I’m in the Final Stretch. Kind of. Almost. I Think.
"Almost done" — a phrase that has meant something different every week for the past several months.
Okay, friends. I’m going to say something bold today: two books are nearly done. Not "I’m working on it" done. Not "I had a great meeting about it" done. Like, actually, genuinely, pour-yourself-a-small-celebratory-beverage done. Almost. I’m almost there.
Yes, two books. Two! As in one plus one. We didn't dream this up — they are real, they have titles, and at least one of them currently has a human whose entire job it is to stare at our commas. Life is good.
Parenting Unpacked
This one is officially in copy editing. Which, for those unfamiliar, means a very detail-oriented professional is currently reading every single word we wrote and quietly judging our grammar choices. I support this process fully. I need this process. I once wrote "their" when I meant "there" and I will not be speaking about it further.
The point is: the words exist, they are good words (mostly), and now a professional is making them even better words. Copy editing is the spa day the manuscript deserves after everything it's been through.
📍 Status: In copy editing — practically famous already.
Mock Up Of the My First Coloring Book Cover
My First American Coloring Book
This one is in a slightly different situation. The content? Wonderful. The vision? Crystal clear. The final decision on literally the whole thing? Still pending. Look, I’m not dragging my feet — I’m being thoughtful. There's a difference, and I’m choosing to believe that right now.
Here's the exciting part: I’m gearing up to order a sample book. This is where the magic happens — or where we discover the magic needs a tiny tweak. I want to hold it in my hands, flip through the pages, and make sure that what a reader gets delivered to their door at home is every bit as good as what I imagined in my heads at 2am when we thought, "yes, this is the one."
If the sample is perfect? We celebrate. If it needs adjusting? We adjust, like the calm and reasonable people we absolutely are.
📍 Status: Final decision incoming + sample book on its way — holding our breath dramatically.
What now?
So there you have it. Two books, two different flavors of "almost," and approximately one million feelings about all of it. I am excited. I am nervous. I am checking my email more than is healthy.
Stay tuned, because real updates — like actual release dates and "you can buy this now" announcements — are coming sooner than you'd think. Probably. I’m pretty confident. Mostly confident. I’ll keep you posted. 🎉
