Monday is coming! Monday is coming!

It's finally here and I'm a little too stunned to take it in. 

Back in July, when I first got The Email (it wasn't The Call, but close enough for me) I was so excited I could barely breathe. No kidding. I passed out a couple of times. Lucky I didn't bang my head too hard. 

Somewhere in August, when all the edits were done, the thrill started to wear off. I had new stuff to get excited about. The blindingly rapid response to another submission to Freya's Bower for one (5 minutes. It's got to be a record.) 

Then Monday, after having lunch with a friend, I got home to pencil in that we planned to meet again the following Monday and it hit me. The following Monday was Labor Day and she probably won't be free for lunch? No. I mean that too, but the following Monday is the Monday. The Monday I've been waiting all my life for.

The day my book comes out!

So I've been walking about two inches off the ground while simultaneously feeling sick for days and it's reaching a crescendo. By Monday, I should be curled into the fetal position, moaning and floating two inches off the ground.

What would I have done if I had been scheduled for December release like I was supposed to be?

One Ring To Rule

Just Say No To the Refresh Button

Submitting a manuscript just shoots a whole day for me. Never fails. First there's the goofing around I have to do while I work up the nerve. Trolling forums, checking my email, trying to talk a friend into lunch. Anything to burn a little time. Then I have to read 

the submission guidelines repeatedly, 

follow them,

fix the mistakes I made because somehow, I always do,

compose the cover letter / email,

try to decide if I'm being too flippant or just flippant enough,

check to make sure I followed the guidelines again, 

and hit send.

No, that part doesn't take all day. It just feels like it does. After that I have to step away from the computer. Otherwise it's refresh, refresh, refresh. The last two things I subbed were responded to really fast so today, instead of doing something constructive, like laundry, I haunted the internet and kept checking my email. Hot Sunday afternoon be damned. Why haven't they emailed back yet.

So here it is nearly six pm and all I've written is 1k. Good for some folks, but I've been averaging 5K for the past several days and I already know what the next couple of scenes are. Sigh. After dinner, I'll buckle down and do what's good for me.

Just say no to the refresh button.