Pinch me now please.

I’m heading to New York City this week for the largest author, book and publishing event in the nation, BookExpo America 2013 (BookExpoAmerica.com), being held at the Javits Center from Thursday to Saturday, May 30th to June 1st.  I’ll be at Booth #377 with my book, How to Slay a Pirate: Lessons on Success from Sailing the Pacific, where I’ll be joined by Alicia Dunams of Bestseller in a Weekend (BestsellerInAWeekend.com) and 8 other authors with their newly released books.

I’m a bit overwhelmed by the networking opportunities, with some of the biggest names in publishing, well-known authors and bloggers, booksellers and more. I’m trying to think of this as my first learning experience as an author (pinch me please), hoping to absorb as much as I can.  Apparently Alicia will be sending us off on networking challenges to keep us busy (as if we will  need it!). The most repeated advice on BEA has been to wear comfortable shoes – there will be loads of walking.

I’ll be autographing my book for the first time (pinch me) – not surprising since it’s my first book – at three separate times: Thursday, May 30 from 1-2 p.m. at Booth #377; Thursday, May 30 from 3:30-4 at Table #5; and Friday, May 31 at Booth #377.  Stop by and get a free autographed book if you are in NY – and there will be some fun giveaways.  I don’t want to ruin the surprise, but think: Pirates!

My reference to “pirates”, for those who are just joining the conversation, is to the negative self-talk that robs you of your dreams. How to Slay a Pirate is the ultimate guide to setting your goals in motion, slaying your pirates, and finally achieving what you’ve only dreamed of until now.  Accompanied by practical step-by-step exercises to guide you through the process, together with travel blog excerpts from my nearly two-and-a-half year family sailing adventure through Mexico, the South Pacific and into Australia, this book delivers an honest account of challenges, risks, and rewards to  make a compelling case for why finding your passion is essential.

I felt compelled to write this book because I truly believe that every one of us should be following our passions to contribute to those around us all that we were meant to contribute.  The message couldn’t be clearer within the pages of my book – and I offer strategies for figuring out what that contribution was meant to be. I tell my own story, going through the pirates that were robbing me of all that I wanted – in fact they weren’t even allowing me to see my dream – and how I overcame those pirates. I also give numerous real-life examples of others who started out believing they couldn’t do what they dreamed of, but then followed the steps outlined in my book and made it possible.

Besides the passion, I’m also all about practical: The book contains real pen-to-paper exercises to help you identify what your dreams and passions and goals are — those things you’ve only dreamed of until now. I’ve included the 6 steps to set yourself up for success before you begin slaying your pirates. And of course, I’ve identified the 5 pirates that are most likely plaguing you, and how to get past them — again using practical exercises to help you along the way.

Part of my excitement in my book launch and my trip to Book Expo is that I am doing this with one of my closest friends, Beth Blecherman (Techmamas.com).  She is the one who inspired me to tell my story and write my book. And she’s kept me sane through the whole process, providing me with a calming perspective – as she always has whenever we’ve taken on projects together. Her book, My Parent Plan: How to Create a Family Project Plan to Organize Your Life and Kids,  combines her experience as a mom of three quickly-growing boys, plus her 20 years in professional project management to help parents understand the process of creating and working through a parenting plan based on their individual family’s needs and personalities. My Parent Plan empowers parents to step back to think about their daily, weekly, seasonal and yearly activities and set up a plan in advance. This gives families the time to find the right information, identify budget-friendly options, consider the needs of each family member and make informed choices to create the optimal family plan.  No doubt, you need a plan if you want to find the time to write a book!  Her book is available on Amazon and is worth the read.

By the way, my next goal: To reach bestseller status on Amazon.  I’m hoping to achieve this by running a book buying blitz on Tuesday June 4.  I am offering giveaways and raffling gifts to those who purchase from Amazon on that day – once you’ve purchased (and I hope you do), you can head to my website BGCoaching.com where you will be prompted to enter your information, including Amazon purchase receipt number, to be eligible.  Please mark your calendars for June 4 and purchase here.

And please share with me: What have you been wanting to do?  What must you do or accomplish in your lifetime? What are you passionate about?  Let’s start the conversation.