On schedule changes.
According to my publisher, Tuesday, July 5th was the day Moody Blue is going to be published, released and available for purchase. I spent that day a little dismayed because they hadn’t posted any information about it on their Instagram page, I couldn’t find it on their website, and Google searches came up empty. I was so eager to finally share purchasing information and get feedback from readers, so the lack of information was incredibly frustrating.
I sent a brief email for more information, to see what was going on, and apparently my publisher posted the wrong publication date. Moody Blue is now being released on July 12th. If I’m being honest, I’m embarrassed about the error because it’s unprofessional and makes everyone involved look misinformed and unprepared. Then again, this publisher sent me ARCs in paperback and hardcover, which was something my last publisher couldn’t afford. I’m moving in the right direction and I need to remind myself of that.
And I need to remind myself that I have the support of some amazing friends and family. My aunt Michelle read one of my ARCs and said it was “very good.” My friends and classmates from Ireland sent me a short clip of them cheering me on. And no one seemed to mind the change in schedule.
Reading
I didn’t get much writing done with a house full of company, but I did manage to read The Colorado Kid by Stephen King. One of my favorite television shows, “Haven,” was loosely based on the story and while the plot wasn’t exactly riveting, strong characterization carries the story and King’s narrative voice is gorgeous.
“It was all a matter of the equipment you got in the lottery, was what Vince claimed; you ran it until it fell apart, patching it up as needed along the way, and he was sure that even to folks who lived a hundred years–as he hoped to do–it seemed like not much more than a summer afternoon in the end.”
(King 28).
King nails the Maine dialect and masterfully employs colloquialisms to give his fully realized characters even more depth. In the same vein, he artfully describes the beauty of living on Maine’s coast.
“The sun was warm, the air was cool, the breeze was sweet with salt and rich with the sound of bells and horns and lapping water.”
(King 51).
And one of my personal favorite elements of King’s craft is his ever present understanding of his craft woven in with the narrative. The man always knows what he’s doing. For example, even though he breaks one of the ultimate rules and leaves the story essentially unresolved, he does that to unsettle the reader. And he cleverly explains it through a conversation between the characters.
“He shook his head. ‘Steffi, people don’t like things like that. They don’t want things like that. A wave is a pretty thing to look at when it breaks on the beach, but too many only make you seasick.”
(King 58).
The Colorado Kid was an interesting read, and I put Joyland on my TBR list, which is similar and earned rave reviews.
WritingThough I haven’t written anything new in the last week, I sent my dissertation supervisor the first 1,000 words of my dissertation. We had a meeting to discuss the work and it was so uplifting! I feel invincible! He said my “lovely style” would come through my writing no matter what, so I don’t have to worry about having poetic or grandiose descriptions. He said the excerpt was well written, that I have a strong and clear narrative voice, and that my dialogue “crackles.” He even said I should that excerpt as a benchmark for the rest of my dissertation.
He apologized for not being more helpful, but I think that sometimes, all a writer needs is some validation that doesn’t come from a well-meaning family member or overly enthusiastic friend. I can’t wait to send him another scene and receive feedback.
Miracle Maddie
Recently, I had a crazy dream where Maddie was better. Her nose was mushy and pushed to the side, but when I said “hi,” she said “hi” back. It was phenomenal. Later that day, when Mom and I went to Missy’s house, Javier put the cap on Maddie’s trach and we got to hear her sweet, perfect voice. She was making sounds! And Javier listened to her lungs and her heart and said both lungs were inflating fully and they were clear! It was amazing! And Javier even became emotional when he told us about Maddie’s consistently tracking during therapy and “showing off.” She’s a miracle for sure.
Before the long, holiday weekend, she had a chiropractor appointment, which went awesomely well, and she was excellent with her trach, and she showed off with better tone in her hands and fingers! She showed more range of motion in her joints and we’re up to capping her trach for 30 minutes a day!
Next week, we’ll be launching a fundraising effort specifically for our upcoming trip to see Dr. Crawford and his team at the Austin Center for Developing Minds in Austin, Texas. Be on the lookout for more information!
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