6:47 a.m. - August 11, 2003
Catching up with Barbara-the-Editor or, more aptly, Barbara-the-Editor catches up with me
Spec is coming to school with me to play on my computer in the office and I've made him swear he will do nothing that would lead the Squirrely T.A. or The Other One to any suspicion beyond a oh-look-it's-a-friend-of-Jason's inquiry. I admit to being slightly (hah who am I kidding) flattered that he wants to come to one of my lectures and for me to show him around campus, or at least my section of it. Why can't it be like this more often? That tiny voice murmurs it can be and should be but I ignore what's good for me most times.
Today I have a face-to-face meeting with Barbara-the-Editor to discuss the now-revised deadlines. The book is not going to be released February 2004; it's now summer, specifically July 2004 and my do-or-die or at least the do-or-be-threatened deadline is the beginning of November. I feel much better about this and now have some breathing room but I realize I'm now a year and a half overdue and trust me, Barbara-the-Editor realizes this as well. It is an affirmation of sorts to realize how much she's working with me despite my shuffling of completion dates and writing commitments and absolutely refused to terminate the contract (I wonder if I myself was being manipulative when I broached that subject with her).
So this is the new plan:
Books I & II: July 2004
Books III & IV: July 2005
Books V & VI: July 2006.
Get that? I expect each of you to buy a copy, eh? What was I thinking when I signed a contract to write six books? I didn't realize at the time it meant I placed my nuts into a blender with not only Barbara-the-Editor's fingers on Power but that all those who have pre-ordered copies (total nearly 27,000) are standing in line should her finger slip and I breathe a sigh of relief. Um... no. There is no relief until 2006.
Be good.
