Thanksgiving

 Yesterday was Thanksgiving. It was "just" the 12 of us -- we Kendigs 11, and Kevin's mother.

A year ago Thanksgiving was humorous. I was frantically finishing a book at the time, and Kevin's mother, who usually brings multiple dishes, was in Texas visiting Kevin's sister.

Thanksgiving dinner rolled around and I lifted my head from my manuscript and realized we had turkey, mashed potatoes, and 3 pies. That was it. No one really cared, but it definitely was an odd Thanksgiving dinner.

This year, I was determined to do better. Kevin's mom is in Ohio, so that helped. Our middle girls made 3 pies. Kevin's mom came with 2 more pies and brownies. We had enough desserts.

And we had many other things: turkey and mashed potatoes and green beans and sweet potatoes and gravy, and cranberry salad and olives. Oh, and Kevin's mom brought cheese ball, to the delight of some of the children.

It was very yummy.

Lydia has been battling significant dietary issues and has lost a lot of weight. She is currently sitting at like 130 lbs which is Ok, but thinner than she likes. She is trying to gain weight but it is hard when you can't eat so many things.

However, we do live in a time and place where gluten free alternatives are an option. So she is figuring out things she can eat. She thought she had celiac, but now the doctors are saying no, it isn't that...

but it could definitely be a wheat intolerance.

She is figuring it out.

Now onto the other excitement of the Thanksgiving weekend; another book!

After Kevin retired from his Air Force job, he started studying marketing. He found a lady who is an expert at marketing and we have hired her to help us market our books better.

We launched Elizabeth Bennet's Inheritance at the beginning of this month. I had finished that book in October, but we had to wait to publish because Kevin was working with Harry, our narrator, to record an audio book for EBI.

So anyway, I was of course writing away at a new book, a Christmas story. Still Pride and Prejudice, of course.

I was sitting on the couch a few days ago, minding my own business, when Kevin said that our marketing lady said that we really needed to get this Christmas book out this coming week.

And I was like, WHAT??

What?

I was nearly done but still, the first draft is the first draft and I still had to do a full edit, and Kevin had to do a full edit, and our paid editor had to do a full edit.

The other option, according to our marketing guru, was to wait until January to publish and change the title and the tone away from Christmas and onto winter.

As Inigo says in the Princess Bride, I hate waiting.

So I finished the book, and I am almost done with my second edits.

Kevin is working on his edits. Our editor is working on her edits. Not the same things at the same time. There is a process.

But anyway, we will have it done by tomorrow probably.

Stephen King, whom I certainly admire as a writer (though I don't like horror so...) said in his book, "On Writing" that authors should finish a manuscript, set it aside for 6 months, and then come back to it with fresh eyes.

How adorable.

We don't do that.

Anyway, the new book launches next week. Wow.