January is the New December

Not really. But I had hoped to have published the Stewards sequel by the end of the year, and now it's looking like it will be the end of January.  I finally heard back from my editor. December proved to be even more busy for her than she had expected, but she will be starting on her review of The Dungeons of Cetahl next Monday, and is expecting to be done by January 20. 

In the meantime, I will focus on finding a graphic artist to do the cover and touch up the map that my cousin created. I am half-tempted to purchase Adobe Creative Suite software (last year I downloaded a trial version and found myself tinkering with the cover the graphic artist created)...but it is not a cheap software by any stretch of the imagination.  If only I had won the Mega Millions lottery...but I suppose I should have purchased a ticket if I really wanted to win. Oh well.

I am thinking of entering Amazon's Breakthrough Novel Award (ABNA) contest again, assuming they hold the contest this year. I didn't get very far in the contest last year, and I have no reason to believe I will get any further this year, but I figure it can't hurt. Besides, I have updated my pitch to a point where I'm almost satisfied with it (and that, I assure you, was no simple feat).  I think I enjoy the ABNA forums more than anything though; I've learned so much from my fellow authors.

I am also going to try my hand at submitting queries to traditional publishers. Not for the Stewards series, but for a children's book series I started years ago: Tucker Beagle, Pet Detective. The first book in the series is "The Case of the Missing Sock."  Inspired by my first four-legged "baby" Tucker (who will turn 12 in a few days!) and my umpteenth experience of losing yet another sock in the laundry, the book is geared towards first or second graders. Who knows if it will ever be picked up by a publisher...I just know that I cannot self-publish this series because it needs an illustrator, and I cannot afford one on my own.

I suppose I would be remiss if I did not admit to my New Year's Resolutions. I don't think they change much from year to year:

1. Write More
2. Drink Less
3. Save More
4. Eat Less (Especially Sweets)
5. Work Out More
6. Yell Less

Happy New Year!

Holidays and Hospice

The years when your children are still young enough to believe in Santa, the years when they can hardly fall asleep on Christmas Eve in anticipation of what they might find under the tree in the morning - those are the years that you are supposed to treasure forever.  And yet, for the second year in a row, I find myself struggling to find the Christmas spirit. 

Last year, the Sandy Hook tragedy shook me to my core. All those innocent little children whose lives were taken far too soon. The brave teachers who died trying to protect them. I have fairly strong libertarian views, but I must admit I found myself questioning my stance on gun control that day.  I also found myself shaking my head at the state of mental health care. I am more familiar than most with maladies of the mind, and I know how difficult it is to get help for those who cannot, or will not, get help for themselves.

This year, I am faced with the reality that my beloved grandfather is dying. They have taken him off all of his medicines. They have told my grandmother to seek out help from hospice. And while I know this does not mean he will die tomorrow, it does mean that this will be the last Christmas of his life. I know he is ready to die. He "wants to get this show on the road." But I am not sure I am ready for a life without him.

Ordinarily I would turn to writing as an outlet...but I have not heard from my editor yet, and I have a horrible trait of needing to finish things before I start other things.  Sigh.

Good News Bad News?

So the good news is that - as of today - the manuscript for the Dungeons of Cetahl is currently in the hands of my very capable editor (Jill Bailin).

The bad news is that she's busy. That's not bad news for her, that's actually awesome news. But it will be several weeks before she can review my book in earnest, and that's bad news for me.

This means that the sequel will NOT be available on Amazon before the end of the year. However, it should be available shorty after the New Year. I am predicting mid-January. (Hopefully I did not just jinx this).

It is my own fault. It took me longer than I had expected to finish the novel.  I was too easily distracted this year. I have learned my lesson :(