The world according to Google. My book is a "Best Summer Read"

Are you looking for a good beach read? According to The Wall Street Journal, my book is a great choice to take on your summer vacation.

Imagine my surprise when one morning a couple of weeks ago, I Googled the title of my book (Despite a nagging feeling of "this is incredibly self centered" I do this every morning just to see what's going on--if a newspaper has reviewed me, if my picture showed up on a Broadway website, or most likely--if Oprah decided to book me on her show without telling my publicist--okay, a girl can dream.) ANYWAY, there I sat in my little sublet on the east side of Manhattan in a pre-coffee haze, when low and behold, under 'Til the Fat Girl Sings, up comes....
ABC News: Beach Reads: Hot New Books for the Summer
I suddenly perked up as if I'd had a double shot latte. ABC? BEACH READ? HOT NEW BOOKS? Why was this coming up? Google must be wrong. I blinked. I clicked.
According to Google, I was selected by The Wall Street Journal as one of the best summer reads among such famous authors as Anne Tyler, John Updike, James Patterson, Robin Cook, Julia Child, Alex Prud'Homme and many others including ME...Sharon Wheatley. AND the books had been featured on Good Morning America. AND (according to Google) I had missed it.

Seriously? How do you miss your book on Good Morning America? I fired off an e-mail to my trusty publicist Beth, and I received a quick answer, an out-of-office reply. She was on vacation. So was my editor. So was my agent. So was, apparently, everyone! My inbox was full of infuriating "Out of Office" replies. How could everyone be on vacation the day my book turned up in a mystery listing that had something to do with Good Morning America and The Wall Street Journal? Then I thought about it--what was the date? Oh wait, it was the fourth of July. Everyone with any good sense was on a beach (hopefully reading my book!) unlike my husband and my daughter and I...we were pounding the steamy pavement trying to find an affordable apartment in the concrete jungle we call home--Manhattan. Not the place that pops to mind as an "ideal" fourth of July get-away.

When everyone returned from vacation, it turns out my Google information was accurate. I had, indeed, been selected for the list. As a first time author, I am honored to be selected, and as an avid "Googler" I leave you with this thought. Go for it--Google your name! You just might be surprised what comes up--and it will never, ever, be an "out of office" reply.