Laws that's a head of hair, wild messed up hair - here baby there mama, everywhere stickin up haaa-uauah-aiirrrr

Wake up - oh, went to sleep with Tender Graces at my bedside - I am reading it, pretending it is the first time to read this book. What a strange and wonderful experience, although I keep thinking, "oh wait, I should have..." or "oh, that doesn't sound right..." or "Oh, too abrupt ending to that chapter!!!!" or "Oh, 'is' is supposed to be 'was' in that sentence" or "That sounds like a children's book....dang!" or "how will they like this? huhn not sure..." or "I like that....Did I write that? I did!"(laughing) The other books you can see - one is OCEAN magazine - but what is that one that looks backwards? I can't tell, even when I go back to the room and look at the books for real...what is that backwards book - you can enlarge the photo by clicking on it -- what is that? weird!

(PS - I figured it out - see if you can! the first one to figure out what the backwards book is, I'll send them a copy of Tender Graces and a bonus book of my choice...)

Good gawd! Took a look at myself in the mirror - I must have spun around in my sleep all night - although I slept pretty well. Good Lord! look at that hair!

Time for a walk.....oh the sun is shining...standing on my porch taking in a deep breath - snap goes a photo. Book Signing Day will be perfect weather it seems! yay!
and the little log house from the bottom of my driveway! All cozied up in there....soon the leaves will hide it more...hurry leaves! If you enlarge the photo, you can see a big ole orb shining!


little log house from across the creek, across the cove- can you see it hidden there? I wrote on the photo to show you about where it is. GMR and Fat Lazy Labrador and I are standing looking down at our place. You can see a few other houses in our cove. Here, there.

Back home - too jittery to eat. This is the only thing that tempts me: cheese, banana, grapefruit juice, vitamins - huhn erk....meanwhile, Good Man Roger is in the kitchen slaving away to make gourmet goodies for my booksigning tonight -- Bless Him! And Christly L. Bishop of Sugar Buzz (and the photographer who snapped my author photo) is baking a special cake and some lemon squares...ohhhhh~ Wish yawwwll could be there.

I'll be back with more photos of Signing Day - tomorrow.

Also....I've read every one of your comments and they are making me laugh, cry, smile, feel happy happy, excited.....Thank You All! MUWAH! Don't forget to send me a photo of you with Tender Graces, but be sure to let me know if you don't want it posted - I'm going to put all this in a memory box or scrap book....

Now, back to work on VK Book 2.

Over here over here, Kat's book hit the dusty trails...

These images are blurry - guess why? because I'm hopping around like a crazed bunny (see Easter image in Easter post below)....and, if you feel comfortable, send me a photo of you with Tender Graces - let me know whether it is okay to post it here --- feel free to hide behind the book as I have done...(hey, my hair was wild, I had no make up on, I had a pimple on my chin...laughing)...The book arrival: (teeheehee) and I took photos of my bookshelf before and after and before and after *laugh* I will upload a non-blurry photo of me reading my own book - just to show you I can do it, too -- haw! (and I opened VK Book 2 yesterday - at first I was going "UGH UGH - it's CRAP it's SH****T UGH!...but then, I found it...found VK, found the pace, found the voice, found my way -- oh, how exciting! VK falls in Love - oh oh...No No NO VK...NO....alas, she won't listen to Andy or Bobby, she won't listen to Grandma Faith - she won't listen to Miss Darla -- *sigh* and she certainly doesn't listen to me because I do not exist!)

I'm so excited! and I ain't gonna hide it, I was about to lose control but thank gawd I didn't....haw!

I am feeling calmer. Ommmmm. Ommmmmm. Ommmygawdmmmmmm (teeheehee). Well, an excited calmer anyway ...

First. My brother in Texas has already received his Tender Grace books! No Faiiirrrrr; I'm telling Moommmmmm. He called me up all excited and happy and jumping around opening up the box and then describing stuff to me. I asked, "How heavy is it? What color pink is it? What does it feel like? How many licks does it take to get to the center of a tootsie roll tootsie pop?" Then he said he was just sitting there petting my book *laughing*....I said, "I want my boooookkkkssss...." He just laughed and said, "Nya nya nya nya nya; I got the first Tender Graces books! hahahahahahaha!" .....ah, brothers and sisters.

Here is something that eased my mind, too, though, not just that my books are actually real and I didn't dream all this, and the proof is in the call I received from Tommy that he has my book! haw! I was stressed thinking about book signings and promo materials and all manner of things I thought I needed to do to be An Author.....silly me; I forgot that being an author has to do with words and language.

BelleBooks put it into perspective for me, and after that, I calmed. They told me that word of mouth and good reviews are what helps to sell your book. They told me to get to work on the second book - that is what is important right now. To not worry about Promo Materials like bookmarks and the like (for those most times get tossed away and forgotten - it is the words the writer writes that are remembered). They said not to knock myself out trying to do book signings all over - to choose some places I think I'd enjoy and do them there.

The main message is this: Word of Mouth. Good Reviews. Get the second book written!

So, for any of you who read Tender Graces and like/love it, then you tell someone else about it, and/or write up a review/thoughts on Amazon, or B&N, or Target, or your blog - or all of them (laughing!). Telling other readers about an author's book is one of the greatest compliments a writer can have. And the greatest help an author can have. You all have already been doing this - before you even see the book and my gratitude is mighty mighty MIGHTY. Thank you.

In my google alerts this morning, I found a review for TG at Scooper Speaks. It made my morning to read it - when someone takes the time to read your work and then write about it, well, as I said: it is a compliment and a joy.

I have two reviews on Amazon....teeheehee. Made me happy.

So, what I'm feeling today is Happy. Tommy told his big sister: "Sister, ENJOY this -- enjoy all these moments..." And I know that is the advice I have given and would give to others. I'm putting aside the anxiety I had all day yesterday and instead, I am going to enjoy all these moments! These FIRSTS will never happen the same way again....they'll never be firsts.

Soon, my good friends, I will be scarce. I am making some decisions. Like, backing away from book reviews for a while...much as I hate to, for I love doing them, the last couple I have done do not seem up to my standards (I'm too distracted and busy!). I'll be looking at some other things, as well, that need a second look. As for this blog, I certainly am not going to abandon it (gawd no!~) but, as I begin serious work on the second novel in the Virginia Kate Saga, I will need to place almost all my energies there. I would love to post my progress, but visiting will be cut way back - you know how it is; you visit and you read and next you know hours have gone by! So please forgive me if in the coming months you rarely see my little icon and "Haws!" and "LAUGHINGS!" and comments in your comments....although I am selfish and hope you will still come by here ...teeheehee!

Today feels like a good good day. It started off good with that review I found; and from the conversation with Tommy and with BelleBooks last night to pave the way for this good day. I am going to take a mountain walk soon to clear my head, and then get some busy work done.

HAPPY DAY, Everyone! And, soon you should be receiving your books! Oh, I can't wait! I'm so excited!

image google images: www.clipartguide.com/_pages/0511-0811-0316-49...

MY BOOKS ARE HERE! I HAVE A COPY OF TENDER GRACES ON MY LAP; ANOTHER ON MY SHELF; THE OTHERS WAITING TO GO WHERE THEY NEED TO GO! IT'S REAL! I HAVE A PUBLISHED NOVEL! OH SHE'S BEAUTIFUL! I THINK I'M GOING TO EITHER CRY, THROW UP, SCREAM YAYYY, OR FAINT--all all of those things! laughing.....

They're coming to take me away, haha heee hee ho ho, to the loony farm, where all the writers go ..ha ha heehe they're coming to haul me alway ha ha

I couldn't sleep last night. I tossed. I turned. I turned. I tossed. My synapses fired off -one two three fifty-five-thousand-and-four. I had benign thoughts like, "What should I wear to the book signing reception on Friday?" My pea-headed brain went through the contents of my closet (such as I could remember) and rejected rejected rejected -- then my thoughts turned to how I needed to clean out my closet -- then my thoughts turned to shoes - then to how I needed to get rid of some shoes -- then should I go buy something sparkling new for the signing - then no, I shouldn't; I have enough stuff and in fact wasn't I just saying I needed to get RID of some stuff?

Then my brain went over here and over there and over yonder. Boing boing boing boing!

I thought, "Oh! I hope I am here when my books get here (today? tomorrow? the next day?) so I can take a photo of the delivery person hauling my box out of the delivery truck!" Them my brain went off on that -- oh! I can take a photo of that, and then the box, and then me opening the box, and then me pulling out the books, and then the book on my bookshelf, and then I can put it all on my blog... on and on I went.

Then I thought about what Marta Stephens did and thought what a good idea it was: she had people take a photo of themselves holding her book(s) and then posted them (with permission) to her site! See Here at Marta's Site, and the photo I did to the left, teehee. So, I thought how much fun that could be if y'all who get a Tender Graces book could take a photo of yourselves with it and send it to me to post! Huh? Huh? what do you think? huh? boing boing boing boing boing boing!

Then I had a very detailed dream that I was in a nursing home - no, not as a resident, but visiting - or something. And I can clearly see these elderly women--the lives they led and the lives they lead. A few of them fell and I rushed to help them and felt their frustration and anger at how they couldn't do as they used to. Their hair was perfectly coifed, their make-up done beautifully, their clothing neat and as if to say "I am ready to go - -somewhere, anywhere..." It was an interesting dream, but I'm not sure what it meant.

So, on and on and on and on and on goes my brain - bam bam bam boing boing boing! My face is breaking out and I'm trying to stop that before Friday *laughing* I have bags under my eyes. I am excited and terrified! By time Friday comes, who knows what I will look like *haw!!!*

And all the books are on their way to the places and people who have ordered. God. Oh geez. Oh oh oh oh!!!! Yes, I am using the dreaded Exclamation Point!!!! -- laughing....

I have to say this. I know that not everyone who visits my blog or knows me or whatever's me will buy my book - or can buy it - or wants to buy it -- or whatever. No one has to explain or apologize for not purchasing my book - I mean that. Join in on the conversation and excitement and whatever all you wish to, buy a book if it moves you to, but never feel you have to explain to me or apologize because you aren't purchasing TG....I mean that from the bottom of my heart. I love you for supporting in any way you feel moved: by coming by here and visiting, by sending me best wishes, by cheering me on -- it all means so much to me, whatever it is! Okay, that's said - now...................

BOING BOING BOING BOING BOING BOING!!!!!!!

image: google image www.irishabroad.com

And I said to myself: what a wunnerful world, unless it stops spinning or the sky falls or the stars quit burning or the sun hits the moon or....

Osondu's Booksellers is sponsoring a Book Signing Party for TENDER GRACES at the bookstore on April 17th! How exciting. It'll be from 7-9pm and there will be champagne and food. The cut-off is fifty people. She has ordered enough books to accommodate that number. If you are in the Waynesville North Carolina area, call Margaret and reserve your spot! I'd love to see you there.

Now. This is where Kat Magendie begins to fray at the edges and starts blinking into the headlights and her stomach tumbles around like an old-timey ferris wheel gone mad. Because Kat starts worrying, "What if hardly anyone shows up? What if I'm standing in the bookstore trying to pretend it doesn't matter that only a couple of people show and there are all those books sitting there and the food congeals and the champagne un-bubblefies." Then, Kat will have to grab the champagne and upend it and pour it down her throat and glub it down and drown out her sorrows...oh geez.

This is just some of the terror of realizing your dream. But, even saying that makes me hit myself upside my pea-head: one thing I can't stand is whiney writers - not wine-y writers, those are okay - WHINE-Y writers! I mean, all the time I dealt with rejection and another writer realized his/her dream and if he/she whined about it? Well, that just made me mad! SHUT UP, I'd think - you are getting your book published...sheesh!

Okay, Picture It: You write the book; long hours alone and neglecting family and friends. You suffer rejection time after time. Finally, that glorious day comes and you find someone who loves your book and even says, "we are proud to publish this book..." Oh! Oh! The heavens clear, the skies blaze with sunlight and moonlight all at the same time, the birds start singing like on a Disney movie, all is right with the world! And, you live happily ever after, right? All worries gone, right?

Well, not for this old girl. Do NOT get me wrong: this is a wonderful problem to have. These are wonderful problems to have and I am grateful and I recognize this is HOT DANG YAY TIME; because these "problems and anxieties" mean I am realizing my dream of having You hold Tender Graces in your hands - I can't tell you what that means to me (I am trying to tell you, but words won't for a change - you'd have to see the sincerity in my eyes, feel the warmth radiating - the hope you will love Virginia Kate and all the others: Micah, Andy, Miss Darla, Bobby, Rebekha, Mrs. Mendel, Amy and Mr. Husband Campinelle, and even love Katie Ivene and Frederick, and love to hate mean old Aunt Ruby, and despise Uncle Ar-vile. The thought of all those hands holding the weight of my words overcomes me ...truly...the gratitude is realized upon awaking and before sleeping and all in between - know that.)

So, the Dream is arriving, or has arrived, but all those anxieties slip in under the skin and slide around anyway, because that's what they do, that's their job!

You may remember this one: What if I only sell four books -- well that one was proved wrong! Bellebooks said that pre-orders are coming in DAILY! They are happy and that makes me happy! SO THANK YOU ALL; If I could send individual thanks, I would - believe me. So, I can lay that particular anxiety aside for now -- I've sold more than four books. I won't EVEN start thinking: "Hmmmm, NYT bestseller list? ...hmmmm, what about....." nope not going there.

What if no one comes to my first booksigning party?

What if no one comes to any of my booksignings - and how many should I do? and are booksignings really even done anymore? and where should I have them? and should I do "virtual blog tours?" and etcetera etcetera etcetera

What if I get a bad review?:::What if no one else reviews it?

What if there is a HUGE error in the book I didn't find?

What if the sky should fall? what if the earth should stop turning? what if a big black hole should suck me up and I'm lost forever and my molecules are ripped apart and a gamillion pieces of me rain down on the earth and no one even notices it is a gamillion pieces of me raining down and I soak into the earth and weird flowers come up with my pea-head on them (um, what? okay, Kat, take deeeeep breaths - go do some yoga girl; you're losing it....teeheeheehee).

What I'm trying to say in my weird way is: Dreams coming true are wonderful, but full of their own stresses -- good stresses, "bad" stresses....If you are like me, you begin to attach THINGS to yourself that perhaps you should not. I should instead go back to the original feeling of accomplishment that I'd written a novel, and then that feeling when BelleBooks said, "we want to publish Tender Graces...." and then the wonderful feeling of my friends and family (my blog friends and family included) telling me how happy and proud of me they are: that's the thing right there -- that, and the original feeling of YOU holding my book in your hands and loving the language, the words, the characters....ahhhh, now I feel much much better. Deep Breath: done.

I always want to say "writers are weird" but I realize it's probably just Me that is weird and the writer part is only the excuse I use for my eccentricities....haw!

*MUWAH* .... (now, on to work on The Rose & Thorn newsletter that I've been neglecting and is due to go out soon! It will distract me from my weirdness for a while....haw! Here's where you can sign up for the newsletter. And, I need to do a review for Kerry Madden's Maggie Valley Trilogy. And I want to visit you all again. And what else....la la la la tee dah! I really do love my life! *BIG FAT GRIN*)

With a tweak tweak here, and a oh no! there, here a error, there a typo, everywhere a Eek Eek!

First you write the book. I could say: first you come up with the idea and then think about it, write notes, do an outline, etcetera - but that's not how I 'work' - everyone has their way. So, you write the book. There it sits: your first draft (or shitty rough draft as Anne Lamott writes). Then come re-writes and re-writes and all that jazz. So, all these things happen and by time you have the Completed Manuscript, it's darn near perfect, right? Well, probably not, but who needs perfection, huh? (I do! I do! Kat says as she jumps up and down raising her hand and wiggling it wildly! teeheehee)

Flash forward to when you have a publisher. So, early on, the publisher sends back their edits/thoughts. Luckily for me, I'd polished the manuscript within an inch of its language so there weren't a lot of things to haggle over or change or fix, very few (BB has been happy with me *smiling*). After that's done and everyone agrees to changes/edits, etc, and they've been implemented, the manuscript goes to the person who fits it to look like the book will look and this is the galley that is to be proofed: this galley I had was in PDF form. This is what I've been up to since I returned home.

When you get that, that is the time to SCOUR it for tiny missed errors. Now, think about this: you've already polished that manuscript, maybe you've had a couple of friends who have eagle eyes to scour it, you read it with a fine-toothed eye before it even goes to the publisher/agent/whatever- you think there cannot possibly be errors left: the publishers get it and they find some things -- okay, so you go through it another time, fix their found errors and in the process find a few more and you fix those: but, now - well now there just can't be errors! The book has been scoured clean. Nuh uh, think again....you get the galley and start reading and, well, huhn. So, the copyingediting is done at the publishers, but for me, nothing beats my own eyes - I read the galley and so did Good Man Roger. You would not BELIEVE the little things that hide from you - after all those readings and scourings, there were so many little tiny errors that were missed!

Things like: it's and its (even when you know the difference, things happen), or your Momma versus your momma, or even a big SNAFU of a date or age of a character!...eeek!....or backwards quotes, or missing dialogue end or beginning quotes, or you find where the character is sitting and then you have her sitting again and you go "HOW HOW DID I MISS THAT? ARGH!!!" It's scary the things you find. The only way I could read my galley was to read it Word by Word - different from 'regular reading.' I found things even Good Man Roger missed, and he has Eagle Eyes.

Yes, the publishers have their own copyediting they do, but, I felt it was my responsibility as the author of Tender Graces to make sure I scoured my own book for errors - it does help I am an editor and used to scouring things for errors...but when it's your own, you have to see the WORDS not the language and story - does that make sense?

When you make marks on the galley, you don't send them back to the publisher like you do on the earlier one; instead, you make a list: Page 101, line five from the top, there are two periods at the end of the sentence. Page 205, line seven from the bottom, it's should be its.... et-cetera! Then when you have the list done, you send it back to the publishers and someone there plugs in the corrections. Then, if I understand right, I get to peep at it one more time, quickly....then it is out of my hands. Error-free, or not error-free. It is Out.Of.My.Hands. *gulp* -- and soon into yours.

Yet, despite all this, I know something was probably missed. Or somethings. Or that when it is all set up in the final form and ready to go to printers, something could go awry: a paragraph wonky or whatever. I am going to have to do as you all have said and Let It Go.

Here it is: I have much more understanding and sympathy to authors now; when I now read a novel and find errors, I won't think: well, what's going on here? (a caveat to that is sloppy work; I'm not talking about sloppy books - I'm talking about errors that slip through here and there) -- because I now see more clearly how easy it is to miss something. How you can go in to fix one thing and it messes up something else - how deadlines and exhaustion and seeing the manuscript so many times and all manner of whatevers happen....

Know this: if Tender Graces has an error (or two or three?) in it, it won't be because BelleBooks and Kathryn Magendie did not SCOUR it and SCOUR it good. Stuff happens.

One thing I know that is going to drive me crazy, and now I know for the second Virginia Kate book to say something ahead of time: In all my stuff and when I edit, I always ask for the first paragraph of a chapter or new section to be un-indented-flush with the left margin: it's a pet peeve of mine...oh oh, Oops - I didn't know to specify this. It's too late now. It will be indented and it will made me nutty, and it's such a small thing *LAUGH* There is another small thing, so small I won't even mention it -- just Kat's Things She is Weird About.

Despite all of this madness -- while I was scouring Tender Graces one night, propped up on pillows in bed, just for a change of scenery (and exhaustion), I suddenly grinned - a big fat grin - because it occurred to me just what I was doing at that moment: I was proofing the galley to my Virginia Kate novel. It is happening, I said to myself. I grinned and nestled into the pillow, held my pen, made a mark: there, there, and there....my words, imperfect, but Mine....and soon to be Yours.

Photographs and mem....um...messories

This is the mess I left in my little writing/editing room in the little log house before I went to bed last night - exhausted, spent (see the sun peeking in!). Now, obviously there is a bunch of papers on the floor, etc, but if you look closer, you'll see some other things. Like, the "children's" books I'm going to review for Kerry Madden: Gentle's Holler, Louisiana's Song, Jessie's Mountain: my first time to review children's books - these books are so charming (if you have kids - these books are wonderful chronicles of a mountain family - from Maggie Valley! my town!), and I very much enjoyed them: well done, Kerry! There's a marble horse's head on the table and wrapped around it is a gift I received from an old neighborhood/school friend of mine, when we lived on Drusilla Lane (on Singletary) in Baton Rouge--Mike and his wife Tanya are wonderful - Mike, bless him he knows me well after all these years!, made me the most perfect necklace from an ancient ancient "wolf's head" arrowhead (I'll get a better photo later and the story), and I keep it by me as I write. There is a bookmark from Angie Gumbo Writer, and one from my friend Charles Mills. There are other little gifts and thoughts from friends and family (including more from Angie!) - and things I've picked up from the mountain or other places.

In this photo, you can see the MESS that is on my dining room table. There is a month's worth of mail I have to get to. In that mail are some wonderful beautiful thoughtful gifts from some blogger friends, like Lisa and Maria-Therese and Barbara that I want to take my time pouring over instead of the fast way I had to when I arrived home; and there is a book I won in a book giveaway from Katrina, and there are the other books I have on the table for my own give-away that are still there from the last contest (Barbara chose her two Deborah Smith books, and I have her one to grow on *teehee*). There are also my birthday present surprises from Good Man Roger - some are under the boa he got me to replace the one the critter took (because they are 'personal' - haw!). If you look closely, you can barely see Fat Labrador Jake's head peeking up.

And, if you could just see my INBOX(es) on my emails (yes, plural) - I have email to answer, read- and as well, I want to take my time reading all your comments from previous posts while in Texas, etc, that I haven't had time to get to - some of them, but not all! I will read every last one of them; with pleasure, too.

The tax information I still have to do...gawd! I'm So Behind.

Lastly, these are the magazines I have not had time to read that are on my couch - well, on the soft soft throw (not real fur!) on my red couch.

Last night, I finished the galleys - almost. I will do a quick check and then send them on. I will get one last peek and then that is IT. I want to talk to you all about this process and what it has shown me, means to me, what I have learned- and, how it will change not only how I read books, but how I review them.

Tommy was back in the hospital briefly for one night, but it was all okay and he's back at home (whew). Frank still in hospital, but doing better. Your continued thoughts mean so much to us.

Pre-orders are coming in - THANK YOU! My first booksigning party will most probably be April 17 - but, I best get my butt in gear and stop playing here.

*MUWAH* (I wrote this ninety to nothing lickity spit so I hope it makes sense and there aren't errors! ha!) And THANK YOU to my guest bloggers: Brian at Eazy Cheezy, Angie Gumbo Writer, and Kimmi Richardson - scroll down if you haven't read them.

Work, work, now get to work, baby...work work, watch me work now...

I have been distracted the last few days, and for a bit longer I'll be distracted and busy as well. If I suddenly "disappear" just a little bit, there's good reason for it!

First, I took a few days to do some things around the little log house, for I know things are going to get crazy with the book (crazier?). We took the sofa from downstairs (it's like brand new as it's rarely used) and put it upstairs and took the one upstairs and put it downstairs - it's like having a new sofa! (I tell you, hauling a heavy-arse sofa up our stairs was no small feat - *huff puff errghhhhhh*) We bought a new chair made and sold by locals, and will get that today. I bought (ordered) a couple of new pillows and a throw from locals, and am waiting for them to arrive. So, our living room has a new look. Yay!

Then yesterday my friend (an executive chef and photographer) Christy Bishop came up to our place and snapped some "author photos" - she had a hard time getting me to stay still and to "look natural" - I detest photo-taking (as all my friends and family know - there are few pictures of me not making a face, or whatever). She finally told Good Man Roger - "give her some of that wine..." teehee...that helped...teehee. I'll see those today after she puts them on a disk.

Then! Bellebooks and I are going into the "line editing" phase of Tender Graces, so I will need to get very focused and get that done. My beautiful literary-goddess friend Mary Ann Ledbetter (yes, that name's familiar isn't it! She's Angie Gumbo Writer's sis in law!) wrote up a really intelligent, fun, beautiful intuitive Reader's Guide, and I need to look at that to get it to BB (and if you are an author who needs a Reader's Guide - she is one to think about - I am so pleased with what she did.) I have to write an acknowledgments page (eeeekk!) And, as well, I need to start thinking about the second book - which fortunately is already drafted out and has been sitting in the files just waiting - it tells the continued story of Virginia Kate.

I'm all a-dither and what all what not whatever *laugh*

Get your stories in today for the book give-a-way. You have until 8:00AM tomorrow, Friday, morning and then I will put them all up. Then, you can vote on your favorite from Friday until Monday - and Monday I'll announce the winner of BRIDA.

Okay - this must be the most boring rambling post in the history of boring rambling posts - I'll be round to visit you all today and then I'm knuckling down and getting to work!

Oh, PS -- I saw this pillow while looking for down-filled pillows online - um...LAUGHING! lawd...I don't know why it disturbed me -but ...hummmm...erk. It just seems ... wrong, somehow. There's a story here - someone tell it -- it begs to be told. The person who buys this pillow has a story!

A PEE ESS: I forgot to add: The Rose & Thorn Literary Ezine newsletter will be out in the next few days - I plan to have it ready to go by 2/1. If you haven't signed up for the R&T Newsletter, you can do so HERE. It's emailed to you, and we keep our subscriber emails safe!)

(google images from www.superstock.com & supplementalscience.wordpress.com & asia.cnet.com)

It is Happening...

I have a publisher. I have a title. I have a cover. I can't wait to see it all together.

I can't believe it is finally happening.

This blog is here because I wanted a place uncluttered by all my other "stuff" - a place I set aside just for what is happening with the "Virginia Kate" novel: Tender Graces. How strange to see that title! My novel had more than five titles...and more almost titles...and some "how about this titles!" I at first said "Oh, I don't know..." to Tender Graces. Why? A lovely title, a cadence, a poetry to it. Well, because I was afraid of Tender and I was afraid of Grace. I should examine that. I should wonder why those words worried me so. When paired with the cover image - it's going to make me cry; I just know it.

Virginia Kate will now come alive. I hope you will love her as I do.

Bellebooks is the best publisher I could ever have found - they took a chance with this writer in a publishing atmosphere that has agents and publishers and booksellers quaking. I will love them forever for it. They've been patient with my questions and concerns. With my emails of "what about THIS title...." and my "I'm a-skeered of grace and tender..." They know what I need before I do.

It is happening. I'm terrified and excited.

I changed my profile to "author" - can I do that now? Am I being too presumptuous? Am I in "the Club" now?

I'm shaking in my boots. I'm grinning like an idiot.