I’ll tell you about these October updates. This month has been… nuts. Simply put. And I have a lot to fill you all in on.

First, Waiting for Scotland will launch January 4, 2023!

I am beyond excited to share that my poetry collection will finally see the light of the world. And get into readers’ hands! It’s been almost 16 months in the making, and we’re now down to the wire. This also means we’re officially in the launch phase.

Second, Waiting for Scotland is available for preorder!

You read that correctly. It got leaked before the publisher even told me. So you can imagine my surprise when a friend texted me, “Hey, just ordered your book!” Took me a second to register what happened, checked Amazon, and sure enough, she was right!

But that’s not the only bit of excitement. In one day, JUST ONE DAY, it hit several Amazon bestseller lists!

#1 in Poetry About Places

#2 in General Scotland Travel (just behind Sam Heughan’s book… OMG )

#10 in Love Poems

#11 in Poetry by Women

Ranks change pretty frequently, so this might change. But the fact that we achieved this in a single day says that there’s a lot of potential. And I even got placed alongside the big names in American poetry like Robert Frost, Charles Bukowski, and Langston Hughes. I’ll take that any day.

Third, I’m putting together a launch team.

What does that imply? A lot of work and a lot of community. That’s where you come in, friends.

I’m looking for a launch team dedicated to give Waiting for Scotland the best chance possible of success. What does this look like?

Joining a community to get hype about Waiting for Scotland.A little bit of reading and a whole lot of encouragement for all involved.Time for you to shine- you’ll get to be creative with me and make something together!Yes, a little bit of writing on your part (but not a whole book, I promise!).Some free goodies & giveaways!And more!

And this time, I am ambitious. For my last three books, I will completely admit to being shy about what I wanted. About spreading the word. It pained me to ask people to read my book. And you know what? It did those books a serious disservice. I don’t want to do that again. Not for this book, Waiting for Scotland deserves so much more. So, this time, I’m shooting big.

I’d love to make the NYT Bestseller list.

But I can’t do it alone. Typically, it takes 5k-10k sales in a single week to make a prestigious bestselling list. I’m stepping way out of my comfort zone and asking for your help to make this happen. And it’s not just because I want this book to succeed. I love sharing success. Spreading joy. If I do not love and embrace my community, I know I cannot succeed.

So, will you join me?

If you’re interested, shoot me a message via social media (Instagram or Facebook) or an email at sabordersshoemaker@gmail.com.

Lastly, I’m changing my blog to a monthly basis.

It needs to happen. I fall behind a lot on these posts, and I feel like I drag you all back and forth. You deserve excellence from me, not that. It may ramp up a bit with the book launch, but I don’t want to make promises on that front.

Rest assured, though. As people who regularly follow me and my work through my email list, you will have first access to all kinds of things. So thanks for hanging in there with me all of this time.

Phew- that was a lot! And it doesn’t even touch my personal schedule. Oh well, another time!

Stay well, friends, and enjoy the spooky season!

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