Tonight when the clock strikes midnight and July 30th becomes July 31st my first novel will be released for the world to see. And I am absolutely terrified. Not because I don’t believe in the book. I do. I’m incredibly proud of it. I’m terrified because it’s permanent. And permanence is not something I’ve ever done well. When I was a kid we moved around a lot. High school was the longest I was ever enrolled in one school. As an adult I’ve continued the trend. Never staying in the same place or occupation for more than two or three years. London, San Francisco, New Orleans. Teacher, Consultant, Author. This has given me an incredible ability to adapt. To change direction without hesitation or loss of momentum. On a stage, in a classroom, or even a boardroom; whether in front of three friends or three hundred strangers I can feel what’s working and what isn’t and I am always able to adjust accordingly.
But not this time. This time there are no changes, no course corrections, no hedged bets to be made. For better or for worse I’m all in. For the rest of my life this book will be out there with my name on it. Representing not just the last eighteen months of my life but all of my ambitions for the rest of it. It’s a sobering thought. Which is probably why I will spend a good deal of this weekend toasting the exploits of others to keep my mind off of it.
Terrified as I am I’m also incredibly excited. Because this novel represents not just the last eighteen months of my life but all of my ambitions for the rest of it. I have a dream of what I want my life to be and I’m taking my shot. Whatever happens at the end of the day nobody is ever going to be able to say I left my bat on my shoulder. And no matter how scary the world can be or how terrified you might get in the end that’s all that really matters.
So I hope you buy my book. More than that I hope you like it. But even more than that? I hope you’ll follow my lead and swing for the fences. It’s the only shot you’ve got at hitting one out of the park.
The Seeker comes out July 31st, 2015
And look for Hollow Truths and Fragile Lives December 2015
Your Eclectic Eccentric,
Gregory Randolf Linden