Thursday, November 17, 2011

Radical Departure: It’s Done!




© 2011 by Joyce Mason
All Rights Reserved

In case you’re wondering what on Earth is going on here, see No Small Change on The Radical Virgo. During October and November, I’ll be doing short posts to take you along for the wild ride of rewriting and getting my humorous, metaphysical mystery book ready for submission to the St. Martin’s Press annual First Mystery Novel Contest.

 
Help me jump up and down, whoop and holler! I finished The Crystal Ball today, and I couldn’t wait till next week's installment to tell you. Hitting “The End” seemed important to report, so this is a quickie to say I’m doing back flips—at least the figurative kind! (I think my arthritic knee just laughed at me.) I still have edits and more detailed manuscript prep to do over the next week, but those are finishing touches compared to sewing the story together.

I love the synchronicity of this day. Sixteen years ago, I adopted two kitty brothers who were my loves at first sight, Duffy and Darrin. It was one of the happiest days of my life—now times two. Even though I lost Darrin in 2007, Duffy is still holding fast at 16. Duffy has his medical challenges, but he’s still full of himself and seems to have no plans to join his brother in the big Catbox in the Sky anytime soon. He’s sitting in his favorite spot right now, acting as my lumbar support in my computer chair. If this book finished on November 16 brings me half the joy of that other November 16; I’m the luckiest woman on Earth.

Another omen: Today I received my first Christmas card and gift from my God Is Not an Aries, stellium in Ram friend, Jessica. I laughed and sent her an email with the header, Prize for Most Aries. Talk about needing to be first. She said she got a jump on it. Call her Evil Knievel. Actually, Tim and I are grateful for a Panera gift card to kick off the holiday season and celebrate my fait accompli at breakfast tomorrow.

My book is a “first” in many ways—it’s not just my first novel but it’s also very pioneering in some of its content. That’s why I think my Aries friend’s gift is reminding me that those Marsy qualities in me are some of my gifts in this adventure, too. Her Christmas card is a keeper. It’s a picture of a lamb kissing a lion …


… reminds me of my astrologer/metafoofoo/do-gooder protagonist and her ex-FBI agent beau. The man who inspired Curt, the spy sweetheart has—you guessed it!—Leo Moon. Another perfect synchronicity.

A very early Merry Christmas, Happy Chanukah, Yummy Yule, and Joyful Kwanzaa … and may you make all your dreams come true, too!


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Photo Credit: © Jaimie Duplass - Fotolia.com



2 comments:

Anonymous said...

How wonderful! Congratulation - there's nothing quite like that feeling of accomplishment when the manuscript is finished. Your effort here has inspired me to take out one of my old manuscripts and I'm aiming at finishing it before Christmas.
Best of luck to you and your manuscript. I'm really looking forward to reading it!
Natalie

Joyce Mason said...

Natalie, I live to inspire, and I'm so delighted to know that my book journey has stoked you to dust off one of your old manuscripts. From the wisdom of more age and retrospect, my story wasn't ready for the light of day when I first wrote it in 1990. I was being a Uranian--before her time. There was so much I didn't know about writing and life that needed to unfold before The Crystal Ball was ready to go out into the world. I think these creations have a life of their own, and I trust yours is ready! Let me know how it goes.

Wishing you all the right words and tremendous fun writing them,
Joyce