And We Have Take Off

One week to Second Chances book launch at Collected Works bookstore! I dropped by yesterday to speak with Chris Carroll about the set up and book order and all should be ready. This week, I have to get the food and wine organized - I'm hoping that a lot of people drop by to say hello. Councillor Katherine Hobbs will give a welcome and intro and I'll do a brief reading. All in all, it should be a relaxing, mingling couple of hours so please come along if you are able.

I'm working with an editor for Grass Roots Press on the manuscript now entitled "The End Game" which is the first in an adult literacy mystery series featuring Anna Sweet. The publisher and editor have both given great feedback on this one. It does a writer good to hear the words 'gripping' and 'perfect writing style'. While this one is written at a lower reading level, the story is one that everyone will enjoy. This is a two-book deal and they're asking for book two in the spring if possible. I'm excited to see what happens next with Anna who has some demons to conquer. She's also got that dry wit going on.

But for now, I'm working on the  sequel to Cold Mourning, the full-length adult mystery coming out from Dundurn in fall 2013. It's actually very odd to be working on so many projects with them at such different stages in the publication/writing process. I'm starting to wonder if I need a flow chart to keep everything straight. Maybe, I need an assistant. A person to sort through all the papers in home office . . . clean the house, cook a few meals . . . maybe, I'm talking more maid than assistant, but one sure would come in handy. Do you remember the tv show Hazel? Now there was a gem.

The plans to get to Cleveland have changed. I'm now driving down with fellow Ottawa authors Mary Jane Maffini, R.J. Harlick and Erica Chase (aka Linda Wiken) and we depart on October 3rd. We should have a few laughs en route, I imagine. Mary Jane and I made the road trip to Muncie, Indiana a couple of years ago to a writers' conference and had a great time. Anyhow, I'm on a panel Friday morning to talk about finding people to kill off in small towns. Hmm.

All I can say is be afraid. Be very afraid.