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I will query in 2021 or my name is not Leigh Hutchens!

(It's not, actually anymore. Ha! Tricked ya, but I didn't jinx myself. That's how confident I am. I'll be stepping on ALL the sidewalk cracks.)

*


I'm sitting here with my laptop out, hiding at a corner table on the patio, at this chain bar/restaurant called "World of Beer." I used to come here after work to avoid seeing my boyfriend at the time. I'd sit at the bar, play on my phone, have a few beers - all while he did Crossfit or sat at home, probably as annoyed with me as I was with him.

Now, I'm actually racing through this post to hurry and GET home - to my new husband, my soul mate. Per my usual dumb wiring, I considered telling him that my meeting ran long or that I'd had a drink with my colleague, who he's met - and who really was in town from Lexington for the meeting.

But she's pregnant. And here's the other thing - I don't have to lie to him. I could also write this post sitting in bed next to him. I've only recently gotten back to writing. And despite his (justified) concern about the head space it could put me in, he's been nothing short of supportive. 

I just liked the full circle feeling I knew sitting here would give me. Plus, I wanted a happy hour. At least a happy half hour. After all, super hot husband IS home waiting for me. His office is in our basement. He's probably just finishing up, ooh - he just sent a text! He misses my beautiful face. He's a dream. 

I digress.

It's taken almost twenty years, but my manuscript is on this side of ready. I have a bit more to write, but I'm at the point where I'm looking into hiring some editing help, thinking through my query letter(s) and compiling a list of agents. 

This feels both surreal and hard earned, and like the right time for me to be able to type the end of that sweet sentence, "XXX Title is complete at xx,xxxx number of words." At least by the end of the year. Or maybe by Halloween. I haven't given myself too hard a deadline. 

I started reading about a writer's platform today, and thus - here I am, intending to start blogging more frequently and consistently. 

Can I convert this thing into a website? *Makes note to check on that as well as making a few (strikethrough, wink) THE BULK - of my old posts private* Do they no longer have the strikethrough feature on here?!

Secondly, I started an anonymous twitter account several years ago entirely to complain about the real ex-boyfriend I referenced above. I realized that the handful of tweets I'd tweeted were actually in my main characters voice. Shocker. 

Anyway, I renamed it today and now it's my character's feed. Follow "me" / her at @laurellancaster. 

If you're interested in a critique of my first few chapters or 50 pages, or of me in general, please reach out via email or message in a bottle or in any fashion you fancy. I hope we are well on our way to calling my book something other than a WIP. Can I get a fingerscrossedspice?

 

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