It has been a busy few weeks as well as a stressful time due to the current virus outbreak. I have been using the time to get Peril at the Point, the first volume of The Lamb’s Bay Mysteries, published on Amazon. Several people have been involved in getting this book out of the door — editors, my beta readers and the members of my writers’ group who have given me much-appreciated feedback. But then there’s always the last-minute edits and that burning question: “When do you stop editing?”
That is a hard question to answer, but I can tell you that making sure your work is seen by other eyes before it goes out the door, or in this case, onto the Internet, is worth it, even if it delays your debut in self-publishing by a few days. We see our own work so often in the process of writing and editing it that we don’t see our own mistakes. As a professional editor, I am neurotic about putting something out to the public and then finding an error.
However, over the years, I have seen a number of books published in which there are small errors of punctuation or spelling that the majority of readers don’t pick up on. But that is no excuse for sloppy work. Not for me. So Peril at the Point has been through the wringer and, fingers crossed, all is well.
This series began as three chapters I banged out on the keyboard a few years ago and then forgot about. About two years ago, I dug it out and began playing with it and, in no time, found myself typing like a mad fool and showing no signs of stopping. I was so excited by the process, I dove right in to Book 2, Malice at the Mansion, then Book 3, A Winter’s Slay. I finally had to take a break to attend some family weddings last year but once that was over, my mind was percolating about, you guessed it, Book 4, Secrets at the Spa, which I finished in February. Meanwhile, the earlier books were being edited by friends and fellow writers. Great feedback from everyone. I am lucky to have this supportive group and their encouragement. A big thank-you to everyone.
So having put Peril at the Point out there for people to enjoy, I am currently editing the first draft of Book 4 before it goes to readers and my brain is happily grinding away at the plot for Book 5. No title chosen yet.
I love mysteries and writing them is a dream come true. I hope you will find my book a great read and leave a review. Thank you ahead of time. Now back to my editing.
Great news Anne. You have been prolific! Good luck with the stories. I’m sure you’ll have a lot of readers enjoying them.
I’m ordering my copy. When the quarantine is lifted, come over for pie, coffee and sign my copy!