Launch - to throw, hurl, send forth…
Tuesday March 19th. It was a bit after 5 pm. I locked up the house. Ross got the car out. The drenching rain stopped. The thunder rolled off into the distance.
5.45 pm. Andy of Petrarchs was moving things around outside the bookstore. People were scurrying along Brisbane Street. I chewed my lip a little. Would the rain and the cool change put people off? I’d had a couple of messages. ‘So sorry I won’t be able to make it tonight.’ Had Andy had any? A couple had called to say they wouldn’t be there.
Inside, a beautiful display of ‘Running Home’ interspersed with ‘A Grief Revealed’ and ‘Looking Back Moving Forward’ greeted me right by the door. Perched on the edge, closest to the table I would be sitting at later to sign books, was a plate piled high with ScrumptiousbySophie’s special cookies made just for the night. Over near the counter was another table. This one had the wine, orange juice and water all ready for thirsty arrivals, or those who liked to sip as they listen. Thirty chairs were set out waiting for bottoms to sit on them! As always, Petrarchs had done a wonderful job of making the bookshop a warm, welcoming , ‘please come in and stay a while place.’
There was movement behind me. They were coming. In ones and twos they came. Some I had expected, others, I hadn’t. The joy began to bubble up inside me as I greeted them, and they me. By 6 pm most of the 30 chairs were taken and we thought that would surely be everyone.
‘Will we start?’ Andy and I agreed we would.
As Andy and I chatted, more came. Eventually, all the chairs available were out and still more came. So some remained standing.
Andy had some great questions. Good, thought provoking ones! And then later, there were more questions from those who had braved the cooling autumn night to come out and support me. To join me in sending forth ‘Running Home’ into the world. And I think we did well!
Here are some comments:
‘This is the best book launch I’ve been to!’
‘I’ve never been to a book launch before. I loved it!’
‘I learned a lot tonight. Thank you.’
‘I’m so glad I came.’
And from a couple who had already read the book:
‘I loved the book. I cried my way through the last chapters.’
I didn't want it to end. Your writing style was brilliant!' Hurry up and write the next one.’
Thank you so much to everyone for your prayers, good wishes, and encouragement. And most of all, Thank you for buying and reading ‘Running Home’!
Oh, and if you have never been to a book launch, you should get along to one :).