The first proof arrived!!

Wowza!

They arrived!

I can NOT even tell you how excited I was to open the door and find these lovely babies sitting on my doorstep.

SQUEEEEEEE!

After a significant amount of SQUEE!, and screaming, and jumping up and down, and a few tears, and some more SQUEE!!, and some minor hyperventalating,  I opened both of the packages with my dearest, sweetest friend Stephanie.

I couldn't do this alone.

And since the kiddos were still in school, and the hubster was fully ensconced in work and couldn't get away, Stephanie stepped in to hold my hand.

Thank you sweet Steph!!

I called her on FaceTime, pointed the phone toward the book, and we proceeded to squee! together while I petted and sniffed and wafted and thumbed through my book.  It was such a magical moment.

It ranks right on up there with giving birth, getting married, and earning my Master's Degree.

So here it is folks, Proof 1 and Proof 2

(Which reminds me of Thing 1 and Thing 2

Because clearly, Dr. Seuss knew what he was doing, and he'll bring me good luck...)

They're super duper awesome.

So why two, do you ask?

Well, one copy was supposed to have a MATTE finish, and one copy was supposed to have a GLOSSY finish so that I could decide which way to go.

But they were both glossy.  Which made me harumph for half a minute.

There was a minor flaw on the outside back cover, and a minor issue that needed to be addressed on the inside.  Very frustrating.

But then I remembered a conversation between Frasier and Niles (from the tv show "Frasier"), in which Niles was extolling the virtues of this amazingly fabulous pompous dinner, and then he complained about something.  And then Frasier said something like, "Oh, that's just how you like it, isn't it?  Almost perfect, with one little tiny thing you can complain about!"  And when I saw that episode on "Frasier", I realized, I'm pretty much exactly the same way.

The transcript from the Season 2 Episode 13 "Retirement is Murder" (starting around the 8:55 minute mark) reads like this:

  Niles: It was an exquisite meal, marred only by the lack of even 
         one outstanding cognac on their carte de digestif.
Frasier: Yes, but think of it this way, Niles: what is the one thing 
         better than an exquisite meal?  An exquisite meal with one 
         tiny flaw we can pick at all night.  

He hands Niles a brandy.

  Niles: Ah... quite right.  To impossible standards. [They clink 
         glasses.]

 Daphne: Hello.
  Niles: Hello, Daphne
 Daphne: How was your dinner?
  Niles: It was fine, except for one small flaw. 
 Daphne: Oh, just the way you like it.  

Alas.

The proofs needed minor tweeking (not twerking -- because, well, just, no).  And now they've been edited for *THE.LAST.TIME* I SWEAR, and the final proof is on its way.  Actually, it's not really on its way.  Hurricane Matthew is evidently gumming up the works in Charleston, SC, where my book is being created by the happy book people.  And it's a-rainin quite hard out there in Charleston.  Alas, *hopefully* it will be made soon, and then sent on its merry way, and will arrive the week of October 24th.   

Next week I can start collecting pre-orders!

And hopefully we can have the books for sale as soon as November 1st!!

Yay!!!

This whole process is so truly surreal.

What an amazing experience!

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