I’m not ready to pop the champagne or pull out the Waterford crystal – hence the sparkling cider – but today marks the December day that will live in infamy for me. On December 1, 2019, I completed the final chapter of my first full manuscript of a historical fiction. This day has been a long time in coming.

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Twenty-eight months ago I began an online creative writing course. From there I moved into Part I to follow Eliza from 1897 to 1912. She and I struggled through those first chapters to find a rhythm and her voice as a woman at the turn of the century who wanted more for her life than becoming a society wife.

We graduated together into a tumultuous Part II where a world and Eliza and her family endured the Spanish influenza epidemic, World War I, the Depression and World War II. Love was lost, found, lost and found again. Friendships prevailed. Families were formed, and crumbled.

Historical research pulled me off into tangents. The temptation was strong to add in more facts driven by a quote I read in a book by Patricia Miller, Worst of Times, “By looking at our past, perhaps we can more wisely choose our future. But we must look at that past unflinchingly. We cannot pretend it didn’t happen.” Difficult subjects are broached and presented with the hope they will be discussed as a basis for us to not repeat the troubling parts of our past.

More work lies ahead. Two more beta readers who haven’t read any of the story before will be critiquing and providing more feedback, hopefully by January. With the hopes the re-write won’t be major, I’ll be on to the next rounds of edits. In the meantime, I’ll be researching agents who may be interested in Eliza’s story and the best way to pitch them. I’ll also need to outline a marketing plan and build up my steel armor to prepare for when the rejections start to roll into my inbox.

Until then, I’m going to enjoy getting ready for Christmas and a girls weekend in NYC with dear friends. Most of all, I’ll be sending my thanks out to readers and followers like you who have supported, encouraged and cheered me on. Strap yourself in – we’re getting ready for lift off!

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