My baby came early! OPERATION SHEBA now in print!

[Misty]

My baby came two weeks early. She measured eight and a half inches long and weighed fourteen and a half ounces. Completely caught off guard by her early arrival, I was nonetheless totally in love the moment I saw her face.

I'd just gotten home from an errand when the brown stork, commonly referred to as UPS, pulled up outside. My husband answered the door, took the delivery, and handed it off to me. “What'd'ya order?”

The package was book size but I hadn't ordered anything recently. I shrugged and tore the cardboard open.
And there she was. My first print novel. Operation Sheba, in the flesh. Or in the paper, as the case may be.

I wrote the first version of Sheba after the towers fell. It was my way of coping with a world gone mad. Creating a fictional world where good guys won and brought justice to the world gave me back a sense of control and from then on I was hooked. Spies took over my imagination, invaded my dreams and monopolized every free moment I had.

In the past eight years, I raised twins, rewrote Sheba twice, hired an agent, fired an agent, moved my family to another town and lost a dear pet. A couple friends departed and a bunch more showed up. While Sheba was making the rounds to agents and editors, I completed several more full length novels and a couple of novellas.

And then, last year, I sold.

Sheba came out first in eformat last September. It was a thrilling moment for me to see my baby with a cover and ISBN number, which was sort of like an ultrasound. I could see it, see the sales and good reviews, but I still couldn't actually put my hands on it.

Nothing can compare to holding your print book in your hands. Just like you count the fingers and toes of a real baby, you flip through the pages, reread the reviews and pause for long moments at the title page, soaking it in. You put it on a special shelf and stare at it with a goofy smile on your face. You talk to it, smooth its cover. and hug it to your chest.

I wonder if the next book will get such special treatment. Will these feelings ever get old? Or will subsequent books be special in their own ways, just like kids?

I don't have those answers yet, but I sure look forward to finding out!

OPERATION SHEBA is a 2008 CataNetwork Reviewers' Choice Award winner and also received an excellent review by Carol Spradling on WRDF: “Ms. Evans writing style is superb. If you read no other book this season, read OPERATION SHEBA. This author is TOPS.”
~ Reviewed by Carol A. Spradling for Writers and Readers of Distinctive Fiction
http://blog.lyndacoker.net/2008/10/19/wrdf-review-of-operation-sheba-by-misty-evans.aspx

[Misty]

Patrice, thank you for stopping by and sharing my moment with me!

I'd been toying around with writing novels since I was in middle school. 9/11 woke me up and made me realize I really wanted to be an author. At first, I wrote light mysteries with my best friends as the main characters. They loved reading those and encouraged me to write more. Since I was staying up late every night to watch CNN, I had an interest in learning more about the CIA and terrorism. Being able to escape real life and yet still write about it really did help me heal after the attacks. I've taught several creative writing classes since then where I emphasize the healing powers of the pen, whether you journal, write poetry or delve into full length mainstream novels. I believe in the health benefits of writing and use myself as a prime example.

[Patrice Wilton]

Misty,
What a great story. So glad you helped yourself heal after 9/11 and made the good guys win! Your baby is a very special, beautiful thing, but each one will be just as wonderful. Enjoy, you've earned it.
Patrice Wilton

[Misty]

Thanks, Judith. I can't stop grinning about it. I'm lucky our own WRDF Chiron O'Keefe pre-ordered a copy and had it sent to me to sign, or I wouldn't have seen it before a bunch of friends and family. :)

Have a great week!

[Judith]

Savor it, Misty. There's very few precious moments to compare with the birth of your baby (even if it is a paperback). Congrats on the early arrival!