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Hi, everyone. My friend’s child is out of the hospital. With care and medication he’ll be fine. Again, no details because I forgot to ask her permission. But since I mentioned it here, I just wanted to let everyone who was wondering how it turned out, that it’s okay. Not perfect, but okay. And there are days when okay is a lot better than the alternatives.
My kiddo is on the bus, and off to school. A new day dawns, sunny, a little cool, but fresh and ready to go. Last night instead of reading for a few minutes before bed (Jon and I are between books that we’re reading to eachother) I went next door to my office and edited. I’m editing the Micah Novel-light. For those who don’t know the term novel-light was coined by Jon when the novella I was writing became too long for a novella, but not long enough for one of my novels. Novel-light all the adventure, half the chapters. Even the contract states a small novel, as if the contract people weren’t sure what to call it either. It will be sold as a stand alone book, with a lower than paperback price because it’s smaller than paperback size. Something like that, anyway. It’s coming out in February of 2006. It’s a brand new Anita adventure with her going out of town to raise a federal witness for the F. B. I. that died of natural causes before he could give testimony. But since the arduer is not completely under wraps, she needs an “assistant”. Micah goes with her. We learn more of his background. How he became a shapeshifter. Some about his family.
Micah has been somewhat a mystery man, I think because he came in after there were already so many other people in Anita’s life. Also by limiting the main cast it was more like some of the earlier Anita books, leaner, tighter. Though some of you who have not liked the sexual content will not be happy because there’s sex. One scene with Micah and Anita. It’s a really good sex, if I do say so myself.
I’m hoping to do novel-lights with most of the men in Anita’s life. There are so many ideas I have that just never seem to fit into a full length novel. I want to do a Sunday dinner with Richard’s family, and see how his mother and brother are doing. And meet the rest of his family finally. I want that double date with Jean-Claude and Asher and Anita. I want Nathaniel to have the holiday he never had as a child. There are other ideas, but some of them may actually be full novel length.
Doing the novel-light renewed my joy in my work. Partly it was the leaner story line, but also it was something I just wanted to write, not that I had to write because I’d signed a contract. I can’t remember the last time I wrote something before the contract came. But also it was a way to do some of the ideas that are too small or too something for the main books. I mean I want to have Mrs. Pringle need Anita to doggie-sit Custard. I have this entire folder of Anita ideas that I’d been wanting to work into books for ages, and there’s never room. The novel-lights will give me a way to do that. I’m even toying with the idea that when Merry finally gets everyone back to L. A. in about three books, we might try to do some with her and one guy at a time in a more detective setting. That would be cool.
But last night instead of reading to relax I edited the Micah piece. I put on my tape of nature sounds, and edited. It was very peaceful sitting in the dark of the office with only two small lamps on, surrounded by the sound of birds singing in the dark. Very soothing. When I lived in Los Angeles there was a mockingbird that would sing outside our window every night. It was always wonderful to fall asleep to. So I went to bed relaxed with the major editing done. I just need to go in and clean up a few things, and chase down a paragraph that I remember writing, but can’t seem to find on any hard copy version of the piece.
May your day be peaceful, productive, and enjoyable.