So, that book I was a tad late on is really really REALLY done (I did a last run-through on the manuscript and got rid of all but two of the XXXs today), and I will be officially shipping it off tomorrow.  (Since there’s been a change in editors, they gave me some time to ‘polish’ it.)  And to my relief, after reading it straight through, I’m really excited about it — it came together beautifully.

I’m also excited to see what my new editor Kate (Kate Collins, in fact, Kate — can you believe it?) has to say about it.  I spoke with her this week, and she seems lovely!

So to celebrate, we made a black cat cake out of two cleverly cut and frosted devil’s food layer cakes and festooned it with orange M&Ms on the ears, a candy corn collar, and mellowcreme pumpkins.  If I were diabetic, I think I’d be in a coma about now.  (Fortunately, the cake will be donated to my son’s school carnival for a cake walk.  Not so, alas, the extra tub of frosting we didn’t use.)

Speaking of cake walks, do you remember those? I do.  One in particular — it was second grade at Hughes Elementary School, in New Hartford, New York.   There were just rows of these voluptuously frosted, coconut-dusted confections in a rainbow of colors that had me salivating on sight.  I spent hours walking in time to tinny music, only to have my hopes dashed again and again.  I never did win one, alas; but I spent a disproportionate percentage of my school carnival time wearing a rut in the gym floor with my efforts.

Now, though, I have control of the oven, and can make myself as much cake as I want.  Hm.  Perhaps that’s a realization I didn’t want to have…

Anyway, happy pre-Halloween (it’s positively spooky here), and I hope you all have wonderful weeks! (And no, writing books is rarely a cake walk.  If only it were…)