'...I think it (Virgins!)is a work of genius. It is so vivid, so palpably descriptive of a certain time in history and such a wonderful, frank exploration of female life and sexuality. You deserve world wide recognition.'

When a reader wrote me this a while ago, I was shocked. Yes, I did finish the book in 1982, nearly 30 years ago. Published it a year ago. But I haven't successfully marketed it. So, with the book being called 'a work of genius' I thought I should invest money. I signed up to have the book shown at seven library shows in the USA, including my homestate of Illinois, and one in London, UK. 

Let's see what will happen... 

I told myself I'd begin writing a book, The Expats (working title) this September. However, I've nearly finished publishing Travel-Ready Packing: Pack Light, Dress Right - Any Time, Any Where (http://travelreadypacking.com) by Julie Martin. So I was editing The Guitar Player & The Lady Killer and realized that way too much of the book was still in my head and not on the paper.  So I have to do a major re-write on GP & LK again.

GP & LK was written from 1984 to 1989. Virgins! was written from 1978-1983.

Virgins! is my third book. First was The Chicagoans, my MFA thesis, which I rewrote-edited five times MORE after I received my MFA. Why? I wanted it to be good, and without the time pressures, I was able to rewrite it well. It was a bit less than 200 manuscript pages. Then I wrote another book, but sadly, I used beer to motivate myself to write, and another beer to keep me writing and HALF of that book was on the page and half still in my head: The 13th Vampire Mission (good vampires vs. bad vampires war to save the Earth from invasion of evil UFOs). I started that in 1976 in San Francisco and finished it in 1979.

With Vampires ruined from drinking, I vowed not to repeat the same mistake with Virgins! This wasn't always easy when friends in L.A. offered me very good coke for free. Did it once, but the whole body hangover was so horrendous, I said no way when offered more coke other times. I also learned if I smoked my friends' excellent marihuna, I couldn't write a coheren't paragraph for three days. So I swore off all drugs and alcohol while finishing the book I had started three years earlier. (Actually, I had 95% given up drinking alcohol in 1978 when I was 28. I should have done that when 20). 

I'm delaying a five year commitment to another book. Which is foolish. Back in grad school, I once said. 'I'm only happy making love or writing, and when I'm not doing one, I'm doing the other.'

Since I'm not making love, and I'd like to be happy again, writing another book should work. Let's see....