My last blog post shared all of the details about my upcoming book launches, and if you’ve been following along, you’ll know that we’ve officially wrapped up now! It has certainly been a wild ride these past few weeks celebrating the launch of my debut poetry collection, Blooming: Poetry for Seasons of Change. 🌸 Having had the chance to rest, recover, and reflect these past few days has been so helpful. I’m finally ready to sit down and share some of my reflections on my book launch with all of you!

Pre-launch Media Features

I spent some time with my family the week prior to the launch, and opened my first box of books that was delivered to my mom’s house in BC. She patiently waited for months to see my reaction when I opened the boxes, and it was worth it!! The printers did an AMAZING job and the copies of my book that I have looked truly incredible. 😍

I was also very grateful to be covered by a number of media outlets in the Okanagan, who shared my story and details about my upcoming events with the community! You can view the following features below:

• Castanet
• Kelowna Now
• Penticton Herald, in B3 Life section
• Kelowna Daily Courier, in B3 Life section
• West K News, on pg. 8
• Kelowna Capital News, on pg. 32
• Lake Country Calendar, on pg. 6

First Book Signing

My Canadian book tour, so to speak, was kicked off with a book signing at Indigo in Kelowna on May 26, covered by Global News Okanagan. You can watch the clip here at the 13:30 mark! It was a huge moment for me, to have my book signing at such a big-name store, and to have local media cover that moment and continue sharing my story. 🤩 Huge thank you to all of these media outlets, and especially to the local team at Indigo Kelowna for their support – including the lovely employees who bought copies from me!!

Kelowna Book Launch

Once I got over my initial nerves during the first book signing, it was time to kick off the launch events. My very first launch event was hosted in Kelowna on May 27 at Black Sheep Coffee Bar. We were able to use their upstairs patio, and it was a gorgeous day! Surrounded by friends, family, flowers and sunshine – it was the perfect start to the journey. ☀️ Thank you to all who came to support, and to Black Sheep for hosting – I truly appreciate it! 🥰

Vancouver Book Launch

Later that day, we were off to Vancouver, where I had my second launch event on May 28. Our venue, This World’s Ours Centre, was absolutely stunning and the perfect place to gather with family and friends. We enjoyed pizza, a lovely Q&A period, and lots of book signings and touching photos with those in attendance. I am so grateful to those who came out, and those who purchased extra copies as well!! Your support means the world. 🌺

Toronto Book Launch

Before I knew it, I was heading back to Toronto to prep for my third and final launch event. Hosted at Field Trip Cafe with their gorgeous flower background inside, I was able to deepen friendships with those who were in attendance by sharing the vulnerabilities inside my book. I am glad I was able to create that space, even amidst the crazy weather we had outside during the event – it really felt like we were experiencing all of the seasons, right then and there! 💫 Thank you to those who managed to come out and create this space with me – I am deeply grateful. 💐

What’s Next?

After all of these incredible moments the past few weeks, I’m taking the time to really let it soak in. It still feels a bit surreal that I wrote an ENTIRE book, published it with the wonderful support from The Self Publishing Agency, and am now getting to share it with all of you. 😃 I’ll be holding on to that celebratory feeling for as long as I can. If you didn’t get the chance to make it to one of these events and can’t wait to get your hands on a copy – don’t worry! There will be many ways for you to do so soon. Some local bookstores will be carrying copies available for purchase, and I will be updating my website shortly with options to purchase from me as well. I will be sure to share these details once they are available. For now, I will continue to soak in celebration and gratitude – and extend my deepest thanks to all of you for being a part of the journey. ♥️