The Novels Are Written: Now What?

Earlier this year, I set, and met, some goals for writing and self-editing the fifth novel of the BryonySeries trilogy Before the Blood.

Although I'll certainly be busy with making the changes and getting each book ready for its 2019 release (where a couple of people can't wait to read them), the burning question now is: How am I filling that writing time until Colleen Robbins returns the manuscripts?

Catching up on neglected projects at home and work, that's what!

For instance, this I'm working straight through most of this weekend in order to spend part of Tuesday at Loyola and leave a little early on Wednesday to go trick or treating with grandkids.

Last weekend, I put together the albums of the four BryonySeries artists, tentatively scheduled a year's worth of signings for WriteOn Joliet members at a local bookstore and then visited that said bookstore to meet with the owner to handle some final details of a unique partnership that's happening in 2019 (details later, it's not launched yet).

Also last weekend, I put together a new Bertrand the Mouse Book and finished the copy editing of Cornell Dyer and the Necklace of Forgetfulness. A new proof has been ordered. Bertrand is stalled because the ISBN site is down for maintenance. I'll be calling on Monday.

And I caught up on correspondence with my grandkids! :)

This weekend and last weekend, I worked on some light editing on a novel for another WriteOn Joliet member. Ten chapters down, forty more to go!

(And I still need to practice my piece for this Thursday's open mic at the Book and Bean Cafe in Joliet. The topic is "fear." We have about twenty local authors reading. Hope to see you there!)

Next weekend, I'll be hanging out the bookstore, getting stuff reading for the launch. And giving Ed Calkins a call. True, he sent a telegram last week, but he's altogether too quiet. Time to shake him up.

Plus, I'll be attending the monthly meeting of the WriteOn Joliet Gothic Book Club between 12:30 and 2 p.m. at the Book and Bean Cafe in Joliet. Come join us! :)

By then I'm guessing Colleen might be ready with the edits. And in between those, I have more projects waiting. These are:

Five Bertrand books waiting to be assembled (photos are all done, except for one book and those are half done).

Getting the next two Adventures of Cornell Dyer books written: Cornell Dyer and the Eerie Lake and Cornell Dyer: In the Shadow of the Mountain.

Finally, finally, finally starting my standalone werewolf novel (and I am sooooooooooo tempted to start that now!).

Plus, I'm planning to spend 2019 catching up on reading books by WriteOn Joliet authors.

And now, back to work!