The proofread is going well. I'm approaching 100
pages done out of 224 and finding few errors, which makes me quite happy. How
do I know when to actually quit manhandling the manuscript? During each edit, I
develop a "feel" for how things are going. When I finished the last
one, I knew I needed the proofread, even though I wanted it to be done. Turns
out my gut reaction was correct, but now it's also telling me this is it.
I don't want to do
a countdown publicly, and it’s a little risky posting these updates and saying that
I plan to publish by the end of the month. This is because I’m the publisher,
not some big house that has a lot of people doing different things in a book’s
production.
Let me say again that I love writing and I
especially love writing the Sgt. Dunn novels. I’m writing the kind of story I
like to read. Having other people enjoy it is a rather remarkable feeling.
I’ve received emails from folks all over the
world (which simply amazes me) and some tell me why the book had a special
meaning to them. Out of respect for their privacy, I will never repeat their
stories to the public, but many were simply very moving. It made me understand
that while I started out writing a story, it became more than that because my
readers felt a connection to the characters, and the time and place.
I am emotionally attached to some of the characters,
Dunn, of course, and Saunders, and Pamela and when I write certain chapters I
am ALL in. It’s always every writer’s hope that the reader feels emotions, too.
