Last week was a busy week, with copy edits and studio stuff, but a week of wonderfulness. A starred review from Publishers Weekly started the week on a dizzying high. I know this has been said before. But a writer is often home to both crippling insecurity and astonishing conceit. Maybe it's because of our active imaginations - the best and worst of an event instantly and vividly spring into our minds. For example, when I got the email with the book offer last spring, my brain offered up both "Woohoo - I'm going to have a bestseller" and "this must be a joke, no one would want this crap."
A healthy writer mind will settle somewhere between the two. A narcissist will decide everything he does is incredible and will fight the editor to the death and refuse changes. Whereas I tend to dwell in insecurity, the down side. So even though everyone around me liked the book (they're biased), my editor liked the book (even editors pick poorly once in a while), I fully expected it to be panned by the critics and reviled by those who knew better. So when my publicist sent me the starred review, I suddenly understood what "weak with relief" meant. They liked it! As a first time novelist, I was a little disappointed that it only got one star, until I read about PW starred reviews and found out that a star is their highest ranking and they only give it out to works they find exceptional. Outstanding novels. One article I read said "More importantly, PW anoints works that are exceptionally good with the much sought-after starred review, a prime cut above its vanilla good review. One might argue that authors have not arrived until their work has been blessed with a starred review." WOW. They REALLY liked it. I have arrived on the authorial scene! HAPPY DANCE!
It's on the "Welcome" front page of this website if you want to read it. The reviewer does a better job of describing the novel than I've ever been able to! And the reviewer says it is an "Impressive series opener" "original and entertaining...a promising new series." and that "Grant draws readers into her unusual setting with lively, well-rounded characters and a satisfyingly twisty plot."
I'm satisfyingly twisty - as both a yogini and a writer. Squeeee!
A healthy writer mind will settle somewhere between the two. A narcissist will decide everything he does is incredible and will fight the editor to the death and refuse changes. Whereas I tend to dwell in insecurity, the down side. So even though everyone around me liked the book (they're biased), my editor liked the book (even editors pick poorly once in a while), I fully expected it to be panned by the critics and reviled by those who knew better. So when my publicist sent me the starred review, I suddenly understood what "weak with relief" meant. They liked it! As a first time novelist, I was a little disappointed that it only got one star, until I read about PW starred reviews and found out that a star is their highest ranking and they only give it out to works they find exceptional. Outstanding novels. One article I read said "More importantly, PW anoints works that are exceptionally good with the much sought-after starred review, a prime cut above its vanilla good review. One might argue that authors have not arrived until their work has been blessed with a starred review." WOW. They REALLY liked it. I have arrived on the authorial scene! HAPPY DANCE!
It's on the "Welcome" front page of this website if you want to read it. The reviewer does a better job of describing the novel than I've ever been able to! And the reviewer says it is an "Impressive series opener" "original and entertaining...a promising new series." and that "Grant draws readers into her unusual setting with lively, well-rounded characters and a satisfyingly twisty plot."
I'm satisfyingly twisty - as both a yogini and a writer. Squeeee!
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