It's finished! And I've given it to Story Circle for a raffle. Story Circle is the women's writing organization I've worked with for the past 20 (gasp!) years. They'll put the money to good use to fund their women's writing support projects. The winner receives the needlepoint and a signed/personalized hardcover copy of Loving Eleanor, my latest biographical/historical fiction.
Homestead report. A rare August rain today, a spin-off from the deadly flooding that hit Louisiana this weekend. Not nearly so intense (we hope) and badly needed. The waters in the Gulf are very warm (even for August), and if this storm track had been just a little further south, it would have been a hurricane. As it is, we're expecting a couple of inches. The trees are rejoicing.
Book report. The beta readers of The General's Women (the group of careful, skilled readers who agreed to read/critique the final draft) have all reported in, and I've made their corrections. I'm especially grateful to the experienced copy editors among them, and to the military historian who pointed out a couple of important historical issues. It'll be another few weeks before I decide whether to submit to publishers or publish this under my own imprint, Persevero Press. Now we're getting to the fun part! I'll keep you posted.
Reading note. Publishing a book is like stuffing a note into a bottle and hurling it into the sea. Some bottles drown, some come safe to land, where the notes are read and then possibly cherished, or else misinterpreted, or else understood all too well by those who hate the message. You never know who your readers might be.--Margaret Atwood