The book came out yesterday. Thus far, I’ve had three favorite moments:
1. Cathy Lieberman, the woman to whom the book was dedicated, called me, crying. When you write a book, there’s a certain unspoken pull to dedicate it to the wife, the kids, the folks. And I have. But, without getting into details, Cathy (my wife’s cousin) was instrumental in this project—letting me stay in her pad, treating me with such warmth and compassion. Plus, she’s a survivor. More than a survivor.
2. Came to the local Starbucks yesterday armed with a copy of the book. Handed it, signed, to Yvonne, the manager here, who has been along for the ride, offering free drinks, kind words, etc. She was euphoric.
3. Seeing Mike Freeman’s CBS Sportsline column a few days back—the first writer who had actually read the book to offer an opinion. Mike’s a friend (and fellow Blue Hen), but his opinion matters to me—deeply. Then, reading what Yahoo’s Dan Wetzel wrote … man. Just … man. Toss in a little Michael J. Lewis … overwhelming.
The other day a guy Tweeted that he’s tired of hearing me talk about how hard I worked on this. To him I say, “Quiet!” I’ve taken a beating, and it’s been pretty harsh. I know some of you probably think it’s fair, but, well, it would have been more fair had people actually read the book first.
I am 100% prepared to be judged on my work. Love it, hate it—I can deal.
Just judge the product.
