I arrived home from school Monday tired after a thirteen hour day. I left for work at the writing center at 8:30 a.m. and arrived back home after 9:30 p.m. I was worn out and grumpy. Then, when I checked my mail, I noticed a key in my box. The key was to a row of lockers to the side of the mailboxes that hold larger packages.
Finally! Something to be excited about.
I tore open the package on the way up in the elevator and discovered Erin Morgenstern’s
The Night Circus. The book included a personalized note, some confetti shaped like top hats and bows, a book mark, and a calling card. The book was signed and included a personalized doodle.
I won the book in Kyle Cassidy’s Night Circus Contest (under the name Howlokitty); I had to write flash fiction revolving around Cassidy’s cat Roswell and a night circus. It’s hard to describe the feeling an author experiences when someone validates their work. It did a lot for me and my confidence. I’ve been racking up more than a few rejections lately.
So far, I’ve found the book delightful. This is the type of book that makes me jealous that I didn’t write it first. I hope to have a review up soon. It definitely won’t be an objective review. I feel the kind of pride I felt when I received my first check for a published news story. This book will forever be linked in my mind with the moment that I opened my mailbox and found a key inside.
