Thanks to everyone for your support and suggestions about handling my nerves yesterday! Once I got to Powell’s and saw friends and family, neighbors and fellow writers, I relaxed into the experience and had a marvelous time. I’ll post more about the aftermath later this week once I come down from my happy cloud!
(And on a tech note, this is the first time I’ve reblogged something, and I can’t seem to get the photo caption to go away, so it remains stuck there as the first sentence of the post.)
Laura Stanfill 
That looks like a great turnout, Laura! Congrats! Glad to hear you had a good time.
Thanks, Anne! I’m so happy so many people I knew–and so many I didn’t know–came out to support our authors and get inspired about the craft. The hour went by so fast, and I have been replaying it in my head, wishing I had taken more notes.
Fabulous! When a presentation/reading/program goes well, it’s quite a high!! Congratulations!
I’m still having that fun floaty feeling, Judy! It was so immensely satisfying to see so many readers and writers there last night, and to have them respond with laughs, gasps, groans and applause during different parts of the evening.
Laura, that looks amazing!! Congratulations on such a successful event.
It was definitely a dream come true, Phillip! I just wish my parents could have been there (they’re on the East Coast and had just gone back home after New Year’s).
Congrats on everything! The event and publishing company.
Congrats on a successful event, Laura! That picture is awesome, I’m sure you get jazzed up just looking at yourself before all those people!
Yay! 🙂 That’s so wonderful! I look forward to your future post! Stay on that cloud as long as you want! It’s well deserved!
What a perfect thrill, Laura … Looks like all your hard work has its rewards 🙂
Thanks, Florence. I haven’t worked so hard on a project since my years in journalism, when I’d stay at work until midnight or later to get the paper out each week. It was such fun to put a book together, and even more fun to launch it into the world, where it has found readers and helped inspire them.
Oh, my gosh, I would have been so nervous with so many people there! That photo should hang over your writing space as reaffirmation of what all your hard work can bring!
You did draw a crowd, well done you. Big congrats on your success!
I could never have read in front of all those people… Good job and Congratulations, Laura!
I may write a blog post about doing readings, because even when I get nervous beforehand, somehow I’m able to set that aside and perform. It helped to do a 100-person event in November so I was energized, not daunted, by the crowd size!
I wish I could be more like that…