May 20, 2023, marks the 20th anniversary of the publication of my first book, CHEESEBURGER SUBVERSIVE.
Over twenty years ago, my first published short story, “Hell on Wheels”, was accepted by the NeWest Review, one of our country’s beautiful, brilliant literary magazines, and when my author copy arrived in the mail, holding that magazine in my hands, with my name printed on the cover, felt something like the first kiss from a true love.
The next time I saw that same story in print, it had evolved into a chapter in my first novel, Cheeseburger Subversive, published by Thistledown Press, one of our country’s beautiful, brilliant literary publishers. Holding this first book in my hands felt like a second kiss, a longer, warmer, deeper kiss, the kiss that affirmed that the first one really meant something, that it really was true love.
And when the author copies of my latest books (published so far by the beautiful, brilliant literary publishers Thistledown Press, Turnstone Press, Dundurn Press, and Cormorant Books) arrive at my door, I still feel the same way, and I recommit myself to my relationship with writing, more fervently devoted than ever.
So, today, twenty years after its publication, I’ll pause and give thanks for Cheeseburger Subversive, and to all of you wonderful people who invested yourselves in editing, publishing, promoting, reviewing, and most importantly, READING it, and/or any of the other books I’ve written since then. (Thank you!)
And then tomorrow I will sit down and write something new, because true love is true love.