I'm so Sally Fields right now.

Reminder: To win a copy of The List, just comment here. To win cool handmade jewelry or a Shabby Apple dress, go to this post. Or to get ten extra entries for your prize of choice, just jump in on the fun from yesterday's post and post your own 5 item--or more--bucket list. Just check the post. You'll see.


Anyone know how to fit 80 people in a room for 50? Um, and keep 30 of them hidden so the facilities manager doesn't kick us all out for being unruly? 


Because I have 80 people coming to my book launch party at the fiesta room at our HOA's beach club. What does this mean? It means my aunt flying in from Illinois to help, it means picking up 35 pounds of marinated chicken from the local carniceria, it means picking up crates of fresh fruit and it means busting out a tropical mocktail bar and a huge cake to feed everyone coming to celebrate. 


It's going to be crazy. Oh, and I don't have a babysitter yet. Why? Because all my friends have already snapped them up so they can come to my party. Oh, man. This is going to be interesting. Is a 3-year-old too young to watch a 1-year-old? Yes? Oh.


Cool book news: I've climbed to #6 on the Deseret Book romance list. Yay!


Cooler book news: I got this awesome email from a total stranger last night:

I have to say you are probably in my top five favorite authors right now. I work in a bookstore and when your book showed up on the shelves it caught my eye. So I picked it up and read for two straight hours (during my shift mind you). I LOVED it!! I laughed out loud so much. It's been quite a while since i've done that with a book. One of the girls I work with kept hearing me randomly burst out laughing so she had to come see what was so funny. I showed her some of the more hilarious parts and she sat there reading with me for the rest of our shift. You are now our favorite!! We can't wait to hear more from you and your fantastic writing!! :)

That was awesome. Because I have 8 book ratings on Goodreads and 6 of them are from people who love me. Of course they're going to love what I do. But two strangers who have no reason to say anything nice unless they mean it gave me 4 and 5 stars respectively. 

Do you know what that means? 

You guys are front row witnesses to a dream come true. I wanted to write stories that people would curl up with and laugh at and maybe even heave a happy sigh over. And so far, three people who are not related to me, didn't watch me grow up, or otherwise go to church with me, did that. They laughed at my book. They maybe even sighed. But they liked it. They really, really liked it.

That feels awesome. I can't believe I'm about to say this, but . . . it's better than chocolate.

Speaking of people who (I think) liked my book, here's a review up today from my friend Crash. I actually borrowed one of her catchphrases from her for The List (with her permission). If you read her blog, Crash Test Dummy Diaries, you'll hear shades of Crash every time Ashley talks about her stone cold heart. Anyway, the review is up. It's . . . well, her book showed up late (not from me!) so the review is based on however much she did read. I  know she got to at least chapter 2 because she knows about the list. Or wait, The List is the title, so maybe that's how she knew. But based on whatever she had read when she posted, she seems to have liked it. And also my shoes. She likes my shoes. And don't tell anyone, but I bought ANOTHER pair of shoes today. (I know. I have a problem. But to be fair, I didn't buy (m)any shoes this winter because I didn't like many. I think I got some at Christmas and that's about it.) Want to see:

I think I keep buying shoes because I feel all happy and celebration-y and shoes seem like a good way to document that. I think it's also because Grant actually comes when I call him now and so I don't have to take of chasing him all the time, which means I can wear heels again.

Oh, and the gay guy said wedge espadrilles are hot this year, remember? I remember.

Anyway, thanks for the continued love and support. I'm going to be crazy and shellshocked for the next two days while I get ready for this insane launch party on Saturday night, but I'll still be around. I just may not be coherent.