Choosing to Live, Choosing to Die
What would my mother have done? [And why am I so sad to see the final proofs of my new book?]
The Advanced Reading Copy (ARC) of my new book arrived yesterday and I think that’s why my mother haunted my dreams last night. She pushed me off the roof of a church in one nightmare and locked me out of the house in another. I’m sure a therapist would have a field day with those dreams.
What I can tell you is this — seeing the book brings back vivid memories of challenging times.
Usually, the arrival of the ARC is cause for celebration. Holding the not-quite-ready-for-the-world copy is thrilling! It’s the first time I get to hold something that’s actually book-shaped in my hands rather than poring over digital files or poor-quality printouts from my ancient laser printer.
Yes, the index is missing and the interior photos and illustrations are in black and white (instead of color, as planned for the final edition), and there are a few typos that have yet to be caught and cleaned up, but it’s close enough to its final iteration that book reviewers and key potential purchasers will see copies in advance of the book’s actual release a bit later this year.