Editing

Editing. That’s what’s next. And a lot of it.

How quickly I moved from “if only someone would offer to publish the novel,” to, “oh no! it’s not ready!”

And so begins the second guessing and the apprehension. The fear that I have missed something significant in my research. The early stirrings of shame in my core. That old feeling of, if you really knew me, you wouldn’t like me. People will read  what I’ve spent years creating. What if it’s not enough?

Since signing another publishing contract, the fear has returned. This time, however, I know it’s part of the process. Dog Days of Planet Earth has the potential to be a a really good book, but what if I can’t get it to where I want it to be? What if I fail my characters by not getting to know them enough to explain them fully to readers? 

So, I hope for inspiration. I remind myself that I’ve been through this process twice before. I suffered significant doubt and a LOT of fear when publishing my previous novels.

The characters in The Unfinished Child and The Shade Tree exist in the world because I wrote them into being, and now they have a life of their own.

I can’t wait to introduce you to Trevor Westmore and Laura Fenway and the other characters who live in the pages of Dog Days of Planet Earth.  If all goes well, I will do them justice.