Saturday, April 18, 2026 was one of the happiest days of my life.
As to be expected, hecticness and anxiousness swelled in the weeks leading up to my very first author event. Exhaustion began to wear away at me too, what with all the detailed planning and grunt work required for any type of event planning. But the week of the event and even the morning of were surprisingly calm, so much so that the lack of chaos itself began to stir some uneasiness within me. Was this newfound silence an eerie omen that everything would go awry last minute?
I decided to ignore my superstitious spidey senses, though, and enjoy the zen state I’d entered. After all, though this was my first author event, it certainly wasn’t my first public event. (I give you Exhibit A, like this video, and Exhibit B, which you can start at 3:50). As such, I’d long learned that hiccups were not hypothetical but guaranteed, and if it was a guarantee, what was the use in worrying? My drumming days had also ensured that I wouldn’t feel nervous at the prospect of speaking publicly. If I could sing and dance in front of crowds of strangers as a college student (again, please reference Exhibits A and B), I could very well talk about my debut novel in front of friends and family as an adult! And though all the work was exhausting, it was difficult for exhaustion to transition into nervousness because I had a lot of fun organizing everything, too, despite how tired I was. Dealing with the busyness of event planning triggered so many happy memories of my drumming days, when friends and I would run around everywhere, from different college campuses to grocery stores to baseball stadiums, shamelessly dressed in traditional Korean clothes, lugging around all our giant drums, hustling down to the last minute to put on our performances. I found myself indulging in nostalgia rather than worrying about all the things that could go wrong on Saturday.
This sense of calm helped not only to cast off the weight of unnecessary stress but also to refine my perspective of my event, which, despite all the details I’d already drilled into perfection, felt a bit nebulous. Was this a book event or an author event? What distinguished the two? The fun and literal games I’d built into the agenda were great and all, but what was the overarching point of everything? The calm before the storm gave my mind room to wander and come across my answer.
The point was to celebrate.
This was a professional author talk and book event, sure. But more than anything, it was going to be a party! A birthday party to celebrate with my loved ones and supporters the birth of my literary baby. This perspective banished any bits of nervousness and anxiousness that threatened to grow within me, replacing both with excitement instead.
On the day of, we started setup early to ensure that everything, including the Eye in the Blue Box-themed favors I’d prepared, could be laid out properly. Friends later told me that they could see the amount of thought I put into every detail of the event, from the giveaway prizes to the free stuff. I’d wanted everything to scream “special,” “indie,” and “made by the author herself,” and I’m happy to say that I think I succeeded.
Yes, there were some hiccups. Albert and I left the power cord for the speakers at home. The laptop wasn’t connecting to the projector. We were tight on time because I’d underestimated how much time we’d need for the book signing at the end. But it was okay because we weren’t alone. Friends had graciously volunteered to help us with set up and clean up, and the majority of people attending were loved ones anyway. This was a birthday party, and it was vastly more important to focus on having a good time with everyone than freaking out about details.
Attendees soon began to trickle in, growing into a crowd that further fueled my excitement. I ran into a few friends in the bathroom, including a friend from my drumming group, which triggered more endearing memories of dressing up and prepping in random campus restrooms before performances.
I was stunned to see random strangers sneak in as well. I must confess I stared at them with a dumbfounded expression for an extended period of time, to the point that I was probably being rude. Though this was a public event, I hadn’t seriously considered that passing strangers would be curious or that they’d go a step further and actually attend. It was even more astounding that they seemed genuinely interested in my book, so much so that they stayed for the majority of the program and participated in the Q&A.
I waited in a separate room as the final attendees found their seats. I was out of breath from all the last-minute hustle and bustle and kept glancing at the clock, hyper aware of each minute that was slipping away from our allotted room reservation hours. I tried my best to calm down and read my book in preparation for the reading I’d do. Everything had been planned with the purpose of providing a good time, so I was determined to give everyone a superb reading as my opening act. But I found it hard to concentrate as logistical details continued swirling around in my head, and it was then that I finally started to feel a bit nervous about what I was about to do.
But then I heard Albert addressing the audience, ushering in a silence that swept over the chatter that had persisted until then. When he finished going over the program, everyone cheered. And to my surprise, hearing everyone clap and whoop made me happier than I could have imagined.
My happiness squashed the nervousness that had crept in. I was excited. Excited to get out there. Eager to join everyone. Ready to throw my party. I’m not much of a smiler, but in that moment, I smiled. When Albert popped into the room to get me, I stood up ready to go.
All the while, I was completely oblivious to the fact that Albert had begun to feel his nerves kick in. I think the fact that he’d had to wrangle with the speakers and projector up until the last minute had contributed to his nerves. He later told me that he’d thought his cue cards would be unnecessary, but as soon as the event started, he was quite glad to have them as his guide.
Speaking of Albert, he definitely won #1 Husband of the Year Award with this event. He practiced with me regularly, found and transported all the audio and visual necessities, and ran around taking care of all the random logistical tasks that came up. As we mentioned during the event, he did (and still does) most of the chores around the house to give me time to write, and apart from myself, he’s read and edited my books the most. I wouldn’t have been able to complete Eye in the Blue Box without him, and now, he holds full bragging rights to say that my author event wouldn’t have been possible without him. I didn’t realize it during all the hubbub, but this event unexpectedly turned into a beautiful team-building project that brought a lot of joy to each of us and, in turn, our marriage. I’m grateful for my hubbo.
I was, of course, also grateful for all the loves ones who came. Everyone clapped as I walked into the room, which was touching especially because Albert hadn’t even asked them to. The moment stands as a good example of how the kindness and thoughtfulness of everyone in attendance made the entirety of the event successful.
There’s a sort of fun that can only be found in formal, organized events like this. It’s a special kind of experience that bonds those on stage with those in the audience. Maybe the magic lives within the fact that we’re all focused on the same thing and sharing a mutual state of enjoyment live, in the same space, in the flesh. Working the crowd, reading the room, and vibing with everyone are always some of the greatest pleasures a performer can enjoy during an event, and it was such a pleasure to be able to share this kind of experience with loved ones who have supported my journey and cared about my well-being for all these years.
It was especially touching to see the reactions of my closest friends and family members as well as my beta readers. I could see an emotional type of pride in some of their eyes, a manic twinkle in others’. Because they’re so familiar with my books as well as the blood, sweat, and tears that went into writing and publishing them, they tended to laugh the most, clap the loudest, and cheer with the shameless enthusiasm only true joy can engender.
They were joyous because of me. They were joyous for me.
There were definitely times I was worried that I’d lost the rest of the audience, though. I spied at least one family member nodding off in the back toward the middle of the program, and others seemed to close their eyes almost as soon as I started my reading at the beginning! Later, though, I was told that many people had closed their eyes so that they could better focus on what I was reading, which was obviously a relief to hear. But in the moment, I was sure I’d put everyone to sleep and desperately tried cracking several jokes throughout the rest of the program to make up for it. (Not that it would have been the worst thing if people had dozed off. Reading to everyone felt like story time with friends and family, maybe even bedtime fairy tale time to help relax their minds.)
Again, I was surprised at how intrigued the random strangers in the audience were. There were two students in particular who had slunk in, and I couldn’t help but notice how they remained enraptured the whole time. My friends even overhead the two girls excitedly chattering with one another about how they’d never been to an author event before and that it was amazing to see a local author in the flesh. Touching people’s lives, especially the lives of young people, has been one of the most rewarding parts of my writing journey, and it was an honor to give these young people their first live literary event.
Albert had been a bit nervous that the Q&A portion with audience would be a sea of crickets, so we did have some back-up questions ready. But if anything, we received feedback that most people would have preferred even more time for questions. This sentiment was further evidenced by the fact that when I asked what type of event everyone wanted next, almost all hands shot up in the air for one that focused on both books, not just one, and included any and all spoilers so that we could discuss the whole saga in as much depth as we wanted. (And yes, I’m already in the process of planning that event!)
I thoroughly loved interacting with everyone, not only through the Q&A but through the poll and giveaway time too. My only regret was making the giveaway quiz too easy! I was worried people would be bored and not pay attention or that they wouldn’t be so familiar with my book, but everyone answered everything so easily and even complained that it was too easy! You can all be sure that the next event will have extremely difficult questions.
By the time we reached the book signing, I was so high on happiness that I couldn’t stop smiling and laughing, even though we ended up being tight on time and a librarian yelled at us for it. I hadn’t anticipated that a lot of people would actually want me to sign their copies or talk one-on-one with me about my books. I know that sounds dumb, but I thought signings were only for celebrities or rich people, not little ol’ me!
The enthusiasm everyone showed for the book signing also taught me an important lesson. The biggest reason that readers go to author events is for the chance to interact with the author in person as much as possible. The more the audience gets to vibe with the star of the show, the more special it feels. I’ve made sure to store this lesson in my heart and will put it to good use in future events.
I was far more grateful than anyone can imagine for each person who came up to take pictures with me or get a book signed. Each person was someone who has supported my writing journey in some kind of way, and to get an opportunity to celebrate with each individual was one of the most satisfying experiences of my life. I was also a bit shocked when someone I didn’t know told me that she’d read both my books, finished the second one within a day, and appreciated the heart-felt messages I’d planted in my story. It’s still surreal to think that there are people out there, of whom I’m totally unaware, who’ve read my books and appreciated them so much. It’s what I’ve always wanted, and now that it’s actually happening, I can’t quite believe it.
What’s more is that some friends have given my work to their children, and many of them have become EoA’s biggest fans. I am so honored that parents would consider me and my books to be a good influence and that they’d give me an opportunity to make a positive impact on their children' s lives. It makes all the hard work more than worth it.
There are have been very few times in life that I’ve been able to say that I got exactly what I’d wanted, but my first author event was definitely one of those times. I finally got to talk non-stop about my book, which is so dear to me, and to people who actually wanted to hear all of my passionate ravings. Everyone was so happy for me. Sure, the logistics weren’t picture perfect. I didn’t have a grand budget. I didn’t have hundreds of people in attendance. But that’s not what I had wanted. What I’d wanted was to throw a party, invite loved ones, give each one of these near and dear people a good time, and celebrate my literary baby all together.
And that’s exactly what I got.
Thank you again to everyone who came. I know the drive to the venue was a long one for a few of you too. I cannot begin to express just how much it means to me that you’d go out of your way to come.
Thank you for giving me one of the best days of my life.
EYE IN THE BLUE BOX (Book 1)
TREE OF EYES (Book 2)
🐺Dark Fantasy
👹Monsters
🩸Action
⚔️Adventure
🌱Self Discovery
👊Loyalty
💙Friendship
💔Family
NO DREAMS. JUST NIGHTMARES.
PURCHASE LINK HERE