It's In Committee

Okay, I will now utter the words my husband longs to hear: Blair was right.  Once more, just for good measure (and because I don't plan on saying them again for as long as possible): He was right.

Blair's been telling me for days that the lack of response from the publishing company for the cat book has nothing to do with me or my work and is more likely a reflection that it's a low priority on the totem pole, or they've got bigger fires to put out, or they just hadn't gotten around to it yet.

That was the case, as my editor e-mailed yesterday and said she'd been on vacation but had submitted my outline and it could be up to a week before approval/revisions were granted.  She recommended I not spend too much time writing until I hear back from them on the outline.

The possibility of an extended deadline actually doesn't thrill me.  I cleared my schedule this month to focus on this project but I can only hold off life for so long.  I've got a lot of speaking engagements, classes I'm teaching, and articles due starting in mid-September.  I'd rather finish this project on time.

So since I had the first 3 chapters (there are 6 chapters total) ready to go, I went ahead and e-mailed them to her.  It seems silly to me to approve or revise an outline when you can have the finished product there in front of you. I'm not sure what to do about working on the rest.  It seems wasteful to put in a bunch more time on something that may be revised or not used, yet at the same time, if I get the go ahead I've still got a ton of work to do.  I'll probably keep up on the research, add some new items, and do some work but not kill myself (and work on other projects I've been neglecting).

My printer for Lessons In Stalking called yesterday to say the proofs should be at my door by this afternoon.  Yayyyy!   It's happening!  (Wait till I break it to Blair that we get to spend yet another weekend reading the book). 

The temperature has cooled here to a lovely 83 degrees.  When I left for yoga this morning at 6 am, it was actually cold out.  Fall, my favorite season, is on the way!

BTW, most of you know how Blair and I go all out for Halloween.  We dress up, dress up the house, decorate the yard, etc.  But we're having a bit of brainlock this year on what to dress up as.  If anyone has any ideas, let us know. (And I do not want to see "Star Wars" or "Lord of the Rings" suggestions coming our way.  Be creative!)

Dena

Still Nothing....

I still have not heard anything from my editor on this cat book!  I submitted the sample outline and chapter info last Thursday.  I sent another e-mail yesterday, Wednesday, to check on the outline and also get a feel for deadlines.  According to the original schedule, half of the material was due yesterday. But that was pending outline approval.  I'll have close to half of the material ready to send in today but it's nerve wracking being left up in the air.  Are they not responding because I'm on the right track and they've other fires to put out so they're not worried about me?  Or are they holding secret late-night meetings on how they can fire me and still legally retain my research??

I'm going to have to break down and place a phone call today.  I loathe the phone but often e-mail just doesn't do the trick.

I have picked my game up a little, which is also resulting in less sleep for me.  Tuesday night I woke up 2:30 am from dreaming about moving blocks of text about lions around my house, trying to find the right place for it.  My eyes popped open and BING! I was up.  Not "maybe I can go back to sleep if I try."  I was 100% wide awake.  So I got up and did an hour and a half of work.  Then last night I took a two-hour break to watch "So You Think You Can Dance," and so worked from 10pm - 12-30am to make up for lost time.  Again, I dreamed about cutting and pasting blocks of text.

I really don't feel stressed so much as just concerned.  I'd like to know what's going on.  Part of it is that I've put my life on hold to work on this book and I need it to be finished so I can get back to other projects. (Some very exciting things in the works which I will blog about in a day or two). 

On a side note, my Toastmasters group had an awards ceremony and along with the real awards handed out joke awards to everyone.  I won the "Vroom!" award for being super-hyper and always taking off out of the gate.  That is my biggest public speaking challenge--to talk slower.  I was eating a bit of candy in the meeting the other day and one guy I hardly know walked by, shook his head, and said, "Do you really think you need the sugar?" Funny! 

Who's Sending Me Meat?

Friends and family know I'm a vegetarian.  They know this because every time they put a bite of meat in their mouth I sigh and say things like, "Poor piggy," or "Cows are such gentle animals." 

I give you this bit of trivia to set the scene for what just occurred.  I, as usual, was working like a dog when the doorbell rang. (Okay, fine, I was stuffing yogurt down my face, but whatever.)  I open the door and see the Federal Express guy jogging back toward his truck.  Looking down, there is a huge, long cardboard box at my feet.  Narrow, it was literally almost an armspan in length.  And in big, bold letters on the outside it said: FRESH CUTS!

Fresh cuts? My immediate knee-jerk reaction was, "Who the hell is sending me meat?" It was only when I dragged the box inside I noticed the FTD label and smaller print announcing the box contained fresh flowers.

I have the sweetest best friend alive.  She sent me a beautiful bouquet of purple and yellow flowers.  The yellow flowers are small roses and the purple flowers are, um, purple.  I've got them in a vase on the edge of my desk along with her card congratulating me for the project I've been working on.  I am friends with good people.

So the moral lesson for the day is this: Whining will get you fresh flowers. Oh, and also: Don't eat meat.

Dena

Book Snafus

Aaargh. Why is nothing ever easy?  I got a phone call from Central Plains Book Manufacturing, the company in Kansas that is printing Lessons In Stalking.Per them, the CD I forwarded them from my interior text designer which was supposed to have the final edited text and cover on it, has only the cover.  So they're stalled on starting book production until they get the text. (As a side note, when I called CP this morning to speak to my assigned rep, I asked for her e-mail and it was one of those loooong addresses that go on for miles.  "Nothing like a short e-mail address, right?" I said jokingly.  Dead silence on the other end.  Grr-reat.  She should be really fun to work with.)

So, I've put a call and e-mail into my text designer to see what's up.  Now I wait.

As far as the new cat book I'm working on, I still haven't heard anything since I turned in my outline.  Interesting, considering the deadlines they gave me indicate the first half of the material is due tomorrow.  The situation calls to mind one of my favorite quotes: "I Love Deadlines.  I especially love the whoosing sound they make as they go by."

I've completed two of the six chapters. "Completed" assuming they approve the outline I submitted, that is.  (I love working without a net.)  At this point, I'm trying to finish a chapter a day.  It's a stretch, but I think I might pull it off.

Other news: Blair's foot is better.  He's still limping but no longer lurches like the Hunchback of Notre Dame. 

Other, other news: My ass is starting to conform to the shape of our office chair.  It's a big chair. Not a good thing.