I saw my first glimpse today of this new book! Isn’t the cover gorgeous? I’m so excited — I actually have a story in this book. It’s going to be released in October from Adams Media.

My story is called “The Great Rabbit Chase” and is about the time I was 8 or 9 months pregnant chasing our pet rabbits around the backyard. They’d somehow tunneled through their hutch and gotten loose. I knew my oldest daughter would be devastated if her favorite white bunny, “Frosting,” was gone forever. What happened was so funny, it’s now going to be recorded forever in this book!

I can’t remember where I heard about the deadline, but I submitted the story last summer. I worked with editor Colleen Sell, who did an awesome job of cleaning up and tightening my words. She made me sound so much better.

Now I’m getting emails from the publicist hired by Adams Media. He wants all of the contributors to set up book signings. Once again, this makes me feel like a nervous wreck. How can I ask people to come buy a book?

But wait! It’s actually the PERFECT gift for expectant moms. For all those long hours sitting in the doctor’s office or waiting around during the last trimester or prelabor. It’s hard to think about anything besides impending labor, yet expectant moms need something fun and encouraging to read. This is the book — a companion guide to the bible of childbirth, What to Expect When You’re Expecting. Wow — just typing that title into the computer makes me feel a wave of nausea, since I read it during my first trimester.

So I’ve got to get on this book signing. Who should I bug? Anyone want to host me? I can do more than sign books. I’ll bring chocolate. I can tell funny pregnancy and labor stories. I can show you my “medals of motherhood” (if you’re a mom, you know what those are — they’re there forever.) I can’t sing, but I can do party games. My stomach gets tense just thinking about calling Barnes & Noble. But hey, I gotta do it.

Here’s a description of the book from Amazon:

“A Cup of Comfort for Mothers to Be is a celebration of a very extraordinary time in your life — the nine months that make you into a mother. From joy to fear, from morning sickness to the first kicks, moms to be just like you tell their stories in this new addition to the beloved Cup of Comfort series … These touching accounts of the most exciting months of a new mother’s life are sure to warm your heart — and those of the loved ones who surround you during this emotional and amazing period of your life.”