A Question

What does 148,000 words (510 pages) of carefully rendered prose make? 

The answer? A book. Though, in this case, not quite a finished one. I've still got one-and-a-half chapters--roughly ten thousand words--to go, followed by a full rewrite. My agent wants a finished manuscript this summer if we're to submit the novel this year. What do you think? Possible? (That's the real question on my mind right now.)

75k

That's what I hit last night. Seventy-five thousand words on the novel, which also happens to leave me at almost precisely the half-way mark. It took sixteen months to get here.

Sixteen months from now, I'll buy you all a drink. 

Release of LOLA, CALIFORNIA Today

Edie Meidav's third novel, LOLA, CALIFORNIA hits the stores today. Edie's an old friend from my Sri Lanka days--her first two novels were fantastic and I expect nothing less from the newest one from FSG. Here's what's already being said:

--One of the "most anticipated books of 2011." - Max McGee, The Millions; Ed Champion, WNYC-New York

--"Brilliant . . . awesome." - Publisher's Weekly

--"In this intense and tumultuous tale, Meidav adeptly limns the dark and sinuous obsessions of friendship with penetrating insights." - Booklist

PS Here's some musical honey: get the new free songs for LOLA, from the score composed by Kevin Salem, at http://www.kevinsalem.com/Lola.html 

Readings: 

July 9 (Rhinebeck/Oblong)

July 16: (Woodstock/Kleinart)

July 20: (Seattle/Elliott Bay)

July 23 (Mendocino/The Gallery)

July 28: (Berkeley/Mrs. Dalloway's)

July 30: (Gualala/Four-Eyed Frog)

August 4: (San Francisco/Book Passage)

August 5: (Montclair/A Great Good Place for Books)