50,630. But we’re…

50,630. But we're further along than you'd think, because I cut a whole bunch of stuff that wasn't working. I've almost got my protagonists actually in love -- just another scene or two will take them there, I think. It's tough; they have a lot of defenses, both of them. And once they've lowered those defenses, they still have to decide what kind of relationship they want to have. Something too traditional isn't going to work for them. They have a couple of options, though. Of course. :-)

I plan to send this out to my readers' list this afternoon -- consider this a heads-up. I should get it back from Duncan and Penguin with their comments on Monday (which means if any of y'all plan to send me comments, this weekend would be ideal, and much later will be too late); then I spend next week doing (hopefully minor) revisions to create a pre-copyediting draft. Then it goes out to the copyeditor at the end of next week. Then I get it back quick, and revise to suit the copyedits. And then I think I'm done!

It should actually all ease up after today, I hope. This version feels close enough to finished that I think I'll have plenty of time for other projects next week. Which is good, because the Tiptree reading is approaching critical, and I'm way behind on SH stuff and e-mail and all.

Okie, back to work. I'll just note, though, that the temperature dropped precipitously today, and that it's hard to concentrate when my nose is cold. I'm wearing layers (and the fuzzy slippers Kevin got me for Christmas (a few years late, but that's another story altogether)) and drinking hot tea and I have lots of candles lit and a blanket over me and the heat is turned up to 72, but my nose is still cold. It's snowing outside, hard. I don't approve.