Two weeks have passed since my book, Stone and Silt, was released. This is all a new experience for me, and now's a good time to checkpoint how it's all going.
First, the book did well on its opening day, proving once again that it pays to have a broad network of family and friends. The book peaked at #8 in Amazon's Hot New Releases for Young Adult Lit/Fic. That was a "Quick, somebody fan me!" moment. Thank you all!
And it was a delight to see the comments and goodheartedness from near and far, including some old friends I hadn't heard from in a long while.
I feel that the acceptance of the book has put a little bit of British Columbia into bedside tables and living rooms across the US and Canada. That makes me very happy.
The book has six Amazon reviews so far, and a 4.8-star rating. I'm very grateful for readers who take the time to leave a short review. Thank you! You can see all six reviews here. And, if you're so inclined, you can add your own review with any feedback on the book.
The latest two blog tour events took place yesterday. One was a 5-star review from a top book review site, "Books and Pals." The reviewer remarked: "The murder mystery plot was exciting, dangerous, and stressful to read. There were many twists and turns on the way to the resolution. Nikaia, Klima, and Yee Sim were very resourceful and clever. But, my favorite parts were the everyday background details and the interactions between Nikaia’s family and friends. ... The telling of Nikaia’s mountain quest, the Anybody Boat, Charlie Ray’s trap line experience, Annie Adams’ basket weaving, and other stories brought realism to the book by teaching meaningful lessons to characters, and providing insight into the culture of the First Nations people and pioneer life during the gold rush." She had other thoughts and comments which you can read here.
I was asked to guest-post yesterday for Katrina at PageFlipperz, a book review site that has featured hundreds of books since 2010. Here's an excerpt from the post: "It was a time unlike any other. The streets were suddenly energized with miners, riverboat captains, merchants, prostitutes, and government men. In weeks, Yale became known as the largest settlement north of San Francisco and west of Chicago. By 1858, the little town on the banks of the Fraser had become, for many, the most exciting place in the world to be." You can read the rest here.
Coming up, the book has several more blog tour stops, with reviews and guest posts in the works.
Oh, and something exciting took place that has never happened to me before. A book idea, for a contemporary mystery, came to me almost fully-formed while I was riding the bus to Seattle. I filled a small writing pad with plot notes, scene ideas, and character sketches. I think it's going to be viable as a full-length mystery/thriller. At any rate, it will be a fun project to sink my teeth into. I'm energized.
Thank you for riding along with me in this journey.
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