The Monday Muse: UP...and a Quick Who's Who

It's just starting to hit me that, in just over two months, Up: A Mother and Daughter's Peakbagging Adventure will hit the shelves (and Kindles and Nooks and so forth).

Of course, I've known this was coming since I signed with Broadway Books/Crown over a year ago.  However, the publishing process takes a while.  There's a lot that must happen before a manuscript becomes a book.  Editing, copyediting, photograph placement, author bio, marketing and publicity campaigns, jacket design, etc. etc. -- all of this takes months.  In the meantime, I'm still a mom, I'm still homeschooling my kids, we're still hiking, I'm still working on another manuscript, we still have our classes and playdates and normal routines.

Now, however, the excitement begins.  The publication date is only nine short weeks away, and the process is picking up speed.  Media outlets all over the country have galley copies of Up.  Some heavy hitters have expressed interest in publicizing Up during launch week -- there are never any guarantees, but the responses thus far have been encouraging.  Bloggers receive galleys next month; hopefully, we'll receive the same kind of positive feedback from them that we've received from the traditional media markets.  Soon, I'll have news to report every week, if not every day, on the forthcoming publication of Up.

And now...this is long overdue, and it won't be the last time I write this out...the following is a list of New Hampshire hikers/climbers who are connected with Up:

MadRiver -- featured in a few chapters
LRiz -- featured in one chapter
DaveBear -- featured in one chapter
Happyhiker -- mentioned in one chapter
Tim C -- mentioned in one chapter
Steve Smith -- I refer to his books
Mike Dickerman -- I refer to his book
Gene Daniells -- I refer to his book
Jim Surette -- filmed footage for my forthcoming book trailer, is also editing the trailer
Drewski -- the stick Alex is holding in her hand on the front cover is a custom-made, Drewski stick
Clay Dingman -- took the author photo featured on the back jacket.
Mark Tuckerman -- took one of the photos included in the book.
David Metsky -- his website is listed as a resource
Mohamed Ellozy -- his website is listed as a resource
Appalachian Mountain Club hut croo
Hugh, Alex and Sage (obviously)
quite a few unnamed hikers you may or may not recognize

I also mention the AMC Four Thousand Footer Club (of course), VFTT, Rocks on Top, Hike-NH, and the Mt. Washington Observatory Forum.

That's it for now.  Tomorrow, our trip report of Whiteface and Passaconaway (Alex's winter 4Ks #33 and #34).