The Countdown Begins!

We are less than one month away from the release of my new novel, Don't Stop Now!  Huzzah!  It really feels like it's coming.  Sometimes, a book release sneaks up on you, and you walk into a book store and the book isn't even there and you feel like a big loser.  But this time, I've got a jump on things.  You see, when I head to Rochester, New York at the end of this week for the Rochester Teen Book Festival those at the festival will have the opportunity to buy Don't Stop Now nearly a month before its official release date.  How cool is that?  It would be very Julie if no one bought the book.  No, Julie, don't think that way!  The countdown is beginning, remember? 

I'm approaching this book release in full on author mode.  I had lunch this past weekend with a couple Chicago YA author friends, Claire Zulkey and James Klise, and that got me pumped.  This week at the TBF I will hobnob with some incredible YA authors.  I would cut and paste the names, but the pasting is looking too funky.  Click on the TBF link to see the star-studded list.  After that, I'll be doing a blog tour in June, the Chicago Printers Row Lit Fest, a release party at The Book Stall, ALA, Anderson's YA event in the fall, and NCTE.  Yowza!  That's a lot of stuff for me.  It will be really interesting to see what the outcome is.  Will more people buy the book?  Like the book?  Know who I am?  Will life feel different?  If it goes amazingly, will it inspire me more as an author?  If I feel like a tool along the way, will it discourage me?  Only time will tell, but one thing's for sure: I am gathering a nice little wardrobe for the events.  If anything, at least I'll look good.