It takes a long time to put a book on a shelf

I finished going over the edits of my book today. At last, it's ready for the final proof. Whew! I knew this day would come eventually, but it's been a long time in the making.

I started writing this book in March of 2002 and finished it and got an agent in May of 2004. The long road since then has had to do with publishing. That's it. A long, grueling process. But as God was leading me through the writing process from 02 to 04 I remember feeling a grand assurance that the publishing would fall into line eventually. It wouldn't be easy, but then nothing worthwhile ever is. So I kept going.

I told my friend Nicole today as we were sitting in Starbucks, that I really feel like I've let my peeps down with this lengthy delay. I don't want to be one of those people who talks about doing something and never follows through, and I fear that the delay in publishing can be viewed as my failure. Nicole said not to worry. Imagine that. I've overanalyzed.

Before this goes any further I must give mad props to Ana Leger for the careful editing. After going over her edits for the past ten days, I've realized that I am a semi-colon disaster waiting to happen. I must have been reading Jane Eyre while I was writing this book. I vow right here and now to stop the semi-colon madness, and to make better use of good old fashioned commas. ,,,,,,,, Much better.

As I was going over Ana's edits I ended up adding to them. She took care of the grammar, and I hacked at the rest. The finished book started out at 319 pages. Before I gave it to Ana I had whacked it down to 301. Now it's down to 289. I just have no more tolerance for my own fluff. If I'm not making a point succinctly or if I'm repeating something I've already said, it's getting axed. I summed up a couple of half pages in one sentence this week. I don't know whether to be frustrated with the long-windedness of the past or pleased with the growth. Pleased I guess, because God obvoiusly wanted me to get to this point. Now things are falling into place.

I hope to put a presale link on my website around the first of July. If all stays on schedule, the book will probably be out in mid-August.

The book begins at the moment I realized I needed to reconcile faith and sexuality. It chronicles the struggle that led up to that point and the additional struggle that followed. At one point I thought God might strike me with lightning if I had one more gay thought. I went from that, to profoundly experiencing God through my gay relationship, and knowing that God embraces me fully as a lesbian. The fudamentalists who think that's nonsense are powerless to stop it. As Nicole said while we were having coffee today, "God is so cool." Indeed.