Home again, after DragonCon, with different kind of work to hand: The publisher sent _both_ the copyedited ms. _and_ the first-pass galleys to my hotel in Atlanta, with the request that I process them simultaneously (ak!), to save time. Which means, theoretically, reading the copyedit and responding to queries, checking marks, etc.–then transferring all markings to the first-pass galleys, and in the process, proof-reading the galleys, in case of errors introduced by the typesetting. _And_ in the process, filling in any still-missing square brackets/additional bits.
The kicker here being that this is my first AND ONLY chance to read and correct the ms. before it goes to the printer. And it needs to be done by Sept. 20th.
Oooookay. So my plan is:
1. Proof the galleys first. Read with no distraction, fix any errors, mark anything (like empty square brackets or questionable bits) for later fill-in.
2. Read the copyedited ms., side by side with galleys (mind, the pages don’t _match_, as the copyedit was done on a printout of the revised ms., not on a printout of the galleys), answer all queries, and transfer all approved markings to the galleys. This will be the slowest part.
3. Paste in/append insertions of Gaelic–these are numerous, and owing to the fact that Gaelic is unfamiliar to typesetters (i.e., they can’t tell what a Gaelic word is _supposed_ to look like, and can therefore easily misspell them), the bits need to be provided _in type_, rather than handwritten (know from bitter experience that typesetters routinely mistake “r” for “v” and “n” for “m” when reading Gaelic insertions done by hand). I’ll print the pieces (on separate pages) and staple them to the relevant galley pages.
4. Write, print, and append auxiliary material: Dedication, Acks, Author’s Notes, and Glossary. (The Author’s Notes are mostly written already, and the Acks roughed out. Dedication is the work of a few moments–but the Glossary needs to be compiled _from_ steps one and two, above, words being added as I go through the ms.) These then need to be proofed, as well.
5. Consult all notes from beta readers and be sure all errors and questions have been addressed.
6. If time, read Whole Damn Thing again when complete. Also if time, make copy of WDT and have assistant proof-read, too, extra eyes being useful (but not all that useful during preliminary phases, as many errors will have already been caught and new stuff hasn’t been added yet).
That’s the Major Thing that needs to be done over the next weeks. On the other hand, really don’t want to go without writing for that long (and wanting very much to dig into WRITTEN); likewise, doing too much proofing at a stretch is counter-productive, because you start reading too fast and imagining–rather than really seeing–what’s on the page. So goal is to proof for an hour or so at a time, with a goal of processing 150 pages a day (I can effectively proof/process about 30 pages an hour), and during breaks, write stuff. (Besides WRITTEN, I have an essay on “Dr. Who” for a small anthology, and the novella about Michael and Joan, due in November. And, of course, there’s always stuff for OCII…). Also resume regular exercise routine (can’t usually keep this up while traveling, particularly not if doing constant events)–walk five miles a day, regular stretches and weights in the morning, half-hour stationary bike or swim in evening.
Dear Diana,
How you do all those things, maintain this blog AND manage to post on Twitter is completely beyond me.
All I can say, is “May the Power be with you”!
Dear Diana, I recently finished your entire series and am rereading it as I have been depressed without Jamie and Claire every day!! When I finished book 7 and was frantically searching online for info about book 8, I saw the Outlander movie posts. Anyway, to the point… I couldn’t imagine WHO could play Jamie until I saw “Thor”!! Chris Hemsworth plays Thor in the movie and as I watched I was thinking, “that’s James Fraser”!!
For what it’s worth…
Thank you for your books-they are MAGICAL!!!
Kristen
That is exactly what I thought, Kristen! It was actually hard to concentrate on the movie
And thanks to you, Diana, for just being awesome.
Wow, freaky, I thought the same thing!! I am re-reading the books now!
Oh my gosh! This is exactly my Jamie Fraser too! The first time I laid eyes on the man. Chris Hemsworth is Jamie! What a beautiful man. An Aussie. Yum!
Me too! Chris Hemsworth is definitely Jamie!
There is truly only one man that could play Jamie…Gerard Butler…hands down.
When I saw Thor, I, too, immediately thought of Jaime Fraser! If we could only be so lucky….
I agree! Chris Helmsworth it is! 100% young Jamie! I wonder if he can master the Scottish accent? I love this series. Diana, THANK YOU for such an amazing read!!!!
But in the end…it’s worth it! And we love you for doing it! March on, dear warrior. March on!
Must make you crazy somedays when inspiration for the new book is flowing and you have to switch gears to go over the last one! But then, I often find myself longing to get home from work so I can do something creative, so I guess that is similar. I thought it amusing they sent you the work at DragonCon, like you would accomplish such mundane work while there!!
Some responses spring to mind, in no particular order:
Good God Woman !
How can I help ?
And you’re still married ?
Can you tell which way is up ?
What do you do in your spare time ?
Here’s to you (raising a glass) !
An essay on Doctor Who? How lovely! Can’t wait!
Still chuckling over Gill’s remarks…. I have to say I feel quite lazy about the course of my day when compared to yours. My feeble “THANK YOU” just doesn’t cut it for all you do to provide us with such pleasure. A novella about Michael and Joan… yippee!!! Looking forward to that one too!
Breathe in….breathe out Diana………………
All I can say is WOW!! And that you are my hero! I love these books so much and I so appreciate all that you do to make them happen.
In other words: Book 8 is on hold for a week or so! I am exhausted and my eyes are burning just reading what you are expected to do over the next week.
Deep breathe and GO!
And aren’t you going to be in New York on Sunday for the Brooklyn Book Festival? Or did they lie?
I have no idea how you manage to do all this! But keep going, I’m cheering you on!
I am thinking that writing out your to do list here on the blog is very smart.
By doing this, you have:
#1 organized the order to do things in,
#2 you have made it public, and
#3 you now have all of us, cheering you on!!
You go girl!
Keep it up!
I know you can do it!
You know you can do it!
Thank you!
My week looks rather easy after reading that. Thank yo for all your hard work. May rest and exercise find you
Looking forward to The Scottish Prisoner..read in todays paper in the Belive it or Not:
An octopus has 3 hearts. So besides having all those legs and story lines. What about the 3 hearts. I am getting realllllly old, so looking forward to the new Jamie and Claire book. Nena
I was just curious, since you mentioned that you have so many things to finish with SP before it can be published and you really want to get into WRITTEN, are there times where you have to just drop everything you are doing and write? Or can you successfully manage to keep it all inside (and not forget anything) until all the other project are finished and you won’t have to interrupt anything pressing?
I thought I was busy with 2 year old triplets, a husband and a dog! Thank you for all your hard work Diana!
OH MY!!!!!!!!!sounds like a very busy time….more power to you lady:) just so glad that you keep writing ’cause we all love your work. YOU GO GIRL!!!!!!!
Wow. Does listening to music help? I would guess…. “Flight of the Bumblebee”…perhaps?
I dare say that in spite of all the hard work you love your work, because it shows on the product.
With that list, surely there’s something you’ve forgotten?! LOL
Saw WDT and I was racking my brain trying to remember the title and if it started with WDT … DOH!!!!
Sounds like some days what a writer does very *little of* is write! Good luck with that schedule… whew. We’re cheering you on!
Good lord! I’m exhausted just reading that. I presume you own stock in a vitamin company? You must be taking a small fortune in B vitamins to keep up with all of that.
Diana,
You must have invented the term “multi-tasking”!!! You have to LOVE what you do in order to keep that schedule. We all certainly LOVE what you do and hope that you never stop doing it. Thanks.
I knew there was a reason why I am in awe of you. Do you sleep? Are you from another time? Or is it the energy wave of faithful readers who are patiently waiting for the next book…. any book…that keeps you going!
We are All lucky to have you….ooh I am gushing! ALL the best! I await Jamie and Lord John.
And I thought I had a busy upcoming couple of weeks executing 3 out of town events while juggling a 3 year old and a 3 month old. Your to-do list made my eye twitch. When I’m exhausted over these next few days, I’ll just think of your work load!
I love it when you share the process with us! We learn so much about how a book is put together, and that is really fascinating! I can’t imaging why your publishers think you are “Super Human”??? Oh yeah, because you manage to spin 15 plates at one time…quite often! As always “Thank You!”
OMG Diana you are a machine! Good thing you are a woman because no man could ever keep up with that pace.
Mount a book holder/desk on your stationary bike, maybe?
I am waiting patiently.
My head was spinning by the time I got to #6!
You rock, Diana.
I for one feel ashamed for asking whens the next book??? Good Golly Diana, and you always look great in your pics too!
Whoo! I’m exhausted just reading all of that. Diana, you must be a woman of boundless energy, of which we are the grateful beneficiaries. Thank you for your hard work and dedication. I used to have energy like that, until I started having chronic pain in my back. You are also very disciplined, I must say. I think you must even rival my dad, who has been, heretofore, by far the most disciplined person I know. Thanks for sharing the nuts and bolts of publishing a ms with us.
Lynda
I am tired just reading that! Good luck!
you do to much o.O
Amazing – I had no idea the steps existed in the process of getting the book to my hand. Rather thought with computers you somehow emailed the files the publisher formatted the editor proofed and viola!!!! I love learning new things and to hear this realtime makes me value the experience even more. After the book is in hand and I devour the story I bet I spend a moment to appreciate the work – and that someone had to pick a font for the page numbers. ; ). Thanks for the insight.
Gee, and here I thought all one has to do is write the book! Sounds complicated and time consuming. I now have a better understanding of why it takes so long to just not write the book, but to actually get it ready for publication…
Looking forward to both Scottish Prisoner and Book eight!
I’m trying to get a homebased business off and running, your words are very inspiring.
Good luck, and thx 4 sharing.
And I thought going back to work full-time was exhausting. All I can say is, “Thank You so much!” we really do appreciate your hard work.
Hi Mrs. Gabaldon,
I really enjoy your books. I just wanted to Say Thanks !! Thanks so much
for spending time with us fans at Dragoncon.
Good Luck getting all those projects completed on time.
I would gladly volunteer to help, but I know nothing of writing.
I just enjoy reading.
Take care & Be safe !!!!
Susie O.
Jesus H. Roosevelt Christ!
lol, good one!
Love your response Emily. Good Grief. All I do is read.
Lot’s of work. Enjoyed your talk at the bookstore in Atlanta and appreciated your answering the question on how you keep everything organized. Today’s post was another good example. Hope it goes well and quickly so you can get back to the writing.
Hi Diana,
I truly feel your pain. I had to do this very thing in the spring with my last non-fiction book, which was huge, 500 pages. My best friend and co-author passed away on Christmas Eve from breast cancer so I had to soldier on alone, very sad and devestated, as you can imagine. I had a fab editor, but this is a horse book and she’s not a horse person. So I had to help with picture selection, captioning, myriad questions, organization, etc. We had very little time because my publisher wanted a summer release. Luckily my galleys were sent by email and I bought an iPad app called PDF Annotate and a stylus. I could mark the PDFs right on my iPad screen and email annotated pages from the app. I could unchain myself from my desk and work wherever, made it so much better! The book came out last month and all that hard work is now a faint distant memory. Now the book signings and obsessive google news alerts begin! The editing process is very long and tedious. So many steps to take before publication.
My publisher asked me last month if I could write a chicken breed profile magabook in two months. I swallowed hard and said…uh, sure?!
Go on, ask me about the Scottish Dumpy! Yes, that is a chicken. A very old and endangered breed.
Dear Sharon–
Congratulations on your latest book–and good luck with the chickens! {g} I’d _love_ to hear about the Scottish Dumpy!
–Diana
Hi Diana,
Okay, here goes! The Scots Dumpy is a 700 year old breed, and was a prize “watch bird,” allerting the Scots and Picts when the Romans came a’calling. It was (and still is) a dual-purpose bird beloved by crofters. Its name tells you a lot about it—it’s dumpy. It has short little (two inch) legs and a stocky body. The breed had nearly become extinct by the 20th century but stock was found in Kenya from birds taken there in 1902 by Lady Violet Carnegie. The hens make very good mothers, and gamekeepers used to use them to raise game bird chicks. The breed lays white eggs, has a single comb, and is found mostly in cuckoo (which is a striped gray color) although white and black are also found.
The Rare Breeds Survival Trust in England has this bird on their endangered list. For more info you can visit http://www.scotsdumpyclub.org.uk.
Now back to your galleys!!
Sharon : )
Dear Sharon–
I am entirely charmed to hear about the Scots Dumpy, and will make every effort to include some in the next book. {g} Thanks!
–Diana
Sure thing, Diana! Glad I could help. They are sweet little guys. And worth saving due to their history and rare bloodlines for sure.
So many neat animals have come out of Scotland. Horses are my specialty, obviously. I hope one day to go to Shetland and Eriskay to see the ponies in their native habitat. I’ve seen the New Forest, Dartmoor, and Exmoor in England but have yet to get to see the horses in Scotland.
Let me know if you ever need any horse history. Now the Scotch Galloway. That was an amazing horse. Extinct now, sadly. But Jamie would have ridden one. : )
When they mate, you could say “Humping Dumpies” can result in bad eggs. Avian copulation is often referred to as treading. Their short legs (about 2 inches) could make falling while treading more likely. The homozygous genotype for the characteristic limited leg length is lethal (chicks die before or soon after hatching) according to the online info. They have a waddling gait, may have difficulty foraging, but are docile and meaty. Breeding for traits that cause disabilities is a questionable practice. Why did the chicken cross the road? To show the armadillo it could be done.
Does your day by any chance have more than 24 hours ? If so, please let me know how you did that…
I could use a few more than 24 hours myself
Although you are not a professor anymore, it looks like you are just as busy as one, if not more!
JFDI – Just focus and do it
All I have to say is WOW! and Thank you!
Yikes! That’s a busy schedule! Thank you so much for being at Dragon*Con. It was great to have you sign my copy of The Exile.
You mentioned Doctor Who?!?! When will that anthology be out? My husband and I are big Doctor Who fans.
oooookay.. so your plan is…
1. write a blog post. every writer’s favourite form of procrastination.
I’m exhausted just reading that. We are infected with a Dr. Who Mania at our house right now. My two teenaged daughters are even making duct tape daleks and custom tee shirts and listening to Trock (Timelord Rock, what will they think of next?). Nice to know that the geek doesn’t fall far from the Tardis, though…
Dr. Who Mania has also infected our house, though no dalek making is going on. I love time travel when it’s well done–Who and Gabaldon being fine examples. So “live long and prosper” and “may the Force be with you.” P.S. You might also like the books of Jack Finney for another fix of well done time travel.
My household also sits riveted before the television when Dr. Who is on.
Just like ‘Herself”, D.G.’s fans are have eclectic tastes.
Warmest regards
Antipodean Janet
As someone who once proof-read for a living, I fully understand. It is incredibly painstaking and so necessary. But your eyes do tend to give out after a certain amount of time and your brain, if pressed
too hard, takes little side trips usually at the worst possible time! However, the end result is always worth it.
Your books are a joy to read and don’t contain a lot of errors so the proofing is working well!
How come other authors get away with writing bad grammar and sentences that are 100 words long? I won’t mention any names…
I, personally, am going to have a glass of wine and toast all of your hard work [maybe this is why famous writers like Hemingway DRANK?]
I don’t think Hemingway had 1/4 the reason to drink that Diana does!
Saw your tweet and then read the blog. The things you do for us! I feel guilty just sitting here.
I can help!
Hello!
Hope the writing adventures continue to go well!
I have never asked a famous author a question before so forgive me if I sound a little silly!
I hear that you are finishing up the Outlander Saga( Which I love by the way, I can’t wait to read the next one) But I was curious wether or not you thought of possibly in the future writing a novella of Fergus and Marsali? They are just one of my favorite couples and it would be sweet to read a little more about them from your perspective. (Fanfiction would just NOT be the same) As someone wanting to be a writer someday, I can’t write for other people and what they want first, it has to be for me so I am not going to be a demanding/crazy fan about it. But again, I was just curious
Dear Laura–
I don’t know about “finishing up” the series–where did you hear that? I never know how much ground I’m going to cover in a book (I don’t plan them out ahead of time), so I have no idea whether Book Eight is the last one or not. But I do–and have of late been doing more–do novellas that are part of the story, but focused on minor characters, so who knows? Though I think you’ll see quite a bit more of Fergus and Marsali in WRITTEN IN MY OWN HEART’S BLOOD.
–Diana
When do you sleep?
I just wanted to say that I am currently reading Echo In The Bone and I am near the end. I have mixed feelings…I want to finish to book to see what happens, but I don’t want to finish the book and know that I don’t have another book to start. I am hooked!!
Join the crowd, ever since “I Am Woman” was sung, most working women have to live up to some super-hero status!!!!
I’ll bet your profession gets paid a lot more than I do. And being in the arts field, I try never to proof- read what I’ve written or worked on. As you said, I think I see the right words, even if their wrong.
But let me tell you this Diana, and I suspect many others feel as I do, we appreciate all that you do. Cause we all can work our butts off, and then relax and dream in the worlds that you have created!
Thanks for your creative mind, and your desire to share all with us! Best regards. Patty
Wow….being a writer is so glamorous….
Dear cj–
Oh, you bet. {g} I explained to an elderly uncle once what it was I did. He nodded thoughtfully and replied, “Well….at least it’s _clean_ work.”
–Diana
Hi Diana,
My lovely wife and I had the pleasure to listen to you in Fergus this year. We have enjoyed your books and like everyone else are hanging for the next work of art. So while I am waiting I have started to re-read the series. And if I may ask a question that has had me wondering for some time …. in the Outlander at the beginning .. Frank was returning from Mr Bainbridge’s house, and he encountered “a Scot” looking up at Claire brushing her hair, … “Big Chap”, …”And a Scot in complete Highlands rig-out, complete to sporran and the most beautiful running head – stag brooch on his paid” … My question is, is this Jamie, did he time travel .. . I know he hasn’t (to date) heard the stones or is it Roger who came looking for Claire in 1945 ????. Or am I just seeing a story line where there isn’t one (yet) …Anyway … really looking forward to the next chapter in the journey of Jamie and Claire. Thank you
Dear Ray–
Thanks! I’m really glad you and your wife are enjoying the books! {smile}
As for the ghost–that’s Jamie, of course. As to why and how….we’ll answer that, but it will be the last thing in the last book.
–Diana
Dear Diana,
this is Maurizio, translator for the Italian blog SognandoLeggendo. You had agreed to an interview by e-mail. Have you got the questions? I hope so. I’ll send the file again right now, please let me know if you got it.
Sincerely yours,
Maurizio
Can’t wait to read your essay on Dr Who. My whole family is addicted to the Dr. Someof us for longer than we want to remember. My fifteen year old daughter is starting a Dr Who club at her high school & is into listening to Chameleon Circuit on her zune. Love all your work and of course can’t wait for the new stuff!
Here I sit after 6 PM; an hour after work and I’m still here. Why, because this lazy reader has become capitvated by an enchanting series of books by an incredibly talented and brilliant author. At 60 years of age myself and enduring a troubled marriage, please note that romance left me a long time ago. I sit here with my feet up on my desk, munching popcorn and taking some stolen minutes to escape into the world of Jamie and Claire. I enhaled the first book and now I realize how much I needed to read this work of art. A co-worker, who is an avid reader left her book behind a few weeks ago and I thought I poke around in it just for fun. Of course she came back and got her book, but I didn’t think I’d be pushed like I was later the following week to read more.
I was at a garage sale for a community theater group. I sit on the board of directors of this non-profit organization. Another board member brought this book called Dragonfly in Amber to sell in the garage sale. I picked it up and she said, “Oh, Trudy! I think you’d really like this!” She told me a brief description of the book and put it in my hands to take home. I read a few pages an thought how interesting that the woman in this book was called Claire like the one Karen was reading at work.
I saw Karen that following Monday and told her about the coincidence and she said, “Bring the book to work tomorrow. I have a funny feeling.” I did what she asked and the following day, she handed me her beloved, (AUTOGRAPHED on 7/28/01) copy of Cross Stitch. Karen told me about the series and that I MUST start with the first book. She told me when I finished one book she’d loan me the one next in line.
Thank you for taking me away and placing me in a world I might have been quite happy in, Diana Gabaldon. Thank you for the escape. I’ve cried, held my breath and gone through various emotions while reading your work and you may have very well saved my sanity. You’re awesome.
Trudy
I have no idea how you’d do that. I finished doing my copy editing a few months ago and just now received the First Pass request. And my book’s only about 330 pages. I’m assuming yours is about double that. Wow. Good luck with that!
Dear Genevieve–
Congratulations! What’s the title of your book?
I finished {pant,gasp,wheeze} on Friday, FedExed the corrected ms. _everywhere_, then went to New York on Saturday, to attend the Brooklyn Book Festival. Just came back today. I still need to cross-check and proof the auxiliary material–the Acks, dedication, and Author’s Notes–for SCOTTISH PRISONER, and shoot those off to the publisher, but that stuff is all written, and can be done tomorrow morning. Then…on with WRITTEN IN MY OWN HEART’S BLOOD! (aka Book Eight)
–Diana
Did you really say that the ‘Scottish Prisoner’ is almost done and dusted, and that your focus was now ‘Written in my Own Hearts Blood’!
The world can now breathe a sigh of relief, and in turn gasp in anticipation!
From all your devoted followers our heartfelt THANKS!
Warmest regards
Antipodean Janet
Okay, this is totally off subject but I didn’t know where else to post….
We just watched “Thor” last night. The movie itself left MUCH to be desired except for the main actor, Chris Hemsworth. ALL I could think as I was watching him in this character in particular (long, red hair, bright blue eyes, tall…) was that he would be perfect playing Jamie Fraser should the Outlander series ever (hopefully!) become a movie!
Can NOT wait for “Bloody Men”!!
Thank you for providing hours of enjoyment-thoroughly enjoy your writing Diana!
Jen
Greetings Jennifer,
Talented Aussie actor Chris Hemsworth is indeed a Jamie worthy ‘hunk’ as we say here ‘Down Under’.
I would be just a little worried about how well gorgeous Chris Hemsworth might master a Scottish accent.
If we are ever lucky enough to see an ‘Outlander’ series we would have to have actors capable of conveying convincing Scots/Gaelic and British accents. To do otherwise would be sacrilege.
Cheers
Antipodean Janet
71 Days until ‘Scottish Prisoner’
AGREED!!
Thank you for all your hard work! I just finished Book 7 and this is the first time I don’t have a book ready and waiting for me! I am seriously depressed. In case you find some extra, extra time working on Book 8 (Written) would be greatly appreciated because I HAVE to find out what happened with everything at the end of Echo in the Bone.
Thanks for such a wonderful series. At least I will have Scottish Prisoner in November to hopefully hold me over until Book 8 comes out.
We watched “Thor” last night too! Chris Hemsworth does indeed have many “Fraser” qualities…the height for sure! And the amazing Blue eyes…and definitely the anger, but I’m not sure about the more sensitive aspects of our “Dear” Jaime…he’s verra complicated after all!
I vasilate between hoping for a movie, and …not…the personal version is hard to live up to…
When reading Jamie’s words, I hear Laim Neeson’s voice (close your eyes, ladies, Liam’s voice is like melted butter!). Jamie can’t be too pretty–more like ruggedly handsome. He becomes more attractive the better you know him.
Heavens, editing certainly cannot ever be considered easy, can it? I already admired you greatly, Diana, but reading this makes me wonder if I really do have the ability to write after all (looks like writing is just the beginning).
A friend and I are doing a re-read (and I think I have her convinced she needs to read the Lord Johns as well LOL)…and even though this must be my 15th read of Dragonfly In Amber, I just realized that John is William when we first meet him???
I also dropped my jaw when Jenny talks about Dougal coming to get Jamie to foster…after your last excerpt of Book Eight, I wonder exactly who else Dougal may meet on that trip to Lallybroch?? (trying to ask that question without mentioning too much of the excerpt in case people reading these comments don’t read the excerpts)
Looking forward to Scottish Prisoner and of course to Book Eight…
Okay–replying to myself here (embarrassed grin)…Got to Voyager and realized that John is “John William Grey” and that every once in a while, my memory fails me these days even after multiple re-reads (which gives me a totally acceptable reason to reread LOL)…thank you so much for the wonderous world of Claire and Jamie (and yes, I saw you mention in a reply that your novellas are filling in the gaps of the stories, so I also await Master Raymond’s story “someday”).
All I can say is Wow! You are one busy lady and kudos to you for all the work that you put into one of your books. It truly is a labor of love and the love you must get from your fans for it. Can’t wait to read Book 8 and the Scottish Prisoner! Good Luck!
I’m thrilled about Book 8. I’m a “late bloomer” only discovered the Outlander series last year. I’ve been a devoted listener. I love the audio books. Davina Porter is superb. Thank you so very much for writing such a wonderful story, that continues on beautifully. I’ve read other lengthy series and they all seem to wane toward the end. Not Outlander, I’m as enthralled with the latest as I was with the first. Bless you. Can’t wait until next year!. In the mean time, back to Lord John :O) !
oooooh — it makes my eyes and head hurt just to know what your days are like!
You must be a lot more organized than I have EVER been!
and I agree with whoever said it was no wonder Hemingway drank!
One can only hope you manage to fit some eating in there as well. Sounds like you need sustenance!
I am trying to find out where or when I can purchase a copy of “The Firy Cross” in the unabridged audio form. Read the series at least seven times and have listened to the audio forms any more! I have all but the one in question on my IPod. Helps with the house work and yard chores! Looking forward to the next book. Hope to read/listen to it soon!!!
Dear Kathy–
It’ll be available in unabridged format on Audible.com in November.
–Diana
Oops! Just saw Diana’s recent post regarding Audible-please disregard that part of my post.
Thanks, Loretta Remington
Diana,
You must practice yoga and/or some form of meditation. If I think of doing all those things all at once my head might implode. How do you stay balanced? I would think the exercise would be an excellent form of meditation. I use my jogging as a time collect myself, get my thoughts in order. However, I’m not attempting all the projects nor the travels you have listed. What’s your secret to staying so disciplined and focused?
L
It’s official. You’re Superwoman.
Sitting here on the sofa and marvel at all that is going to order at a book should come from the author’s head to the buyer’s hand. I think I need to rethink about my decision to become a writer. Do not know how many times I re-read all the books, I just know that I was upset when I got to the end of book 7. My girlfriends who also read about Jamie and Claire agreed with me that it is not legal to end a book in that way. Now I am even more on needles waiting for the next book. Have a girlfriend who have not started reading the series yet, she wants all the books before she starts since she saw how the rest of us acts in waiting for the next one.
Kudos for you and I´ll keep my fingers crossed that I have money when the next one arrives.
Much love from Sweden
Diana, et.al.
Perhaps I missed the answer to this…Will there be an audio version of THE SCOTTISH PRISONER? Where/when will it become available? Will Audible have it?
I’d also like to change my email address for this web-site…How do I do that?
Thanks for your time.
Loretta Remington
I know he’s too old now, and probably too short, but i see Sean Bean as a rugged Jamie.
we are all grateful for all your hard work, Diana. Thank you for both wonderful series – they are both a pleasure to read… And re-read.
You are truly a multitasker! I thought I had enough with running a small company, wearing many hats, but thank goodness I have great people working for me.
Thank you for sharing your life with us. I have enjoyed the books so much. They have made me laugh out loud and sob with tears down my face. Jamie and Claire are a part of my soul now. I don’t have enough words to tell you how much the books have meant to me. Please, please don’t end the books. Your writing is exquisite. Diana, PACE YOURSELF !!
My Dear Diana,
Just wanted to say THANK YOU for all the things you do for your fans! That list is long and daunting, but we appreciate all your hard work, just so we can sit back and crawl into the wonderful world of Jamie and Claire. THANK YOU.
I agree w/Chris Helmsworth, but ONLY because Gerard Butler has gotten older. We’ve been wanting him to play Jamie for years!
Oh my gosh. I feel your pain. The writing, not the knee.
Good luck with it. Hope it heals well. My hubby is 38 today and possibly looking at a hip replacement. BTW, can’t wait for book 8!
Phewwww! When does the real Diana get to come up for air? Do you find it difficult to re-orient yourself when the writing and its process is done? Not to say that end result is appreciated more than you can know. I feel a little like the characters in “The Little Red Hen” who don’t do any of the work but eagerly await the finished bread to devour. Outlander and its sequels have become my favorite that I encourage all my friends to read. I love you for all that you do.