Every year, I purchase (for a buck) the countdown to Christmas calendar for the kids. A tiny piece of waxy chocolate is the reward for wading a day closer to the BIG day.

How I wish I had a count down to publication calendar for my own nail biting clock watching. But I don't so this will have to do. I am now writing a weekly post that speaks to the process of bringing a book from my life, heart and hands and into the world.

First, it's important to say that the entire creation to publication process is surreal. There is so much to do that I don't often slow down to examine what is happening. When I do, I have to admit that it's weird. Really, really weird. It's just as weird as watching a baby emerge from an impossible place or even grow in the belly.

Think about it. There was nothing--just a blank page--and then I began to write, and write and write a little more. Thousands of hours, millions of words, gazillions of edits and several manuscripts tossed into the garbage. Yes. Manuscripts gone. It happened (and should have happened).

And then there were the hours I spent on the phone with my agent (who turned out to be my friend and my editor)as she told me, "well, you have a good start here but..." and off we'd go to yet another revision. Three hundred hours? Five? This is why, of course, my first bit of gratitude went to my agent.

And now a book is type-set and can be pre-ordered via Amazon. Go see! I'm in shock.

As I near the official publication date, March 2011, this is what is happening: My agent works to sell foreign rights. Thanks to the heavenly team at Seal Press, Found has been beautifully laid out, made into galleys and has gone out to major American media publications for review. On Friday, I will meet my publicist (as she is flying into Portland) and a whole host of speaking/teaching events have been set up in Florida (for the American Adoption Congress), at Sitka Center on the Oregon Coast and in Minnesota, Pittsburgh, Palm Beach, L.A. and Georgia. Finally, I am writing and submitting for publication around the country.

Did I mention I have two children, am finishing an MFA degree at Pacific Lutheran University, am teaching two classes for Literary Arts and teach my own weekly writing circle? And mentor students, one on one?

Whew, take a deep inhale and exhale on that schedule.

Over the last few weeks, we have gathered a solid collection of blurbs from Hope Edelman, Cheryl Strayed, BJ Lifton, Nancy Verrier, Adam Pertman and (soon) Karen Karbo.

It must be noted that the Lifton quote came just two weeks before this remarkable woman passed away. I feel both blessed and baffled. How lucky could I be, to have a quote from one of the pioneers in the area of increasing awareness around issues of adoption, and more so now that she is no longer with us.

A moment of silence.

Finally, I wanted to talk about the cover for Found which was built over a painting created by my dear friend Blair Peters who lives in West Marin.

By way of background, Blair and I met at Spirit Rock years ago. We were attending a ten day silent retreat on the Heart Sutra and Blair was just so regal and beautiful. Over the days we were together, I kept moving my meditation cushion closer to her until finally, when we could talk, I introduced myself.

Blair was this Renaissance woman raising four young children while exploring a creative life, which literally exploded out of her—from the way she mothered, cooked, decorated her home, dressed and of course, painted. I have been a long time fan of Blair, as a woman and an artist. She is my "perfect woman" role model so to have her work adorn my cover is terrific. It is also the kind of magic that might never happen with a larger press.

While I appreciated all that was done for me with Simon & Schuster, I was not consulted on the cover (much). And in looking back at the first three covers, they are quite tame and contained. Whereas this cover is bold, beautiful, haunting and emotional. It catches the eye. Wonderful.



NEXT WEEK: ...what do you do when someone, in your book, wants to re-write your book?