The Moment of Arrival

Everyone who has fantasized about being a writer imagines that moment when the postman delivers the boxes of the books for the first time. It's in the movies, after all, as that great moment of self congratulation. Well, the reality is always a bit different.

First of all, the UPS guy had trouble finding our address because we live on a private drive with a grandfathered-in street at some freakin' 25% incline. He could barely get his big brown truck up and down it, despite gunning the engine for all it was worth. When the noise pulled us from the house he marched up to us, unceremoniously dropped two heavy boxes at my feet, and stormed off. I opened the battered boxes and, lo and behold, Cruise Confidential!

Of course, since I designed the cover my initial reaction was not one of wonder, pride, joy, or any of that crap. I wanted to make sure they didn't screw it up! But it looked great and I paused a moment to reflect, as I had seen in the movies. I wanted it to be this great moment, but it just wasn't. That didn't happen until I sat on my porch with a drink and began to read. The words came alive in a way they never could on my computer screen. They leaped off the page and danced in the air in front of me, recreating the world of ships I had so long ago departed. I spent probably an hour skimming my own words, reading them as if someone else had written them. I discovered that I was actually funnier than I thought, and even more of a romantic. Who'da thunk it? More poor, poor wife. They'll be no living with me now!