How are you feeling?

The Rush is out now.

What’s that like, as an author?

This week, many people have asked me how I am feeling. It’s difficult to describe (as a writer, you might think I could articulate my emotions clearly!)

When your novel is finally in stores, there’s a sea of emotion. Overwhelmingly, there’s relief, a sense that I’ve crossed a finishing line. Achievement unlocked! My dream of seeing The Rush in readers’ hands has come true.

Of course, there’s a lot of work now in promoting the book, and communicating with readers and reviewers. I’m really enjoying this aspect: seeing photos of The Rush on shelves. So, I’m “feeling the love” and some pride.

At the same time, there’s trepidation and wariness. Inevitably, some readers will say The Rush isn’t for them and it’ll receive a negative review. As a dedicated reader myself, I completely understand. A book resonates with us depending on our mood, the space we’re in at the time, our personal history, our reading history and so on.

While this is an exciting time, I’m also deep into my current thriller manuscript.

That means my mind is immersed in another story. Fresh characters, a different location and landscape. New dialogue, threats, tensions, twists. That’s the nature of the publishing industry – a novel like The Rush has a big team of people behind it, a long lead time for publication and promotion, and an author like me doesn’t wait for one book to be published before starting on the next one.

Over coming months, I hope to meet many more readers and booksellers. Keep an eye on my Events page as it’s updated regularly.

How can you support me and The Rush? First of all – by buying or borrowing it! Then, tell your friends and family about it. Reviews are fantastic too. Wherever you buy The Rush, consider going leaving a rating.

I’d love you to follow me on social media. Use tags like #TheRushNovel and #MichellePrak

Thank you so much for your support.

Now, I’m off to check my Instagram feed before delving into a few hours of writing…