Potpourri

It's been a productive couple of weeks since I last posted. To start with, the second book in the Mattie Winston series, SCARED STIFF, is finally done ... well, it's written, printed, and sitting on a shelf. Though it's technically a first draft, it's pretty close to a final draft because I always edit as I write. I start every writing session by reading and editing whatever I wrote during the last couple of sessions before producing anything new. I also do a complete beginning to where-I'm-at-now edit when I'm around halfway to two-thirds of the way through the manuscript. So my first drafts are pretty polished. But I do like to let them sit and ripen for a week or so once they are done, after which time I'll reread, cut away any smelly parts that developed during the ripening process, and then send it on its way.

The whole thing weighs in at just under 100,000 words. It felt good to write that final chapter and in the past I've always celebrated this accomplishment by taking a week off and doing absolutely nothing except fun stuff, like movie marathons, drinking, bike rides, drinking, reading, and drinking. Alas, I can't do any of those things this time because I have other jobs that are making some serious demands on my time. Plus I have our annual canoe race party to plan, and there is a lot of weed whacking, cobweb killing, menu planning, and dust bunny slaughter that needs to be done. I live with two golden retrievers and two cats, so I also have hair balls the size of tumbleweeds that roll through my house this time of year, thanks to all the shedding going on. I think the little hair balls mate with the dust bunnies and the result is a horrifying genetic mishap that, if I let my guard down for a second, will someday take over the entire house.

Annelise Ryan now has her own Facebook page. And maybe, just maybe, she might have some news to post there soon. Keep your fingers crossed and in the meantime, hop on over, become a fan, and bookmark the page for future news and events.