Email from der agent indicates der editor has only minor revision comments on HANDS OF FLAME.
I’m so relieved I could cry.
That trilogy has been the hardest thing I’ve ever written. I wrote at *least* five books worth of material. I rewrote HEART OF STONE three times before it got bought, and a fourth time to editor spec. I had to throw out two thirds of HOUSE OF CARDS and rewrite the remaining third in revisions. I tore HANDS OF FLAME apart six times before I got it right, and at that point I was, as you can probably understand, not at all sure I’d *gotten* it right. It’s been about a month since I turned it in and I have been living in utter terror of having to rewrite it all again. Getting notification of minor revision comments is just…exhausting, it’s so relieving.
(This has been a genuinely weird road, with this series. I have no feel at *all* for HEART OF STONE, and so the highly positive reviews and responses I’ve gotten from it have been just wonderful, if a little mind-boggling. I actually think HOUSE OF CARDS is the better book, so I’m really wondering how people are going to respond to *it*. And after tearing HANDS apart six times and bleeding over every. damned. word. (and hearing that there are only minor revisions), I am halfway confident I *did* get it right, and I think it makes a strong end to the trilogy, and has the potential, once revisions are done, to be better than the first two. But my *God*, what a hard road it has been.)
I’m going to go eat the dinner what my wonderful husband has cooked, and I am going to sit on the couch under a warm blanket and I am going to rot my brain for the remainder of the evening.
miles to Minas Tirith: 378
ytd wordcount: 4200
If it makes you feel any better I read Heart of Stone over the holidays (okay okay in 24 hours) and I loved it with an undying love. So I am very happy you got it published and am looking forward to the rest of the set.
Also, this is me de-lurking. I’ve been stalking your blog for a bit now because I love your books and my mom thinks you sound like me.
Keep writing lots, because I love you!
Whew!
I am nearly, nearly done with Heart of Stone and like Hanna I love it with an undying love. Can’t wait for the House of Cards!
LOL I’ve already fangirled HoC, so allow me to say congrats on the minor revisions! HoC is such a strong start, and if you think it only gets better, I’m sure you’re right. I can’t *wait* to read the other two. :)
Also — *fangirls Urban Shaman* This will sound familiar… I was in the bookstore, determined to find a new book to read… and I’d already read the first few pages of US and while interesting, hadn’t really thought about it, but I’ve been dying to read more urban fantasy so I picked US back up… and seventy pages later I figured reading *at home* would be more comfy, so I bought it and left and read till about the halfway point.
My husband laffed at me. He says if he got a quarter of the way through a book in the store, he’d ask for 25% off if he bought it. Or he’d just go back and finish it at the bookstore. I rolled my eyes. He doesn’t understand the support-the-artist thing. :D
Finished it! OMG! I hope we see these two in the next book because man, that left me hanging…..
Jess, I’m totally with you on the support the artist. I buy several copies of books from artists that I like (like Holly Lisle, Tamara Siler Jones, Robin Owens and of course Catie!) and let them sit on my shelf or give them as gifts…
I love love love Heart of Stone. I just finished it. The hubby is busy taking down x-mas lights and poor me..my back aches so I just had to lay down because, I had 30 more pages to finish! Margrit is my kind of women..tough, not too tough, not afraid to cry and believable and logical. Thanks so much for the fun!!!