Time...

I really can't believe November is almost here. Only 6 days away? What happened to October?

I spent most of the month in the doctor's office trying to figure out what's wrong with me physically. So far IBS seems to be the culprit, mingled with an allergy to high fructose corn syrup--which is in just about everything. I've been working with a nutritionist to find foods I can eat and so far that is working out really well. I have my follow up with the specialist on Halloween to determine if there's anything else going on with my insides that I need to be aware of. We'll see.

Mostly, though, I'm tired. And perhaps a little grumpy (see tired). But Joe is hopeful we'll be able to figure this out and so I'm holding on to him holding on to hope. Maybe I should get some rope to tie me to him in case my arms give out. Le sigh.

In happier news, I finished the first act of my book! This is HUGE for me! It means I have completed 1/4 of my book!!! Wahoo!!! Right now that looks like 11 chapters and just over 25K words. If I keep a consistent rate, I'll end up with about 44 chapters and 100K. Most first novels publish around the 80K mark, so I might be a little high. But that's okay! I can always chop-chop during the revisions stage. I'm excited to have two VERY EXCELLENT beta readers lined up for revisions and, so far, have been super happy with the feedback I'm getting from my alpha readers.

One thing I've realized is that my book is not for everyone. Sometimes that makes me sad, but mostly I think that's just a part of the author-reader dynamic. I love Harry Potter, but that doesn't mean everyone does. Just as some love Lord of the Rings, which I can't stand. It's good to recognize early on that what I write--my content, style, approach--won't resonate with every person that picks it up. Some will even hate it. I don't know if I'm ready for that yet, but that doesn't change reality. So I'm trying to grow a thicker skin. Pretty hard considering I kill most everything I try to grow. But I'll keep working at it, changing the fertilizer or the ground I'm in. I guess being a slow writer is helpful in this way... I'll have plenty of time to work on my thick skin before I even query, let alone publish a novel.

For those that are interested, I've revamped the look/feel of the writer blog. New content will be added sooner than later. I've decided to focus for a time on the research that I'm doing rather than the writing journey itself. So, if you're into paranormal, expect to see posts about angels & demons, death personified, vampire lore, and other delectable bites.

If you want to more about the novel, I'm still working on the pitch line (so it's really rough). This is what I have so far: SOUL REAPER (working title): A traumatized Angel of Death shuns her Maker in hopes of finding release, but learns even good choices require payment--her submission or her soul, neither of which she is willing to relinquish. (Feel free to tell me in the comments whether or not you'd read it and why! TY!)

In other news, work seems to be going well for Joe. His company is gearing up for a huge project that is going to keep him busy-busy in the months to come. He seems to spend many of his days in meetings, but still enjoys the people he works with. I'm happy he's happy!

Josser and Journey are hilarious and annoying all at the same time. But I love my little monsters. As with most creatures, they are most adorable when they are sleeping! hehe

I hope October has been good to you! And I am excited to see all the costume pictures I know you're going to share with me via blogger and Facebook... right? Right?! Hehe.

Lots of love,
D