FINI!

Yesterday, at 10:45 AM, I finished Fiesta of Smoke! The bouncing baby manuscript came in at 1011 pages, after gestating for almost 30 years. As its mother, I can attest to the intensity of birth pangs. As its father, I can tell you that I went straight down to Staples and had it printed out, in order to start editing and revising the hard copy. It’s never too early to exert discipline.

Of course, every ending is a new beginning. Or several of them. Fiesta of Smoke now enters all the processes that will bring it to publication, hopefully in July. At the same time, ideas for The Waiting Stone, the next novel in the queue, are already bubbling up. I’m already about 200 pages into that manuscript, from a brainstorm several years ago, and it’s been waiting its turn patiently.

In the meantime, I’m slightly written-out, so will keep this short for today. David and I are off to the Billy Whiskers Café, this morning, to fuel up for loading horse manure for the gardens, from a friend’s ranch. Sunshine and hard physical work sound wonderful, after so many hours, days and months at the computer. If anything delicious besides the food happens at the Billy Whiskers, I’ll be sure to let you know.

If your world is anything like mine, there are flowers, mating birds and soft breezes, out there. Let’s all get out and enjoy spring, while it lasts. Have a great day!