Skip to main content

A Year Later, Excitement, Support and Pain

We are just days away from the one year anniversary release date of my debut novel Borrowed Time. For me, this sends a surge of emotions through my body. I waited 9 long years to publish a story I wrote and absolutely adore. I had a ball with learning the ins and outs of self publishing (and now still learning proper marketing techniques). I launched the SommerioBooks.com website to host not just my work, but all authors with the Sommerio surname (maiden included). I've donated paperback copies to local library's all across the Chicagoland area. I spoke at two schools regarding publishing, dream pursuing and the importance of literacy. I had a successful book signing, although my tour was canceled shortly after (more on that in a moment), where the support was nothing less than remarkable. I even dipped into philanthropy and launched a campaign for education giving 100% proceeds of my novel to selected schools in Chicago. But this is just the beginning.

You may have heard me mention this before, but in July 2018 tragedy struck my family hard. As a father and husband I didn't think twice about shelving my dreams (again) to focus on the recovery of my family. It has been hard. The posts stopped, the blogs stopped, the website neglected, the book tour canceled. Just as I had gotten started, my writing career reached a screeching halt.

So where am I going with all this? Well I know you too may have a dream. You may have also faced sorrow, tragedy, and maybe even had to combat health woes both physically and mentally. But please let me tell you to never, ever fucking give up. I am just now starting up again. And it doesn't matter if it's a year later, you know why? Borrowed Time is timeless and my love for writing undefeated. No one can take that away from me. My second novel "The Ki" is currently being written. SommerioBooks.com is receiving updated content. Borrowed Time was accepted as credible reading material for several high schools, has been entered in two literature contests and now being advertised heavily on several platforms!

To close, I simply want to say thank you! If you are reading this, more than likely you have been on this journey with me. And as I said before, it has just begun. On May 26, 2019, head over to SommerioBooks.com for my 1 year Anniversary promotion of free copies of BT on every platform (while they last).

We all want to accomplish something with our dream. And with that said, I'll leave you with one of my many quotes:

“I want my greatest accomplishment to be the footprint I leave in the world, no matter how big or small. And that footprint shall be immortality, via the art of storytelling.”
—A.D. Sommerio

Comments

Post a Comment

Popular posts from this blog

A question from a reader. "What if anything inspired the writing of Borrowed Time?"

About the Author: Fun facts #9 A question from a reader. "What if anything inspired the writing of Borrowed Time?" The inspiration of Borrowed Time derived from two things, my lifelong fascination with the concept of time and my own natural want and need to help others. I’m not sure if it was the way I was raised or my own deep seeded “hero complex” but I cannot bear to see others suffer or struggle. I also often find it difficult to turn down a request for assistance in any way or look the other way when I see injustice. But I’m sure there are many more like myself (and Jacob) who have the same issue. The fools that believe the small things can actually make a difference in this world. The few that believe that if they set an example, others will follow creating a balanced and better place for not only ourselves but our children to exist in. On my evening commute one day I walked to the city transit station, ascended the stairs in a scurry to catch my train. I stopped w...
Post a Comment
Read more

I get it 2020 but I'm on to you now and I'm moving forward!

I have come to the realization that 2020 is not going to stop throwing any of us curveballs. That being said, I wanted share this. For a while now, every time there was a tragic event I needed to take a mental break to recoup. I’ve watched cities burn, people dying from Covid-19, myself being stuck in the house almost feeling trapped.     The word “quarantine” becoming so synonymous with our everyday life it was ridiculous. But still it didn’t stop. 2020 refused to let up. Racial injustice, riots, looting and then finally a year of people close to me passing away.    Break 1, break 2, break 3….. and so forth. I found myself literally drowning in what was happening around me and barely living out my own existence and purpose.    So that’s what this is about. FIGHTING! Please, I implore all of you to keep going. Yes, we all need a break but life isn’t letting up. People are going to still pass away when you least expect it. Naysayers are still going to downpl...
Post a Comment
Read more

Be careful what you ask for!

About the Author: Fun facts #8 Be careful what you ask for! Hello again, readers and friends. So this ATA FF is again geared toward individuals that have read (or are reading) Borrowed Time. The number 1 question I have been getting about the book is simply— "When is the next one coming out?"  Well, yeah about that. You see Borrowed Time was never meant to have a sequel, be a series or even have a second book. I totally thought it would be awesome to completely rewrite the ending of the book and leave people wanting more—to get a reaction. Well, I did. Sometimes you have to be careful what you ask for ask for, cause you just might get it! I've been dissecting the book lately, targeting details and looking for a doorway. You see anything is possible through the creative process. But if I were to try to continue Jacob's story it would have to make sense. It would have to capture the feel from the original and advance our protagonist. This means since I didn...
Post a Comment
Read more