My First Author Talk & Book Signing 🤯

Realizing an event I've dreamed of since I was thirteen.

Nobody tells you what it feels like the night before your first author event. Or maybe they do, and you just don’t hear it until you’re standing in your kitchen at 9 pm, double-checking that you packed enough bookmarks. That was me, Friday night.

Barbara’s Bookstore in Yorktown Center did an amazing job welcoming me and my book!

Saturday afternoon, I walked into Barbara’s Bookstore in Lombard—a place that has been selling books and building community since 1963. There was a table set up right by the front door, advertising the book signing and my book. That alone was breathtaking for me. My name was written on a board...that I didn’t write!

As soon as I entered the bookstore, part of me left my body. Not all of me. I was still there, but there was another part--the thirteen-year-old who couldn’t believe his greatest wish had come true. I warned my audience that the thirteen-year-old inside me was squealing with joy, and that I’d try to keep my voice at baritone level. (It wasn’t easy!)

I saw some beloved familiar faces and some brand new ones as I talked about The Luck We Carry, and some background on Ken and me. I was shocked at first that I wasn’t terribly nervous, but then I reminded myself: I flew to LA to speak at my sister-in-law Katie’s memorial last year; I’d performed on stage at Second City; and, more than anything, I want people navigating grief to feel seen and less alone. Those were all solid proof that I could handle this task. And, I did.

Thank you to everyone who was there on Saturday—in person or in spirit. Your support means everything to me! Pick up a copy of the Luck We Carry by visiting this page, and join the newsletter to stay in the loop!