My newest novel, Who the Frack is Maddie Jackson? is out on submission. I’m supposed to hear a decision this week. If, IF, it happens that the publisher wants to take this story, there might be more news, too. I can’t talk about it yet because that could jinx the whole thing.
I’m just saying this because I’ve been rather quiet on this blog for several months. That’s because my writing time has been focused on writing, on editing and tweaking, and on trying to get this book out into the world. If I start on a blog post, I never get as much “real writing” done. If I have good news, you’ll hear about it here, and maybe you’ll even hear me screaming or crying for joy, from wherever you are.
I just took this picture because it’s from the point of view of the character on my screen. Those people become so real, that maybe this is how they see me! Also, ya know, any author photo is posed, and groomed, etc. This is the real author look. Kind of a mess. And if this next book journey is going to happen, I might as well start documenting it.
I did just think about one of the first “real author” readings I attended at MSU while in grad school. I thought it was Jonis Agee–but now I’m not so sure that it was her. Don’t hold me to that. Anyway, whoever the author was (this feels sacrilegious not to know) told us how she answered the door with a bird on her shoulder and bird shit in her hair because she was so engrossed in the story she was writing when the UPS man appeared. At least I have no bird shit in my hair.
And I just spent 45 minutes, mostly trying to figure out if the author was Jonis Agee, so I’m signing off. For now.
Jonis Agee sounds right or it could’ve been Jane Smiley. Remember though how no one liked Smiley because she couldn’t remember the name of one of her characters!
Ha! Oh, Julie! I’m glad you have memories of those Good Thunder readings, too. Your remembering helps. I hosted the after-party for Jane Smiley in my tiny grad student house on Glenwood Ave., and she never said a word to me the whole time. I thought maybe she was insulted that the party was in such a meager location or something, so I felt rather inadequate and embarrassed at the time. That’s my main memory of her visit, so that makes me lean toward the memory being of Jonis Agee all the more. Thanks for being in the same memory lane with me. Jane Smiley sure went on to do great things, in spite of these memories of ours, didn’t she!?
Love the blog. I look forward to hearing screams of joy when Who the Frack is Maddie Jackson gets accepted. I’ll scream with Joy, too. My granddaughter–Maddie–thinks it is hot stuff that a character in a novel shares her name.
Heehee. Thanks, Roger! Ever-so-much. I’m glad Maddie likes the idea! I hope she still feels that way if she reads it!