82,183

That is the word count for book two, “The Willing”.  I still need to do an initial proof and edit before anyone can see it, but the story is done.  And I like the way it turned out.  I’ll change my mind over the next couple weeks while I get it ready for select public consumption, but for right now, I like it.

That word count will change and will probably go down as I tend to edit out more than I add.  The second book appears to be much “cleaner” than “The Reluctant” because I edited for silly errors as I wrote.  Each time I sat down to write, I re-read what was written the day before to get me back into the proper mood and I took the opportunity to fix all the red and green squiggles…WORD users know what I mean.

I didn’t celebrate when I typed the last word this time.  I knew there was a lot of work left to be done.  When I typed the last word of the first book, I naively thought I was finished. 

Hah!  Oh, the bliss of ignorance!  I’ll never have it again.

I will hate this story by the time I am done.  Dozens of re-writes on certain sections, endless edits, and the hidden typos that seem to breed when no one is looking, will drive me nuts.  At least I know what I am getting myself into these days.

Then I will get to experience the trepidation of turning it over to you, my happy few, to tell me whether or not it is any good.  That will be “white knuckle” time.

“The Reluctant” was well received and has gotten good reviews from those who I allowed to read it.  You all found things in that book that even I didn’t realize were there.  Have I re-captured some of that...I dunno…whatever it was that made you like it again in book two? 

You’ll be the judge.  Give me a couple weeks and I’ll need your input again.

Splitter