This last week has been a little surreal for me. On Wednesday I learned that BURN was the #1 bestselling book on the USA Today as well as hitting the top spot on the NYT Trade Paperback list, the NYT digital list and the paperback/digital combined list. A clean sweep!
I’ll admit, I did NOT expect to hit the #1 spot on the USA Today or the NYT digital. I had some really TOUGH competition with JK Rowling in the top spot on the Trade Paperback list and her book under her other pen name was #1 on the USA Today last week and still going very strong! Not to mention James Patterson had a new release out on the same day as BURN and he is a very consistent top placing author on those lists! So I was STUNNED when I learned that BURN had earned the top spot.
But you know what? I should have had more faith in my AWESOME, AMAZING readers and for that I apologize! You guys are SO good to me and it’s solely because of YOU that BURN hit that top spot.
I say it every time, but as an author *I* don’t hit those lists. All I do is write the book and unleash it in the wild and hope for the best because once it’s out of my hands, it’s squarely in the hands of the READERS as to whether it becomes a bestselling book or not.
So THANK YOU. I owe you all more than I can ever hope to repay! But I hope to at least give back SOMETHING by continuing to write and give you stories that you enjoy and want more of. I am SO grateful to have such wonderful, supportive readers. Without you, I would not be living my dream of writing stories that fill my mind.
In the very beginning of my career, it was a dream, and in my mind a PIPE DREAM, to even HIT a list like the NYT and the USA Today. The very first time I ever accomplished that (because of YOU!!!) I was flabbergasted and so very grateful.
To a new author, reaching the top spot on ANY list is one of those things you kind of wistfully think in the back of your mind “oh one day… One day I’d love that” but you don’t really ever think it will happen!
So imagine by shock, amazement and utter gratitude when it happened! It finally happened!
I’ve written and published over 50 books in the 7 years I’ve been published. (My 7th anniversary was June 6 of this year) and with each one, I’ve been absolutely humbled and a little baffled at how wonderful my readers have embraced them.
If someone had told me back in June 2006 when I published my very first book that 7 years later I would have a USA Today and a NYT #1 bestseller, I would have laughed and said NO WAY. But it happened. And it happened because of YOU.
I will never be able to properly express my gratitude to my readers. I know it sounds corny, it likely doesn’t sound genuine. Simply because I’ve thanked my readers after every single time one of my books has hit the best seller lists. But you know what? I am one hundred percent sincere. *I* did not hit the best seller lists. YOU did that. YOU put the books there. And for that, I will be eternally grateful and so very humbled by your support.
xoxo
And PS: I’ll be posting news this week! New covers (OMG are they AWESOME) and blurbs for my next trilogy which will be releasing starting in February 2014 :)) So be on the lookout Tuesday for the reveal!
Love,
Maya
