The long-awaited edits arrived from the Black Opal Books first-round editor. Daunting at first, numbering well over 300, I quickly determined they’d be little problem, but tedious, in correcting. The bulk of them were for using semicolons. Note to self: Use semicolons exceedingly sparingly in the future. They will likely need to be excised from the second volume in the Tookie series. A few were substantive in that they raised questions about consistency and story flow. My corrections will definitely improve the readability of the book.

Set in the 1960s, the characters in my book sometimes use slang or colloquialisms not familiar to younger readers. I will have to strive to use terms that are self-explanatory or obvious by the context. Anybody know what a church key is?

Now, I’m waiting for the second round of edits, which I’m told, are more extensive than the first round. That seems illogical to me so I’ll just have to wait and see patiently—or not as patience isn’t one of my virtues. In the meantime, I’ll continue to research Aspie women, edit the second volume, and work on the plot line for the third book in the series. Distracting myself is the best way for me to endure the 10 to 12-week wait. I tell myself that the previous 10 to 12-week process took six months because of extenuating circumstances and won’t be repeated. Keep your fingers crossed for me that this round of edits comes early.