Progress Report

I’ve printed out the penultimate draft of WHERE SERPENTS SLEEP. It’s now resting for a few days, waiting patiently until I can come at it with fresh eyes for one last read through. All the major changes are done; this is just a matter of catching typos and little rough patches that need to be smoothed over.

There was a point not too long ago when I honestly didn’t think I was going to get this sucker done on deadline. I’d even emailed my editor and warned her I might be late (editors appreciate advance notice). So it’s a huge relief to be able to tell her I’ll make it, after all.

I’ve only missed my deadline once. MIDNIGHT CONFESSIONS was due 10 September 2001. I didn’t make it to the post office before 5 on Saturday, so I went down on Monday the 10th and overnighted it. Well… Obviously, my late manuscript was the least of anyone’s worries come Tuesday morning. I figured it was probably some of that paper we could see blowing around Manhattan, but it actually did resurface a couple of weeks later, albeit a little the worse for wear. By that point I’d finally emailed it to my editor.

I’m now pulling together the material for the workshop I’ll be giving 2 November up in Baton Rouge—Six Secrets of Bestselling Genre Fiction. It’s a six-hour marathon (six hours, six secrets; get it?). Charles Gramlich over on Razored Zen is pondering public speaking for writers this week—very timely. His first point? Don’t talk for more than 40 minutes.