Guess What? The New Book is Out (Almost)!

I woke up at 3:45 yesterday morning and couldn't get back to sleep, so I turned on my MacBook to do some work. It took my eyes a good 45 minutes to adjust to the light of the screen, however, even with using that great little program Brightness Control. After that, I did manage to plunk out about 1,000 words before it was time to get up and make breakfast for the kids. I hoped to get back to work on NaNo once they were off to school, but I couldn't get back into it. Instead, I answered emails (a task urgently overdue) and then I went back into real estate mode. I had to show a house over on West 136th Street. The buyers and their agent were nice, but I don't know ... Buyers are definitely taking their time these days. Anyway, I returned home after that, and trust me, my NaNo time was done by then. I spent the rest of the afternoon updating my main website to reflect my new book.

Speaking of which, I guess I should bring everyone up to speed on that.

(1) I changed the title. It used to be Black Pearls. Now it's Darkness & the Devil Behind Me. I liked the first title, but I like the second one much better, and it's more appropriate to the story, too.

(2) I came up with a new cover, which I'll upload in a minute. And I did the graphics work on the cover by myself. I'm so proud. (Pause ... pause ... while writer frantically tries to get photo uploaded with right resolution. Then a sigh of relief.) It was a heck of a lot of hard work, but I think it paid off, don't you?

(3) The book is now available for download from my website as a special digital edition. I already have one sale! I'm so proud. A great shoutout to Ms. Lillian Anthony. Thank you, Lillian!

(4) My publisher tells me that we're talking a mid-December release date for the trade paperback. (Did I mention that "my publisher" happens to be me?)

(5) I'm thinking about serializing the book before then. Hmmm ... I thought it would be a good idea, but now I don't feel comfortable with it. But there are excerpts: Chapters 1, 2 and 3 are available online or as a PDF for download.

There's still a lot of work to do. I plan on making an audiocast of the book, as well as of the short stories in the SAW Project. I will place audio samples on the web, also.

And of course, I have to let the world know that the book has arrived. Yippee!!!

Boy, am I glad that I did some work on the site. It was in desperate need of updating. Still more to be done, but now I'm caught up -- which reminds me ...

This made a great and productive divergence from NaNo, but I'd better get back on the ball.

NaNo goal for today: 13,336 (1,667 words/day x 8)

Personal goal: 15,000 (about 1,000 less than the 16,000 I should've reached if I'd kept up 2,000/day)

Love ya!

Will be blogging with you later!