A couple of weeks ago, my husband Chris and I were in Ottawa, yes, the capital of Canada. I was tagging along on Chris’s business trip. On our first day in the city, we walked along the Rideau River and came to the Rideau Canal System, a 202-kilometer (don’t ask me to convert) historic waterway linking downtown Ottawa to Lake Ontario at Kingston. Built in 1832, it is North America's oldest continuously operated canal! So cool!
As it so happened, a leisure boat was making its way through the canal. Four National Park System dudes were operating the lock system. On each side of the canal, they had to push the 200+ year-old wooden crank that opened the gates, letting water into one section. They’d wait around while that section filled up so they could crank it closed and proceed to the next section. Well … you’ve all been through fourth grade … I don’t need to explain how canals work.
Chris and I were a bit flabbergasted to see this regular ole leisure boat, crewed by a regular middle-aged man and woman, making its way through the canal. I asked the park system dude, “How does one request going through the canal?”
The Park Ranger, who fit the part with a bushy mustache, a green polo shirt, khaki shorts, and a floppy hat, responded (read with a Canadian accent): “Oh, he just came up and asked.”
What? So, you guys are spending the next four hours bringing this leisure boat through the canal because he asked you?
<mind blown>
This concept of “just ask” came up recently in book inc’s monthly advice column, Ask Tina. Tina Goodyear advises a writer promoting her forthcoming book (I wonder who that writer could be?) to directly ask friends and colleagues to turn their private, supportive messages into public engagement (likes, comments, restacks, reviews), framing directness as the missing step between wanting support and actually receiving it. Read that advice here.
Are you seeing where this is going?
Tomorrow, my debut memoir, Sober Mom, is finally out in the world. And here’s where I ask YOU, Dear Reader, to support its launch.
Sober Mom is a raw and redemptive memoir chronicling my recovery journey as a 38-year-old suburban mom.
While caring for my three young children, I concealed vodka bottles throughout my home, drinking in secret as my life spiraled out of control. When an affair pushed my marriage to the breaking point, I was forced to confront not only my drinking but my crumbling marriage and the family trauma I'd been numbing for decades.
I don’t want to spoil it, so I won’t tell you how it ends. ;-)
A Zibby Owens’s Anticipated Summer Read, Sari Botton calls Sober Mom “a bracingly honest account” and “an important addition to the addiction-and-recovery canon” that will “inspire and embolden women and mothers who struggle with alcoholism.” Lara Love Hardin praises my “candor, wit, and unflinching self-awareness,” calling the book “fearless, funny, and deeply human.”
Word of mouth is everything when it comes to launching a book, and I feel so lucky to have you all in my corner. To everyone who's preordered, cheered it on, or talked it up—THANK YOU. If you're willing to keep supporting Sober Mom, here are a few ideas:
The first week of sales matters a lot for a book's momentum, so if you're planning to buy a copy, now's the moment to do it! Your local independent bookstore is always the most author-friendly bet. If the bookstore asks, you can say Sober Mom is distributed by Simon & Schuster. They should be able to find it in their system. Here are some other buy links:
Sober Mom will be available as an audiobook on September 1.
Head to the library to escape the summer heat and breathe in that familiar musty smell. You know, the one all libraries have. While you’re there, request Sober Mom. They’ll special-order it for your branch.
I’d be beyond grateful if you could share the book on your favorite social media.
Feel free to share my posts from my Instagram, Facebook, or Threads, or post a photo you take of the book. Anything you’d like to write is BE-YOND! Thanks in advance. You’re the best!
So “they” tell me that reviews are the best way to support the book. Hop over to Goodreads, Amazon, and/or Barnes & Noble and leave one. Doesn't need to be a masterpiece. A single honest sentence counts. Once a book reaches a certain number of reviews, the algorithm starts working to put it in front of more readers, and I would very much like more readers.
I’ve been scheduling virtual and in-person events. Check them out here. Please note: Some events require you to buy an additional copy of Sober Mom. I’m setting up a donation bin, so if you’d like, you can donate your extra copy to rehabilitation centers. And if you want me to come to your book club (in-person or virtually), contact me.
I honestly can’t believe this is happening. Having my memoir published is a dream come true. And I couldn’t have done it without you all!
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