Fake It 'Til I Fly!

I’ve promised a Sammy update, so here we go!

First off, to the recurring question of publishing dates: I actually have a schedule, but please keep in mind that this is the schedule that will be kept if I prove to be superhuman, which I don’t claim to be.

But I will continue to try.

Or fake it ‘til I fly!

Or whatever.

Second off, let me state that I’ve entered a tough stretch of life. Not getting into details or trying to drum up sympathy or anything (I am fine), I just share this with you because I discovered unexpected refuge in returning to Sammy’s world and following her headlong through another wacky adventure. When I’m with Sammy I actually do forget other pressures, think outside my situation, and laugh.

And what a relief it is to laugh.

I was on book tour years ago, sitting on the floor at the United gate so I could plug my computer into an outlet and work on a Shredderman book that was under deadline, when my editor happened to call to see how I was doing. I gave her an update, then shared that I was working hard to meet my deadline. When she found out that I was on the floor writing she said, “I can’t imagine that it’s going to be any good!”

Now, she didn’t mean it like that. It just sort of slipped out. And I completely understood what she did mean. Piecing together a story by stealing time when you can find it, either on the floor at a gate or crammed into sardine class, or before bed after a day of presentations and signings, you wouldn’t think that it could possibly come out well.

But somehow it came out great!

And surprisingly funny.

And now I’m in a place where there is so much going on in my life that I feel like any moment I’ll short circuit. But I have a deadline (2 weeks ago!) and a schedule to keep so I do what I can when I can. I take my laptop with me and write six lines of dialog at the doctor’s office. Six more with a cat in my lap and my computer teetering on the edge of the arm of a chair while my mother dozes on the couch.

If Nancy saw me I’m sure she’d think, “I can’t imagine it’s going to be any good!”

But that’s the incredible thing about this book.

It’s hilarious!

So maybe this is just the way I balance my life. Maybe I create the humor that’s missing to help me carry on in the real world. Whatever the reason, Sammy Keyes and the Lure of Justice Jack is going to be the funniest Sammy yet.

How lucky I am to have that girl in my life.

And now, the (hardcover) release schedule!

• Sammy Keyes and the Night of Skulls: September 2011
• Sammy Keyes and the Lure of Justice Jack (still the working title btw): May 2012
• Sammy Keyes #16: January 2013
• Sammy Keyes #17: September 2013
• Sammy Keyes # 18 (the last one!) : Fall 2014

Thanks for checking in. See you here next week (when I think it will be time to tell you what I’ve been up to with the Elvis Impersonator).