Oh hi, friendos. What’s everyone been up to the past 90 days? Nothing much here. Just traveling a bit, recording podcasts, doing my taxes, planting flowers and oh, publishing my first book ever and seeing it on bookstore shelves. NBD.
It’s all been so wildly overwhelming and chaotic and wonderful and stressful. Who knew it would be such a roller coaster?! (Oh… everyone knew.)
Let’s dive into this quarterly edition of Reflections from the Road where I promise, I talk about more than THE BOOK. But let’s start there.
Highs
NO. 1 NEW RELEASE ON AMAZON
I had a baby. A book baby, but it’s MY baby nonetheless. WOOHOO!
Writing Flirting with Disaster was the hardest thing I’ve ever done… until it came time to launch it into the world. Y’all already know – the past 90 days have been all about the book. These things don’t promote themselves! And it’s weird, but Oprah has not called me yet to discuss so, for the time being, it’s me out here shouting into the social media abyss asking everyone I’ve ever met to spare $20 to help me out. (Why do I feel like I’d have more success standing on the corner and actually just asking strangers for $20?! I digress.)
It was all worth it to see that little orange banner on Amazon on launch day.
There have been so many moments in the past 90 days that I dreamed about all my life, and they just sort of hit all at once like an unexpected earthquake in NYC. Some highlights:
- In January, I had to audition to record my audiobook, and if you’ve been following along on IG, you know I got the job! It was a grueling task – four 6+ hour days in a dark studio with just me and my most vulnerable stories, and of course a director and audio producers listening to all my embarrassing moments on the other side of the wall. But I did it and I actually really enjoyed it! That might have been my favorite part of this whole process so far.
- I held a review copy in my hands for the first time. Squeeeeee!
- I opened a whole case of final hardcover copies and sort of sat there dumbfounded. You imagine what it’s going to feel like to hold your own book and then it happens and it’s just indescribable. I turned around and mailed them to media the very next day.
- I started doing media interviews and podcasts in support of the launch. Nothing new for me, except I’ve never promoted my own book about me before. Usually it’s solo travel tips or destination wedding advice. A different experience, but so fun!
- I seriously made 100 million Reels and TikToks.
- I signed my first books at my launch party at San Marco Books in my hometown. Did my first reading! Hugged friends from as far back as 3rd grade. Y’all, my 10th grade history teacher came! And so many others. It was such a sweet moment welcoming FWD to the world with people who have been there all along the way.
I could go on and on, and I will, in various formats, probably until the end of time because I’m pretty sure that’s what’s in my contract… but for now, a quick break to talk about other things.
And because EVERYONE asks: here’s the link to my sassy pink blazer romper!
BUT DID YOU DIE?!
Rae and I officially named our podcast – BUT DID YOU DIE?! WITH THE JET SISTERS. What started as a fun little experiment last year has turned into a weekly episode focused on our favorite destinations, travel news and tips and wild stories from our adventures. Would you give it a listen and subscribe in your favorite podcast app?
STOMPING GROUNDS
While mostly I’ve been holed up in the She Shed doing interviews via Zoom, I have done a tiny bit of traveling in the past few months. First stop: NYC for the annual IMM conference. I hugged so many friends, had so many meetings, went to too many parties and after parties, and finally saw Harry Potter The Cursed Child on Broadway.
I popped down to ORLANDO to visit Rae and film a video for a top secret project.
Then I went to DALLAS to kick my book tour adventures off with a stop at the Travel and Adventure Show. I interviewed travel royalty Pauline Frommer and Andrew McCarthy (yes, THAT Andrew McCarthy) for TRAVELING WITH AAA. Ate Pinkberry at DFW. It was a very quick trip so I didn’t get to see anyone who lives there, but never fear, I’m headed be there again in a week for the eclipse!
I CAUGHT A FISH
Listen. Y’all know I do not care a whole lot about catching fish, but Rick was very proud of me and it was a highlight of his Q1. Do you think there are pictures of my book on his phone? No. Just this fish. He was so happy, you guys.
(He did commission the ENORMOUS book-shaped cake for my launch party, so don’t think he isn’t supportive. He just really likes fishing.)
Lows
MORE BARF THAN ANTICIPATED
We have a song in our family we like to sing every year to remind us of that one holiday season that went sideways. It’s called “A Poopin’, Pukin’ Christmas,” and sadly, we brought that one out on Publication Day because my darling husband had food poisoning. Of course we didn’t know for sure if it was food poisoning or a virus, so I spent the entire day nursing him and praying I didn’t come down with whatever he had. I would’ve had to miss my book launch party… or worse, I would’ve been deathly ill while trying to conduct my first book signing. No thanks! But needless to say, Pub Day was no party.
PERFECT TIME FOR A DIAGNOSIS
I had the brilliant idea to go to the Mayo Clinic while launching a book to look into a suspected diagnosis. I’ve been chasing answers for 20 years and getting little more than gaslighting. So I jumped right in to testing and whatnot.
The bad news is: I was right.
The good news is: nothing changes BUT I now have a diagnosis and can move forward and take care of myself and making sure my healthcare providers do, too. I’ll share more when / if I’m feeling it in the future.
GOOGLE OVERLORDS
You may or may not notice that I haven’t been writing blog content nearly as much lately. There are a few reasons, but the main one is that Google is ruining it for everyone. The short version of the story is that Google has dropped most blogs like mine – the kind with free, helpful, personal travel tips and advice – out of the top search results in favor of Reddit forum answers from 8 years ago from non-experts, as well as scraped content from travel blogs.
I get it, that all sounds boring and too much inside baseball. But what this means to the regular Joe: Google has decided it wants to make all the profit and in the process, may just kill all the personally published websites (like Angie Away and all my travel friends) in favor of AI-generated travel itineraries. I don’t know if you’ve experimented with AI yet but from my experience it’s never quite right when it comes to destinations. I don’t know what this means for blogging in the long term, but for now it’s a precarious time for many of us.
PLEASE SEND AN ADULT
As busy as it’s been around here, it’s no surprise that some things are slipping through the cracks. Like my car registration… it was due in November, and I only realized that I hadn’t renewed it at the end of February when I got a parking ticket for expired plates. WHOOPS. It might be time to get a VA, or an adult nanny.
Lessons
HELP ME, OPRAH
Nothing is ever as easy as it looks – dream jobs, traveling the world solo, planning a wedding, parenting, being an “influencer.” I’ve never done anything in my life that ended up being as simple as I thought/hoped it might be. And that of course goes for publishing a book!
Most folks think you can “just get in Reese Witherspoon’s book club” or “just tell Oprah” or “just get it reviewed in the New York Times” and then your book sells a million copies and you’re rich. (Giant LOL here) But even with connections and a marketing background, that’s all just easier said than done.
Guess how many books came out in March? More than I can even imagine. I personally know at least 5 people who published books the same month I did. That’s bonkers. And there are more than 129 million books out there to read. It’s all a bit overwhelming when you think about it like that. How is anyone ever going to find my needle of a book in that gargantuan haystack? And that explains why I gotta keep sharing about it forevermore. (And why I need y’all to tell your friends about it like, as much as you’re physically able to!)
BAD REVIEWS AREN’T SO BAD
I’m not as upset by the bad reviews as I thought I’d be, and that’s a pleasant surprise. Mostly it’s because thus far, none of them have provided any valid criticism. They’ve just been weird. And yes, it does make my heart skip a beat when I see anything less than 4 or 5 stars, but I’ve learned that all I have to do is read the review and it’s usually from some dude who has no business being in the same room with women, much less reading a book by one.
Why yes, E., I would also have enjoyed my life more if I was more content from the beginning of my travels. But then there’s not much of a plot, and thus not much of a book. Ayeeeee. Reading isn’t as fundamental as one might hope.
Next Steps
We can make our plans but God determines our steps. Proverbs 16:9
ARE YOU READY FOR IT?
So what now? I’m going out on a book tour sponsored by my friends at Medjet! Those of you who’ve finished the book already know what a perfect fit that is. It’s not called Flirting with Disaster because everything went well.
Over the next few weeks I’ll be coming to events, conferences and bookstores all over the US to meet readers and sign my book. (Just typing that out doesn’t feel real.) It’s exciting, it’s terrifying and it’s a whole lot of logistics!
Here’s what I need from you: COME SEE ME! These bookstores often go to great trouble and expense hosting authors, and it’s a real risky business to work with a newbie. So if it’s within your power to come, please please please do. I would LOVE to see everyone on this email list at some point. I’ll be sharing updated dates on Instagram and my official book page.
The top selling memoirs last year were from Prince Harry and Britney Spears, so yeah, I’m neither royalty nor a pop princess. (Yet. Give it time.) So please tell somebody about your friend, Angie, and her quest for mild success in the publishing world.
THE TORTURED AUTHORS DEPARTMENT
And what next for Angie the Tortured Author? It’s too soon to tell. I’m wrestling with the idea of writing the sequel to FWD, or a fictional (but not really) murder mystery based on a true story (if you know you know) or a children’s book or… no more books at all. Look, I might become a painter. Everything is on the table right now so I’m actively praying for guidance. I was previously stressed about sales and how that might affect the next book, but there’s so much that’s out of my control. And I have done every PR tactic I know how to do — short of getting arrested or dating a celebrity or something.
I want to share one last thing: I have been lifted up by how many of you pre-ordered, showed up at events, shared about my book and texted me about your favorite chapters / one-liners. We aren’t making Harry Potter money, as my brother likes to say, but that wasn’t ever the goal. (Wouldn’t turn it down though, God, if you’re reading 🙏🏼) I just wanted to make people laugh, and think, and take everyone on the adventure that started it all for me. So thanks for being a part of it.
In the next 90 days, I’ve got 5 or so states to visit, lots of books to sign and new friends to meet, a whole new country to explore, about 30 podcasts to record and another total solar eclipse to experience. Oh, and TTPD!!! (If you know, you know!)
Question of the Quarter: did you get my book yet and if not, why do you hate me? (I’m kidding, but seriously. Go get it so I can stop bothering you.)
If all this big news comes as a surprise, I’ve been sharing in real time on Instagram! Another way to stay in touch (and win free presents!) is to subscribe to our newsletter. Sign up here, and rest assured that we will never spam you. Ain’t nobody got time for that.