If you find yourself checking all the hot political websites four or five times a day about now, then you know you’re a political junkie. Me, I’m glad it’s almost over, since I can then devout all that mental energy to something more germane to my own life. If things go as the polls currently predict, it’s going to be a big, big day for Democrats tomorrow, but it will also be a sobering reality they inherit. My big hope is that they don’t overreach, and a lot of that depends on how a President Obama governs. But as one who’s been following his career since his 2004 convention speech, and having read both his books, I think it’s fair to say he won’t let the most extreme elements of his party run wild — which would then swing the pendulum back in a couple years and usher in another Gingrich-type revolution.
I never bought into the foolish myth that he’s Jimmy Carter reincarnate or that he’s a pie-in-the sky dreamer. What’s funny is that my take on him has always been the opposite: he’s a hardened Chicago politician who, while leaning left in his positions, has a pragmatic approach to government. I was proven right when I predicted a year ago he would win the nomination, and hopefully I’ll be proven right again. There’s a lot of work for Democrats to do, as anyone who’s been living through the Bush years can attest, and it’s going to take a hardened Chicago politician with a pragmatic approach to get it done.
Now, onto the writing front . . .
The big news is that I’ve finished a new novel, another middle grade fantasy I’m very excited about (and if you’re wondering what a middle grade fantasy is, think Harry Potter or His Dark Materials). It’s with the trusted First Reader (aka, the spouse) right now, and after that, I may get the reactions of a couple other readers, and then it’s onto the literary agent for her take. Fingers crossed. Although my first sold book, The Last Great Getaway of the Water Balloon Boys, is straight YA, the first book I wrote — or at least the first book I decided was good enough to market — was also a middle grade fantasy. That book wowed a lot of my first readers, landed me my first literary agent, and ended up with a few nibbles from editors, but, alas, no bites. I still think that one’s a solid book, but I believe this one is even better, with lots of series potential. It’s heavy on adventure, suspense, and secrets, which made it a lot of fun to write, and hopefully will make it fun to read as well. We’ll see what others think.