Paksworld

You would be SO happy that Editor sends me these, if you knew what gets fixed before you ever see the book.   I know some of  you think you’d like the raw, untouched text better, but…no.  Seriously,  editors…and Editor in particular…make books better.  So did the alpha readers and my agent, all of whom had comments that made me rethink some things.

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Distractions of the usual type are things that must be done–distractions not sought out, but imposed.   For instance, official paperwork that must be filed by a given date,  business mail that must be dealt with, scheduled maintenance of human, animal, machine, repairs of human, animal, machine, house.   Then there are the everyday distractions of friends, family, online places to socialize.

But then…then come the biggies.    For me, it’s something I don’t know much about, that comes to my attention in a time and way that creates an automatic pursuit response:  facts known to exist, that I don’t know yet, are like the squeaking of a mouse to a fox, or the scent of a fox to the hounds..and these are the hardest distractions for me to resist.

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Editor has now read Kings of the North and says she really likes it.   I’ll be diving into revisions when she sends me her notes, but it sounds from her email that the revisions won’t conflict with anything now in Book III, which means I can push forward strongly.   Happy dance now taking place.

As this is March 1, in 15 days Oath of Fealty will hit the streets in the US.    If any of you are near Austin, Texas,  I’m doing a book signing on Tuesday, March 16, at Book People (6th and Lamar) at 7 pm.   Earlier (4 – 5 pm CST) I’ll be doing an online chat at Suvudu with John Hemry (writing as Jack Campbell, author of the Lost Fleet series) and editor Betsy Mitchell, who will try to keep John and me from taking off into the wild blue.

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