Walking up the sidewalk to my friend’s house, I heard a deep male voice yell out, “Hey Rosemary!” I paused for a moment, looked left and right and saw no one.

“Up here,” the voice boomed.

I looked skyward and there - perched at the very top of the home’s tall roof - was Tory. He and David Strickland were putting a new addition on my friend’s house. Both men had done a great deal of work on my old home, and I’d recommended them to my friend.

“Oh hey, Tory,” I shouted, squinting as I looked up at the bright sky.

“I was hoping I’d see you today,” he yelled from the rooftop. “I gotta tell you, I loved your book! I mean, I really loved it. I couldn’t put it down. Your writing style is strong and unique and the story just flowed so well. I read a lot of books and memoirs are my favorite, but I want you to know, I’m certain that you’ve got a best-seller on your hands.”

I smiled and thanked him.

Three days ago, I’d stopped by my friend’s house to take her a new copy of my brand new book, The Ugly Woman’s Guide to Internet Dating. David and Tory were in the back yard working hard on building the 700-square foot addition. I’d had a spirited debated with myself on the wisdom of offering two rough-as-a-cob construction guys a book on internet dating. But this was my new “baby” and I was proud of it, so I decided to meekly make the offer. Both men eagerly accepted and seemed thrilled with their personally inscribed copies.

I walked around to the back of the house and Tory came off the roof to join David on the ground.

David chimed in, “As soon as my mother saw the title, she snatched that book right out of my hands.”

David laughed. “She’s said I’d get it back when she was done with it.”

Last night, I’d laid in bed near tears, worrying and wondering if writing and publishing this little book o’mine was sheer insanity. This morning, still exhausted by the night’s ruminations, I sent up a prayer and asked for a sign that my efforts had not been in vain.

It was a delightful bonus to hear the happy news shouted from the rooftop!

Teddy poses with the book that Tory loved