Wow – a whole month has disappeared since my last blog entry; so much for trying to post weekly. I’ve been caught up in getting the second draft of RACHEL to my editor so she can sink her teeth into it. My husband and daughter also have copies, and I know I can count on my family to be ruthless in their criticism [my editor is more diplomatic]. So I have given myself a 4-day long weekend vacation from writing/editing, waiting to see what others think I’ll need to change.
Right now the main body of RACHEL weighs in at approximately 145,000 words, slightly shorter than MIRIAM, which was 156K. The final product will be longer, of course, when the prologue, timeline, glossary, afterword, etc. are included. I intend to add a family tree, so the readers can keep track of all Rashi’s grandchildren, plus map of medieval Europe so they can follow Rachel and Eliezer’s travels. I also plan an epilogue to briefly explain what happened to Rashi’s family and French Jewry in the centuries after RACHEL closes.
I’ve also been busy setting up my fall travel schedule. I’m still working out the details, but it looks like I’ll be in the Bay Area the last week in October, then in Chicago, Detroit, Buffalo and Baltimore after the election. If you leave anywhere near those cities, I have room to add a few more gigs if your group wants to invite me.