Subject: The Countdown Is Over: Launch Week Has Arrived!

Hi Friend,

It’s Launch Week! Four Stops, One Book

It's hard to believe, but book release week is finally here! I feel like I've been writing and talking about this book forever.

On October 5, Who We Used to Be officially makes its way into the world.

And instead of celebrating with one big launch event, I decided to take the book on a little journey of its own.

I'm calling it my Roving Launch Week, and from October 5 through October 10, I'll be stopping in four different places online, with each stop offering something a little different.

Here's where we're going:

MONDAY, OCTOBER 5 — YouTube
The Story Behind the Story

I'll be talking about the inspiration behind Who We Used to Be, where the characters came from, and some of the questions that were at the heart of the novel when I began writing it.

WEDNESDAY, OCTOBER 7 — Instagram
The Visual Stop

This one is a little different. I'll be taking you into the visual world of the novel: the cover, the setting, and some of the images that helped me think about the story.

FRIDAY, OCTOBER 9 — Substack
The Book Club Conversation

I'll be talking about some of the questions the novel raises about marriage, change, and the lives we build. And because this is Substack, I hope it will feel less like a presentation and more like the beginning of a conversation.

SATURDAY, OCTOBER 10 — Facebook
The Launch Party

We'll end the week with a live celebration, including stories, a short reading, giveaways, and a few surprises.

I hope you'll join me for at least one stop during Roving Launch Week, starting with the first stop on Monday, October 5 at 7 PM PT for The Story Behind the Story — the first stop of Roving Launch Week.

Set a reminder and join me on YouTube

And if you can't make them all live, don't worry, you can watch them later and still participate in the giveaways.

I'll be sharing plenty of the week's highlights afterward.

After all these years of writing, rewriting, editing, worrying, waiting, and wondering, Who We Used to Be is finally about to belong to readers.

I can't wait to share it with you.

For You Only!

You've been following me through this entire journey, from the early days of writing the novel to the cover reveal, the reviews, the website, the advance readers, and now release week.

So I wanted to give my newsletter readers something that won't be part of the public launch.

First: A Secret About the Ending

The ending of Who We Used to Be wasn't always how it ended up. In fact, I rewrote it several times.

I knew what I wanted readers to understand about the characters, but I struggled with how to get them there. Eventually, I realized I didn't want to end the story with one big dramatic scene. I wanted you to see where everyone ended up.

I thought about the finale of Six Feet Under, where we see glimpses of the characters' lives and learn what happens to them through these small, almost fleeting moments. And even though I didn't always love that show, I absolutely thought the ending made all the hours I spent with those characters worth it.

So I created my own version of a montage...

And while I was writing that final chapter, I listened to Sia's "Breathe Me" over and over. Something about the song, may the lyrics:

Be my friend, hold me
Wrap me up, enfold me
I am small and needy
Warm me up and breathe me

Yeah I think that I might break
Lost myself again and I feel unsafe

helped me connect with Rachel, and think about each character's story as a small piece of a larger life. And I ended up with an ending that fit the book perfectly.

Second, a Sneak Peek at Monday's Question

If you're joining me on YouTube Monday, I'll be talking about the story behind the story. And because you're a newsletter subscriber, I'm giving you first look at the question I'm asking everyone to answer:

What's one thing about yourself that has changed dramatically in the last 10 years?

Everyone who answers the question in the chat or comments will be added to a random drawing for a signed copy of Who We Used to Be.

Now you'll have a chance to think about your answer before next Monday.

Lastly, one more thing, just for my newsletter readers...

As a thank-you for following me through this journey, I'll be randomly selecting one newsletter subscriber to receive a signed copy of Christmas Without You (since Christmas is right around the corner!).

You don't have to do anything extra to enter. If you're on my newsletter list, you're already included. I'll announce the winner during the Facebook launch party on October 10.

All of my subscribers are eligible, but if you live outside of the U.S., I will send you an ebook version rather than the paperback copy.

From My Writing Desk

A few quick updates as we head into launch week:

Who We Used to Be is now just days away from release.
My website has been updated and is ready for the launch.
The Advance Reader Team is now reading the novel, and I'm beginning to hear from some of my early readers.
And, of course, I've been putting the finishing touches on all four stops of Roving Launch Week.

It's a strange feeling to have spent so long working toward something and suddenly realize there's nothing left to do but let the book go.

And I'm ready.

Mostly. 😊

For Writers:

If you're a writer looking for writing tips, you can read my blogs on Medium or Substack or watch my YouTube videos. As authors we are always looking for ways to connect with our readers, so this is a post I wrote about how to do exactly that:

There is another world every author is building, whether they realize it or not.

It’s the world that exists outside the pages of their books. This is the world readers enter when they visit your website, subscribe to your newsletter, follow you on social media, attend one of your events, or simply decide whether they want to read another one of your stories. It’s a world that is distinctly yours. More specifically, your world is the emotional experience readers associate with you. It’s the combination of your stories, your values, your conversations, your personality, and the community that forms around all of it. And that’s the world I want to talk about in this blog.

If you are just starting out as a writer or you've ever said, "I'd love to write a book" then visit my How to Write a Book group on Facebook where you can chat about your project and ideas with others.

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