My journey continues, putting one foot in front of the other. When I began to write PLEASE SAY KADDISH FOR ME I knew I had a story to tell. I pitched it as “The Dark Side of Fiddler on the Roof.” I wrote, rewrote and edited Havah Cohen Gitterman’s story, thinking I would stop with this one book. However, the voices in my head compelled me to continue the saga with FROM SILT AND ASHES.
At a point where I thought I’d completed the first two books I began to write AS ONE MUST, ONE CAN. However, I had to stop to go back to the first book..and the second book. For five years the third book languished in an unopened Word doc. file. When I returned to my 60,000 word, unfinished manuscript, I found that my characters had grown, changed and gone in different directions than I’d originally anticipated. Not to mention that, after ten years I had also grown and changed as a writer. Perhaps 20,000 of those original 60,000 words survived the overhaul.
My agent, Jeanie Loiacono and W& B Publishing turned up the heat this summer by giving me a July deadline with the promise of a contract. Setting aside all writing time to devote to Havah, I sent Friday Fictioneers into reruns.
My story has a happy “ending.” The manuscript has been submitted and approved. Contracts with both agent and publisher are signed. Artwork for the inside of the book is complete and I await the proof copy to make any last minute edits.
Below are the divider pages for AS ONE MUST, ONE CAN to whet your appetite.
Reblogged this on Musings on Life & Experience and commented:
Hearty congratulations go out to Rochelle on winding up her third book in the series!
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Thank you for the reblog, Suzanne. Every little bit helps. 😉
Shalom,
Rochelle
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I am anxiously awaiting this third novel in the trilogy. The little glimpses from time to time tell me so. Not the voices though. Those are in Rochelle’s head. Lol.
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Congratulations on the enormous feat. Not just the culmination of years’ worth of work but three novels to show for it.
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Thank you, Kirizar. Happy you stopped by with your encouraging words.
Shalom,
Rochelle
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Congratulations, Rochelle. This is wonderful, really. 🙂
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It’s lovely to see you here, Celestine. Thank you.
Shalom,
Rochelle
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Congratulations Rochelle! What an accomplishment. @sheilamgood at Cow Pasture Chronicles
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One foot in front of the other. 😉 Thank you, Sheila.
Shalom,
Rochelle
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That’s all we can do.
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All we sometimes need is a deadline, at least I do. I am not sure why, but I work on a different level when I am racing against the calendar. Congratulations.
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Dear Bridget,
This was the first time I actually had a deadline. It did make a difference. Thank you.
Shalom,
Rochelle
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Dear Rochelle
Huge congratulations, you are an inspiration to us all. Eagerly awaiting the third book of the trilogy and learning more about Havah’s story.
Best wishes
Dee
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Dear Dee,
You’ve been a wonderful source of encouragement along the way. I hope you enjoy the third book as well. Thank you.
Shalom,
Rochelle
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I am delighted to see a talented writer achieve success, and the recognition she deserves.
And I am proud to call you my friend.
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Dear CE,
As I am delighted to call you my friend. Thank you for stopping by and for being an encourager.
Shalom,
Rochelle
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A great pleasure, m’lady.
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I love to hear an author share their journey and struggles. I made some progress during the summer rerun season, though not as much as I would have liked. The characters in One Idiot Short of a Village are a tough bunch to corral and tend to take the story where they please instead of the direction I had imagined.
So far, I haven’t killed any of them off yet, although I’ve threatened them on several occasions.
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Dear Russell,
I love your title and am happy to hear you didn’t kill any of your characters. I can’t say that for mine. 😯
It never ceases to amaze me how the characters will take a story in a direction the author didn’t expect it to go. Is it really ideas hatched in our minds or are we being taken over by aliens from the Planet Muse?
Glad you at least made some progress. Better than regress, right? Of course right!
Shalom,
Rochelle
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At the rate I’m going, I’m 2 to 3 months from completion. I’m still hoping for an April Fool’s release date. 🙂
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Amazing!!!!!
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Todah Rabbah, harbeh m’ohd. 😀
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Wow–congratulations and good luck! The artwork is striking.
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Dear Emily,
I’m not sure which excites me more, the writing or the artwork. Thank you.
Shalom,
Rochelle
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It’s a BIG job, well done. 😀
Characters will, as characters can. Someone once suggested to Agatha Christie, that she write a story including both Miss Marple, and Hercule Poirot. She said that she had tried, once, ‘but the two did not get along well with each other.’ 😯
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Dear Archon,
I understand Ms. Christie. The author might think she’s in control but it ain’t necessarily so. 😉 One step at a time. Still a big job ahead. Thank you very much for stopping by with your encouraging words.
Shalom,
Rochelle
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