We’re very pleased to bring you a guest post by Plastic author Margaret Gracie.

Plastic is a collection of linked short stories that tells the tale of Debbie Pearce, a former pageant queen and model who struggles with society’s expectations—and her own—when it comes to beauty, motherhood, and the American Dream.

Margaret launched her collection on June 22 at the central branch of the Victoria Public Library. Today, she is sharing with us an account of the big day, from initial feelings of literary celebrity to the warm afterglow of the evening. Read on for a taste of what it feels like to launch a literary debut!

At long last, the release!

Wow. All I can say is what a night! The book launch was so much fun. And it opened a tiny window for me into my character Debbie’s world because for those 90 minutes I was a celebrity, lapping up the attention and kudos.

The book table was a popular spot!

I have to give a huge thank you to Carl Cavanagh and the Victoria Public Library for hosting the event in their community room. It was a great space with plenty of room for the 44 attendees, the book table, food tables and the podium. For any locals looking for a venue, please consider the library. Carl made the evening completely hassle-free.

A view of the crowd as people settled into their seats.

I also want to thank everyone who came out and bought a book. It was amazing to meet new people, connect with old friends and bring people from the literary community together. I received so many compliments about the cover and the quality of the binding. That truly pleased me because it was one of the reasons I signed with the Porcupine’s Quill. They did an excellent job on the book.

What a thrill to read excerpts from three of the stories in Plastic and to answer questions from the audience. I don’t know if readers realize how exciting it is for a writer to be asked questions about the characters or the writing process. Suddenly, the world I created is real to a room full of people. What started as an idea, a wish, has taken on a life of its own and will mean something different to each person who picks up the book.

I want to thank Liz Walker for introducing me and being such a poised and polished speaker. And a huge thank to Liam Bagley for playing guitar while people mingled. He is an up-and-coming star.

Enjoying the afterglow on a patio with my friend Karis.

I would love to hear your thoughts on the book and the characters. You can find me on Goodreads or here on my blog.

Margaret Gracie has worked as an ESL instructor, translator, communications consultant and as a writer and editor for the federal government. Her short stories have been published in Canadian and American journals as well as in a British anthology. Plastic is her first published book of fiction. She currently lives in Victoria, BC in her dream home overlooking the harbour.

Click here to learn more about the book, or to purchase your copy.

Many thanks to Margaret for allowing us to republish this post, which initially appeared on her blog. Go on and check it out to keep in the know about what’s going on in her writing life!