I mentioned a while back that I was publishing my next novel … and I am. It’s just taking longer than I expected. You see, editors keep telling me I need to make changes — not to the story, but how I use punctuation. When I think a coma works fine, they say an em dash is called for. An em dash? What the heck is an em dash? I’ve heard of an en dash but now they’re throwing a new dash at me. How many dashes are there?

So I’ve been working through the trials and tribulations of publishing my work. I always think it will take a month or two to get a manuscript in print. That hasn’t happened even once. When will I learn? So I’m working away on em dashes, floating participles, hanging adjectives, soft spaces vs. hard spaces, etc., etc., etc. See what I mean? But I’ll get there; I promise.

I’ve stepped away from suspense novels in this book titled Without You. It is a contemporary fiction novel with a love story as the main theme. Now I was also told — by the same editors — that I shouldn’t use the term love story or romantic novel because there are strict guidelines attached to that genre and my story doesn’t follow those guidelines. So I say in a soft whisper, “It’s a love story that doesn’t follow the norm.”

It’s about a young man and young woman who fall in love and how their love is threatened by their careers. Now if that isn’t a love story then I don’t know what one is — just like that silly em dash! So stick with me a little longer. It’s coming and then you can decide if it’s a love story or a contemporary fiction novel.

The decision will be entirely yours!