launching a book | Judith Hudson

Yes, today’s the day, and that’s me, celebrating the launch of my first novel with a nice glass of Malbec while fireworks go off all around the town.

Although the novella prequel Lake of Dreams came out last month and I’ve been giving it away right, left and centre to introduce the series to readers, this book, Summer of Fortune, is special.

It’s the book I started writing eight years ago, foot up in the recliner following a foot operation, with a new laptop on my knee, thinking I’d just take this opportunity to start the story I’d had in my head for years. Little did I know it would morph into a series of four books and counting because, yes, I’m publishing all four books this year! Pass the wine!

Here is the premise for the series:

In each book, someone moves into the cabin on the lake, needing time and space to work through their problems. Whether they are fully aware of them or not.

In Summer of Fortune, single mother and art photographer Maddie Tedesco moves into the cabin for the summer to work on the black and white dark room photographs for her first solo show at a professional gallery in Seattle. Her teenage daughter has gone to live with her father for the summer and for the first time in years Maddie has time to think about her own future. And her past. The daughter of a severely alcoholic mother, Maddie still carries a lot of childhood baggage. But strongly independent, she has always kept her life on track by keeping to herself and strictly sticking to her plans.

But that’s not so easy to do in a town like Fortune Bay, where she’s swept into a life she never thought could be hers.

To read the first chapter, click here.

Summer of Fortune is available in paperback from Amazon, and in eBook form from the following online retailers: Amazon, Kobo, the iTunes store and Barnes and Noble.

Thanks for dropping by. More wine?

PS – be sure to stop by www.karendocter.com where today I’m blogging about cookies and giving away a copy of Summer of Fortune to one reader.

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Torn by excitement and trepidation, I just sent the final manuscripts of Lake of Days and Summer of Fortune off to the printers.

Some people compare launching a book to birthing a baby. To me, it feels more like sending your children off to college or out into the world. The birthing comes much earlier.

There’s the “conception,” those magical moments when the germ of a story appears in your mind. Then the “incubation,” when you stare dreamily out the window or type furiously at the keyboard, depending on your method, as the idea takes shape.

I say it takes a village to produce a book because I have depended on the interest, kindness and inspiration of my friends and family so much in this process to read, give feedback and listen to me rant or spin off ideas.

Then the writing, when your story “family” becomes all consuming, you don’t have time to see you friends or, sometimes, do your laundry, and that might be more like the birthing and new-born stage to me. Editing? Those difficult, seemingly endless teenage years when so much depth and character is born out of turmoil and sweat, with occasional bursts of elation.

Then the launch. When, with tears of terror/fear/happiness you push/send the manuscript is out into the world.