And the WINNER is . . .

I’m excited to announce the winner of the Out of the Ruins cover reveal giveaway! I received 218 entries and Random.org chose entry 183. Who is #183? I’m glad you asked.

It’s Linda Oliver Thompson!

Congratulations, Linda! I went ahead and sent you an email. Linda will be choosing either a copy of MISTAKEN or OUT OF THE RUINS. I’m excited to see which one she picks.

Thank you to everyone who entered. I am overwhelmed by the responses and how many of you expressed excitement over the upcoming novel. I am thrilled to get this book into the hands of readers. I’ve been working on the story behind Out of the Ruins since 2009 when I first watched a Ken Burns documentary about the San Francisco earthquake.

This week I am going over the final galley proof edits. That’s where we make sure all the “t”s are crossed and the “i”s are dotted. Well, not really. The computer takes care of that. It’s actually my last read-through to check for errors.

I was a little nervous to open up the book again, after not looking at it for so many months. Sometimes it’s difficult to go back and read something you wrote a long time ago. You cringe when you see certain parts and think, “Did I really write that?!”

That’s not happening with Out of the Ruins. I cracked it open and discovered I’m more in love with the story than ever. Sure, I’m finding a handful of typos and minor mistakes to tweak . . . but the story! The story still grips my heart.

My cat, Oreo, on the other hand–he’s not impressed. He’s always been a tough critic to please. But he does think the pages are nice and crinkly to sit on.

Mystery the dachshund is much more supportive. She sees the red pen come out and she hurries to cuddle up beside me. Sure, she’d like to see a few more dog characters, but she’s content to be a lap warmer.

Anyway, I’m looking forward to seeing Out of the Ruins release this coming May. I think you’ll enjoy it. If you’d like to be first in line, it’s available for pre-order on Amazon, Barnes & Noble, and Christianbook.com. I am still overwhelmed with gratitude that Abingdon Press chose to take a risk on this new author.

Now, it’s time to get back to the red pen.

Thanks, everyone!

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