Hello, all!
In keeping with the omnipresent Xmas music of late, I've got another for you this week: Somerset Wassail, arranged by John Rutter for the 1990 Christmas with the Cambridge Singers CD mentioned in the previous update (The link says a different album, since the original apparently can't be found on YouTube) (Usual copyrights apply; I own nothing!)
I enjoy every song on the 1990 album, but this one has come to assume new meaning for me in light of my "restart" I noted on my Wordpress blog a few months back, regarding writing and life in general. After a long spring and summer of struggling to meet self-imposed writing deadlines, and becoming more and more disappointed/depressed when I couldn't, I came to realize at that point that I was so wrapped up in chasing after a novelist career that I wasn't taking care of myself or my life. I was neglecting so much else (family, friends, school and my real work, such as it was/is), and becoming steadily unhappier as the disappointments piled up. So I chose to significantly lessen the writing output, and get back out into the real world: see friends and colleagues, catch a show or movie or three, exercise, play with Maddie, or just sit back and chill, with family and books galore. To me, the spirit and lyrics of Somerset Wassail speak to this universal, essential need for company and comfort, no matter the season, and give me a jaunty little boost when the writing slows, or when I'm taking a good, long break from the keyboard and life's daily stresses.
In additional news, I'm delighted to report that the cover design for Red Delta is gradually taking final shape; current guess as to the finish date is sometime next week, latest, barring drastic changes. The ebook should still be out on Xmas or just before; I'm working through the details on the paperback version, which will be published through Createspace. I haven't found out yet how long the process takes (this will be my FIRST paperback publication), but I'm still counting on a 12/25 release date--perhaps with an official event on Facebook, and maybe in person, with a plug for Discarded! Stay tuned for more details, and share, critique and review, as always!