Thursday

Head back, face forward, and hang on!

It's getting close. The release of THE PROMISE is getting so close. I can't wait to open that first box of freshly printed books and thumb through a copy.

Some of the the fun things I've been working on:

~ Dust jacket
~ Front matter, back matter, and everything in between including end papers, title page, and one of the hardest things I've had to do the second time around, the dedication page.
~ Pagination. WORD of the WEEK. This one isn't my favorite, but I'm getting better at. Just kidding. Pray for me, please.
~ Blurbs for THE PROMISE
~ Media kits for The Trait series - THANK YOU AA for your help with this!
~ AND ... I'm 43,000 words into my newest novel, A ROOM WITHOUT WINDOWS, volume one of The Apex series.

I'm so grateful for the amazing people I work with and for my friends, family and colleagues that support me. The publishing process is very much like a roller-coaster ride. I edit and edit (the climb up that first hill), the book is released (the drop from the highest point), then comes the feedback, both good and bad, (the twists and turns), and finally I start working on the release of the next book (the slowdown and eventual stop).
One thing that I was determined to do differently with this book was to take my time with the final edit. I will never rush a copy-edit to meet a deadline again - I don't have to. In hindsight, I've decided that its better to push the release date back then to rush to print.

So, there you have it. My busy, fun, goodness at a glance.

Here's a video clip of my favorite roller-coaster. Enjoy.

Kristin

Now it's getting personal.

With Father's Day quiet literally around the corner, I'm going to do a more personal TOP 5 today.

The TOP 5 REASONS I LOVE MY HUSBAND:

#5 - He's my best friend. He listens to me as well as any girl friend I've ever had, spends lots of good quality time with me, and cares about my feelings. We'll be celebrating our 19th wedding anniversary this year--19 years of good times, and because of our strong, genuine friendship, very few bad times.

#4 - He is supportive. No one boosts my spirits like he does. He encourages me to keep writing. In fact, the last three down periods in between novels, he said, "I think it's time for you to start your next book." He tells me he's proud of me everyday.

#3 - He's patient. He's SO UNBELIEVABLY patient. He's a good, involved, fun DAD to our kids, and he's patient with them, too. I've never been a competent or enthusiastic 'homemaker' (<- WORD of the WEEK), yet he doesn't complain. He's eaten many meals from a box with a smile on his face. He waits for me a lot, because I'm on "Warner-time" and late ... a lot. He teases that his lifelong theme song is, "Waiting on a Woman."

#2 - He's cute, both in personality and in looks. He has the spirit and intentions of a 12 year old, admittedly, and in some circumstances, he looks 12. He has a fantastic smile and bright blue eyes that match his light, fun personality. And he's aging well. VERY WELL. I scored in the looks and personality departments for sure.

#1 - He encourages me. What I do, what I've done ... it hasn't always been easy or fun. With my work load, I tend to feel overwhelmed and this journey has been downright scary at times. But he encourages me to look beyond a little discomfort or effort and focus on the big picture. Nothing in life worthwhile is easy or completely without discomfort. I've learned that from him. He encourages me to go after what I want and he's a big part of my success as a writer.

To all of you, I hope you have a cute, patient best friend that supports you and encourages you. And to my husband John, thank you. I love you.

Kristin

Monday

TTFN.

You might not hear from me for a week or so - I've got so much going on right now, so many good things, I'm excited and admittedly overwhelmed. One of the things I'm working on right now is the dust jacket (<-WORD of the WEEK) for THE PROMISE. I love having the ability to work on my own book covers. I love creating dust jackets! This is another HUGE perk of publishing with a SMALL firm.

Look at me - a happy tidbit and a blog activity in the same post.
See you soon.

Kristin

Thursday

WORD of the WEEK #2

The WORD of the WEEK is ................. IBUPROFEN.
(Pronounced correctly "EYE-bew-PROH-fan".)

Halfhearted fist bump inserted here.

This is a good one for me right now. I've taken enough Ibuprofen this week that McNeil should give me stock in the stuff. What for, you ask? For this. Or it could be this. Whatever it is, my right wrist is swollen, partially paralyzed and feels like it's on fire. Okay, maybe it's not that bad thanks to my over-the-counter, non-steroidal, anti-inflammatory, relatively inexpensive medication. Plus, "In some studies, ibuprofen showed superior results compared to a placebo in the prophylaxis of Alzheimer's disease when given in low doses over a long time. Further studies are needed to confirm the results before ibuprofen can be recommended for this indication." So, along with the pain relief I receive from popping these little red-coated drops of happiness, I've got a little bit of Alzheimer's prevention going on as well.

I love you Ibuprofen. Really I do.

Kristin