My book launch party was amazing. Unforgettable. Full stop. And my heart is so full!

It’s been a little over two weeks since the event I’d planned for months finally took place, at the beautiful Matheson History Museum here in Gainesville, and I’m still feeling the thrill of it all. And what was “it all?” More than 40 people — friends, work colleagues, neighbors — turned out to help me celebrate the publication of my debut full-length collection, The Grief Committee Minutes (Sept. 14, 2024, Saint Julian Press.) I’ll never forget every single person who showed up, listened to me read, bought books, and hung around afterward to mingle with others. I can report there was a healthy partaking in the food spread!

I really had no idea what I was doing when I first started planning this event, but all I can say is I’m thankful for friends, for the museum staff, for the catering director at Publix for her thoughtful suggestions, for my longtime friend and excellent photographer Kristen Bartlett Grace for capturing the occasion in wonderful photos, and of course to my husband, Chad, for handling the book sales component and even creating a spreadsheet for tasks that needed to be accomplished.

Kristen got some amazing photos, and I even made a reel:) Here’s a link to that,  for those interested.