Well, folks, this is it!

I have, on my desk, the galley proof pages for Clara, Huntsville 1892.

What does that mean?  It means that I'm carefully reading my story, word by word, comma by comma, and period by period.  If there are any last minute changes to make, this is the time.

Pressure, much?

I've held different chapters, different versions of chapters, papers marked up by me and my trusty critique partners.  This is something new. Somehow those familiar words have transformed into something else.  I feel like I'm holding a pen above a pan of cement.  Any mark I make will set in that quickly hardening medium.  I have to make sure every mark counts. There are no do-overs.

When I'm finished and the pages are safely off to my editor, I will breathe a sigh of relief.  After that comes the ARCs. And, not too far off into the future, comes the final product.  A genuine copy of my book. 

I can't wait to show you!