Almost Done

At the end of October, I started writing book 3 in the Screwing Up Time series. Now I’m about 5000 words from finishing the first draft. (Okay, it may be longer than that—so much is happening to the characters that I don’t think it will all be over in 5000 words. But the end is close.) And I can’t believe it. I’ve never been able to write so fast.

And I’m not sure why it happened. Maybe it’s because I’ve got more experience writing. Maybe it’s because I’ve stuck to a rigid schedule—writing five to six days a week, 4000 to 5000 words a week. Maybe it’s because it’s winter and I’m not working in the flower gardens. It’s probably all of those things. But it’s also because I love this book. I love Mark’s willingness to deal with everything from guns to tasers because he wants to do the right thing—and if it gives him more time with Miranda, that’s even better. I love that Miranda keeps her cool no matter how crazy things become, even when angry pagan priests are thirsty for blood. I love Nin, a certifiably crazy cryptographer. And I love my antagonist, a villain that Mark didn’t expect, who could definitely give Nin a run for her money in the who’s-the-most-psycho category.

I hope that whets your appetite for the book. I don’t have a publication date yet. But I can promise that as soon as the first draft is written, I’ll start the edits right away. The weeds in my flower garden will just have to wait.