So Long, Farewell...
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Inside the Drawer
Department of Author Sciences
STATUS REPORT
Rep. #63R28JQ-B
Note: Follow-up to Rep. #63R28JQObservations: Author was observed placing items in desk drawer; further study uncovered written content, included below; no further observations noted
Included Materials:
Can I be honest with you? I can? Good. So the truth is that I finished the first draft of Book 3 some time ago, but I didn’t say anything. I had hoped that I might get it all finished and out to you in time for the holidays at the end of last year, but that turned out to be just a teensy tiny bit too ambitious on my part, and that’s why I haven’t updated my website in forever and a day. I kept thinking that maybe it would still be possible, and then I just figured I might as well wait until I had something better to say than just, “Still working!”
So now I do have something better to say: Book 3 is done! Yay! And it has a title! Yay! (This is, as you know, a very significant point, this whole having a title thing. ;)) Here’s what it looks like:
Ooooooh!
When can you get your eyeballs on it? Well, I mean, the picture is right there. [points up] You can look at it right now.
Oh, wait. That’s not what you meant.
When can you get your eyeballs on the inside of the book? Well, it’s up for pre-order NOW, so you can click the little pre-order button and have it show up on your Kindle as soon as the release date rolls around, or you can wait and grab it in Kindle Unlimited or order a paperback copy (there’s no pre-order for paperbacks, so you’ll have to wait a couple of extra days if that’s your preferred method of reading) once it releases on February 18th. (I really thought about this one, and picked that day because it’s a Friday, so most of you should have a little extra time over the weekend to read without any pesky homework or anything like that getting in the way, and also because here, at least, that’s the start of a three-day weekend, so a number of you will have an extra day to strain your eyeballs finish reading – or rereading… or re-rereading… yes, I see all of you who have no mercy on your poor eyes. Just… give them a break here and there, okay? They need it.)
So why didn’t I say anything when I finished the book? Couple of reasons. One, I had some significant editing to do on it, and I wasn’t sure how long that would take me. And two, I also knew I had to get started on Book 4 before I could fully finish Book 3. I know that might sound a little odd, but I’m much more of a “plot as you go” sort of writer than a “plan everything ahead of time” one, and that means that there are times when I just put placeholder things into my drafts because I don’t actually know what’s going on there yet. I work forward and then go back and quite literally fill in the blanks once I have the information I need. In this case, there were pieces I needed that I knew weren’t going to show up before the end of this book, and that meant that I couldn’t really finish Book 3 until I was partway through Book 4. Confused yet? Hopefully not. (And yes, you’re reading this correctly to understand that Book 4 is already under way, but no, it doesn’t have a title yet. :P)
I know it’s been… a while… since the last book, and I know my release schedule hasn’t been as consistent over the past few years as it was before. Creativity isn’t always linear – it ebbs and flows, and sometimes things just don’t flow at the same pace as in other times. This book never felt like work, it just felt like it came slowly. That’s not my usual way of working – typically I work fairly fast and then take a break to refresh and recharge and then dive in again. But this one just… wanted to go slower, I guess. It didn’t feel right to push it any faster, so I just let it go at whatever pace it wanted, and I think it’s been worth it. I know it’s been a long wait, and you cannot possibly know how much I appreciate all of the incredibly kind and considerate messages I’ve received, letting me know how much you’re looking forward to the next book or just asking me how the writing is going, which only goes to prove once again that I have the best readers. I am unfathomably grateful that you have found my books and chosen to welcome my characters into your lives, because you are wonderful, delightful people with huge hearts, and it is an absolute privilege to know you. Thank you, thank you, thank you for being so unbelievably patient. I hope this book exceeds all of your expectations, and I hope you enjoy reading it and catching up with Neeghan and her friends.
Happy reading,
Melissa
Additional Notes: None
Filed By: Thermopolia Trugghaffle, C.ABS, COR
Approved By: Hildegard Hepplewhite, Dir. ASBRL