5 WEEKS AND COUNTING

Did I say I was on a roller coaster? Make that a Wheel of Death.  If I have a coronary and two stomach ulcers after this please don't tell me "I told you so".

As mentioned previously, the new cover came back and it is wonderful. I showed it to the Manager at Waterstones today and she agreed. One fly in the ointment, I don't have the revised back cover yet and I need to update the whole thing to the Nielson agency and Waterstones publication dept. I'm biting my nails, what's left of them, down regarding that bit (or should that be bite?). Fingers crossed my beautiful Gary will be able to zoom it over tomorrow. Frankly I'll take it any size and try to get my newest best friend Geoff to size it.

After I last wrote, I plucked up enough courage to check the formatting and I was very happy with. It looked a whole heap better than my efforts. Meanwhile (Is this beginning to sound like a soap opera?) Ruth had given me details of Geoff who she recommended. I thought, wouldn't hurt to see what he thought. I was sure he'd say "that's great!" or maybe even "just a few tweaks needed". If I thought Gary was harsh about my cover Geoff beat him hands down. Down went the roller coaster. He said it would take at least 3 weeks to format professionally, plus he mentioned more costs. I quailed. Did I want to take a reasonable book to my launch or a professional one? he asked. No brainer there. I signed expecting to tell everyone the launch date was moved, when out of the blue he sent me a sample first chapter - which looks amazing and said he would get right on it. He recokens he can make the deadline. Up I go again.

So I spoke to the Waterstones manager and now I have to apply for Waterstones to accept the book on their catalogues, except I have no cover to show them - yet.

I also need to put the cover on Nielson's site - ditto. An authors life, it seems, is never done.







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