DONIS CASEY: Write Errant

About five minutes ago, I sent the manuscript for the third book in the Alafair Tucker series to my editor for her first reading.  What an unutterable relief.  Now I get to wait nervously for her impressions.  For the other books, there was some rewriting involved, which in both cases I was able to finish in two or three weeks.  I dearly hope that is the case with this book.

I’ll wait until I hear the verdict before posting any details about the book, but the provisional title is The Drop Edge of Yonder.  As most of you Dear Readers have probably realized, I attempt to choose titles that are ethnic and somewhat colorful, and I did try to do that with the new book.  The title is taken from an archaic phrase once used in Texas. It means “the brink of death.” I like it very much.  But when I told anyone what I was thinking, about half the time I’d get a blank stare.  So I was feeling uncertain about it, until I attended an authors’ roundtable a few weeks ago.  The moderator went around the room and asked each of the dozen or so authors there to tell something about her or his work, and while I was speaking, someone asked me about my next title.

 I girded my loins and spoke, and most of the people in the room went “Oooh!”  I took that as approval and flicked the sweat from my brow.  So for the time being, Drop Edge of Yonder it is.

It seems strange to be getting ready for the third book when the second book, Hornswoggled, just came out in September, and I’m not even done with the publicity junket for it.  I only have two events left to do this year, though: one tomorrow (Dec. 13) at Tempe Public Library, and one on Saturday in Glendale, AZ.  I’ll be the keynote speaker at the Glendale event, which is for authors whose short stories are being published in an anthology entitled Stories of the Valley.

I’m working on the presentations right now, but after Saturday, I hope to be able to buy a Christmas present or two for my long-suffering husband.  Then I’m done until after the holidays, unless I have a giant rewrite to do.  Then I have to get started on Book Four.   

This entry was posted on Tuesday, December 12th, 2006 at 4:17 pm and is filed under Writer Rant. You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0 feed. You can leave a response, or trackback from your own site.