The book launch is set for Wednesday, October 13th in a conference room at St. Mary’s University. Jacob and I are working to get together lists of people to invite. The marketing person at Red Deer Press was asking for numbers, but it’s tough to estimate. Jacob’s going to try to arrange for some Sudanese musicians to play for part of it, I’ll read and he’ll speak about Wadeng and his visits to Southern Sudan in 2005 and 2008.
I think my part of the editing is finished; Peter should be back from vacation and hopefully we’ll touch base in the next few days. It’s a little scary thinking the novel is about to go to print; there’s no looking back at that point…
I’m having so much fun with my WIP, tentatively called “A Pregnant Orphan Mother”; I know my protagonist so well, and it’s fascinating to follow her around on the page as she makes her way through the story. When I met with Laura Best in New Ross last weekend, we were talking about different styles of writing a novel. Some people have the entire plot structure worked out before they even begin; this one is evolving on a daily basis. Laura and I hadn’t met before, but I’m sure the women working at the coffee shop were convinced we were long-lost friends the way we were laughing and carrying on over coffee. I don’t know very many writers, so it was a real treat for me to meet her. Her novel, “Bitter, Sweet”, has just been nominated for the Geoffrey Bilson award for historical fiction for young readers (one of only five nominees), so I’ll be keeping my fingers crossed for her.