My heart is full of joy as I celebrated my book launch of Un-Hinged this week. I don’t even now where to begin or how to express my overwhelming feelings. But as of today, I am now a published author. I launched my book, Un-Hinged: What I Learned from Saying, “It’s You, It’s Not Me” in the NYC Dating Scene this week. It was as if I just gave birth to a new baby. It has been two years in the making and all I can say is, dreams do come true.
On the day of the launch, March 1, 2022, I celebrated it by myself and with myself. I spent the day in the city with my higher self and inner soul. Knowing that I would never launch my first book ever again, I wanted to soak in that moment. I refuse to just glance over and let it pass by. In this interview, I actually talk more about how I feel with the book launch and what my thoughts are when people ask me what’s next. To be honest, I’m not usually the type to celebrate my wins. I don’t know why, but I’ve always been private especially with personal matters. And I can see how that trait has bled into how I deal with wins. In my latest episode of The City Confessions, I confess that I haven’t felt proud of myself in the past, but I am changing it with this launch .
As someone who believes in dreaming big and investing in myself, I thought it was only fitting to display my book in Soho and Times Square. For those who don’t know, Soho has a special place in my heart because it was my favorite neighborhood growing up. The cover of my book is also inspired by the corner of Broadway and E Houston Street. When I walked to the LinkNYC location in the morning, I was running to snap a photo of my book display. It was an unforgettable and surreal experience. I wanted to shout it to the world that that was my book, but I knew it wasn’t necessary. In that moment, I felt proud and that’s all that really mattered.
I also had the displays in Times Square in the evening. And to be able to see it come on in the city that I call home was everything my 10 year old self can ever dream of. Everybody who was walking in the streets probably had no idea who I was or why I was so happy to take photos in front of the ad, but I didn’t care. Seeing it come on with all the lights shining bright was a pinch me feeling. My mom and sister also joined me in our admiration of my book display at Times Square and I could tell, we were all aligned in happiness. When I went home that night, I was vibrating at a high frequency. And to be honest,I haven’t felt proud of myself in a really long time.
I always knew when I published this book, that I would have a launch party to celebrate Un-Hinged. Visions of what I wore and who was there was very clear to me since day 1. And looking back at how it actually played out, it couldn’t have gone smoother. There were a few hiccups along the way, but that’s to be expected for any and all events. I was filled with both excitement and nerves throughout the day. A part of me was looking forward to celebrating this moment with my family and friends. But on the other hand, I had some insecurities come in like ‘what if nobody shows up.’ And what if people judge me based off my writing and what if I get bad reviews?
I had to center myself and remind myself why I wrote the book. And my answer was simple: I wrote the book for me. I have always been my own cheerleader and learned to believe in myself at an early age. These weren’t just sayings I was telling myself. I truly believed in them, which made me feel calm. As people started to roll in, I knew the night would be spectacular. I made it a priority to be present and enjoy every moment of it. It was so great to be surrounded by people that wanted me to succeed. I’m sensitive to energy and I was extremely happy to know that it was a safe space full of love, light and support.
The Moore was generous to host the party and JAJA tequila was so kind to sponsor the event, so I wanted to give both of them a huge thank you. I am also grateful for everybody who attended my launch party and celebrated this beautiful moment with me. For those who have purchased a copy, thank you. And I appreciate all the support, social shares and feedback/reviews. Those contributions as little as they may seem go a long way. I can’t wait to see what else is in store for me and I am excited to embark on this new chapter of my life as a published author.
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That's so exciting!! Congratulations!
Jennifer
Curated by Jennifer
Thank you so much Jennifer!
This is so exciting, I am so happy for you! I can totally relate to not celebrating my own wins but please own your wins as you deserve them. I enjoyed reading about your book launch and the photos are so beautiful. I love the cover of your book too.
Janet
http://www.rediscoveringmystyle.com
Thank you so much Janet! It's truly a surreal experience :)
Oh WOW!! Congratulations!!! This is SOOOOO exciting! I will have to keep my eye out about town. This sounds like a great read! I wish I had known about the launch I could have covered it! I think I recognize someone there Selma. Thanks for sharing this with us!
Allie of
http://www.allienyc.com
Haha yes Selma is one of my best friends :) I hope you get a chance to read it!
This is so so amazing, Mariann! A massive congratulations xx
mia // https://miasdiyprojects.com/
Thank you so much Mia!
That is so amazing! What an accomplishment! Congratulations!
Thank you Laura! I still can't believe it but I'm embracing this new chapter :)
Congratulations! I love the title!
https://www.aproposh.com
Thank you :) It actually came naturally to me!
Thanks a lot =)
Oh wow this is really exciting, congratulations =)
Thank you Yasmina!
Congratulations, wishing much more success in future
I appreciate your support!
Congrats on this major accomplishment! The party looked amazing.
https://www.kathrineeldridge.com
I had the best time and felt so much love, so thank you!
Cool and what great pictures!
xoxo
Thank you!