It’s been 11 weeks and 2 days since Butterfly Barn was launched. It has been a fantastic adventure so far. Leaving our home on the 14th of November last, my husband Michael turned to me and said. “Remember Karen, no matter what happens tonight you have achieved your dream.”
I truly have, nothing could have prepared me for the reception Butterfly Barn is receiving. Without the help and support from the people of Waterford it would have been impossible. Butterfly Barn stayed at No.1 in Original fiction for six weeks in The Book Centre, Waterford. Local newspapers featured the book and radio stations across the South-East invited me to chat about Butterfly Barn. I managed to get two minutes with Joe Duffy on national radio before Christmas which helped to bring Butterfly Barn to a wider audience. When the manager of Ireland’s oldest, most prestigious bookshop read it and compared my writing to Maeve Binchy, I have to say it was my proudest moment, especially when she added. “That book will be on our shelves on Monday morning.”
In the middle of all of this, a reader asked, “Why are you so surprised by how much we love the book?” It’s taken me awhile to answer. I’ve always believed in Butterfly Barn, I love the characters and what they stand for. I also dream that someday such a place will exist. I suppose I’m surprised by its success because I took a road less travelled by self-publishing. Originally, I had planned to have the launch in an Art Gallery and risk printing 100 books. I love the smell and feel of a book so it was important to me to have a physical book. I never imagined The Book Centre, Waterford and Eason’s Dungarvan would give me the opportunity to launch Butterfly Barn in their stores nor did I think Argosy Wholsalers would take stock making it available to bookstores across Ireland. I am amazed that over 1,800 printed copies have been sold to date, mostly across the South-East. A huge thanks to Woman’s Way magazine for Butterfly Barn’s first mention in a national magazine last week.
Chenile at Kazoo Publishing made it possible for me to hold a beautiful produced book in my hand and she uploaded it to every digital platform, Amazon Kindle, CreateSpace, Kobo, iBooks, Barnes and Nobles etc. Independent bookstores have also made it available on their websites.
Butterfly Barn Facebook page has reached 1600 Likes. Every day, I receive photographs of the cover of the book from across the world from places like Bermuda, Florida, Paris, Prague to Sark Island and Sydney, all because readers are taking time from their busy lives to support this book. I will never be able to thank them enough.
The Library Service in four counties has taken stock of the book and I have been invited along to do readings and talk about Butterfly Barn with their members. Book clubs are reading the book because of the variety of issues it addresses.
The other day, I received a call from Feileacain, the stillborn and neonatal association of Ireland, to say they would like to recommend Butterfly Barn as a novel which leaves people with a feeling of hope at a time of huge grief. I am truly honoured by this as the reason I write is to highlight areas which are little talked about and sometimes even less understood. If my writing can help one person, all of this will have been worth it. One of the best pieces of advice I ever heard about writing was – write what you know. My decision to share wasn’t taken lightly. It is twelve years since we lost our baby boys, Michael and Aiden and there is not a day that goes by without my thinking of them. They brought me on a journey I would never have travelled, and for that I am very grateful. Thank you all so much for your support. XX Karen
