24 hour update

It's been less than 24 hours since my book was officially published on Amazon using Kindle Direct Publishing, and I just want to say thank you for all the love. WWFODE (when words fall on deaf ears) is at #2 in women's poetry and #2 in poetry anthologies on Amazon's best seller list. Letting my work run free into the public is the scariest thing I've ever done, but also my biggest pride. Pre-orders have been made, the love and support have been truly heartwarming. As a high school student, a big fear of mine has been what my peers would say. I was terrified of being ridiculed, that's the reason that this dream has taken so long to come to fruition. I remember so vividly the times I was writing secret poetry, sneaking off the the library on a Friday night instead of going out with friends, and being so overprotective of my passion out of perceived embarrassment. What I'm about to say is so cliche, but true. The people who love you will support you. You're not crazy. Being different isn't weird, it's bold. I've spent the last few months hunched over a laptop making my own website, compiling poetry, making book cover, after cover, until I finally settled on one. The feeling of throwing yourself into the unknown is so lonely but powerful. Being alone in the expression of art made me feel so small, like I wanted to give up. But this is my dream, all those times I almost gave up, the times I wanted to fade into the background, to not be seen or heard. That is what this is all about. WWFODE is about those feelings, but the speaker perseveres. It's not about being flawless, it's about being true to yourself and your dreams. So, thank you. Thank you for the love. Thank you for the kind words. It means so much and I love you all.

All my love,

Bethany