This is what I was waiting for.

My editorial assistant, Stacy, upon receiving the office copies of my book last week, couldn't wait and sent me two of them, ahead of my contracted copies. They arrived on Wednesday. I tore open the package and just stared for a while. There was the cover art I was now familiar with, and my name right on the front. I opened the pages and saw my words, those words I know so well I could probably quote chapters of the book verbatim. But they look different in their finished form. Complete.

This is what I was waiting for. It's a real book.