Manifesting My Future Book Cover
Does it matter if I haven't written it yet?
Hi, it’s me.
Real quick… I’m trying something new. In May, I'd like to feature a guest essay on the topic of tricky mom experiences. If that sounds interesting to you, read more about it here and fill out the form. I’ll be closing submissions tomorrow, probably, so get on it!
Anyhoo…
Last week my family took a day trip to Poulsbo, Washington, which is across the Puget Sound on the Olympic Peninsula. It was a wee bit spontaneous. A few days prior I realized I had no meetings scheduled for Tuesday, both kids would be on Spring Break from their respective colleges, and my weather app promised projected an unseasonable sunny and sixty-five degree day.
We had to do something!
I insisted on going anywhere a ferry would take us. Part of the romance of living in the Pacific Northwest is that some of our best getaway destinations require a dramatic crossing over gray, choppy waters to an island with tall pines and craggy cliffs. Once we push away from the dock and the ferry’s wake churns up the sea behind us, I can finally inhale the salty air and exhale the city.
Our ferry took us to Bainbridge Island, where we continued driving for about 30 minutes, passing quaint small-town scenes like cheery yellow daffodils along the roadside that were arranged to spell out the word smile, which made me smile.
We arrived in the historic downtown area of Poulsbo, which is designed as a cute little Norwegian village. I don’t know if the town has actual roots in Nordic heritage, or if it adopted a Norwegian identity, like the town of Leavenworth Washington that went Bavarian for the sake of tourism.
After a stop at the waterfront park to stretch our legs and give Wiley the dog a chance to get some energy out, we had lunch at a nearby pizza place where our newly-minted 21-year-old daughter ordered a Mike’s Hard Lemonade. Not to knock anyone’s enjoyment of Mike’s Hard Lemonade, but this was nobody’s first choice. What she really wanted from the menu was a bottle of Finnriver Black Currant Cider, made locally, but they were out.
The pizza was okay. It was average pizza. Bryan and I lobbied hard to eat lunch at a place called Premier Meat Pies, and I was shocked a certain someone resisted. I mean, an entire meal wrapped inside a crisp, buttery, pastry? How could you pass this up? But then I recalled that we once walked 8,000 steps from one end of the National Mall to the other on our first day in Washington D.C. because someone could not move on with our vacation until someone had eaten a Subway sandwich.
I’ve learned that some people don’t age out of tenacity. Mostly I’m okay with tenacity! It’s a fine trait if you want to become the first female President of the United States, but it feels a little over-the-top when you are no longer nine years old and still hold your family hostage to mediocre vacation meal choices.
Compromises were made in the name of love and peace. Also, I may have gloated when someone didn’t get to drink the cider she wanted and was stuck with Mike’s Hard Lemonade.
As usual, all four of us gravitated toward the small town book store, having spotted it first thing as we drove through town to find parking. As a family, we connect through books, movies, and shows. Stories, basically. We never pass up the chance to visit an independent book store! Fortunately the shop was dog-friendly, so Wiley also browsed for books on grieving and overcoming separation anxiety. I love to look at the Staff Picks shelves and, especially when traveling, the Local Authors table.
One book cover caught my eye on the New Releases table, and I snapped a photo of it. The book is called Democracy Awakening, by Heather Cox Richardson. Maybe you’ve heard of her? I was elated to see printed at the bottom of the book cover, “Author of the newsletter, Letters From An American.”
I subscribe to Heather’s newsletter! The very newsletter mentioned on the cover of a book she wrote! And you know what? I also have a newsletter! You’re reading it right now! And I’m also writing a book! I snapped a photo of the book cover to remind myself that one day my book will be sitting on a table in your local book store, and printed toward the bottom of the cover it will read, “by Jen Zug, Author of the Newsletter, Pretend You’re Good At It.”
(I just have to finish writing it, first.)
Tell all your friends. Tell them to subscribe! You can all say you knew me when…
Thanks for reading!
Until next time,
Jen
p.s. Special thanks to
of Writing In Company for surfacing this story idea through one of her prompts. You really should subscribe to her newsletter.
Oh I love how you fleshed this idea out from the first draft, which was also lovely. Can’t wait to pick up your book someday and tell people “We’re Substack friends!” Also I’ve been to beautiful Finnriver and can confirm that their cider would be preferable….
Jen, I'm so, so happy to find this gem of your writing ~ very delayed, but all the more prescient in the reading on this February 6, 2025, when paying attention to HCR is critical and crushing. Wishing you strength for this journey. Keep writing, cuz you're good at it.
Shannan