Melissa Senate

My six-year-old took this picture of me a couple of months ago and it's my new favorite. I think I look very happy. A budding photographer, Max is!

I haven't blogged in a loooong time. Mostly because I've been waiting, and when I'm waiting, I can't do anything else but wait. What I was waiting for was feedback from BOTH editors on BOTH manuscripts that I delivered. My teen novel and my women's fiction (a new editor and new house, at that!). My teen editor emailed me her editorial/revision letter last week, and she is a brilliant goddess. I can't tell you how good it feels to know that the stuff that comes pouring out of my brain and fingertips onto the computer screen/paper, over 300 pages of it, will be lovingly and carefully and brilliantly read by someone who will guide me in writing a better, stronger book. So, lots of work ahead, but good work. Now of course, I'm waiting to hear on my women's fiction novel, but luckily am too busy revising my teen novel to fret about the wait. All good. Did any of this make sense?

I've been reading like crazy. The Second Coming of Lucy Hatch; Shelter Me (God, I LOVED this book); All We Ever Wanted Was Everything, How To Talk So Kids Will Learn (this is the only parenting book anyone with a kid needs–pure brilliance). I just ordered a memoir about a woman who moves to tiny New England cottage with her teen daughter to raise some baby chickens. 

Anyway, now that I'm incredibly busy revising and have no extra time between 8:20 and 3:10 (mom hours = my work time), I will be doing plenty of blogging. That's just the way life is. 

Melissa