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It’s occurring. Actually occurring. Away to Me—my thriller novel about behaviorist Maddie McGown and the homicide of one in every of her greatest pals—is launching February 24th, 2026, however is out there to order now on Bookshop, Amazon, and Barnes and Noble. I’ve learn and beloved novels all my life, and have learn mysteries ever since I used to be in my teenagers. I really like good writing, cherish it. I’m a kind of probably obnoxious individuals who will cease studying, get whoever’s consideration (often Jim), in order that I can learn them some mixture of phrases that makes my coronary heart sing.
However , if my work, that I’ve solely written non-fiction. I beloved doing it, and imagine nonetheless that good non-fiction could be the very best type of excellence in literary endeavors. However writing fiction is an entire different world. Doing it nicely is difficult, to say the least.
On the one hand—what freedom! Something can occur! You get to make all of it up! Then again—how difficult! Something can occur! You need to make all of it up! You need to decide at each second about what’s going to occur subsequent. And, it has to have plots which are plausible, and it has to maintain readers engaged, and have characters which are participating and constant, or constantly inconsistent. You need to determine voice, and setting, and the character of the characters, and time, and and and . . . Backside line: Writing fiction may be very exhausting, and really, very enjoyable. I beloved it.
It continues to be a journey for me, from first concepts, to writing and rewriting (repeat advert infinitum), to studying easy methods to be a greater author, to getting a ebook printed in case you are fortunate, and finally bringing it out into the world. I believed lots of you, who I do know are voracious readers, is perhaps inquisitive about what that course of appears like.
The primary, most necessary, and unending half for me is studying extra in regards to the craft of writing. Though I’ve written so much, I’ve solely taken one class in artistic writing a very long time in the past. I knew I’d have so much to find out about writing fiction, and within the course of, be taught to up my recreation. Right here’s one instance of my evolution (and the inevitable modifying and modifying and modifying that goes on within the completion of any good piece of writing):
This was the opening sentence, written in August of 2019: (I had a unfastened concept of the plot, knew the setting I wished, and who the protagonist could be.)
The woods stood darkish and silent, an viewers to the mist rising in an amphitheater of spring-green grass contained in the forest.
Evaluate that to the model that really begins Away to Me in its printed type:
On that day, burned into my mind like a cattle model, the woods stood darkish and silent, an viewers to the fog rising in an amphitheater of spring-green grass.
See the distinction? This can be a homicide thriller, and I’m not spilling the beans once I inform you that the one of many protagonist’s greatest pals is shot lifeless at a sheepdog trial within the opening chapter. Take a look at what that first sentence foreshadows—one thing terrible goes to occur (burned like a cattle model), there’s going to be a thriller to unravel (darkish and silent, fog rising), and the novel occurs in a rural setting (cattle model, woods, spring-green grass).
[By the way, here’s a similar scene from Labor Day weekend, early Saturday morning at the Midwest Championship Sheepdog Trial! (But nothing awful happened! It was a great day once the fog lifted.)]
So, you write. (And also you learn the books of others, voraciously.) You provide you with a plot, you revise it, change it, run it by others. For me, I labored with a writing coach Susanna Daniel of the Madison Author’s Studio, went to 2 author’s workshops placed on by the identical (nice) group, learn books about writing fiction, gratefully soaked within the recommendation from a bunch of sensible, literate pals who did some early readings, exchanged writings, recommendation, and encouragement each month with NYT best-selling author, Cat Warren of What the Canine Is aware of fame, and profited from readings and recommendation from my agent, Jennifer Gates of Aevitas Inventive. Plus, a lot of readings and ideas from Jim and expensive pals. In different phrases, the writer of Away to Me, as is widespread for a lot of novels, is “Patricia McConnell and a Host of Others.”
Then, after writing and revising and deleting truckloads of non-essential phrases, it’s time to attempt to get it out into the world. When you’re fortunate, you’ll have a choice to make: You’ll be able to self-publish (not all that tough now by means of many retailers), you possibly can go together with a “hybrid,” through which you must pay to have your ebook printed, however the home fastidiously vets who they settle for), or you possibly can go the normal route, and attempt to get a identified and revered writer to provide you an advance, nurse your ebook, and use their information and fame to get your ebook some consideration within the tsunami of latest books that flood the shops and airwaves actually day-after-day.
One may write a ebook (and plenty of have, right here’s one) in regards to the benefits and drawbacks of every, however I’ll go away it that I used to be tempted by the great folks on the hybrid Little Creek Press in Mineral Level, WI. Nonetheless, I used to be fortunate sufficient, because of an incredible agent, to get provides from two conventional publishers, together with the one I select, Kensington Books. Sure, I’ve printed my very own books, and sure, I’ve had success with three books printed by Ballantine and Atria, however getting fiction printed by a well-respected home is, as one good friend mentioned, ” a uncommon success certainly.” I don’t imply that to brag, simply that I’m actually grateful.
The drawback of a big-time writer is the timing. If I’d gone with Little Creek Press, the ebook would’ve been out final spring. Kensington Books purchased my ebook in August of 2024, with a pub date a yr and a half later. I truly mentioned to Jen, my agent, “do they know I’m 75?” However with a revered writer like Kensington Books, that’s the secret. Two years is definitely extra widespread.
However, heaps occurs inside that time frame. At one level your editor, (the one who needed to advocate to the remainder of the home to have your ebook taken), goes over what you despatched and returns it with ideas. Some could be trivial and straightforward fixes, some a lot tougher. When you’ve got a superb editor (I do! Wendy McCurdy), you speak it out. You maintain onto your imaginative and prescient, the editor makes ideas based mostly on their information and expertise. In my case, I dumped a whole chapter, mixed two different into one, and made some modifications to one of many characters.
You make the revisions, ship the manuscript again, perhaps or perhaps not make some extra. Upon getting a closing “accepted” manuscript, you get a part of your advance, and the ebook goes to a line editor, who goes by means of it with an eagle eye for all the pieces from grammar, as to whether to put in writing Border collie or border collie (that’s a weblog unto itself), to conserving dates and instances constant. You get it again and both settle for their modifications or argue towards them. Then . . . it goes to typesetting, and also you have a look at it once more, now beneath a lot of time stress to make your absolute final and closing modifications (any after that value you cash.)
Round this time you await the draft of the duvet with baited breath. Regardless of how nice the insides, everyone knows that, to visually oriented primates like us, the duvet could make or break a ebook. And the factor is, it’s not your name when you’ve got a big-time writer. Your contract, mine included, says one thing just like the writer has “session rights,” however the closing determination will not be in your arms. The primary draft of a canopy for The Different Finish of the Leash was such a visible nightmare that I informed my editor I wouldn’t be in the identical room with it. I want I may present it to you, however, as a result of it was an in-house draft, that wouldn’t be moral. I used to be informed I had 24 hours to provide you with one thing else. Fortunately, a sympathetic editor took pity on me, and located the photograph you now see on the duvet. The remainder is historical past.
The evolution of the covers on my subsequent two books wasn’t as dramatic, however I’ll simply go away it that it was a battle to seek out an incredible cowl. I used to be so comfortable when the publishers agreed to make use of what’s beneath for the duvet of the paperback ofThe Schooling of Will, as an alternative of a photograph of Willie’s face that was on the hardcover. (Fact, that’s Maggie within the photograph, not Willie.)
And so, like most authors, I waited with no small quantity of angst to see what Kensington was going to provide you with. And look what they did! The duvet is so highly effective and inventive that it took me a minute to settle with it, and/however I LOVE it now. I made just a few tiny ideas, which they listened to with a lot care and respect that I nonetheless really feel like sending them flowers.
After which–nonetheless with me?–you meet your PR individual, mind storm about who needs to be despatched ARCs (advance overview copies) for blurbs, begin speaking about all the remainder, from articles in magazines to talks in ebook shops. That’s the place I’m now, six months earlier than the ebook comes out on February 24, 2026. It’s been loopy busy the final month, however issues will settle down till just a few months earlier than, when interviews on podcasts and radio reveals get finalized. When you’re fortunate, you’ll be busy busy within the weeks earlier than and after. All that is difficult by the truth that life occurs, and who is aware of what might be happening on this planet when your ebook is launched. A good friend of mine had a ebook come out on 9/12. The day after, yeah, that 9/11. As soon as the ebook’s time is previous, it’s previous. If one thing dramatic occurs when your ebook comes out, your interviews are cancelled, and that’s that. The freight prepare of latest books by no means stops, and in case your ebook will get run over, there’s little to do however begin the subsequent one.
Drained but? I admit that I’m a smidge. However I hope you’re excited to learn it; I’m thrilled that it’s lastly popping out into the world. It comes out Feb twenty fourth, 2026, however you possibly can “pre-order” it now from Bookshop, Barnes and Noble, or Amazon.
MEANWHILE, again on the farm: Heaps happening! Final week Jim and I have been handled to an ideal fishing journey by Tom Hauge of Wisconsin Inexperienced Fireplace. We bought the successful bid within the fund raiser for WGF through which Adrian Wydeven and I spoke about canine and wolves. I used to be comfortable to seek out one other method to help Inexperienced Fireplace, and hoped to have a stunning morning out on a stupendous lake. We bought that and extra, together with nice dialog with Tom, retired from 37 years within the DNR, and two fabulous trout dinners. Winner winner fishy dinner.
Quickly after, we bought hay delivered, and the perfect half is that my job was to take these pictures. Usually I’d be shifting bales off the truck onto the elevator, however bought spoiled by Bently, Gary, and Luke within the photograph beneath.
Jim helped stack the bales within the higher barn, however he too was spoiled by youthful Gus and Justin, out of the photograph, who did the lion’s share of the work.
Proper now we’re on the Midwest Championship Sheepdog Trial, having fun with some beautiful climate, sensible sheep, expert handlers, and a few breath-takingly gifted canine. Beneath is Rose Anderson’s Deri, just a few snaps I bought with my cellular phone.
Yesterday we took a time without work and went as much as Duluth, a occurring city if there ever was one. Right here’s a shot of Duluth’s harbor from the Skyline Parkway. A good way to take pleasure in early fall.
Time to place down the clacky factor (says Maggie) and deal with our personal canine. Could you and your personal canine savor the great thing about this time of yr. See you subsequent time.
