The Scene: It is a gorgeous, crisp night and you walk up to the restaurant to see dozens of people waiting to get in. The buzz is in the air, and you are excited about this book launch party. You look around and see several friends among the strangers and you are glad they got your Facebook updates, tweets, and Pinterest posts about the book and party today. You laugh and joke with the people around you as you slowly make your way to the door.
Hey, there’s Betsy and Warren!
Well, hello there. Thank you for coming to our book launch party! It’s so nice to see you again. Let us take your coat. You know, we have to confess we were worried some of you would show up naked under your trench coats given the title of the book. You are a very unpredictable bunch! (Okay, okay, it was really just Tranque we were worried about.)
The hair? Yep, it’s new. Just yesterday in fact. I can’t stop rubbing my head, and neither can Warren!
You brought us a bottle of Ketel One vodka? Why thank you. Darcey Howard is going to be thrilled to put this behind the bar. She’s mixing a lot of her Skinny Strip cocktails tonight! Come on over and try one. You’ll like this – and she does heavy pours. In her day job, Darcey shows women how to dress themselves and their businesses to reflect their mission and values, but her not-so-secret superpower is knowing where the best food and drink can be found in New York City, and she’s not afraid to use it. When this party is over, I’m following her out the door.
Before you get too tipsy, be sure to head over to the virtual Amazon table and pick up your copy of Strip Off Your Fear: Slip Into Something More Confident. It’s free until 11:59 p.m. Pacific on Thursday, March 15. Why? Because we know how to throw a good party. (Don’t have a Kindle? No problem. There are free Kindle reading apps for just about every electronic device. And a paperback version.)
Well, if you insist, of course you can go back tomorrow and buy copies for your friends. And every day after that until the end of time. You can even tell them where to go so they can buy their own, pass the word, share on social media, and walk around with cardboard signs. Really, we don’t mind. Talk about it all you want. Muchas gracias.
photo by mediafury via Flickr
You look to your left and see Rob laughing with Joanna and Beth. Is that Peggy over there telling jokes to nrhatch, Angela, and Paz? Wait a second…are Kent and Caanan going up on stage to sing Brick House? This party is really heating up.
Hey, Warren. Can you turn up the music?
Did I mention we have a playlist to go with the book? It just seemed to work so well with the subject of stripping and image. The whole playlist is available on iTunes, though I’m betting you probably have a lot of these songs already. Now that I think about it, I should have used Carly Simon’s You’re So Vain. Damn, we’re probably going to be thinking of songs to add to this playlist for weeks – all with the visual image of you guys going up on stage to take your turn at the mic. I knew the karaoke machine was a good investment.
Feta and Walnut Stuffed Magic Mushrooms
Rule-breaking deviled eggs
Sexy scallops
Hungry? Of course you are. How could you pass up this kind of food? My friend Karen Rosenzweig from Seattle made the Sexy Scallops (actual pornography on a plate, isn’t it? Mmmmm). She’s the sexy spitfire standing over there in the snazzy fedora live-tweeting the party on her phone to her army of fans.
My Canadian expat friend Alison Cornford-Matheson created the Feta and Walnut Stuffed Magic Mushrooms and Rule-Breaking Deviled Eggs. Thai food is mostly cheese-free, so I’m doubly glad Alison arrived from her home in Brussels with feta. Mmmmm, cheese. Alison is the smiling redheaded photographer in the Indian-inspired outfit snapping photos of the people on the dance floor.
Speaking of the dance floor, did you know Leslie Irish Evans could do the splits without spilling her drink? Impressive!
Samantha Searle popped in from the Australian Outback to attend the party and create the cake. I just burst out in tears the minute she showed the it to me. It really is terrific, isn’t it?
Hard to believe she kept that little figure on top through the plane ride and customs. The woman has talent! And she looks great in a shimmery evening gown, don’t you think?
I love how we can all come together from all the corners of the globe to toast confidence and getting emotionally naked with ourselves and the people we love.
Speaking of which, I need to head back to the door and greet the other guests. Please mingle around, have some more food and drink, and chat it up with the others in the comments.
Tell us what you most like about the book, the party, and the subject of confidence. Hey, you can even take your turn at the karaoke machine if you like. (If Kent will give up the mic, that is.)
What’s next?
Of course you can have the recipes for your own party. They are all in the Book Club Planning Guide mentioned in the book, along with Darcey’s cocktail recipe, the link to the playlist, discussion questions, and even suggestions on making the evening more enjoyable. If you want to know more, you can also find the reason I wrote the book and a little bit about the people who jumped in to help. It’s been a love fest.
We like to have a good time around here, and since you’re going to want to discuss this with your friends after you read the book, we wanted to give you an easy roadmap to do it.
Stay tuned for my conversation with the fabulous Debb Whitlock of FemmeNation on Monday, March 27 at 9 a.m. Pacific (streaming online and live on KKNW 1150 radio locally in Seattle). We’ll be talking about the book and announcing the details of the virtual book club and Twitter party for women all over the world on April 23.
This is an important conversation, ladies. Let’s start talking about it.
After the cake, though. Definitely after the cake.
Cheers!
About Betsy
Congratulations on the launch guys and love the launch party! What a fabulous cake! Your book is so powerful and inspiring and I know it’s going to sell really well and help many women live life on their own terms.
Thanks, Erin. We are pretty excited at the turnout to our little shindig and the continuing conversations that will happen in the coming months on confidence. Onward and upward!
I am so excited to read your new book. I’ll be sure to pass the word!! Great PARTY! Thank you for inviting me ;o)
Thanks for spreading the word, Candy! The books are flying off the virtual shelves, and we are thrilled at the response the subject of confidence is getting. Please write back and let me know which part of the book resonates with you most. Enjoy!
Congrats on the new book! I can’t wait to read it! I may or may not be ready to shave my head (various reasons) but I’m definitely ready to go all grey…stripping that fear this year, for sure
Joanna, you and me - gray all the way! I’m not coloring either, and I was shocked to see all those shiny gray hairs fall from the razor yesterday. Yikes!
Enjoy the book - and stay tuned for the virtual book club discussion and Twitter party with Debb Whitlock on April 23 - we’ll be calling in from China!
So thrilled for all this buzz around this book Betsy! I wanted to drop in - have some cake….love me some leg
and invite everyone to register for the Virtual Book Club on April 23rd from 5:30-7pm Pacific! Betsy used to lead the best book club discussions when she was in Seattle - everything eventually came back to sex! You know it isn’t a far stretch from stripping and fear to sex……it’ll be a great convo - those who register will be sent an email a few days before, with the call- in deets and the Twitter Chat info for #StripOffYourFear - and keeping with the theme …. it’s FREE, so - register here -> http://unbouncepages.com/stripping-off-your-fear/
Betsy has appeared on my radio show @FemmeFinance several times over the past two + years - and in fact will be on my new show Femmenation(TM) talking about Strip Off Your Fear on March 27 from 9-10am Pacific …. I’ll see if we can get some early book club questions going for the rest of us to think about!
Since reading the first draft of this book - I have been dying to have lively conversation with women about it - and now…..as you all read it - we get to do just that! I do hope you’ll join us for the Book Club on April 23rd - it’s gonna be good!
Debb, I’m so looking forward to our radio show chat on March 26 followed by the international virtual book club discussion + Twitter party on April 23.
I have one very interesting piece of feedback to reveal about the book…an unintended result some readers have shared with me. I can’t decide if I should spill the beans here or live on the radio where I can insert all the juicy details around it. Hmmmm.
Congrats on the launch, Betsy! YOU MADE IT!!!
And thank YOU for designing such an eye-catching cover, Amber!
My pleasure, dear. Best of luck with the launch today!
Yay! I love a good party! We definitely wish we could be there with you guys. That cake looks bomb!
You guys are awesome, Betsy- so proud of you! You are doing such good things. Will share the good word with others!
Can’t believe you shaved your head! Wait- I can. Lifting a glass from us- cheers to you!!!!!!
Hugs
Congrats Betsy!What a great accomplishment. I’m loving the book - and loving your virutal launch party ideas!
All the best,
M
xo
What I want to know . . . are you going to get some flowing Buddhist robes to go with the new do?
Congrats on the book release and have a blast with your virtual launch!
We’ve had A LOT of those Skinny Strip cocktails so Brick house is sounding REALLY good (um, at least to us).
Congrats on this next step. but, more than that, thanks for leading a mindful, inspiring life.
Party Party Party!!! We are so excited and beaming from ear to ear about how many lives you are going to change! So excited for the book!!!
Congrats, Betsy-I’m so psyched about this book and can’t wait to read and share it! What an awesome gift-I’m so happy to have stumbled upon this blog and been included in such an amazing tribe of folks. Btw, I love your marketing mojo on this one and am learning oodles from you kick-ass Talbots. Rock on!
Tanja Pajevic
I forgot to mention that I am singing Shakira “Hips Don’t Lie” http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DUT5rEU6pqM because my hips always say it all! If I stripped them I know they would even speak more truth!!
Paz, I thought that was you shaking those hips on the dance floor! We should have hired Zeek to play DJ, huh?
He made a guest appearance and rocked it!!!
Hooray!! You made it!! Congrats on the book and an awesome party!! xx