It’s been a while, friends. My apologies for that. After signing with my agent last October, I dove headfirst into revisions and spent the holidays pulling apart the threads of my book and sewing it back together. My family was incredibly patient and supportive while I was holed up in my revision cage, grumbling like an angry hobbit, but when I stumbled out, blinking in the sunlight, a few weeks after the new year began, the book I’d already loved had become something greater than I ever realized it could be.
My agent was thrilled with the changes, but she pushed me a little more, sounding eerily like a high school english teacher who once told me that he gave me a B on what would have been an A+ paper from my classmates, because he knew I was capable of more. At the time, I was indignant, but I’ve lived long enough to appreciate it now.
In the meantime, I gained some agent-siblings, critiqued CP manuscripts, taught a querying seminar at a local writing organization, was invited to moderate a panel at the VA Festival of the Book (which was cancelled along with everything else in March, but still, it was an honor to be asked!) helped my spouse with a DIY master bath renovation, said goodbye to a pet, and more. You can see why I haven’t updated in a while.
And then. Well, you know.
I haven’t found the right words yet, so I won’t say much about the fear and grief we’re all facing right now, but as terrible as it is, we’re all in this together, and I find some strength in that. I don’t know when I’ll see any of you in person again, but until then, I’m wishing you and yours healthy and happy days to come (from a safe distance.)