I spent most of October locked away from the rest of the world. On most days I started before midnight and went to sleep around 5 A.M. I didn’t watch TV or movies, and sadly didn’t interact with my family as much as I should have. I  usually only ate once a day, breakfast, and lived off coffee more than actual food. I was obsessed. By the end of the month I’d lost around fifteen pounds, but I’d completed five drafts (including the final) of my new novel. I took the hit, I spent the time, I lost sleep and bled on the page, and now it’s over. I’m a person again.

My punk rock YA novel The Dream Academy is now in the hands of two agents (lit and TV/film), and I hope to hear something back from them soon. When I do I’ll know if all that time was worth it.

The only other literary-related thing I did last month besides staying buried in the k-hole of novel writing was read at The Writer’s Block Festival in Louisville. It was an honor to be a featured reader for their literary dance party remix. I read my story “Sock Monkey” from my upcoming collection Romance for Delinquents while the DJ spun Motley Crue and Van Halen. It was the most fun I’d had reading in a long time.

Looking ahead I’m in the process of hustling blurbs for my new collection which comes out January 1st from Foxhead Books. It’s always awkward to reach out to others for endorsements, but part of the writing business. I hope it all works out in the end.

I also should hear back soon from the agents regarding the novel that took up 73 days of my life, and am hopeful that it will be worth all my effort in the end.

Pre-sales for my forthcoming collection will be announced soon along with a cool promotion. Stay tuned. For now I’ve done my best, and need to detox from the mania. I need to eat, sleep, exercise, be nice to children, listen to music, read a newspaper, and learn what the kids are into these days. It’s been a long time, but it’s over for now.