The end is in sight.  The end of the book that is.  And I couldn’t be happier.  I’m actually starting to sleep a little better and stress a little less.  I still have 3-4 hard core writing days ahead but I’ve gone back to the beginning twice, made substantial changes, and think the story is working better.  I’m still not satisfied with it yet.  My editor and agent are going to be reading it in the next couple weeks and then I’ll have another go at it and make more revisions but at least it can leave my hands on Thursday.  I’m ready for it to leave my hands.

I’m desperate for it to leave my hands. 

All I have done this summer is write and my kids are anxious to spend time with me and friends want to hang out with me and I want to leave the house and get some fresh air.  Seattle in summer is gorgeous.  Beautiful 78 degree weather day in and day out.  Slight breeze.  The softest of blue skies.  It’s the kind of weather that makes you want to go for walks and drives and leisurely swims.

And best of all, once the manuscript is in, I get to read!  I have so many books stacked next to my bed waiting for me and I can’t wait to dive in. 

Maybe my kids and friends are going to have to wait to see me a little longer after all…

I’m still writing.  And writing.  And writing.  And I’m in Hawaii doing all this writing all day, every day.

I wouldn’t mind writing here in Hawaii if it weren’t for the fact that my boys go back to Seattle tomorrow and I’ll miss them.  And then on Thursday I’ll go back to Seattle and I’ll miss Ty.  I just want this book done so I can hang out with the people I love.  I just want this book done so I can see an end to a book that won’t end.

I’m worried for all of you, my readers.  This book, More Than A Pretty Face, is so….so….so…

It’s so.  That’s the whole problem.  It’s so confusing, so maddening, so sprawling, so out there that I worry it’s not enough like my other books.  You see, Taylor’s story from Mrs Perfect, was small, focused on Taylor and her little world but this one, Tiana’s story, is big and international and the concerns are concerns of the world at large.  Of our place in the world, yes, but our responsibility to the world as it is.  Taylor buried her head in her own backyard but Tiana’s worry is for the world our children will inherit.

I’ve written my final two chapters and am now rewriting those before starting over to give the book a hard, fierce overhaul, revising as much as I can to make it as wonderful as I can.  But I write and rewrite with fear in my back teeth.  What if this book will disappoint?  What if its not enough like Holly, Jackie, Marta or Taylor’s story?  What if its just too Hollywood, just too Africa, just too different?

And the next time someone says, “You just churn those books out, don’t you?”, I will laugh hysterically.  The only thing that churns when I write is my gut.

With the keyboard, that is.

I’ve spent a lot of time at my desk these past two weeks and nearly all attached to my computer keyboard, trying to somehow make sense of this story that right now still seems bigger than me.

The good news is that tomorrow I start chapter 16. The great news is that in my story I leave America behind. Chapter 16 takes me to Africa and I’m delighted to get some distance from LA. Tiana’s life as a celebrity is not easy.

I actually finished chapter 15 early tonight, wrapping up around 8 pm (and okay I finished early because I made chapter 15 really short but I had to, I did) which left me two hours before my 10:15 radio talk show interview with Lou in Boston. I also did an interview with ESPN Radio in Las Vegas today. Both times we talked about Cougars, and both shows were very different in tone. I never realized I’d become an expert on Cougars (older women hunting younger men) but hey, we all need an identity. I guess this is mine. Please just don’t tell my mom.

Things keep slowing down PR wise. I’ve another radio/internet interview on Sunday afternoon and then that’s it for now, although a request can come in at any time. I don’t mind radio interviews though. They’re easy and fun, and best of all, you can do them in your pajamas, or bra and underwear. I do it all the time.

My boys went to their dad’s tonight for the weekend. I’m spending the next couple of days hardcore writing which means I don’t leave my house, answer my phone and do much of anything but write. It also means I eat too much cereal and peanut butter.

So tell me, is everyone traveling? Anyone working? Or am I the only one spending the weekend at her computer?

The writing that is.

As does the influx of bills. The boys’ endless fighting. The wearying news of the country’s economic woes.

So today, because I am only allowed a few minutes away from book to blog (I am on chapter 8 and heading towards 9 which is very good but also behind schedule. I should be on chapter 10 today and there’s no time to waste.) I thought I’d challenge everyone to do something good today.

Today let’s be thankful for all the good things we do have in our lives, and all the people we love. Today let’s each write one thank you email or thank you card to someone who has been there or done something positive. Let’s look one person in the eye today and smile and say hello or have a good day, or just it’s nice to meet you.

Today let’s choose happiness and gratitude for the entire day. No matter what happens today, it is a blessed day as we’re here and alive with the ability to choose our thoughts and the ability to channel our energy and emotions.

And all my good will started Friday when I flew to Spokane and picked up my rental car and it was sunny and beautiful and I’m a Spokane fan. It’s one of my favorite places in Washington with the historic downtown and all the preserved red brick buildings. My book event Friday night went very well and I met readers who cherished my books but there were two readers in particular who loved Flirting with Forty and one reader I had to hug because she told me how much the book meant to her and how much it helped her. That one reader alone made the trip worthwhile.

I spent Saturday with the Inland Empire RWA chapter in Tekoa, Washington. It was the most gorgeous drive from Spokane and as a girl that loves rolling hills and farmland, I got both on the drive and sat on Linda’s deck for hours soaking up sun, talking about writing and sharing tips on how to find and develop one’s voice. The entire drive back to the airport for my evening flight home I gave thanks. For the green hills. The gorgeous sunshine. The endless blue sky. The scattered red barns. The joy of just being in an area that made me feel beautiful and alive.

I am a country girl at heart. I love barns and fields and tall tractors with huge tires. I love the land and the smell of warm earth and freshly tilled soil. Saturday for one day I was in my own piece of heaven and for an hour as I drove I just gave thanks. The thankful heart heals, you know. The thankful heart allows the body to rest and recover. The thankful heart soothes frayed nerves and exhausted resources.

Make today your good day. Fill today with thanks and gratitude. Count every little gift–the parking spot, the job, the dog’s wagging tail. Count the books you read, the place you sleep, the beverages and food you eat.

Now back to my writing and I give thanks that the words are coming, even if slowly, because this way I can savor what it is to think, to work, and to create.