Completing a book

It’s such a great feeling to complete a book. In every story, there are times when I wonder if it’s something people will enjoy, if I’m truly reaching the emotions I want the story to reflect, if the characters are believable, and if it is true to the original idea that inspired the story. There are also times when I am flooded by other book ideas and I am so badly tempted to set down the one I’m working on to begin a new story that feels fresh and exciting.

I answer the impulse by writing down the first chapter just so I can promise myself I will finish it. If I start it, I will get back to it. I then write down any key ideas that strike me particularly hard, and convince myself that it is okay to let go of the idea for a while and finish the book I am working on.

Another big distraction for me is when I find a good book. The worst thing I can do while writing is to download a good book. Apparently we need more mediocre work out there…. I was almost done with Keeper of the Wolves and I was at the gym when I downloaded what turned out to be an amazing book- at least as far as the first chapter was concerned. I didn’t want to work on my books at all. All I wanted to do was read this new book! I had to force myself to put it away and not look at it again until Keeper is done, edited, and in the hands of others to be reviewed. But I love reading so much that it is sometimes very difficult to put the book away!

Keeper of the Wolves is done and I am excited by how it turned out. I fell in love with the characters and their growth through the book reached what I hoped it could be. Now comes the editing, proof-reading, re-reading, and beta readers. All I want to do is release it and hear if others love it as much as I did while writing it, but I owe it to my readers to not release a book until it is completely ready. I am excited to get Keeper to you, and when I do it will be the best possible book I can make it to be. So while we have a couple of months to wait, I hope it will be worth it to you and that you will entertain yourself with another book- hopefully as good as the one I picked up at the gym!