This is NOT the way to write a book

Sometimes a writer just has to talk about her writing.  And today is one of those days.

For the first time, I might not make my deadline, and that really scares me.  Or if I do make my deadline, I won't have time to have friends read the book before it goes to my editor.  Yup, it's bite-my- nails time.

I thought I would bounce right back to writing after my Dad died last fall.  In a way I did, because I had two months to polish the first Victoria Square Mystery.  I started SentencedTo Dead, the 5th Booktown Mystery, in December--earlier than I had anticipated and figured I was on a roll.  Unfortunately, it was a very s-l-o-w roll.  No problem, I have until June 10th, which seemed a l-o-n-g way from Christmastime.

Then it was January.

Then it was February

Then it was March.

Then it was April, and suddenly there was a LOT of stuff to get ready for Malice Domestic conference.  (And being nervous about being nominated, and then losing my bridge, and then losing the award . . . yes, very busy month.)

I came home from Malice determined to get a lot of writing done.  Except, by the time I got back from Malice, I'd lost nearly a week.  Since the 5th, I've been chugging away on the book--writing EVERY DAY and making good progress.  (Although I'm about 2000 words behind where I thought I would be at this point.)

How's the book?  I read the first half of it over the weekend and despite the fact it's been written in crazy quilt-patchwork fashion (here a scene, there a scene, everywhere a scene, scene--and none of them written in chronological order), I like it.  Which I hope means my editor likes it, and ultimately my readers.  Oh, and I have such delicious plans for #6 (Murder on the Half Shelf) . . . but first, I have to finish this.  And then jump right into the second Victoria Square Mystery, which is due in September.  (Thank Goodness I've had it on the back burner and have a pretty good draft waiting in the wings, because there's no way I could write an entire book in three months.)

I know this isn't a very interesting post, and I apologize.  But sometimes a writer just needs to TALK about her work.  But the thing is, I can't really TALK about it because it would be full of spoilers and then no one would actually READ the books.

*Sigh*

Okay, I feel better now.  Thanks for letting me vent.