the joys and horrors (but mostly joys) of being perceived
plus important preorder and event info!
what’s on my mind
Last year around this time I was starting to panic. For lots of reasons, but primarily because we were twoish months out from Mrs. Nash’s Ashes, early reviews were rolling in, and I was like oh dang, I am about to be perceived on a much larger scale than I have ever been perceived before.
And I have been. Perceived, I mean. Although at a much slower pace than I expected. Probably like a lot of debut authors, I imagined success, if and when it came, to be like bam!, first week, the book shoots to the top of the bestseller charts and you are an instant Big Name in the genre. I’m sure that does happen for some people, but that isn’t what happened for me. Success has been more of a steady trickle. It’s looked like very respectable, very steady sales with the occasional peak that comes just shy of bestseller list status.
Lately, it’s turned into getting recognized more and more by the people in my community.
I live in Frederick, Maryland, which has kind of a small town feel but is actually the second-largest incorporated city in the state (my birthplace of Baltimore being first — go O’s!). I write under my legal name and make no real effort to hide my identity, but it’s still surreal to, say, be shopping downtown and hear, “Excuse me, are you Sarah Adler?” Or to have an intake session with a new therapist and have her pull my book off her bookshelf saying, “I thought your name sounded familiar!” Or to email an estate attorney to finally get our wills sorted1 and learn that her daughter loved Mrs. Nash’s Ashes and recently gifted her a copy.
Don’t get me wrong, I absolutely appreciate that people are buying my book. The fact that Mrs. Nash’s Ashes was the most sold book at my local indie, Curious Iguana, in 2023 was a massive and unexpected honor. I am immensely grateful for the support of my community. I’m also a Leo sun, so part of me undeniably loves the attention. Like yes, give me more of that, thank you!
But I am also an awkward, neurodivergent mom who often wears the same few outfits on repeat. Sure, I am sometimes found typing away in coffee shops or signing stock at a bookstore like you might imagine a local author doing. But I’m more often found pushing a cart of eight Diet Dr Pepper six packs and discounted pork chops around Food Lion while humming Weird Al’s “Hardware Store.” Or at the pediatrician’s office after my daughter has woken up with pink eye for the eleventh time in three months.2
The idea of no longer being somewhat anonymous when out and about is very strange. Like, lately, it seems like I’m on a precipice where I’m suddenly almost equally likely to be a random woman with a grease stain on her sweatshirt eating pot roast at Golden Corral and Local Author Sarah Adler with a grease stain on her sweatshirt eating pot roast at Golden Corral.3 That is not something I’ve ever dealt with, at least not on this scale.4 As weird as it is, it’s very cool to be dealing with it now though.
It’s been surprising to me that the joys and horrors of being known aren’t found in social media follows or shout-outs from actual Big Names in the genre or Goodreads tbr adds. Those things are important and great and make me happy. But it’s posting on the neighborhood Facebook group asking about grout repair and getting a reply from someone telling me they just gifted my book to their sister that makes it all feel much more real and imbues me with a mixture of pride and panic.
Not that I want it to stop! If you are in Frederick and see me around (or in local Facebook groups, which I admit have become a bit of a guilty pleasure in recent months), do say hello! I hope I’ll get to meet many of you at the Happy Medium launch event on April 29, where I promise to be grease stain-free and at my least flustered. But if you run into me at Golden Corral on a random Thursday... well, no promises. Please don’t hold it against me!
the book stuff
Just over a month now until Happy Medium hits shelves!! You can still preorder it from your favorite bookstore up until pub day, but, due to high demand, if you want to get it from my favorite, Curious Iguana, signed/personalized and with an exclusive art print and sticker, you will need to do it by April 19th!5 If you’re coming to the launch event in Frederick on April 29, you can also purchase your copy in-person there and I will happily sign it for you!
Speaking of launch event — I’m going on tour! Sort of. What I mean is I’m doing a whole bunch of very exciting local and virtual events with some of my very favorite people in April and May! More details on all of it here. (Gaithersbook Book Festival panel info still to come; stay tuned!)
I have recently gotten Canva Pro if you cannot tell. Also, Happy Medium was selected as a LibraryReads pick for April! Which is an incredible honor, and one I’m still pinching myself over.
what we’re reading at our house
me - The Lady He Lost by Faye Delacour (ARC), Alexandra Kiley’s book 2 draft (👀)
H - The Bone Shard Daughter by Andrea Stewart; Exit Strategy by Martha Wells
me and H together - My Season of Scandal by Julie Anne Long (ARC); The No-Show by Beth O’Leary (audio)
h - Croc O’Clock by Huw Lewis-Jones and Ben Sanders
what’s stuck in my head
“The Weather (acoustic)” - Lawrence
you should check out
I recently got this cherry blossoms Lego kit and it’s been bringing me a ton of joy to put it together at night while listening to an audiobook. One branch down so far, one to go, and then I’m excited to put them in a little vase in my office. I paid the full $15 and consider it a steal, but right now it’s only $12 at Target so, clearly a sign you should buy it too.
Highly recommend doing this if you haven’t, especially if you have children!
Seriously wtf is going on with this it is absurd please make it stop.
h has an obsession with buffets, Golden Corral especially. It’s the Adler in her.
Admittedly, most of my graduating high school class knew or knew of me. But that’s like... 250 people, many of whom I was around frequently for over a decade? Not exactly the same!
Very sorry about the deadline! But Curious Iguana is a small bookstore and I am a small lady, and this will help ensure they have enough time to get the books in, have me sign them, and then get them out to everyone in a timely manner.