Didn’t Quite Make It

In yesterday’s blog, I said that if the stars aligned properly I hoped to finish my new Big Lake book by the end of the day. I don’t know if it was because the stars didn’t cooperate or because those darn characters of mine wouldn’t cooperate, but either way, they made a liar out of me and I didn’t quite make it.

After making the changes that Miss Terry suggested when she edited and proofread the last four chapters I had written, I sent them off to Judy Rinehimer, my second proofreader. Judy went through them and got them back to me in no time at all, then I made her corrections and shipped the chapters off to Roberta Jensen, my third proofreader.

Then I wrote another 6,500 words and thought I was going to wrap things up. But one of my characters threw a monkey wrench into my plans from out of left field, and something I had no idea was going to happen was suddenly taking place. But that’s okay. Over time I have come to realize that the people inside my head know a lot more about what’s happening in Big Lake than I do and to trust them. They haven’t let me down yet. They promised me they are going to let me finish today, and I intend to hold them to it.

Speaking of books, if you’re a fan of author C.J. Box’s excellent mystery series about Joe Pickett, a Wyoming game warden, you’ll be happy to know that if you are a Spectrum TV subscriber you can watch the new Joe Pickett series they are running for free On Demand. Terry and I have watched the first five episodes and are looking forward to more. No movie or TV series follows the original books entirely, and there are some deviations from the original book series, but if you like small town mysteries set in the modern-day West, I think you’ll like it.

And finally, here’s a chuckle to start your day from the collection of funny signs we see in our travels and that our readers share with us. Yes, these days it costs money just to exist.

It’s Thursday, so it’s time for a new Free Drawing. This week’s prize is an audiobook of Big Lake Scandal, the fifth book in my Big Lake mystery series. To enter, click on this Free Drawing link or the tab at the top of this page and enter your name (first and last) in the comments section at the bottom of that page (not this one). Only one entry per person per drawing please, and you must enter with your real name. To prevent spam or multiple entries, the names of cartoon or movie characters are not allowed. The winner will be drawn Sunday evening. Note: Due to the high shipping cost of printed books and Amazon restrictions on e-books to foreign countries, only entries with US addresses and e-mail addresses are allowed.

Thought For The Day – There is nothing I can buy to show someone how much I love them. Love doesn’t come in a box.