The “book stork” & my 40 lb. bundle of joy!

As some of you may know (and may be sick of hearing by now) my fifth novel, WHEN NEVER COMES, is due out on May 1st, and the last two days have been an absolute joy. And yesterday, the UPS man (aka: the book stork) brought me a big beautiful box of… you guessed it… author copies! Toss in the fact that it’s my first hardcover release… AND my first audio release, and you can probably guess that I’m a pretty happy girl!

Ask any proud mama and she’ll tell you the moment she held her baby for the first time made was one she’ll never forget. But I’m here to tell you, for authors, holding our book babies for the first time isn’t so very different. And when you think about it there are some pretty striking similarities. There’s the moment of conception, the giddy quickening of new life, followed by months and months (and… months) of awkward and uncomfortable stuff, like insomnia, exhaustion, second thoughts, not to mention the absolute certainty that you’ll never survive the process. And then, at long last, after much angst and weight gain (starting to sound familiar?) comes that final agonizing push, and viola! our creation enters the world in all its new and squalling glory.

And here’s something else–the best part, really. Most mothers will tell you those feelings don’t disappear with the second or third child. Or the fifth. Maybe you know what to expect (or think you do) but each birth is unique, fraught with its own hopes and fears and dreams. This holds true for authors as well, which is why, when that 40 lb. bundle of joy appears on the doorstep, courtesy of the UPS man, be it the first, the fifth, or the fifteenth, it can be a bit of a weepy moment. Because until  we can finally hold it in our arms, call it by its name, and yes, even cuddle with it in bed, it’s never quite real. So excuse me while I coo just a little over my newest addition. I’m a new (ish) mama, and absolutely over the moon that I get to do this wonderful thing for a living!

 

19 Comments

  1. Gina Harbison on March 22, 2018 at 5:52 pm

    Barbara,
    I am so excited for you. You books have been wonderful and just like the other 4 I will get this one too.
    Congratulations on the hard cover also.
    Will you be coming back to Ga, anytime soon. Need some books signed.

    • Barbara Davis on March 22, 2018 at 5:54 pm

      I will in fact. I will be at FoxTale in Woodstock on July 2nd!

  2. SandraLee Smith on March 22, 2018 at 6:45 pm

    I am looking forward to reading this book. I am very happy for you and the release of your first hard cover.

  3. Judy Morris on March 22, 2018 at 9:34 pm

    Would love a read your new book

  4. booksbytlcTonni on March 22, 2018 at 11:39 pm

    Come to Dallas!

  5. Terry Pearson on March 23, 2018 at 3:53 am

    Come to Nashville please.

    • Barbara Davis on March 23, 2018 at 10:07 am

      I would love to! My husband lived there for a time and really enjoyed it!

      • Terry Griffin Pearson on March 24, 2018 at 3:51 am

        It’s never too late! Nashville and surrounding cities are nothing like they were when I moved ved here in the 70’s. In the 90’s we began to see a major change. We went from country twang to Music City to the stars.

        • Barbara Davis on March 24, 2018 at 10:00 am

          Well then! I’ll have to see if I can make it work!

  6. Elaine M Lolli on March 23, 2018 at 10:01 am

    Congratulations, Barbara! I am eagerly awaiting the release of this one, and reviewing it on my blog. Quite an accomplishment!

    • Barbara Davis on March 23, 2018 at 10:06 am

      Thank so much! I can’t wait for this one to be out in the world!

  7. Terry Lynn Thomas on March 23, 2018 at 10:20 am

    Happy book birthday! I’m so excited to read this book. I remember when you had your moment while scrubbing the toilet. You are an inspiration. Happy spring, my dear.

    • Barbara Davis on March 23, 2018 at 11:16 am

      Thank you! And yes this one came in a rather unusual way, but hey, I’ll take it! Hope you are on the mend. Are you doing RWA?

  8. Debbie on March 23, 2018 at 3:32 pm

    Are these arc’s ?
    So happy for you and all of your readers! I can’t wait.

    • Barbara Davis on March 23, 2018 at 3:34 pm

      No, they’re final copies! I’ll be holding a giveaway shortly, so stay tuned!

  9. Kathleen on March 23, 2018 at 5:07 pm

    Oh My! How lovely, Congratulations! I would love to delve into this right now~with a wam cup of coffee on this cold day…..Please add my name to the list of ladies dying to read this as well. Thank You

    • Barbara Davis on March 23, 2018 at 5:28 pm

      Thanks, and I’ll be holding a giveaway shortly, so stay tuned!

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