Yesterday evening I finished Debt Collector, the 14th book in my John Lee Quarrels series about a small-town Florida deputy. I started writing the book on January 12th and finished March 14th, which was two months and two days. Of course, I didn’t write every one of those days because we have a life, and other things happening at the same time. Before final edits, the book came in at 104,224 words. That’s about 20,000 words more than I expected, but as I always told my reporters at the newspapers I published, I didn’t care how long an article was, just write enough to tell story without adding fluff. It’s also my third longest book and the longest book in the series.
Today I’ve got to give a quick read-through to the last two chapters I wrote, then print them out for Terry to edit and proofread before sending them off to Judy and Roberta to do their thing. With that out of the way, I’m going to goof off for a few days before I jump into my next book, Big Lake Homecoming. And as soon as that one’s done, I will be working on The Forgotten Years, the next book in the Tinder Street series. I never have any excuses for getting bored.
While I was writing yesterday, Terry was rearranging the laundry room, adding some shelves to make storage easier. Then she made an amazing dinner of cedar plank salmon on the grill, along with baked potatoes, and sweet white corn. Now that there was a heck of a reward for getting the book done, I’ll tell you that. 😊
Today is your last chance to enter our Free Drawing for an autographed copy of my book Overlooked Arizona: Over 35 Arizona Great Arizona Destinations You Shouldn’t Miss! From the towering saguaro cacti of her deserts to the pine covered mountains of the Mogollon Rim, Arizona is filled with wonderful attractions that most visitors never get to see. Frontier forts, ghost towns, Spanish missions, historical museums, canyons, and winding mountain roads are all waiting for you, with adventure along every mile of the way.
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 this 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. After 30 days, unclaimed prizes revert back to the drawing pool for a future contest.
Did you know that you can find all of my books and sign up for my free author’s newsletter on my website at www.nickrussellbooks.com?
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.
Thought For The Day – We make a living by what we get, but we make a life by what we give. – Winston Churchill
Nick Russell
World-Famous, New York Times Best Selling Author, and All-Around Nice Guy!