Two weeks before our house burned down (which was on October 11) my book came out. The Girl in a Whirl by "Dr. Sue" and Other Things that Women Do had already gotten really good reviews and I was excited about it coming out. But because of the fire and all the things we've needed to take care of and make happen, I haven't had much time to do all the book promotion that's involved. I did do several book signings, but not a whole lot more than that. But despite all that, it's still doing pretty well here in southern California where they at least know something about it.
On December 29, I got this email from the editor of the Latter-day Trumpet, which is a monthly LDS newspaper in southern California.
Victoria,
Our January, 2010 issue of the Latter-day Trumpet is going to press within a few days and I thought you'd enjoy knowing that each month we publish the Top 5, a list of books, CDs and DVDs from all reporting southern California bookstores and your book, Girl in a Whirl is #4.
The actual Top 5 for Books, Fiction is:
1) Undaunted, Gerald Lund
2) Dickens Inn, Volume 1, Anita Stansfield
3) Christmas Sweater, Glen Beck
4) Girl in a Whirl, Victoria Gunther
5) Christmas Jars Reunion, Jason Wright
Each reporting LDS bookstore store in southern California provides us with their top 5 best selling products.
You are in very esteemed company.
Congratulations.
______________________
Oh my gosh!
Actually, a couple of weeks before that, our friend Pat Lovell had given Jay the then-current Latter-day Trumpet which showed this from the previous Top 5:
Books, Fiction1) Undaunted, Gerald Lund
2) Christmas Jars Reunion, Jason Wright
3) Christmas Sweater, Glen Beck
4) Girl in a Whirl, Victoria Gunther
5) Saving Madeline, Rachel Ann Nunes
I was SO surprised, and felt honored even to be anywhere on the same list with those authors! And while my book technically isn't fiction (okay, some of the funny stuff in it is, but a lot of it's not....) it's not a book that's mostly about doctrine either, like the books on the top five nonfiction book list that the Latter-day Trumpet compiles.
Anyway, I figured that Girl in the Whirl somehow got on that list due to the people who had come to my first book signing (mostly wonderful people from my ward!) and so on.
And when it came to any kind of "top list" on whatever happened in December, with so many books out there from big time authors that people could be buying as presents, plus all the new Christmas books that come out every year, I would never expect a little book of mine to be on that list!But when I was at a bookstore for book signing where I had done one a few weeks before, the manager there told me that people who had bought my book because it looked good or because of me being there for the book signing or whatever, were calling in asking the store to set aside some of my books for them because they wanted to buy more as presents for other people.
Yeah, I have to say that made my day.
My hope is that the reason they wanted to buy it for their friends or loved ones is because it is funny and fun to read--and because it's also something that can help people feel a desire to be kinder, better individuals and more faithful followers of Christ in an encouraging way, without making them feel all overwhelmed or anything.
So if people think it makes a good gift because it's a fun present that can also bless someone, that sounds good to me (meaning, that's probably the kind of gift I'd like to give, especially when I'm not exactly sure what someone wants.)
Anyway, I was pretty surprised and happy about all this, as you might imagine!
(Hmmm. Now if only the rest of the world somehow knew that this book exists . . .)
