The Prey hit the shelves in bookstores yesterday, and I had a pretty great time visiting a couple of local Barnes & Noble stores. I still get a thrill in seeing my book - now books! - on the shelves. I remember when I was still an aspiring author how I used to walk the aisles with something like reverence for the books around me, and wonder if I would ever be so skilled and fortunate enough to have my own book in Barnes & Noble one day.
It was a slightly different feeling this time compared to eight months ago when The Hunt was published. Back then, it was more a oh crap, that's my book there! kind of feeling, completely adrenaline-filled and super-charged. This time round, it was still a thrill, but there was more a deep-seated sense of pride and achievement. I feel really good about The Prey, and if anything, I've proven to myself that The Hunt wasn't just a fluke, and that I have a career to look forward to. Holding my book in the bookstore yesterday, I had this really quiet, special moment when I closed my eyes - I felt grateful and blessed to be on this life path I'm on now. I'm looking forward to the coming years, to the books I will write, the worlds I will plunge into, the characters I will get to know and come to care about, and to connecting with hopefully many readers around the world.
(Image courtesy of Dan at FreeDigitalPhotos.net)
