I have been keeping busy on the writing front, if not actually writing. This is a “me” post, which I put in every now and then to remind people there’s a real person behind this account.

I have been working toward publishing two books, one my annual Christmas romance (Kringle Once More) and the other the latest in the Hidden in Plain Sight series (Avatar of the Maker, cover art by my niece Rachel Bond below). Preparing to publish a novel requires several steps after the final draft, including:

• Formatting (in Atticus)
• Getting cover art
• Laying out the cover
• Writing cover text
• Getting copyright cleared at the US Copyright Office
• Putting cover and text together on KDP (Kindle Direct Publishing)
• Setting up the business part on KDP
• Releasing the novel when it’s time

I am currently well through this list for both novels with time to spare, except for one problem: The Copyright Office. They have been sitting on the paperwork for Kringle Once More since June 21, and I am supposed to publish it on October 1 (in time for the Christmas season. I’m only partially kidding). It should not take three months to approve. I just turned in the materials for Avatar of the Maker, which is to be published January 1, 2027. Or maybe not. I’m giving plenty of time according to prior copyright approvals I’ve sought.

I would love to have a publication party, but my people don’t go to such things. I have tried to have one online, and my friends don’t get the fuss. I don’t have enough readers who get the fuss either. I am one of those many writers who are not succeeding, but I keep writing because I have faith in something. Myself? Fate? A guardian angel? If I don’t write and publish, I will never succeed, after all.