BOOK #2 Updates! Plus: Annie featured in 7x7 + More!
I recently heard a joke that you should write the book you want to read because, when it’s all said and done, you’ll wind up reading it at least 75 times.
(In actuality, I think it’s probably more.)
Now that it’s my second time going through the process of bringing a book into the world, I understand that a novel is not truly “finished” until your official print run happens (which is still months away) BUT, I did complete the second full draft of Leena’s story yesterday and sent it to a printer to get the first physical copy in my hands (and into the hands of my beta readers) before its due to a copy editor next month.
It’s a milestone, to be sure, and one I now understand needs to be acknowledged in my “sophomore” era.
A lesson I learned from my debut publishing experience is that there are a lot of milestones along the way, and it’s important to acknowledge every step of the journey or you’ll keep waiting until the “real” moment you’re “allowed” to celebrate. Often times, that “moment” never really comes because there’s always a new goal post to hit.
For me, its bittersweet finishing the creative work that goes into a novel.
From here on out, it’s more about making cuts and edits. Then its pivoting to reviews, marketing, and publicity. It gets technical. It gets “professional”. The play takes a backseat.
Today I found myself craving a visit to my “friends” in Leena’s world—a feeling I remember well when I finished Annie in Retrospect. It was that feeling that got me back to the computer writing Book 2 before Annie was even out in the world yet.
The writing is the reward for me.
If I’m not exploring a story, creating characters and scheming up adventures for them to take, I forget why I’m doing all of this in the first place. (I expect to start Book 3 soon for this reason, so stay tuned!)
NEW COVER GIRL!
Coincidentally, the same day I wrote the ending of Leena’s story, I got my official final cover from my publisher! I was so fortunate that the same insanely talented designer who worked on Annie’s cover, was able to do this one. I love it so much, and the two books look incredible side by side!
Annie in Retrospect got an incredible write up in 7x7 Magazine this past week! (For those of you who aren’t Bay Area locals, San Francisco is 7 x 7 square miles, and this regional publication is an SF treasure.) It was a real pinch me moment to get to talk about why I love the city and the importance of the SF setting in the novel. Special thanks to Corinne Avganim Wilk for penning such a beautiful piece! Here’s a sneak peek:
“It reads like a walk through San Francisco, when the fog softens the edges of everything you thought you knew about yourself. Annie in Retrospect is not only a love letter to the city, but to anyone standing in the in-between: between who they were, who they are, and who they are yet to become.”
Book Club Love!
This month I got to visit more book clubs and even took Annie on a trip down the California coast to The OC! (If you’ve read the book, you’ll get why this is a big deal.) ;) As always, epic conversations and heartfelt insights were shared. At the Laguna-Beach area club, we even got cards—featuring pics of us in our 20’s—to write letters to our younger selves.
