Dinosaurs Are Extinct. My Author Career Isn't.
February wanted to last a full year while also being the fastest month in existence. I don’t know how that’s possible, but let's just say, 2026 has already proven to be … entertaining.
After 8 months of not writing — pause for a mandatory mini-meltdown with a side of guilt-induced anxiety — I was invited to participate in a dual-author book signing at The Magic of Books Bookstore in my live-in town of Seymour, IN.
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But let's backtrack — for context, I haven’t written a single word since May. Yes ... since May ... 2025.
So, as you can imagine, walking into a local author book signing after that kind of silence felt both ironic and wildly convenient. I was letting myself lean into the most convincing “let’s-procrastinate-from-actually-writing” task in the industry. If I'm selling, it's worth the missed writing time, right?
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Ashley and Sam, the co-owners of The Magic of Books, have built something intentional in our rinky-dink town. Their store is welcoming, it’s community-driven, and it feels personal.
Sam — who also writes under the pen name Madison Jacobs — was the other featured author for the "Love At First Line" event. This made the event feel less like a booking and more like a collaboration.
Ashley and Sam created the space.
I simply filled part of it.
And inside that space lives another integral part of the bookstore — Megan of Rural Witch.
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Rural Witch and Megan's tarot booth are tucked inside The Magic of Books, and her jewelry is featured throughout the store. She’s part of the Magic of that place. And Megan shows up for authors and readers in ways both practical and wildly unexpected.
At one point during the "Love At First Line" event, Megan asked the room: "“Is it time for the dinosaur?”
She wasn't talking to me, but I impulsively said, "YES!" I didn't know what she meant or what she was talking about. But, I heard "dinosaur," and as a sci-fi author, I couldn't Not go along with whatever was about to happen.
Megan disappeared, and moments later, her stunning, skin-tight red dress disappeared beneath … a full-body, blow-up T-Rex costume.
Yes.
This woman willingly climbed into a dinosaur suit while wearing a Valentine's date-worthy dress in the middle of the winter chill of February to help draw attention to our event.
She spun signs.
She walked the streets.
She lured townsfolk inside.
And it worked.
No exaggeration — her willingness to suit up made an impact. It’s the kind of small-town energy you can’t manufacture.
So, what happened next? ...
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No, I didn't transform into a dinosaur myself, but I did challenge extinction ... I hope.
February 14, 2026
Love at First Line
Dual Author, In-Person Event Featuring Madison Jacobs & Laura Juntunen
The Magic of Books Bookstore, Seymour, IN
Let’s break it down...
35 books sold.
Thirty-five.
This far exceeds all of my in-person event stats — including multi-day events.
Wowzah.
But numbers weren’t the most humbling part.
The most humbling part?
People showed up ...
.... for me.
I had real conversations with readers who wanted to read my books. People showed up to meet me, to buy my books, and to watch me scribble my god-awful signature inside something they had just bought.
They came ...
For ...
Me.
Please wait while I swoon. Is this what celebrities feel like?
Honestly, this event gifted me my first true feeling of:
I AM AN AUTHOR.
I felt seen and capable. My usual imposter syndrome melted away. My anxiety disappeared. I felt proud.
I felt like my hard work over the years was finally paying off ...
For the first time ...
Ever.
And the crazy thing is — I didn’t know I hadn’t felt that before.
I thought I knew what it felt like to “be” an author - I'd held my first finished book in my hands, seen my work on shelves and online bookstores, and I could recall moments of pride and accomplishment. But I had never had this exact feeling sneak up.
During this event, I felt the weight of my calling
In six years of writing and publishing fiction, I had never known deep-rooted validation or true confirmation of my purpose as a writer. Yes, I’d sold books at events and online. But I had never felt the true validity of my work until people decided to take time out of their day to show up at a bookstore table for me.
Let me say that again: For. Me.
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February — the often overlooked, shortest month of the year — led me to the most humbling author experience I’ve ever had.
I accomplished something I didn’t even realize I’d been craving: To be seen.
I had a picture-perfect event experience without overanalyzing what it was “supposed to” look like — which, if you know me, is a minor miracle.
I walked into that bookstore with no expectations and left with something I hadn’t felt in years:
Confidence.
Clarity.
Conviction.
This event didn’t pressure me. It didn’t shame me. It didn’t demand more.
It simply reminded me: I. Love. Writing.
Not the marketing. Not the metrics. Not the productivity spirals.
Writing.
The dinosaur may be extinct, but my author career isn’t.
My career hasn't been dramatic, nor explosive. But it's steady. And it’s still here.
So, here I am - back on the page. Back in the manuscript. Back to being the author I already am.
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There may or may not be more dinosaurs.
