Well, I know it's hardly a blogpost, since all I am really doing is self-promoting, but that's what I've come up with for today, ladies and gentlemen (are there are out there actually reading this?).
I got my first "paycheck" from a book store this week. I'm not sure how I am going to spend all $4.79, but I have a few ideas. One of which, is to buy more of my own books to give away to all my delicious fans who are just chomping at the bit to get their hands on the hard-to-come-by hard copy available on amazon.com. I think I can get two author copies with this check. So, for all you memoir writers out there, when someone asks, "was the financial windfall from book sales worth putting your family secrets in print?" I assure you, yes. I'm well on my way to being a hundred-aire. Of course, even if I ever were to break $100, I'd still be in the red, but --as most authors will tell you--it's not about the money. As you can see here, http://www.bls.gov/ooh/media-and-communication/writers-and-authors.htm, the median income for authors and writers in 2012 was a whopping $55k.
No, this is really why I share my stories. A book review like this. I've been so moved by the heartfelt and compassionate responses I've received that I feel somewhat sure that the decade long commitment to this book was worth it. Yes, I wrote the book for me, and it was a catharsis that helped me have the courage to stand before the magic mirror gate and not run away screaming. But, I also wrote the book for so many other people, for so many of my students who believed (quite shamefully) that their families were fucked up because they had an uncle or a father in jail. A drug addict for a mother. A brother who died in a drunk driving accident. A father who was murdered. A father whose name was in the headlines of several newspapers for illicit activities. These are kids who felt embarrassed by where they came from because EVERYONE knew their stories. These are the kids who didn't realize that EVERY family had secrets that never made the news. Some believed terrible things about themselves, their families, and their potential for success in the world. While some of them dedicated themselves to scholarship, others turned to drugs. Some even overdosed. Some continue to fight their demons in silent shame, and some will never win that battle. We are all screwed up, and that's nothing to be ashamed of. Even the Brady Bunch was messed up, man.
Anyhow, I got lost in thought there. The real goal of today's blog is to get you to sign up with your email address or "follow" my blog. If you do, there's a signed copy of Finding My Way Home that will find it's way to you! Or, if you get 10 people to "like" my author page on FB, you can win yourself a copy of the book as well!
Stay tuned for a chance to win #assfold t-shirts! If you just can't wait for the chance to win one, you can order them now
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