August marked the six-month anniversary of the release of my novel Once Upon a Mulberry Field. It seems much longer than that, yet it also feels like just yesterday. On this last day before Fall, I’d like to take a moment to look back on that first leg of the journey and share some milestones with you, my friends and supporters.

It still boggles my mind, the fact that I have finally achieved the dream that had seemed so out of my reach just ten years ago. I was finally able to grab on to those stories that had haunted me most of my adult life and wrestle them down onto paper, and then, thanks to technological advances and other important changes in the publishing industry, I was able to bring those stories directly to readers out there in the form of a finished book, both in print and in electronic format. That I am today a published author is nothing short of a small miracle, for which I am truly grateful.

It took me a while to establish and maintain a website and a social media platform on the Internet. They serve as my home base from which I reach out to the general public beyond my support network of family and friends to promote my book. And even though I still have a long way to climb on my steep learning curve, I’ve been getting more comfortable each day treading those previously uncharted waters for me.

Not a salesman by nature, I’ve also had to adjust to being the spokesperson for my published work as I made the rounds of radio and blog interviews and book talks at public libraries, book clubs, and other organizations. Public speaking is a developed skill, and I hope to hone mine as time goes on.

The paperback edition has sold on Amazon.com as well as through expanded channels like Barnes & Noble and Ingram. The two eBook editions (mobi and epub) have recorded sales through online eBook stores to all the popular eReaders such as Kindle, Nook, iPad, Kobo/Sony, and also to some public libraries. Thanks to the support of relatives and friends overseas, my book has also seen sales, albeit modest, in Canada, the UK, France, and Germany.

Thus far, I feel very fortunate and thankful that most readers have seemed to like the book, enough to leave 5-star ratings with kind words of encouragement on my book page on Amazon.com, including some from Amazon hall-of-fame top reviewers. Once Upon a Mulberry Field has also been awarded the Gold Medal in the 2014 Global Ebook Awards, the Fiction Grand Prize in the 2014 Book Contest sponsored by LuckyCinda Publishing, and a Finalist placement in the 2014 National Indie Excellence Book Awards. I am humbled by and extremely grateful for the recognition and generous support.

So, friends, you can probably see now how these past six months have flown by in a blur for me—a breathtaking ride that leaves me drained with excitement, and all but speechless. I couldn’t have made it through without all the help and encouragement from my wonderful support network, and from all you kind readers out there who believe enough in me to invest your money and time in Mulberry Field. I thank each and every one of you with all my heart, and I hope you will continue to help me spread the word about the book so that we can make the next six months even more exciting, with new milestones that I can share and celebrate with you soon.