This is the first moment all week that I’ve had a few minutes to catch my breath. Don’t get me wrong, I love it that I have had two new releases this week, but if I ever think about doing something like this again, pin me into a corner and *sit* on me until I come to my senses. Wag a finger in my face. Remind me: “Learn to space out your pleasures, Anna! Don’t do it all at once.”

But it’s been a glorious week.

A little bit scary—oh my god, I’m putting books out there to be read, I’m putting out a big part of *me* out there, and what if it all bombs horribly? So yes, scary. Nail bitingly scary when the curtain draws up and you’re poised there in the wings, and… and that’s it. The books are out and now you have to let your little birds fly on their own. They are free and independent and no longer under your control.

Also a little bit sad. I never expected to feel sad, so that surprised me. But in a sense, Rafe Lancaster of The Gilded Scarab, and Bennet and Flynn of Gyrfalcon, have been hugged to my heart throughout the whole of the creation process. They were mine. Now they’re out there and they belong to other people now too. I have to *share*. I’m still adjusting to that.

And a whole lot of Yaaaay!!Trumpets of Glory!!Whoodewhoop!!Somersaults!!! I’ve done it. I’m published. And that sense of achievement and sheer sparkly brilliance cannot be matched. It’s wonderful. It keeps me smiling even when I’m faceplanting into my keyboard at 1am after two massive launch events on Facebook. Drained, but still smiling.

At the end of the first week, The Gilded Scarab is still in number two spot (well, it’s wavered up and down but it was back there a minute ago!) in the LGBT/Science Fiction section on Amazon, and it hasn’t been out of the top five all week. THAT is knock-your-socks off brilliant and I can barely believe it. The reviews are starting to come in, too, and they are the kind to make me want to buy a larger size in hats. Rafe is winning hearts, the way I hoped he would.

Gyrfalcon won’t be available at Amazon for a little while as Wilde City operates a staggered release system, but it too is garnering nice reviews on Goodreads – from someone who doesn’t like scifi, but liked Bennet and Flynn. Conversion, people! That’s where it’s at.

You know, there probably really isn’t any reason for this post except to try and get my breath back. Oh yeah. And to boast a bit. Normal service will be resumed next week. But this week? This week was special.

Thank you, everyone who helped make this week such a success. Love you all.