Done and Dusted...(and bacon butties!)

[cj2017]

I think that's it.

Over the weekend I sent my approval of Snowbound's front and back cover PDF (bar code included - check all those numbers!) and I reckon the whole thing is probably on its way to the printers by now. 

Despite an editing deadline that gave me a good few sleepless nights, I actually got the rewrites finished in good time. Apparently I'm quite disciplined at writing under the cosh. Strangely - having been warned about the trauma of receiving your beloved manuscript from your editor covered in red pen - I really enjoyed the process. It might have been something to do with the fact that everything I'd been worried about (the characters, the dialogue, the plot, the English setting, the number of times my characters say 'bollocks'**) escaped completely unscathed and the majority of the changes were instead related to point of view and my tendency to use a lot of words that ended in 'ing'. I also got to write a few new scenes which was easier than I would ever have thought (this is a novel that's been about four years in the writing) and quite lovely to do. I'd forgotten how much I loved these characters until I started to write them again. The novel went back slightly longer and a lot better than the version I'd originally submitted. So happy days :-) Now all I need to do is fidget nervously until December 12th...

I was going to write an English to American translation guide for the carihunter lj, but I think most Americans are aware that we talk funny over here and have mobile phones as opposed to cell phones. Going through the novel looking for words that might make you go "huh?" I was instead struck by just how much food there is in the bloody thing (I spent the editing process permanently hungry!). So I decided to write a bit of a Snowbound menu. At some point I will probably stop writing daft stuff for the blog and maybe get permission to put up an excerpt or something but for now you have a guide to bacon butties and rice pudding...


**I think that would be twice *g*

Comments

[badforthefish.livejournal.com]

YAY YOU! Congrats and everyfink! Can't wait to read it.

Hmmm...bacon butties.

[marygriggs.livejournal.com]

Very cool! I can't wait to get a copy.

And thanks for the head's up about bacon butty's--yum!

[laurel-hardy.livejournal.com]

Hey! What are you trying to say about my ass? Bacon butty, indeed. How dare you?

[sunsetwriter.livejournal.com]

How exciting this must be for you! I still can't wait to read it. The fact that the book is filled with food - even better! So, now I'm off to peruse your menu and learn what exactly bacon butties are. In my opinion, anything with bacon in the name, can't be bad... :-)

Congratulations

[tackdriver56.livejournal.com]

Glad to hear from you that things are progressing smoothly. I always enjoy your #TSCC work.

[roxybisquaint.livejournal.com]

You lost sleep worrying about characters saying bollocks twice? Oh girlie, you're worse than me ;)

Less than two months until it'll be out? This is exciting! —Almost as exciting as thoughts of a bacon butty. Actually, I'm more excited about egg custard. We have that here, but it's not loaded with... 955.1kj of ENERGY. What does that even mean? I don't know, but I'm quite jealous that brit food has it.

[badforthefish.livejournal.com]

Wait a fucking minute! WHERE ARE THE PORK SCRATCHINGS?

You're in my AMZ shopping cart. Can't wait!

[tackdriver56.livejournal.com]

Sorry it took me so long to react. We've had some very interesting weather and "country failing" events here in Southern New England. Things are on the mend, though we still have to dodge around branches and brush-piles that intrude on the travel lanes of our roads. Interesting period with no grid power, no cell-phone service, no Internet, no Land-lines. Times like these, being an electrical engineer is a good thing.
I hope the positive feedback and occasional constructive criticism here has helped your attainment of professional maturity; you've deserved to be published for a LONG time. So glad it's happening!