down. At times I felt like I was listening to Katie recount her story as we shared a glass of wine, as it was incredibly personal and very real. Her clever blend of honesty and humor encourage the reader to reflect on their own approach to overcome challenges in their own life. She gives you perspective and strength by sharing her story."
Sarah Lowell Harmon, LMHC, Wentworth Institute of Technology
"How to Get Run Over by a Truck is one of the funniest, bravest memoirs I’ve ever read. I think we all wonder what would happen if we had to start over. Here is how one woman did it -- rebuilding her body and life by force of will and personality. It reminded me how humor truly is an act of grace."
--John Freeman, editor of "Freeman’s" and author of "How to Read a Novelist."
I cannot tell you how honored I am to have such incredible people take the time to read this book, and to have such lovely things to say about it!
The final piece of news that I have is that the book launch party for "How to Get Run Over by a Truck" will be on October 4th from 7:00 - 9:00, and I would be delighted if you could join us! Here are the details:
KGB Bar
85 East 4th Street
New York, NY 10003
There will be readings, a brief Q& A with me, and some time to talk afterwards! I hope that you can join us!
Thank you again for your incredible support! None of this would have been possible without you!
Heart,
Katie