A couple of years ago my friend and fellow writer, Tiffany Schmidt, came to the monthly Advanced Writing Workshop we attend looking a little worse for wear. Drinking coffee out of a cup big enough to bath a German Shepherd, she told me she had finished writing the first draft of her WIP the night before. I congratulated her and she smiled in the sweet way of the nearly asleep.
The premise sounded wonderful and Tiffany was kind enough to let me read her WIP. It was then that I had the privilege of meeting Mia, Gyver, Hil and the other characters who inhabit the book that eventually became SEND ME A SIGN.
Combining talent, determination and an astonishing amount of work, Tiffany polished her WIP and signed with her agent, Joe Monti with Barry Goldblatt Literary. Bloomsbury/Walker bought the book, and joy of joys, a publication date was set for October 2, 2012.
It has been an immense pleasure to watch Tiffany over the last couple of years. She has worked very hard and if anyone could be said to deserve success, she does.
As her publication date loomed it became clear to another friend, Jennifer Zelesko, and me that we had to mark the publication of SEND ME A SIGN. Yes, there was going to be a release party on Friday, October 5th but what about the actual release day, Tuesday October 2nd? We couldn’t let her debut go by unacknowledged. Then Tiffany mentioned another author who had been ‘kidnapped’ by friends and taken to a couple of book stores to sign stock on her release day. What if we did that?
We phoned around and found two wonderful, local, independent book stores would have SEND ME A SIGN. We arranged child care, bought balloons and thank-you chocolates and I even cleaned out my car.
Tuesday, October 2nd, 2012 was rainy but still a hoot. We first went to Farley’s Bookstore in New Hope, PA. SEND ME A SIGN was there! On display in the YA section! 
Of course we’d known it would be there but still there is something hugely exciting about seeing a friend’s name on a book. Tiffany signed some copies and, since we are all avid readers, we bought so many books that when I went back a week later the clerk remembered me as ‘Oh yeah, you guys bought all those great books.’
We then went to The Newtown Bookshop where sadly, SEND ME A SIGN’s shipment had been delayed. Still, we spoke with the charming owner and bought even more books. 
Tiffany’s release party on Friday, October 5th at The Doylestown Bookshop featured cake, a reading, competitions and more people than I have ever seen in the shop at one time. My sister and nieces were down for the weekend (my niece, I am proud to say, was the voice used in the trailer for SEND ME A SIGN) and we had a wonderful time. (And bought, I think, eight copies between us. Hey, books make great Christmas presents!)
Writing a book is a long, arduous process. I’m proud that I could celebrate the debut of such a wonderful book with such a lovely person. Congratulations, Tiffany!
The Author Chronicles 
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