Autumn 2022 Updates
The past few months have been a whirlwind.
That’s honestly the only way I know how to start writing this blog post.
From the minute my book came out in Canada to now, I’ve barely had a second to catch my breath. No, I haven’t been on countless tours or doing events (although there have been a few of those). Rather, it’s been an odd combination of juggling promo for the Canadian release with edits for the US and UK editions, working my regular job, writing my second novel, carving out time for self-care and relationships, and trying to keep some semblance of normality in my life.
The only way I can describe it is that it’s a roller coaster. There were huge highs and epic dips and all I can say is thank goodness for my meditation, yoga and pranayama practices — without those and my strength and running workouts, I don’t think I’d be in a great place. As it is, I’ve avoided writing much on my blog and even made my site private for awhile because I was struggling with being in the public eye. I was struggling, too, with being called an ‘author’ because I just see it as something I do. It’s not who I am.
Identity issues and public expectations aside, here is a tiny round-up of what’s happened and what’s on the horizon.
‘The Circus Train’ became an instant bestseller:
This was probably the most humbling and joyful news I’ve received all year. My Canadian publishers told me that The Circus Train was an instant national bestseller, debuting at number 4 in the Toronto Star and Globe and Mail Bestselling Book Lists when it came out in the spring.
I wanted to say a massive thank you to every single reader who has bought, borrowed, downloaded or listened to my novel. I also want to thank all the people at HarperCollins Canada, my agent and all of the authors, booksellers, librarians, and other individuals who championed my work from day one.
Being an instant national bestseller - what a surreal moment!
When I set out to write this book, I simply wanted to finish. I didn’t and still don’t have any illusions about how ‘big’ it could be or how many people it might reach. I’ve already achieved what I wanted to (writing a book), so everything else that keeps happening is another layer of icing on an already huge cake.
I have more to say on this, both on the topics of what it means to be a bestseller and how goals can shift if you’re not careful. But for now, I just needed to say a heartfelt thanks to everyone who made this achievement possible.
I spoke at a bunch of fun (but nerve-wracking) events:
From having high tea with Kate Quinn, Bryn Turnbull and Bianca Marais, to finally making it to Washington D.C. to speak at the American Library Association’s Annual Conference after my flight was delayed 7 times, it’s been quite the eventful spring and summer!
Public speaking is something that I used to hate. I was so shy as a kid that my teacher once called my parents to tell them that I was mute.
I still don’t love public speaking, but I’ve put some strategies in place that make it more bearable (the main one is that I always reward myself with ice cream or gelato at the end. This really helps). Plus, it’s pretty special to get to speak with readers and meet other authors, so I try to focus on the good parts.
Edits on the US and UK versions continued:
Amidst the flurry of excitement about being a bestselling author in Canada, edits for the US and UK versions of my debut went into overdrive. Why would a novel that’s already out need to be edited, you may ask? Don’t even get me started on this. Apart from cultural nuances and spelling changes, there were a bunch of little errors in the Canadian version. And I’m sure there will be errors in the US and UK versions (and every other version that gets released). Yes, despite having a team of professional editors and proofreaders looking at it, things still slip through the cracks. Does this bother me? Not as much as you might think. I didn’t catch them, either. After 8.5 years of working on this book, a few typos aren’t the end of the world.
My US cover came out — and we got a bunch of lovely quotes:
Alongside edits, we also had a cover reveal! I love how each country has it’s own interpretation and is different to the Canadian one.
The Circus Train - US Edition
I was also floored to see the amazing feedback from some big name authors, many of whom are bestsellers in their own right and have been at this author game for far longer than I have:
“Set against the vivid and original backdrop of a traveling circus in World War II Europe, The Circus Train is the moving story of Lena, a young woman struggling to overcome her physical limitations and find her place in the world. Her life is irreversibly changed by the arrival of Alexandre, the illusionist’s apprentice with secrets of his own. Amita Parikh has written a passionate and gripping tale of unlikely alliances and hidden strengths, and a powerful reminder that to live is not just to survive, but to be seen and known for ourselves.”
— Pam Jenoff, author of The Woman With the Blue Star
“Magic, love, destiny, and illusion combine with the glitter of 20th century circus life and the heartbreak of war in The Circus Train, Amita Parikh’s masterful first novel. The story centers around Lena, the extraordinary daughter of a world-renowned illusionist, whose world at first remains small, despite the fact that she lives about a glamorous circus train that crisscrosses Europe. But when a young Jewish refugee with a talent for magic finds his way aboard in the early years of World War II, Lena’s life changes forever as he shows her that she alone holds the key to building a better existence for herself. A powerful tale of hope in the face of tragedy and great love in the face of staggering loss, The Circus Train is an extraordinary debut.”
— Kristin Harmel, author of The Book of Lost Names and The Forest of Vanishing Stars
“This is a poignant story of a young woman’s strive for independence, the atrocities of WWII, and betrayal. Heartbreak, romance and love filter throughout and I thoroughly enjoyed the ending offering hope.”
— Glynis Peters, author of The Secret Orphan
“In this deeply entertaining and enchanting debut novel, Amita Parikh weaves a magical tale of a young girl trying to find her place in the world. Lena Papadopolous, the daughter of a famous circus illusionist, is also confined to a wheelchair from childhood polio. Longing for friendship and acceptance, Lena rescues a boy who is running from the Gestapo and begins a lifelong friendship. Set against the backdrop of World War II, the book is a page-turner that holds onto its secrets until its satisfying conclusion. This richly drawn and captivating novel is a must-read for fans of historical fiction.”
— Constance Sayers, author of The Ladies of the Secret Circus
“I fell head and heart into the pages of The Circus Train. The triumphant spirit of the characters shines brightly as they navigate the extravagance of the World of Wonders circus and a challenging historical landscape. This is a book readers will carry with them, in the best of ways, for a long time to come.”
— Lorelei Savaryn, author of The Circus of Stolen Dreams and The Edge of In Between
To everyone who has taken the time to read and blurb my book: Seriously, I’m so grateful. Thank you.
I saw glimpses of the UK ARC:
In the UK, my book is being published by Sphere (part of Little, Brown Book Group). They’re doing a campaign where they’ve created advance reader copies (ARCs), also known as proofs, which they’re sending out to authors, bloggers and other people in the publishing world to try and drum up interest. I squeal in delight each time I see one popping up on social media.
Image courtesy of Polly Crosby
I kind of just stopped wanting to be seen:
That’s a bit of a scary line to write, but it was true. Soon after my book became a bestseller, I froze. I felt paralyzed — with success, with fear, with a combo of both, maybe? I’m still not sure.
I pulled back from posting on social media, barely told anyone about any of the events I was appearing at, and retreated into myself. I don’t mean this in a bad way — I’m an introvert and am happiest when I can be quiet and introspective — but I genuinely needed to stop and take stock of not only what I’d done, but also how people were treating me. And I think that has been, and continues to be, the most difficult part. I felt like I’d drifted from people I used to be close to. This could simply be the normal passage of time, but the gap widened in the wake of suddenly having so much more to do and stepping into a new phase of my life.
Jealousy, bitterness, indifference — those aren’t nice things to feel, but I definitely had moments where those were the vibes I was getting from other people. Some of my friends and family, even if they didn’t explicitly say it, were not happy with the book I wrote. Others thought I was intentionally ignoring them. I’m never ignoring anyone, for the record — it’s just very difficult juggling a full-time job, the other business I’m getting off the ground, writing, promo and my normal life.
Anyways, there’s so much more to be said on that topic but I had an incredibly hard time processing what I was feeling. One of the worst things was that I didn’t feel I could tell anyone about it — and barely anyone asked. And why would they? When you’re an aspiring author, being on a bestseller list is all you’re supposed to dream about. But I can honestly say that was never my goal. I wanted to write a book. One book. I had no illusions about where it would end up and how many people would read it. The day it came out, my dream was complete. Obviously I’m not upset about it doing well, but I also didn’t aim for that. So I felt like I’d been knocked off the stable path I’d walked for so many years after all this stuff happened.
I’m going to do a lengthy post on this because I think it’s worth delving into. But for now, if you’re reading this and you’re struggling with unexpected success, second book syndrome or anything else in this odd publishing world, please know you’re not alone. I truly think that meditation and pranayama are the best tools for coping with this, for what it’s worth.
Book 2 stole my heart:
I struggled to come up with an idea for my second book that I liked and also wasn’t even sure if I wanted to write another novel. I’ve always balanced writing alongside multiple other pursuits, all of which I enjoy and find very creatively satisfying. I can honestly say if I quit writing now, I’d be really happy with all I achieved.
But, life doesn’t work like that. Inspiration struck when I least expected it. I was at a friend’s wedding in France and it was like time stopped when I saw the monument that I was going to base the entire novel around. I returned from a trip to Melbourne for a dear friend’s wedding at the end of May and promptly threw myself into writing it.
The writing process, I am happy to report, has been nothing short of joyful. It’s been challenging, but it is SO exciting to be working on something new, to be in that zone of creativity, to be using my imagination again and to be dreaming up new characters, new conflicts, new dialogue — I am loving all of it. It’s reminded me why I fell in love with writing in the first place and no matter what happens from here on out, this is really why I do what I do. I am in love with the process, that’s the best part for me. It’s so true what they say about the journey being better than the destination.
What’s coming up:
I’m going to pause here because this is already long. All things considered, it’s been a magical year and the ride isn’t over yet. I feel kind of lucky because I get to do my launch all over again in America and in the UK. It’s been really amazing seeing some of the pictures online of my book. While I never look at review sites, my agent and editors have been sending me a few snippets here and there and wow, you readers warm my heart. Thank you for your interest, your emails, your DMs and your voice notes. I appreciate each and every one of you.
I promise to post more — about books, about life, about the tech world, and so much more. So stay tuned!