I’ve frequently been asked, usually by writers still trying to find their way, how many drafts I write of a book. I never have a good answer. Or when I give one, I inevitably make myself a liar while working on the next book.   But right now, I’m starting on Draft #4 of my current Work in Progress, which, by the way, is due to my publisher on December 1. However, my Draft #4 is likely very different from your Draft #4.   Let me break it down.   The first draft is a free-for-all. I may or may not have an outline. If I do, it’s sparse and not carved in stone, so I’m slinging words on the page to see if they work or not. It often sucks. But even Draft #1 isn’t a rough first draft by the time I reach the end. Each day, I re-read the previous day’s work and make tweaks before I start fresh. Once a month, I send pages to my critique group for feedback. I may or may not incorporate that feedback while I’m still powering through the word-slinging phase, but there are alwa...

It’s been 18 months since my last book release. Prior to that, the longest I’d gone between books had been 12 months. In my world, it feels like decades! I mean, it never gets old. This is my seventeenth published novel, and it’s still a rush!   And yet, I admit, I’ve felt a bit subdued leading up to this one. And confused.   What am I supposed to do? How does one promote a new book?   As if I’ve never done it before.   I think I finally figured out why I feel this way, and it goes beyond the length of time since I did it before.   This book release, like the previous two Detective Honeywell novels, is digital only. For now. While a large portion of my readership gets their books on digital platforms, it doesn’t feel 100% real until I hold the print copy in my grubby little hands.   Don’t get me wrong. I’m thrilled for all of you who are huddled over your phones and iPads and Kindles reading my book today. I love you all beyond words.   H...