The past three months have been a whirlwind.

The buzz began three months ago, the minute I clicked send on my submission email to my publisher.  My manuscript was complete.  It had been edited and there was nothing else to be done except wait.  Two weeks passed by and I finally received a response by email.  My heart skipped a beat.  Excitement, anticipation and absolute fear moulded into one as my trembling thumb disobediently took time to focus and click on the ‘open’ button.

‘What a powerful and strong story for you to share with others.  Thank you I think it is one many people would love to hear.’

And there it was.  I had been offered a book contract.  It was the first step to becoming a published author and what a great feeling that was.  I sat back and watched as the madness began to unfold.  Facebook, Twitter, press releases, blog posts, PR and a whole host of other things instantaneously turned me into a working power mum.

Yet the funny thing is, despite this rollercoaster ride, I am certainly not doing what I thought I would be doing the day before the launch of my first book.

I have spent the past week nursing my three daughters one after the other, as they have each experienced the wrath of the norovirus which is a highly contagious stomach bug and a force to be reckoned with.  As any mother will tell you, gory details aside, the handling of a ‘stomach virus situation’ like this, with just one child, can be categorised as a DEFCON 5 catastrophe.

This morning I crawled into bed at 04.50am after Amariah, my girl with Down’s syndrome, eventually fell asleep after the wave of sickness thankfully passed.  Of course my regular day began two hours later irrespective on the late night romance with the toilet.

Today my head felt heavy and dazed and yet I felt compelled to stop as I walked passed a mirror to steal a glance at my reflection.  There I was practically gloved to the elbows, with a bottle of antibacterial spray in one hand, a roll of J cloths wedged into my waist band and another hand full of soiled laundry.  I won’t bother telling you what my hair looked like or the colour of the rings around my eyes.

I had to stop and laugh.  How ironic.  To the outside world, I am a young mother of four, who has two children with special needs and twins, with my first book to be published tomorrow, how glamorous! ‘How must she be feeling?’ People may ask as they wonder how I must be celebrating this awesome achievement.

Right now, a hot bath, a quick fold of the laundry that’s bulging out of the tumble dryer and some shut eye would be great.

What a reality check.

 

A Brief Moment in Time is available to download from the following online stores:

http://www.amazon.com/Brief-Moment-Time-ebook/dp/B00C2XE0TU/ref=la_B00C423BLC_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1365118796&sr=1-1

http://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/a-brief-moment-in-time-deborah-french/1114954485?ean=2940016572215

http://www.kobobooks.com/ebook/A-Brief-Moment-in-Time/book-GN-z9a5sokmp8pjAZwNF-Q/page1.html?s=Tct3BLMHI0ySEZ_7_ZB2DQ&r=3

 

 

The post The Night Before the Launch of A Brief Moment in Time appeared first on Deborah French.

  

Deborah French

Deborah French, a 34-year-old market researcher turned stay-at-home mum, author and special-needs activist launched her first e-book in April 2013. The award winning e-book, A Brief Moment in Time is published by ASD Publishing Co. and tells of her personal journey of how her world was turned upside down when her daughter was born unexpectedly with Down’s syndrome. A year later her son aged just two, was diagnosed with Autistic Spectrum Disorder. Now with her eldest two being 10 and 8, Deborah also has four year old twins.

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