I know what I'm giving myself this year for Christmas. A great gift. The best gift. I'm finally finishing my latest manuscript: NIGHT HUNGER, Book 2 of my vampire romance series, Pharaohs Rising.

I try to write at least one book per year. But sometimes, like this past year, LIFE, in capital letters, intervenes and it's not that often. So you can imagine how euphoric I'm feeling right now.

Yes, I need to take a deep breath and painstakingly (no pun intended, but I do write about vampires) read through the sucker (there I go again ) ' all 400+ pages of it.

Yes, with blue rollerball pen in hand, I will scribble my final edits up one side and down the other, filling the margins and every available white space on the page.

Yes, I will make myself enter all those darned edits on the computer. A tiresome job at best.

Yes, I will then and only then reward myself by writing the final climatic scene or two, making sure I've tidied up all those pesky loose ends. (This is my favorite part of a book as I work with a speed and passion that amazes even me sometimes.

Yes, I will print out the manuscript and since my HP LaserJet 4M spouts out pages at the rate of 4 per minute, it takes a full day. (But since my printer still does a beautiful job, why invest in a new one?)

And, yes, I will at last drive over to FedEx and ship the book off to New York. (Unless, my publishing house allows me to e-mail the manuscript, in which case it will take me a good part of a day to create a single document.)

But by Christmas, for all intents and purposes, the book will be finis, a done deal, completed, off my "to do" list.

There is always a huge sigh of relief when a book is finished.

Almost.

Actually, the huge sigh of relief will come AFTER my editor has read and approved the book.

It's a little too soon to decide how I'm going to celebrate once that glorious moment arrives. I took a raincheck on my birthday in August and my wedding anniversary in early September, so I figure it's going to be a humdinger whatever it is. (And short-lived since I'm starting Book 3 on January 5th.) With happiness in my heart and a few muscle cramps in my shoulders, my neck, and my index fingers — aka my two typing fingers — may I wish all of you a Happy Holiday Season!

~Elizabeth Guest

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