Writing a book can be compared to having a baby. If having a baby took two years, involved a large team of people, and had a long stretch of time in which the mother has very little to do with it, that would be a good analogy. All your friends are excited about your imminent book, and ask about it when they see you, but two years is a long time to sustain that. “Is your book out yet?” goes on for a long time, if you know what I mean.
So we are entering the home stretch, I am in the car on the way to the hospital, practicing my breathing. The book is about to come out!
So last night was a very fun way to start the “new baby” phase of the book, when it needs alot of attention. The little screamer needs to be introduced to everyone I can find. I’m going to be dragging that newborn to meet and greets several times a week. Of course, since the book is not a baby, I don’t have to worry about exposing it to H1N1 or something, so I think the analogy is breaking down here. Still, since this is my second book, I know that I am going to go from zero to sixty in the next few weeks.
So, to get back to last night, I attended the Heartlink Gala, where my brand new book was part of a lovely package in the silent auction. It was a wonderful evening, in part because the Heartlink organization is such a good cause. It was the 40th anniversary of a charity that sends pediatric heart surgeons to poor countries, to set up self-sustaining programs that save children who would otherwise die. These surgeons train doctors to do the operations and to keep doing them long after the visiting surgeons leave.
I am very proud to announce that my package, including books, wine from Solo Vino, a lovely flower arrangement and professional photography, and a dinner for ten prepared by me, went for:
$2,250!
In this economy, I am so glad that I was able to help sell the package, and spent the evening chatting up all the prospective bidders who stopped by the table. They were all very charming people, out for a good cause.
On the vegetarian front, I did meet a number of people who had vegetarian family members and who were interested in the topic of veg food. I also got to eat a special vegan meal involving a little tower of roasted vegetables, which was a pretty good effort for a hotel kitchen. I don’t know if the successful bidders will want a veg meal, or will pick something from the New Whole Grains Cookbook. We wanted to have the option for the omnivores. Don’t worry, once I get in there I will plant the seeds of eating lower on the food chain. I always do.
