What Happened
This blog is from both of Us. My words in black, Melissa’s in red.
So, here’s a funny thing…I guess you could say it’s WHAT HAPPENED.
We preordered–
SHE preordered. Though I won’t complain.
…Hillary’s book, expected it on the 14th, but this morning it still wasn’t in the mailbox…
(our morning starts about 3pm these days). I’m about to send Amazon a snarky note–
Then it hits me, I say, “Oh!” and me and my birthday-suit jump out of bed and jiggle down the hall to 
the foyer…
the foyer…I do so enjoy the fact that she sleeps au naturel.
…where there is a big box delivered the other day. I didn’t open it because I knew it was the cat food and we don’t need it yet.
Yeah. Hillary’s book was in THAT box with the cat food which was delivered ON THE 12th…
Yep. Right on top.
All this time we’ve been anticipating this book and not only did it already come two days early, but it’s been sitting in our foyer with our Beyond Grainfree Ocean Whitefish & Egg Recipe.
Yuck. But at least I don’t have to eat it.
So now, we’ll probably have to read it to each other,
I love the sound of her voice.
because we didn’t anticipate that we only have ONE copy.
(I did).
But that’s WHAT HAPPENED.
Yes, it is.
And during all that, duty was still calling. We had to finish up the line edit for The Girls in the Band. This is my latest book and the first one I’ve written in first-person, present-tense, and which I intended to be a novella, but it turns out, it’s now a novel.
I read through it so fast, the first time, I’m embarrassed to say I missed pretty much everything. But it was so good even then. Now it’s even awesomer!
This is WHAT HAPPENED: While Melissa was reading the first draft, I was looking at it too, and I had this niggling feeling that something–a lot of things, actually–was still missing…I just kept thinking, This could have a lot more meat to it. That intuitive writer-thing….I wasn’t giving it my best.
She always gives it her best.
I’ve been trying to get back on track and on schedule with my novelwriting, after having an 8-month sabbatical and then having surgery. My impatience to get publishing again was usurping my concern with CRAFT. Nothing should be more important to me than putting out my best work, though. Even if we are saving for that travel trailer to take our 48 state adventure soon.
Besides, this is the third book I’ve written in the last seven weeks, so I figured I had a bit of time. (I released Go.Leave.Stay (co-written with Melissa) and Circling Uranus already.
Post-Coital Exhibitionism at its finest
I’m so glad she filled it out. A really good book is now even better. AND–I got to spend two whole days sitting with my wife during edits, interrupted only by somewhat frequent breaks of the fleshy variety. Thank you, HRT.
(Oh yeah. There’s that. That’s also WHAT HAPPENED.)
Anyway, I set about expanding The Girls in the Band, finished that second draft, did the line edits. Now it’s live on Amazon and already charging up the charts. Fingers crossed. I’m glad I took the time to expand it. I think it’s a much better book now.
Yes, it is!
Now, after I get caught up on the other business and the marketing, I can finally sit down and read Hillary’s book. (I thought I would be able to read it on breaks. but there weren’t any……)
No, because then we’ll just be distracted...
DAMMIT.
Anyway, I hope my readers enjoy this newest addition to my body of work.
You guys are awesome. Always fun to see what you’re up to next. Loved Go. Leave. Stay. and I sincerely hope this isn’t your only writing project together.
thank you so much, LJ! THat’s sweet. No, it won’t be our only project. In the backmatter of my books I always list my catalog, but also upcoming projects (for future reference). BUt we will be doing a memoir of our travels called Life Everywhere. We also have several other projects planned. Appreciate your comment. LJ. <3