I Officially Have Something to Post About

I don't update this blog much.  Mostly because I'm pretty boring.  I teach.  I write.  I read.  I do the family thing.  I check email for good news from my agent.  That's pretty much it.  That and fail miserably at trying to promote my fledgling writing career.

Then one afternoon, my humdrum existence was interrupted when I innocently checked my email and found one from my agent (the talented Beth Fleisher).  It said that an editor from Penguin wanted to talk to me on the phone about possibly revising Slip (that's my Southern Gothic, murder mystery, coming of age story set in rural Alabama).  I immediately emailed Beth back and said I might possibly be able to make some time to discuss Slip with an editor from Penguin (actually I said, ARE YOU EFFING KIDDING ME? OF COURSE I'LL TALK TO HER).

From there, things got crazy.  The editor, Amanda Ng (smart editor that she is) said the book needed to be pushed a little bit in a certain direction (I'm not telling what direction), and I agreed.  So, I immediately spent the next two weeks pushing.  Pushing very hard.  I pushed and I pushed and I pushed some more until I had a much better book.  I sent it back in, and five days later my agent texted me and said we had an offer.  Who said publishing was slow?

Did I mention the offer was from Penguin?  I'm still reeling a little from it all.

Details?  I'm glad you asked.  Trade paperback and e-versions, due out in the fall of 2013 from Penguin/ Berkley.

That's all I know for now.