Book Pregnant

A lot of women authors use the words "book pregnant" to signify their current book's pre publishing status. It applies to me right now. In just thirteen days (but who's counting, right?) my first novel, Child of Mine, will be published.  It's been a long time coming.

Like pregnancy is oftentimes, the journey to becoming a published author has been long and winding, took twists and turns I never could have predicted, and is ending joyously, but nervously, as I enter a new unknown. The difference is that my human pregnancies "only" lasted ten months (I delivered at 40 and 40.5 weeks, respectively) whereas I've been pregnant with Child of Mine, literally, for years.

It started with writing a first draft. I loved the idea of writing about someone going through infertility, because I went through infertility treatment myself, and the feelings about it have never gone away, even though it's been sixteen years since my last treatment.

Then there was the editing. I realized partway in that the job I had chosen for my main character wasn't right so I started all over again, making her a midwife, which added to the story's tension.

Then I got reads from other writers and a professional editor.  I was told that the book should not be in first person, present tense, as I had written it, but third person, past tense. So I had to revise the entire thing to reflect that -- a huge job! I almost wanted to cry. In the end, I think I've done as many as fifteen full revisions of Child of Mine, not just for those things, but for dozens of other issues that have cropped up along the way.

I had to find an agent. (That is another story deserving of its own post!) I had to find an editor. Find a cover artist, etc., etc.

All of this leads to a very, very pregnant author! Now that I'm thirteen days away, I am so pregnant I can't see my toes. So pregnant that I feel every tiny movement my book makes. I'm equal parts excited and nervous.  My dream of being a published author is finally happening! And, of course, this means my book is going to be read by (potentially) thousands of people who have their own opinions about it.

I hope when you read Child of Mine, you'll find that it's a labor of love.  That it was worthy of your time and attention. And mostly, I hope you don't find my baby too ugly.