In my wildest dreams I would dare to hope readers would respond to my love story in meaningful ways. But I’m overwhelmed with these initial responses from readers:
• “I literally cannot put this book down.”
• “I’m devouring your book.”
• “This book makes me stop and think, and stop and think, and stop and think.”

Furthermore, I must confess I had no idea what impact publishing my book would have on me. It turns out the thrill of holding one’s own book never fades. I wake up in the morning and say to myself, “My book is done.” I crawl into bed at night and give thanks that “my book is done.” But then another thrill takes hold: People are actually reading my book! My cup runneth over with gratitude.

So now I’m fired up to ride the roller coaster of book promotion—prepared for tight turns, steep slopes, and sometimes upside-down loops:
• My first speaking gig was by invitation of the Gay Activist Alliance of Morris County (GAAMC). We made history together: I was the first straight spouse (technically I’m a former straight spouse) to speak to this group (“at least in the past decade”). We had a lively discussion, excerpts captured on a 15-minute video available to all GAAMC members via Facebook.
• My first Indie Author Day at Springfield Public Library in Springfield, NJ, was such fun! The library rolled out the red carpet for six local authors to celebrate their books. Library volunteer Amefika Gray of Renewed Media LLC produced a 1-minute video of this event.

• My first book fair, River Reads, in Stockton, NJ, featured ~45 authors (too many to count). I met dozens of people, spreading the word about my book. Lesson yet to be learned: Sell more books than I buy. I showed enormous self-control to only buy a couple of books that day. Book fairs are like candy stores for me; I want to buy almost everything I see!
• I served as moderator for a Self-Published Authors’ Panel Discussion at the 2017 Women Who Write Conference in Madison, NJ. Many relevant questions were posed to the panel of five authors by an engaging audience—women of all ages and all walks of life.

So far it’s clear to me: We all need to speak the truth and live our truth along the way.