PUBLISHED!...at last.

Song of the day:…who gives a bloody heck? I’m getting PUBLISHED!!!!

Yes, people, it has finally happened, a brilliant editor at a genuine publisher has recognized the awesomeness of Saving Nina! Yay!!!! Do you sense a certain elation here, some enthusiasm? As in Sammi bouncing through the old drafty farm, ploinking from one wall to the next like some loony toon…not far off, it was pretty much that from the moment I woke up and saw the light on my phone blink that there was a message on my mail. Bleary-eyed, still pondering whether I was going to turn over and catch another 30 mins of zzzzzzs, or haul my tired butt from bed. I mean, seriously, no work to go to, and what with long evenings behind the computer it is not as if I am on any regular schedule other than get up at the crack of dawn, prep breakfast for big brother (that way he can also get an extra half hour of sleep on work days) and then going back to bed until I’ve reached my daily hour quota.

Anywayssssss…the light was blinking and I saw that it was about Saving Nina, and spent another minute or two if I could handle another disappointment this morning, and finally decided to open it quickly and then slip it into the rejection file asap. Now imagine me, eyes puffy with sleep, squinting at the screen in the gray morning light, going back half a dozen times to look at these two sentences: “I really liked this story, and would love to work with you.” And “I just wanted to make sure it's still available?” That’s about when my heart rate went up and I started bouncing out my room, down the way-to-steep stairs as I read it again and then texted big brother with: “Dude! Dude! DUDE! You there? Come on! Answer! Dude! They want Nina! An editor wants to work on SAVING NINA!” Did some more bouncing around, giving little scary giggles and the occasional, “Yes! Yes! Heck yes!” frustrated as heck that I was home alone with no-one to tell it to. Grrrrrr. That is so friggin’ frustrating! Anyway, it took big brother about and hour to answer and guess what it was: “Cool! A bit busy now.” Aaaaaaaargh. Seriously? Cool? Regardless, I spent the majority in a buzz…after sending a semi-calm message back that the story is still available and that working with said editor would be lovely. *sigh*

So, of course, this message was before Christmas, so we had to wait, and wait, and wait, and wait some more, for the final okay of the publisher which didn’t come until my B-day. I mean, seriously, isn’t that the best friggin’ b-day present ever? To get the news that someone has seriously agreed to publish a book that you started the concept of in 1998 and worked on numerous times through a series of mind numbing edits that go up to a whopping dozen, or more? Well, it is stupendous, I assure you. All that work, old those hours, the wooden butt sensations, the varicose veins surgery, the endless arguments about word choice, grammar, punctuation, shlogging my way through the Chicago manual of style, eats shoots and leaves, and popular (not my style) commercial fiction just to see if a particular sentence I wanted to use but that we couldn’t stop arguing about, became worth it because of this totally awesome b-day present. *double blissful sigh*

So I didn’t write about this stupendous news before, because, basically I didn’t want to jinx it, and waited until the contract arrived, which brings us to now, naturally. Contract here. Yay. Am totally psyched about going through the next step of this thing, to learn, to see what is required, to see how the story will turn out after it gets nipped and tucked, made up and perfumed, so to speak. It will be incredibly fascinating, of that I have no doubt, so I’m going to hold onto that, and hope that I can when the frustration of cutting into my baby seems to become too much to handle. Keep yer fingers crossed, my friends.

What else? Well, life is going on as usual. Nothing quite lives up to the above-mentioned, I know, but what can I do. Need to stay grounded a bit, don’t I?

Finally found a proper kickboxing bag. Yes I did. It’s going to have a spot of honor in the living room where I do most of my daily exercises now. Was psyched when big brother pointed it out at the gift store this very morning. I can get back to my boxing, Yay!!! I’ve been missing it somewhat fierce lately, partly because we haven’t been able to go to the gym much lately due to a persisting flu. Grrrr. No matter, though, I can get back to the fitness I love the most: Kicking the carp out of a heavy bag! Hah.

Did some food experiments lately, too. Some different type of dishes, but also all-time favorites, of which one or two are definitely going to end up on the cooking blog one of these days…I know, I should be posting more there, too, but what can I say, I can get distracted a lot, especially at the moment.

Been working on the Banshee story quite a bit lately. Almost halfway into the story, meaning that the sequel to ATOL is almost there…in my mind anyway. Hah. I wonder how much actual writing I can get done once the actual editing with the publishing company starts, but whenever I get a free minute, I’m definitely going to try. Brendan and the Banshee need telling that much is a fact in this convoluted brain of mine.

Went to visit a friend from our last job last week, which was really nice. She is seriously pregnant now, and ecstatic about it. Hah. Nice round belly, which she calls being fat, when it is clearly only in her belly and nowhere else. She’s still tiny, but looks like she swallowed a soccer ball, poor girl. The presents I’d found for the baby were their theme was animals so a fish shaped mirror with a blue and white frame went really well with everything, and the ceramic nightlight, too.

Been working on “breeding” some more plants out of the ones that I already have, partly because I lost a house plant to lice, and because the fern Cousin Ed and tenant gave us when we moved to the Netherlands is now really giving the spirit. Poor plantsies.

Which reminds me, tenant and Cousin Ed came for a visit one afternoon last week, which was nice for tenant. She had been so curious about our new place, and so we finally set a date where she was brought by special taxi company for disabled people. She really liked visiting, especially looking through pictures and such, but she tired quickly and was seriously pooped when it was time to go home. Poor girl.

And that is about the end of my update today. I told you the last time that I might have good news (was hoping, but had to be sure,  you see) and here we are. Another step further in the life of an author, shall we say, eh?

Have a good one, y’all and I’ll be back soon.