Actually, what I mean to say is, “Later, pollinator manuscript!”
That’s right, today is the day I drive to Boston and hand the first draft* of my new book over to an editor. Not just any editor, mind you, but a talented editor who I trust completely.
Here’s a look at my baby all dressed up and ready for the trip**:
Isn’t she cute? She is fifty-five pages long and contains 12,009 glorious words. I call her THE HIVE DETECTIVES; here is a sneak peek at the bee scientists she is named for:
I’m rather smitten with this new baby of mine!
* It feels ridiculous to call this a first draft. In reality, what I’m handing in is the 1,311,292nd draft. But as this is the first draft my editor will see, and because ‘first draft’ sounds so much better than ‘1,311,292nd draft’, I’m going with it.
** Please note than my desk is never this clean. If you are at all familiar with the term ‘nesting’ in relation to the arrival of human babies, however, you will understand why it looks so pristine today. I’ve been tidying up all morning!
*** Please excuse the poor quality of my photographs. New moms often lose their ability to perform the most basic of functions. At least for a few days.