Writing spans a spec­trum, for me:  it’s serious, it’s joyful, it’s heart­breaking, it’s frus­trating – and some­times it’s terri­fying.  I spend months with so many words and so many scenes they begin to blend, and once I’ve finished the first draft — and in case I haven’t mentioned it here yet, House Name is finished in first draft — I then have to read, revise, and try to make sure the book I’ve actu­ally written resem­bles the book I’d hoped to write when I started. I’ve been through this process dozens of time now, and it results in a book.  I know this.  But…it never really gets old. Having the book in my hands is what makes it real to me.  Which sounds odd, because the work is real, and it’s what consumes most … Continue reading →