We have liftoff!

My book has been successfully launched, and it feels like I'm floating somewhere in the atmosphere. Having my Book Launch Party the same week as Thanksgiving was a fitting choice, because I'm filled with gratitude to all who were able to attend.

All the good omens were in place. On our drive to Utah, we saw this!

It's no small task getting all my siblings together under one roof, so 9 out of 10 of us ain't bad. (Missed you, Sam!) L to R: Viv, Amy, Laurie, me, Jenni, Jeff, Kristi, Karen, and Joe.

I decided to go cosplay and wear a hat similar to the one my main character wears because--what's a party without fully embracing the theme? Bob played along and was a crucial part of pulling everything together.

These lovely sisters of mine helped me plan the event and set up the clubhouse.

Jenni thought up and provided the items for these old-timey centerpieces. Love them!

My youngest son wanted to sit at the prize table as the "prize and candy coordinator," and I must say he did a fine job.

On the far left is one of the candy jars where party-goers wrote their guesses of "how many" on papers.

Below are all the raffle prizes; each one holds significance in the book. (All except the Arizona cutting board, which I just thought was neat.) To find out the connections, you'll have to read the book!

By the way, I'll admit I went a little crazy buying the raffle prizes. If you're an indie author who has stumbled across this blog, I don't want to set a precedent of spending a lot of money on a launch party. My reasoning is that this is a once-in-a-fifteen-year event, and in case I don't write another book, this will be it. Even if I do, I probably won't have an event quite like this. It was fun to find these items, though. Especially the saddlebag purse. (You can see who won it in a picture above--truly the luckiest person I know!)

We had some sweets and treats, as promised--as well as some healthy snacks to munch on. And for a moment, zero in on the picture in the center. My sister Viv surprised me by creating a printed and framed map of the Pony Express trail!

And while we're talking about Viv, she made this pendant of my book cover. Everyone did a double take and I was proud to show them. She has so many crafting talents!

My family-in-law came out to support me as well. My father-in-law was the first guest to arrive and his was the first book I signed.

I sure do love all these fine people!

I was nervous to write my inscriptions and signatures to the point of my hands shaking. The one to my sister Amy turned out the best, so I hope she doesn't mind if I share it.

I tried to download the video of my "little speech" but it wasn't working. Here's the last of it:

"Heart of Grit is about proving to yourself what you're made of, learning how far you'll go to protect your family, and drawing on your last ounce of grit to do the right thing."

Goodnight, all!

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