It's Been a Year...

Five things about my book Forever Boy: A Mother's Memoir of Autism and Finding Joy

‘It's been a "did a lot more than I thought I could" one
It's been 365 of record lows and record highs
Loving and losing, fun and confusing, praying and shifting gears
For the minute you got, it's probably a lot, more than you wanna hear
So all I'll say is, it's been a year.’ - Ashley Cooke, It’s Been a Year

First, this email is solely about my book. Which may feel a bit annoying, but my hope and dream is that I convince you to buy a copy if you haven’t already. Or if you have, buy a second copy for a friend or your mom. Or even for your child. A sibling. Or your child on the spectrum. Write them a letter on the inside cover. Tell them how much you love them and will fight for them and believe in them.

And thank them. That’s what I did. I wrote a letter to each of my children inside the front cover and tucked them away in my closet for a day when I am old and grey. Talk about tears.

Second, whew, what a year.

I can’t even tell you the wild ride that publishing a book takes you on. It’s terrifying to share your thoughts and fears and words with total strangers. It’s also amazingly therapeutic. I learned so much. Like, it’s hard to sell books. Even with an audience my size. I learned who my good friends are. And what women support other women. It was incredibly eye opening for me.

I also got feedback that changed my life and how I approach this world.

A mama said to me that this book healed all the parts of her that didn’t heal properly when her son was diagnosed 20 years ago.

A teacher told me that this book completely and entirely changed the way she will approach parents.

Countless moms told me they felt seen.

Even more told me thank you for sharing their story.

Here are a few facts I from the last year….

1. Jamie (my husband) didn’t read the book. Even after he had to sign a form saying he agreed with everything that was written about him and that he wouldn’t sue. Eventually he listened to it on Audible at 2x the speed. His response to me when he clicked stop on the last chapter….’wow, you really went for it.’

2. Wynnie wasn’t born yet when I submitted the final manuscript. In fact, I found out I was pregnant with her during covid, right before the book was due. My editor reached out right before it went to print and said…’you might want to add Wynnie to the dedication.’ That made me smile. And whenever I present, at least one person says to me…’you have four kids? I thought it was just three.’

3. I didn’t sell a million copies. Not that I ever planned on it, but I did sell a handful. To me, and hopefully those involved with the book, it was successful. And while it didn’t make it on the Target shelves (I may have cried), it is being translated to other languages. It’s been given to teachers and grandmas and adult siblings. And hopefully, helped a person or two.

4. Yes, I plan to write another book. I just don’t know when. Writing Forever Boy was very hard on my marriage and family. I signed my contract with my publisher 2 days before the world shut down. I had 6 months to write 60,000 words (as a first-time terrified author) with 2 kids at home, no school, no daycare, no therapy for Cooper, and on lockdown. There was no leisurely penning my manuscript at Starbucks while sipping coffee. I need to raise these four babies before I start writing again. Spoiler alert…the next book will be on motherhood. And the third, I hope is about Sawyer.

5. Thank you. Thank you for reading, sharing, requesting, ordering, talking, and more. It’s really you who sold this book. Not me. It’s you. I can only reach so many people. You can reach more.

Did I convince you to order?

My final request.

If you have read the book, and hopefully loved it, can you share it today. Snap a photo of you holding it and share it on your Facebook and Instagram. Tag my page Finding Cooper’s Voice and put a link to buy the book on amazon.

Thank you all. It’s been a gift to share our secret world of autism with you. And remember, you are never alone in the struggles you face. Find the people who walk the same road as you. We are out here. I promise.

Love,
Kate