The Four Seasons

The Middle Muddle

When someone I haven’t seen in a while asks me what I’ve been up to, I usually say, “not much” (even though “too much” would usually be closer to the truth). I’m feeling a bit like this as I start blogging for the first time in my life. What do I have to say? Not much?

In The Sound of Music, the beginning is considered a very good place to start, but it really isn’t. When it comes to my novel The Four Seasons, coming from Hyperion Books’ VOICE imprint on November 4, 2008, I’m in the “middle muddle”–several years out from writing it, near the end of the long period of waiting for it to come out, and about six weeks before its release gives me new and exciting things to say. I am tempted to label this a “not much” period of time except…. Well, let’s look at today:

The sales manager at a store where I dropped off a galley talked about what a great job VOICE had done putting together a beautiful advance reading copy.

I worked with a graphic arts student at my school, San Diego City College, on her knockout design for the poster promoting my book launch.

Three faculty colleagues asked me when my book was coming out, which says they knew it was.

I got an e-mail complimenting me on the great review of The Four Seasons in Publisher’s Weekly.

Funny how “not much” starts to look like “more than I thought” when I’m paying closer attention. Because here’s the thing…I HAVE A BOOK COMING OUT! I whisper, “Repeat after me: I have a book coming out.” Repeat after me….

What have I been up to, here in the middle muddle? Being amazed, thrilled, and grateful for everything that had to go right to find myself here on this beautiful road, just waiting for “much more” to pull up and offer me a ride.