and the rain came down in streaks

Dear Everyone:
    I am writing to you from a quiet, rain-specked spot in a quiet, rain-specked farm-house in a quiet, rain-specked portion of North Carolina. Quite wonderfully, my hectic week of finishing the first draft of Anon, Sir, Anon and celebrating the release of my first novel with a party and dear friends ended with Abigail kidnapping me and whisking me away to the nether regions of the known world and her antebellum home.

I slept well and was awakened by a rooster. I took gobs of time fixing and eating breakfast. I sat down near a clicking, ticking wood-stove and spent the morning in the faraway realm of a book I have been on needles to read. It was been a glorious day so far. It is wonderful to be able to take time off and know there is nothing hanging about your ears that you are neglecting by doing so. Revisions for The Windy Side of Care have long since been in the possession of the staff at Rooglewood Press. The first draft of Anon, Sir, Anon is complete and hidden in my files for the time in a couple of weeks when I will deem it right to start the revisions. I am blessed. Also, there are three kittens to play with and three babies in the "little house". Cora is a cuddle-bug, Zach a powerhouse, and Tabitha a sunny, smiley infant. Cora and I had a few moments alone and looked at the rainy window and sang rainy songs. It was lovely and performed in company with a downy woodpecker.

I suppose those of you who don't follow me closely on Facebook  or Twitter will want  to know my final stats and all for Anon, Sir, Anon!

Final word-count for the first draft: 59,105 words (this will be somewhat beefed in revisions)
First word: "Times"
Last word: "Tomorrow"
Favorite one-line retort: “In my day,” Farnham offered, “there was a delightful practice called conversation. You ought to take lessons sometime--you’d enjoy it.”
Favorite one-line description: "Breen was such a mother’s favorite--he hardly ever bent the rules."

Of course those aren't exactly real favorites, because I found them in a rush and there are too many I love. I am so looking forward to the second draft. As a friend said today, since you know where you're going and what is happening, you can be more colorful and definite with everything you write. But I am giving myself a nice break of a week or two before beginning again. Sometime this week I will write up a post about the Fly Away Home debut party and let you see pictures and hear about how Haymitch pressed me into giving a speech and all of those details. For now, let me strike a pose and say: if you have read Fly Away Home, would you mind terribly giving it a review on Goodreads and Amazon and wherever else one reviews books. Well, I shall leave you now and pay heed to the baby at my side and the people all around!

Oh, and happy Saint Patrick's Day!