Premonitions the publication detour

I look back on the last year and want to jump up and down because we made it through the storm. My book Premonitions was to be launched at the end of 2017 and the excitement I felt at finally sharing this story made my heart want to explode. Sadly, my mom became gravely ill and had to have emergency surgery. She spend nearly 6 months in the hospital and rehab, rocking all of our worlds. Because I work for the business I helped establish, with her and my step father, I was suddenly thrust into the role of "acting president, bookkeeper, and all-powerful OZ". The good news is that she came home January 5th, 2018 and has made a miraculous recovery, taking back the title of ruler and all-powerful OZ of her business. The bad news is that Premonitions got pushed under a pile of responsibility and dreams with the hopes that eventually I would be able to finish the round of edits and finally publish it in the near future. But... the world sometimes sends us on detours just to see how much we want our dreams to come true and how hard we are willing to work, and sometimes wait, to see those dreams come to fruition.

About the time my mom came home from the hospital the other shoe dropped. As many of you may not know, I have spent the better part of the last eight years or so in and out of a wheelchair. Doctor's kept telling me there was nothing wrong for almost ten years. Then I found a doctor that ran the right tests and scans, the problem was that now spinal surgery was an emergency, or I would be paralyzed from the neck down within the year if not a lot sooner. So, the planning began and on March 7th I had a Laminectomy procedure done on my cervical spine from C1-C5 this removed the back of the vertebrae to release pressure on the spinal cord. Sadly, the spinal cord had been compresses for so long that there was a good possibility that I would never be better than I was or worse I would still come out paralyzed. I spent two weeks in the hospital and one month in rehab, before being released for home health. I am happy to report that I have regained a good amount of my mobility.

So... with all these detours behind me I dusted off Premonitions and continued my last round of edits. I figured it was time. About ten chapters in to the edit more drama ensued. We had reached out to the rental company we had been renting our home from for the last eight years because they had failed to send us our renewal lease. Right before the end of June we received a call that the owners were divorcing the home would be sold and we had to be out by June 23rd. The very next day my dog had to have emergency surgery for a blow disc in his back and we faced the real possibility that he would remain paralyzed. Needless to say, this was not an easy time. My daughter and I spend a week looking for a new home because the clock was ticking.

Today we are all moved and apart from a small stack of boxes in my bedroom the house is unpacked. The dog and I are both doing well with our recovery from spinal surgery. I look back to the last year and know we couldn't have done it without so many wonderful friends and family members helping us. Of course, everyone kept asking about Premonitions and when it would be published. I have dusted it off again but this time it will not be pushed aside or packed away. Edits are going well and the road that I have been traveling to get this novel published is finally opening up in front of me. I can see the finish line. So please, be patient because it is coming. 2018 will be Premonitions debut year. I have worked very hard and waited very long to see this dream come to fruition. No more detours!