SO CLEARLY I WROTE THIS A COUPLE OF DAYS AGO AND FORGOT TO POST…
It’s been over two years since this entire process began and in some ways, I still can’t believe that pub day is upon me. Tomorrow. Puppy Brain will be out there in the world.
In many ways, this book is a collaboration with everyone who has ever brought a Nicholberry Golden into their family or communicated with me on Instagram, as so much of what I’ve learned has been driven by their questions. That, coupled with a longing to help these sentient beings experience a life of honor and love, resulted in this book.
But the part I’m grappling with this morning is that I am now sitting in a luxury oceanfront home in one of the most iconic dog cities in the world (Carmel-by-the-Sea), watching the sun rise over the ocean through glass that spans a massive living room.
How did I get here?
Kindness.
I don’t know how else to explain how this event in Carmel came to be other than through the sheer goodness of others.
I began going to the Kauai Writers Conference as a chaperone to my son. Our first conference was in 2015, back when thirteen year old Max discovered the conference, reached out to the organizer, and asked if he could attend. Back then, the dream of writing a book was so dormant in me that it found a new path of hope in my son. Maybe he would do what I never did.
But then we went back in 2016. And back again. We continued to attend the conference and when he surprised me by saying that he wanted to skip a year, I realized that the dormant dream had awoken from its slumber, demanding that I attend on my own.
I spent most of my first solo conference by myself, coddling the introvert. Writing is a lonely endeavor and one message that I continued to hear from the KWC faculty was just how essential a writing community is. When I decided to return in 2022, I made a deal with myself — I would say yes to dinner invites, yes to random conversations, yes to taking the first steps towards creating a writing community.
That year, I met my extraordinary friends from Carmel, Lisa and Annee. I met Lisa on the treadmill at 5am, when her treadmill malfunctioned and rocketed her to the highest incline and then just as unexpectedly plummeted her to zero. It prompted a conversation between us that then continued for another three hours at Duke’s that night. She brought Annee to dinner, who was just as lovely and engaging. And kind.
When we returned to KWC in 2023, those of us who had seen each other at various writing events came together and found ourselves saving each other seats at every meal, expanding our dinner reservations at Duke’s, and speed walking towards the coffee trucks in the morning (I’m talking about you Vinita!).
And then, the shocker.
During our last master class, as Adrienne Brodeur and Patti Callahan Henry extolled the importance of being good literary citizens, Annee raised her hand and made an announcement. “Lisa and I are planning a fabulous launch event in Carmel for Puppy Brain, and you’re all invited!”
I was astonished. And have been so ever since.
As it turns out, Annee owns Sanctuary Vacation Rentals in Carmel. She selected a house for our band of writers and from there, all of them have gathered around me in waves of support that, quite honestly, overwhelm me. There’s a reason my Instagram is filled with puppies and not me. The yes to dinners and conversations in Kauai has evolved into the yes to attention and love. In my quest to honor and see those sentient beings, this sentient being has experienced the same.
I arrived yesterday to Puppy Brain cookies and notebooks and posters. Bumper stickers and mugs and totes. Laughter and hugs and FOOD!
And me, sitting here this morning, gazing at the ocean and wondering, “how did I get here?”
Kindness. And the goodness of others. And saying yes.
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