I still don’t have the right words for what happened on May 17—but I’m going to try.

That night, Marked by Fate officially became real. Not just in my head. Not just on a screen. But in the hands of readers. In the eyes of friends and strangers flipping through the pages. In the sound of my own voice reading a scene I once kept hidden, out loud, to a room full of people who showed up for me.

That’s what the launch party was: the moment it all became real.

The Setup (aka: Chaos in Real Time)

Let’s be real for a minute—getting this party ready was a full-blown fiasco.

Some of our help didn’t show. Which meant my boyfriend and I were left scrambling to set up everything by ourselves. We’re talking tables, signage, raffle items, books, décor—you name it. All while battling winds that wanted to turn every sign into a kite and every stack of flyers into a potential flight risk.

At one point, four of our tablecloths completely vanished. Gone. No clue where. We had to send someone running to Walmart for emergency replacements, and that was just the beginning.

I had exactly 30 minutes to rush home, do my hair, throw on makeup, and somehow look like a human being who hadn’t just wrestled the wind. Spoiler: I tripped and fell hard trying to change in a panic. Not my most graceful moment.

And yes—I cried. More than once. At one point, I genuinely thought the entire day was going to fall apart before it even began.

Everything that could go wrong? Pretty much did.

And yet…

The Magic

We transformed The Woods Park & Pavilion into something that felt like it had stepped out of the story itself. The feeling of “Gatsby meets Twilight” came to life with glowing lights, velvet textures, moody corners, and delicate chaos.

Lights glowed, music played soft in the background, and my sales table stood proudly—lined with copies I still couldn’t believe were mine.

We had Crumbl Cookies and lemonade shakers, books and bookmarks, raffle tickets and sugar scrubs. But more than anything? We had people.

People who cared. People who showed up. People who reminded me that I’m not alone in this dream.

The Program

Wendy introduced me, and I made it to the mic—still breathless from the chaos, but holding it together.

I read from Chapter Eleven—hands shaking, heart racing—and somehow, my voice didn’t crack. I looked up and saw people really listening. Not just out of politeness, but because they wanted to hear it.

And then came the Q&A. Raw, honest, and emotional. We talked about the book, about my inspirations behind it, and about trauma, resilience and identity. We talked about how this story came to be. We talked about healing. And hope. I cried some hard tears in the middle of it all.  

The Response

One of the most powerful parts of the night was hearing from people face-to-face. One reader even approached me and asked if she could give me a hug. She told me that after hearing my words in the speech, she just had this overwhelming urge to hug me—and honestly, it meant the world.

People who saw themselves in the story. People who just wanted to say congratulations. There was one moment where I felt like a complete rock star celebrity. A woman came up to me, gushing about how excited she was to meet me and asked to take a picture with me. I was blown away and giddy. 

The owners of Homeless to Home, who also happen to be my bosses at The Woods, handed me a bouquet of roses and a beautiful bottle of champagne. It was thoughtful, generous, and nearly had me crying again right there on the spot. (Mr. Boyfriend, if you’re reading this… I’m just saying, some people brought roses. The bar’s been raised.)

All the conversations, the moments, made everything worth it. They reminded me that this book—this messy, personal, soul-bearing story—is already doing what I hoped it would do. It’s reaching people.

The Raffle

We had the raffle basket—and it was stacked. A full-size pawprint throw blanket, themed sugar scrubs, a custom mug, Fated Mates perfume, and at the center of it all: a one-of-a-kind full color edition of Marked by Fate.

This book was designed just for the event. Unique dust jacket, signed, and never to be printed again.

It went to one incredibly kind, incredibly grateful reader—and I couldn’t have asked for a better home for it to land in.

The raffle raised just under $100 for Homeless to Home Animal Rescue. I can’t wait to hear how much Crumbl Cookies helped raise from their cookie sales, too. Every little bit helps, and knowing this launch supported a cause I love made it all even sweeter.

The Disappointment

There was one thing I didn’t expect to hit as hard as it did: the realization that I’d lost all the footage. My camera had malfunctioned. All those moments—the reading, the speeches, the Q&A—gone. I had planned to share them with people who couldn’t make it, to preserve them for myself. And realizing I couldn’t? That stung. Bad.

But if I’m being honest, that wasn’t the only thing that hurt. Many of the people who RSVP’d didn’t show up. My family wasn’t there. Some of my closest friends weren’t able to make it. And while I understand that life happens, and things come up, it still stung. I felt the absence of those people more than I expected to.

So many things didn’t go the way I planned. So many moments felt like they were spiraling. And in the middle of it all, I had to keep reminding myself: this day still matters.

And it did. The people who were there carried the story with me. They showed up in ways that mattered. And I’m trying to hold on to that.

The Afterglow

People stayed. They talked. They hugged me. They asked me to sign things. Some picked up their preorders, others bought their copy right then and there.

I came home with fewer books and more joy than I knew what to do with.

But also? A strange quiet settled in once it was over. The adrenaline faded. The lights were packed away. And I was left holding the weight of what just happened:

This story—the one I’ve carried for eleven years—is no longer just mine.

It belongs to the readers now.

Thank You

To everyone who came, thank you.

To everyone who preordered, thank you.

To everyone who believed in this book—who believed in me—thank you.

The launch party was never just about celebrating a release date. It was about celebrating survival, growth, and the quiet bravery it takes to finally say, Here. This is mine.

Now it’s yours, too.

With all my heart,

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