What a thrill it was for me to see this picture of my youngest grandson, Chase, sitting in Barnes & Noble in Denver, looking at a copy of my novel, The Anniversary Waltz. I live in Alberta, Canada, 1500 km away, and yet the two of us were linked together in a special way the moment he touched the novel. He is only two years old and doesn’t completely understand the significance of the moment, but the sight of him holding my novel is a picture I will treasure in my heart. 

What a special surprise I received in the mail on Monday, when I went to the post office. There was a packet from my publisher, and based on the size and shape, I thought they might have sent me a document or something. But when I opened it, it was an advance copy of my novel “The Anniversary Waltz.” I had been trying for over thirty years to get a novel published, and had made many trips to the post office, only to come away empty-handed. But not Monday! It was an absolute thrill to finally see my first novel in print. I hope to have other novels published in time, but I suspect nothing rivals the very first time an author touches his or her first book.