Lola Jaye

… so I decided it was a good day to go and see my ‘babies’ in the store…Three copies of my book in my largest local supermarket.WOW.I stood staring, smiling then got all silly and asked the sales assistant to take pics of me and my friend standing ‘natrually’ by the shelves.  I told a random stranger ‘That’s my book!’ to which she said a polite congratulations and then carried on scanning the food aisle.We took more pictures before a canny sales assistant told us we’d need permission to take pictures in the store…

ALL THOSE YEARS OF STRUGGLE, HOPE, LACK OF HOPE, PRAYER, DAYDREAMING, SWEAT, HAPPINESS AND TEARS AND ITS  COME DOWN TO THIS.

Wonderful. 

Today is a good day. 

Have taken a month of work so woke up today, did some admin and I am currently prancing around the living room in a suspect outfit to Mary J Blige feeling like Carrie Bradshaw (minus her magnificent tum!) I AM A REAL WRITER!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!And I can honestly say, I really feel like one.PS - I’m going to a supermarket to see a certain book on a certain shelf, live, for the very first time….  

… including in Sheerness and Muswell Hill…

Friends have been texting me pictures of my book ON DISPLAY!!!!!!!!!!!!! How mad is that? Books have been spotted on display at Luton Airport and Park Royal!!  And someone on Facebook has spotted someone reading By The Time You Read This… at West Kensington station. Someone who hadn’t bought it at the launch! Someone who doesn’t know me has bought the book!!?? WOW! That is hard to comprehend.  

I was staying in a hotel for the night of the launch and was just checking out the following morning and who do I see walk towards me? Mr Will Smith leaving  a press conference at the hotel being held in honour of Nelson Mandela’s birthday celebrations tomorrow.!!!! Now, considering  I have always imagined Will Smith as my main character in By The Time You Read This… it was absolutely wonderful for me to see him the day after the launch party and the day the book has started to appear in shops (yes, you heard that bit right, too!).He hugged me and I had the audacity to tell him that I imagined him to be ‘kevin’ and gave him my card, which he took very graciously, before joining his beautiful wife Jada in the car.This is not a joke, the above really happened…

June 25th was the day we held the launch party for By The Time You Read This…In Orchid Bar Piccadilly circus… and it was AMAZING.  And yes, it has taken me a couple of days to write about it on this Blog.Why?A few reasons.I was so tired because I just couldn’t sleep in my hotel room as I kept thinking about THE NIGHT.  The amount of people… family, friends, colleagues, publishing people… Especially after I’d convinced myself that no one was actually going to turn up!  I arrived fifteen minutes late to a packed room, claps and cheers to which I joined in by screaming and jumping up and down like someone of a nutty disposition.  That was me. Ladylike? NEVER (although I was wearing a pretty dress!)So, I swanned about the room, trying to give equal time to every guest (about 30 seconds) laid off the alcohol and tried to remember to just breathe.And then we did the speeches. My Editor Claire spoke first and said the most amazing things about me being enthusiastic and hardworking (which produced some scoffs from former work colleagues!). I didn’t feel too lemon-like as I stood beside her as she reeled off a list of really good attributes.  And then it was my turn.  I took the mike, pulled up a couple of really untidily written scrawls… and spoke… made a joke, people laughed… a list of Oscar like ‘thank you’s… claps…. spoke… cheers… read a few pages from the book… laughter  and more and more claps. It was perfect.There were cupcakes in green (to go with the book), wine, laughter, chatter, hugs, kisses. It was a wonderful feeling to have your family, friends old and new, people you work with or have worked with, people involved in your book, all under one roof enjoying the night - and buying copies of the book.My little creation, put out into the world for all to see.I’m tempted to say; be nice. It’s fragile. It has feelings…. But I wont,  because actually, it’s strong, its robust and its the book I have always wanted to write.  It can look after itself now… of that I am sure… especially as I now have a new book needing my attention….   

…. and I’m absolutely and without doubt BRICKING IT. I’m not sure why I’m nervous. You see, I have bursts of excitement, then nervousness again… The last few months, weeks, days, hours, minutes have at times been very hectic. I just need… hmmm… I’m not sure what I need…  I don’t want to say that I want tomorrow to be over and done with because that would be a lie…  I have waited for this day for a long, long time.  Okay, to ease any pressure I will say this; tomorrow is a gathering of some friends, family and publishing folk to celebrate the launch of my book; By The Time You Read This…. The real day, the one to be nervous about will be the First of July WHEN THE BOOK HITS THE SHOPS!!!!!!  Okay, okay  am feeling less pressured… (For now!)   Today, I did an interview for New Nation newspaper and a one to one interview for Borders TV.  Getting my makeup done was FAB! Lights around the mirror and EVERYTHING…. dare I say, it was SUCH a  girly moment and one that will stay fixed (along with all the others) in my head for a very long time… 

… and she let me know today that she luvs it!What a relief. Or let me put it this way - although I really luv the book, there is no guarantee that everyone else will!  A part of me was excited and scared at the thought of her reading something new from me, but never fear… Okay, back to musing about my launch of book 1… 

…. and I can’t stop smelling them!!!!!!!!!!

… My Unpublished Author domain name is up for expiry.Perfect.