Forthcoming Book: Winter in the Wetlands

As many of you know, I spend most of my days teaching high school students. How to wrap their lips and throats around the delicate sounds of the French language. How to see the dark beauty of the Iliad, or the wistful, salt-saturated voyage in the Odyssey.

I spend every other stolen moment thinking about what next to put on paper myself, which usually makes its way to this space, this writing thing or "Fling." I am touched and delighted by how many of you still join me here from time to time to follow the scribbles and stratchings. 

What you may not know is that some words and worlds find their way into fictional tales which really never end up seeing the light of day. However, after several years of fussing over a particular grouping of words I called "Winter in the Wetlands" I decided to take my first few wobbly steps out and toward publishing the dang thing. I sent the maunscript out to a few small presses, braced myself for the first batch of rejection letters, and poured myself a glass of wine in celebration. At least it was out of my head and into the wider world. (And any excuse for a celebratory glass of red. Oh, the corks left in our wake during the home-buying adventure six months ago. Big sigh.) And so I waited. 

But not for long. 

As it happens, there is an up-and-coming publisher called Electio Publishing who took an interest in my little story. And here I find myself telling you all that I have signed a contract with them to publish my piece. (What?!) The forthcoming book, a novella, will be appearing in late summer or early fall, and will be available in paperback and e-book formats on the Electio website and all over the web (Amazon, etc.). I'll post more details about it soon, including some excerpts to whet the appetite, so do come back and visit. What I'll say now is that it is infused - absolutely sopping wet - with the life of the city of Paris. 

Meanwhile, I am happy, humbled, and hurrahing! As I thank God for His remarkable, astonishing ways, grab your nearest glass (or mug) of something and ching ching with me!