No TED for me

Monday brings the pre-conference activities for TED and TEDActive, the Palm Springs satellite simulcast that I've attended for the past several years. I was due to fly to Palm Springs on Sunday morning with Bill, so that we could attend those early activities and then the conference itself. As long-time readers know, this was one of my favorite weeks of each year, because the presentations and the gatherings always both lift and enlighten me.

I won't be going this year.

The reason is simple: I will instead be working from home, as I am this week, to finish No Going Back. I'm terribly late on this novel, and a very hard, already extended to the max deadline is staring at me.

I've seen writers rail at their publishers about such deadlines, but I absolutely cannot do that. This situation is entirely my fault. I can only praise Publisher Toni and the entire Baen team for accommodating my ever increasing lateness. They have done everything anyone could ask--and more--to help make the book appear in May. (It will now go on sale the last Tuesday in May instead of the first, another slip that is entirely my fault.)

I did this to myself, and now I will fix it by finishing and delivering a good book. That it costs me something I love is very unfortunate, but it is also fair that I pay for the error.

Now, I just have to make sure I can finish it!