On May 13, 2025, I became a published author! Wow.
I still have trouble believing that. I had spent 15 years toiling over a laptop and handwritten journal entries, countless hours editing and revising, and so many late nights fretting over the perfect combination of words to capture emotions that reside in my heart. Many times, reaching the finish line seemed like an elusive dream.
The anticipation during that week prior to pub day was wild. I really didn’t know what to expect. I had nothing planned for that day, except of course, the actual release of the book, “26 Seconds: Grief and Blame in the Aftermath of Losing My Brother in a Plane Crash.” But one thing I knew for sure was that this would be a joyous day. You see, although my book was born out of a tragedy, Cesare’s life was far from tragic. Cesare epitomized joy. He was a force of nature and ignited any room with his bright light. If he were here, Cesare would be celebrating and perhaps doing a grown-up version of the little jig we danced as kids so many years ago. To quote the incomparable Madonna, “It’s a celebration, an invitation to the dance of life.”
And so, pub day was an ending of sorts. The book was finally out in the real world and reaching readers’ hands. Much to my surprise, “26 Seconds” quickly soared to Amazon’s #1 spot in the Commercial Aviation category! How’s that for taking flight!
By default, endings result in fresh starts. So, as “26 Seconds” takes flight, I’m excited about what the future holds. Cheers to new beginnings!
