Book Update!

I appreciate all the recent questions I’ve received from readers about my book. Today I thought I’d share a book update. Hallelujah, I finished another (the last?) round of edits and sent the manuscript back to my publisher. Of course, I immediately found a few more things to change. This same thing always happens to me the moment I click the “publish” button for a blog post—glaring mistakes vault off the page. Honestly, I think at some point a writer must call it finished and stop editing.

Probably the most exciting news I have to report is…my expected release date is January 28, 2016. Exciting! That’s the date my book will officially be available for purchase (although pre-orders will be available in December).  January 28 sounds like the perfect date to me, and once I researched what happened on that date in history, I’m even more convinced. At the risk of sounding Cat in the Hat-ish, two things happened on January 28 that indirectly relate to The Accidental Salvation of Gracie Lee.

Thing One. On January 28, 1956, Elvis Presley made his first television appearance singing Heartbreak Hotel on the Dorsey Brothers Stage Show. Although Gracie Lee wasn’t born until a few years later, she loved Elvis and followed news of his concerts, hospital stays, and Memphis sightings in the newspaper. Most people in the Delta region did.

Thing Two. On January 28, 1978, the first episode of the television show Fantasy Island debuted. Since it came on right after Love Boat, I feel certain Gracie Lee watched it at some point, although she didn’t much like it.

(January 28 was also the date the space shuttle Challenger exploded. After you read the book, we can discuss the symbolism of that tragedy. And no, I’m not making light of that horrible day in history.)

Soon, like maybe this week, I’ll get my first peek at a book cover design.

Yay.

Grace Grits and Gardening
Farm. Food. Garden. Life.

[tweetthis]Book Release Date announcement for #TheAccidentalSalvationofGracieLee #Day3 #NaBloPoMo @BlogHer @SYPPublishing[/tweetthis]

Fair warning: I signed up via BlogHer to participate in NaBloPoMo (National Blog Post Month). The goal is to post every day in November. I know it will be challenging at times, but I love the idea of having an excuse to blog daily. During non-NaBloPoMo months (January, February, March, April, May, June, July, August, September, October, December), I often have to reign myself in to keep from posting too much and driving everyone away. I did get in on the fun a day late and missed November 1, so I’m already behind.

Musical Pairing:

Elvis Presley, Heartbreak Hotel