April 9th was the "pub date" set very early in the process of working with my publisher and editor. Like an expectant mother, I marked this date in the calendar of my mind. I said it out loud so many times, disbelieving the day would ever be real. There were times I thought of this date with excited reverence, other times with dread and fear. How would I ever meet the intense deadlines necessary for April 9th to be real?
