The time has finally arrived. After several years of writing, re-writing, editing sessions, a global pandemic and what can only be described as a continuous slow burn, I'll Be The Moon - A Migrant Child's Story, has been released.
Over the last month or so, I've been busy traveling, visiting book sellers from around the country, reading at schools and shaking the rust off of just being in front of people again talking about a writing project. I even took part in a speed dating-style event in Denver, pitching my book to table after table of book buyers and book store owners from all over the place.
While many authors actually dislike the book promotional activities that come with releasing a new book, I actually enjoy it (despite the fact that a stubborn little you-know-what called "uncertainty" checks in rent-free inside my head). Now that the book is out, I get to see how people react to it, how they interpret it or make it their own. This is my favorite part of this whole process, regardless of whether a person enjoys it or not. When a person reads something you wrote and spent some time on and then has an opinion about it (good or bad), I've accomplished the mission. I often tell classrooms of kids and parents that the moment a book is available for public consumption, it's no longer my book - even though my name is on it. It's actually yours.
This is truly the case for I'll Be The Moon. The central character/narrator is a little girl that travels across the border with her mother to reunite with her father. It's the same kind of journey that thousands and thousands of immigrants have taken over many, many years in order to find something better. By no stretch do I mean to get political. I just want to remind everyone that we all come from somewhere. If you look back through your genealogy or lineage, you'll find that someone, somewhere, made a decision that essentially brought you to where you are right now. This little girl doesn't know the political complexities that come with crossing a desert. But she does know that she loves her father. And her mother knows that she would most certainly move mountains for the safety and happiness of her little girl. This is why, to me, I'll Be The Moon is a love story. You can read more about this in Foreword Review Magazine's article here.
This is why I'll Be The Moon - A Migrant Child's Story is a book for all ages. Packaged as a children's book, I am hopeful that it will do justice to the many parents and grandparents who read alongside these kids because I'll be telling a version of their story, too.
I am so looking forward to visiting as many schools and libraries as I possibly can over the next year. I am in a happy place with my writing and the direction that I want to keep heading. I am thankful for the support many of you have given me over the years - many of you on this list are what I call my OG readers from way back! I'm super lucky to have my wife, Patty, that serves as muse/listener/superwoman. Angela, Jon, Mafs, Brooke and Rachel - thank you from the bottom of my heart for seeing this through. Let the good times roll!
Lastly, there were many people who took the time to read advanced copies of this book, many of whom took even extra time to write a few lines of praise or a review online somewhere. Those people are incredible and I truly thank you all.
Here's to a great year ahead! And don't forget, the Spanish version will be out on paperback - January 9, 2024! You can pre-order Seré la luna wherever books are sold.
- PDC