i finished my book!

On a dark and stormy morning (it really was!) I finished -- Maze. Around 6am, after another long night of editing, I had the puppy exactly how I wanted her. I went out for a drive in my Volkswagen in the rain, got on the highway,  listened to the radio and spaced out with my focus on the road. I didn't know where I would go. I decided to get off at El Camino Avenue. This road and I have some history. When I moved here to Sacramento less than 3 years ago with my head full of books but nothing yet published -- no job and no car and only one friend -- I used to ride my bicycle from the Extended Stay America (a decent hotel room with a kitchenette, at a fair price for a month) up north on El Camino several times a week. My friend lived about ten miles up the road. All I remember was the wonderful heat of the early summer, on the streets of Sacramento. I was real excited to be here and get my life going in a positive direction. Oakland tore me up and spit me out in twenty twelve. I had not much to my name. I was writing every day, and determined to start self-publishing my work. I thought for sure maybe someone would wanna read me. I had been writing all my life long. I stopped riding up El Camino at all. The friendship broke off, sadly, we went off in different directions. This morning in the rain and ready to press my third book in under 3 years, I was tired and overjoyed. All I had to do was go home, take a nap to rest my eyes, then get up and read through the puppy from beginning to end, one final time. And I did. And you know what? This book! I think this is easily the best work I have done in my life.