Last September, I emailed Jan at Cinnamon Press the final draft of A Time for Peace. Before the end of 2015, I sent her the map of Serbia my niece, Rachel Duckhouse drew, as well as a list of acknowledgements, a brief account of the Historical Background and the dedication.
On Monday I received by email her edited copy, which she asked me to read through, marking on a separate sheet any corrections.
I wasn’t prepared for my reaction.
What I had written was a novel. For the first time, I could picture it in book form. The font and print size were those of Cinnamon Press.

I was so excited.
Many years ago, I attended a night class led by Steve Calcutt on getting published. In addition to how to get an agent (he was one), he talked about editing the final draft of a novel. Always print it out, he advised. So that’s what I did.

The next part wasn’t as exciting because with the prospect of the book becoming real, came the recognition there would be real readers. They wouldn’t necessarily be writers I know, but strangers who were new to Serbia, to my style of writing and the story that was about to unfold.