I've had several people ask me...What’s going on with Beyond Eighteen (book 3 in the Wilson
Mooney Series)?
First off, I know you feel like you’re floating in a blow-up raft in
the middle of a shark infested body of water known as Wilson and Max. Bailing
water from the sinking boat, and hoping that the little lifelines I seem to
throw you will keep you from becoming shark bait. I get it. I truly understand
the frustration, anticipation, and impatience y’all must be feeling, because I
feel that way too! (thanks Shark Week)
With anything I feel impassioned about; I want to keep it
safe. I want to make sure everything is in proper order before I let it go off
on its journey. It’s so important to me that I give as much of myself that I
can to the stories I write.
When the characters talk through me, or I feel that spark
to write, it is as if everything else bows out. My family, friends, house,
animals, events, everything becomes the background on which my writing is
fueled. Life around me goes on going, while I disappear in the folds of my
stories and the heartbeats of my characters.
The people, who know me and love me, try to understand. They
continue to support me, but I can see and feel when they are reaching the
saturation level of being ignored. Doors become heavier as they close with more
force, calls and texts become a little longer, with words like, “I know you’re
writing, but”, and my family gets tired of the excuse, let me just finish this chapter. As a matter of fact, I know my
family and friends sometime feels my characters get more time with me then they
do, and truthfully, sometimes they’re right.
Inspiration has a way of showing up at the most inopportune
of times and so does its nemesis procrastination! There are days when I want to
ignore the cat calls from the fictional characters in my head and the
bellyaching from my boys in real life, and just take a day to myself. But,
well, that just wouldn’t be fair to everyone.
So, here’s where I am with Beyond Eighteen...I hope it
eases your mind. The first 3/4 of the book is written, and as of yesterday, is
with my editor, Tiffany. I am at a pivotal point in the book and I feel like
there is roughly another 3 or 4 chapters to go before Wilson and Max’s story
will be done for this series. A couple of my beta-readers have been reading it
all along, helping me catch inconsistencies. My graphic designer has finished
the ebook cover and it is ready to go, the paperback is really close. I have
been communicating with bloggers and other authors about promoting the series. And
if all goes well, I will revise, re-read, and revise before back to editor and
then off to the world. So the big question everyone is waiting for…When will
book 3 be released?
DRUM ROLL PLEASE............
Beyond Eighteen will be released on a very special day…October
2nd, 2013, (Ed and my 19th wedding anniversary).
HEY! MARK YOUR CALENDARS!
I'll be in Las Vegas on August, 17th at the Hard Rock Hotel from
2-6pm.
and
On October 12th (10 days after book 3 is released), I’ll
be at the Mark Spencer Hotel in Portland, Oregon from 12-4.
With Love and Gratitude,
Gretchen
