Why not to finish your book after everyone else is asleep

Last night I finished up my edits on PULSE at 11:30 and then, like a dummy, I hung out in the blogoshpere since I haven't been doing much of anything except rewording perfectly good sentences for the last week or so. I think I wanted someone to throw me a party right then, for a hundred of my closest friends to knock on the door and give me high fives. Even Nathan was asleep (spin claas at 5:30 this morning for him, so I guess I understand. No, wait. I will never understand getting up that early. Even when I was going to spin class with him, I was continually asking myself WHY I was doing it.)

Sample book cover. Notice the clever double titling designed to thwart

sticker attacks. I hate it when I can't see the whole cover

because of a 'Summer Reading' sticker.

I told my kids this morning and they were excited until I explained that I still have to get beta reader response and query and make additional edits that the agent, editor copyeditor, line editor, etc. all want. I wonder why they looked at me funny. (Done? Is she kidding herself? She's just halfway there! they thought)

I said over breakfast that I was going to take a week off soon, but that I have two full manuscripts to review first. We're going to the beach in two weeks and maybe I'll be ready for a break by then. OR I have this really great idea that I want to develop. Maybe do some character sketches, an outline... Who am I kidding? I want to write the full rough draft!

But for now it feels so good to have the story done in time to go to the Atlanta Writer's Club Conference next weekend and to have this burst of confidence. Maybe it will be good that I won't get my beta readers' comments in time for the conference. I'm not sure I want reality to set in yet. *wink*

I've had some amazing friends help me with my preschooler for several days the last week and a half so I could meet my goal and all I can say is, I'm in their debt and they've got their spot in my acknowledgements when I get published! (Hey, we're thinking positive here. I have no rejections on this project! Haha!) And while I'm at it, there are several of you who have looked at queries or the opening chapters, and it really helped me to see what I needed to focus on, so thank you, too. And I have been taking a break from the Online Writer's Workshop of Sciance Fiction, Fantasy and Horror while I did my line edits in PULSE, but I really appreciate my writing buddies over there, especially my good friend Teresa, who I have learned so much from.

Thank you, thank you, thank you!

I'm thinking up some questions to ask the Super Agent in my pitch session, mostly having to deal with YA versus adult fantast and the fabled existance of a 'New Adult' or 'College age' group. I've found a few agents - okay one -who is interested in borderline or crossover YA/adult fiction. (Catherine Drayton, if you're interested.) Anyone know of anybody else? Any amazing questions that will mark me as a sophisticated, market-savvy author?

Thanks for the encouragement and Happy Writing to you!