I used to wonder why some of my favorite authors also had some of the lousiest blogs. Now I get why.

At the end of July, I experienced the moment all writers dream about – getting a contract with a publisher! It was a euphoric time.

Then, within hours of that grand event, I had to shift my focus back to the demands of everyday life – working a full-time job, acting as a family caregiver, taking on a new and epic volunteer gig, and dealing with all the baggage that comes with living through a global pandemic.

It was just about a week ago – in mid November – that I awoke, hyperventilating and sweaty, at 2:45 a.m. remembering that I had a final manuscript deadline. A bleary-eyed dig into my desk drawer and a scan of the book contract revealed that said deadline was just a little over a week away.

The book has been complete for some time. But, I hadn't thought through some of the other elements, such as the postscript and acknowledgements. Those things needed to be written. So that is what I am doing this Thanksgiving weekend – eating a big bowl of leftover stuffing and hitting the pause button on other responsibilities so I can be an author again.

Having just hit Send on the email to the publisher a few minutes ago, I figured I should probably write a blog and give an update on the book.

This is that blog and this is the update on the book:

Early reviews have been overwhelmingly positive. The book will soon have a fancy pants cover design. In the spring, it will be available for pre-order. Expect increasing amounts of fanfare up to and through the book's release on May 20, 2021!

Now having written and re-read this, I feel I owe an apology to every single author with a blog.

Writing about writing is just not that terribly interesting*. Writing is the act of putting pen to paper, in an inspired way, in between doing a bunch of other stuff. A reader is best served by reading the work itself, not reading about the amount of stuffing I consumed while writing it. (O.K. I've had two cereal bowls full, if you must know.)

So there.

I have achieved another official author milestone – the lousy blog post.

Now, please pardon me while I go get more stuffing.

*Except if you are Stephen King. His book, On Writing, is awesome.