How appropriate that my last reading in scripture is in Ecclesiastes – “There is a time for everything, and a season for  every activity under the heavens.”  For the last chapter of The Fallen has “fallen” into place.

Every time I near the completion of a novel, I begin to hint to my chief fan and partner in the work, my wonderful wife, that two words are fast approaching – two little words.  At this point, I have to confess, I am glad to reach the end of my telling.  The long journey is over, the characters are at rest, and only the epilogue – a victory lap, if you will, is left.  What began on March 1st is very close to completion, and may well be done quite soon.

Done, but not.  Then, of course, comes editing.  I have to admit, I get tempted when I start to finish a book to go back and start that process even as I’m still writing.  I have to hold off, or I’ll never finish.  But that will come.  I will probably read it as text, first, and then listen to the audio version to catch anything I might have missed.  By then, it will have had three readings (the first is aloud to my dear one).

Soon, the wonderful transformation will take place – this long, unformatted, word processing document will become a book I can hold in my hands and place upon the shelf, next to its kin.  That, my friends, is a very, very satisfying feeling.

Be well…  (oh, and the two little words?  “THE END”)

JTL