Happy Valentines Day my peoples. Hope you are staying warm and snuggly with your loved one(s), may they be of the two-legged or four-legged variety. I’m spending today at home with my favorite traditional love meal of heart shaped meat by-products on a frozen pizza. Because I’m classy like that. Also, lazy. Which reminds me to mention, please forgive my slowness in posts lately, but it is with good reason…
Good news: It’s taken four years, countless late nights, and a healthy heap of rejection…but I got myself a book deal. Huzzah!
Bad news: The turnaround will be less than two months. Big deadline in early March with a scheduled publication in September. That’s real, reauuul fast by commercial publishing standards.
I can’t say a whole lot more than that at this time, but you can bet I’ll share details with you guys as soon as I can. This book wouldn’t be happening without you, so y’all will be the first to know. Pinky swear. In the meantime, between the book stuff and work stuff that pays the bills, I’m a little behind. Not just here on the blog but in the general scheme of life. Don’t tell anyone, but my Christmas tree is still up, my house is a mess, and last night I ate dinner off of a small paper plate usually used for cat food because I haven’t done dishes in a week. Maybe longer. Not sure. Even the cat was not impressed with my lack of get-it-togetherness. Mother of God, why she is so judgmental?
In better news, I’m doing a really good job of battling through my annual round of seasonal depression by scheduling time to paint a little each day. I can’t find the words to tell you how much it is helping. I used to dread February each year because of what it meant for my mental health…now I’m only sad it’s half way over. How about that?! Hoping to share (and maybe even sell?) some of the results soon. I’m saying it’s great stuff, but it’s there. And it’s growing. There might have been a llama involved. And a lot of flowers. A whole lot of flowers. This morning I went to 7Eleven and the checkout counter was loaded with flowers and chocolate (it’s valentines day after all) so now I’m thinking chocolate might be my next subject du-jour. That’s just a alogical transition, right? Right. So stay tuned.
And speaking of chocolate and sweet things…
Thank you to everyone who participated in the annual valentine swap! I was just on Facebook looking at the photos you guys are uploading. WHOA! Every year the creative bar gets raised a little bit higher. Organizing gets a little more complicated as well. This year I set up a very sophisticated randomizing formula in my spreadsheet to shuffle all the names…apparently I shuffled it so that 1 in 15 people got their own name back. Doh! So that was fun for everyone. Thanks to you all for being patient with me. There is no text book on how to run these things, mistakes happen, but it warms my heart to see people sharing their creative outcomes with total strangers. You guys are the best!
Happy Valentines to you and yours.
Best,
Peaches
Michelle L
Oh, such exciting news! Two months, my darling? TWO. MONTHS. Shall I come over and feed the cat and do your laundry because you are not going to have time for any shit like that.
Happy day of chocolates!
aunt peaches
Haha. And happy to day of chocolate to you Michelle!! 🙂
Susan
Congratulations on your book deal. Looking forward to reading it soon!
aunt peaches
Me too! Thanks Susan!
Luke
Awesome news! I imagine something like Amy Sedaris’s books, but with more sentiment.
aunt peaches
I only wish. No sentiment or amy-quality coolness, I’m afraid. Far more instructional. (but still pretty cool!)
Anna 'Relle
Oh, how freaking exciting for you!!! Let me know when I can preorder! Thank you once again for everything you do online, seeing a new post from you usually makes my morning so much better.
aunt peaches
You are too sweet, Anna. Not sure when pre-orders will be available but you guys will be the first to know 🙂
Deb from Maryland
Congratulations on the book deal! Looking forward to “reading all about it”. 😉
aunt peaches
Thanks Deb!!
Emma Hadzi-Antich
I am soooooooo excited! Congrats!
aunt peaches
Thank you!!
Spring B.
Can’t wait to order and read your book! I loved all three Valentines I received, and it was an unexpected thrill to see one of mine in the pics above — what a treat! You’re the best for doing this every year. 🙂
aunt peaches
So glad you got to participate!
Grace
Whoooooooo a book deal?!?!?! You’re amazing, Peaches! So excited for you – and for all of US who will get to read it. I was thrilled to hear you’ve been painting so much. In love with your creations and can’t wait to see what you’ve come up with this winter. Love to you!
Jenny
SWEET! Congratulations!
Gala
CONGRATULATIONS!!!!!! xoxoxoxoxo
Sandy
Somehow I missed the Valentines sign up! So sad! But I’m delighted to hear about the book deal. Good for you! Count one sale for sure as I am lining up to get it!
Pren
Amazing!!!! Congrats! Can’t wait to buy it!!!! Also I’m happily plugging my way through the hardest time of the year for me too. But I’m doing it with yarn! Here’s to crafty sanity savers and a lack of sad days this year!
Wanda
Throw out the dishes , you can go without panties, let the cat eat out of can if need be. Don’t most bloggers have a tree up in spring anyway? Just take care of yourself ! Surely there is someone who can “intern” for you so you can get that book done!
Bronwyn David
Took my Christmas tree down yesterday. Is it February already? Just figure we both had better things to do. All the best on the book deal. Congratulations.
AnnW
Thrilled about the book deal. Am in Amsterdam. Have time to help you. Will be home Friday. Saw the big five in Africa and the gorillas in Rwanda.
Jenny
Congratulations – I’m so excited for you! Can’t wait to see the final product. Oh, and btw, as I book designer I can say that is one TIGHT deadline, but it CAN be done.
Cheers!
Jenny
G Woltmann
Gustavo Woltmann loves DIY! This is a great blog!- Gustavo Woltmann
Mo
You aren’t the only one behind – I’m just seeing this post now (and I get your weekly email!!). Congratulations on the book deal and good luck with the tight deadline. Can’t wait to read it and its great to see more Chicago-land authors.
Kara
A BOOK DEAL?! I’m totally going to pester you into doing the local author fair at the library. (It’s not until 2017, so you have time to creatively turn me down)
CONGRATS! I’m so pleased for you.