Today has been a mixed bag, to tell the truth.

The Good

I received some excellent, detailed feedback on a new book-series proposal I’ve been working on for a while. Although the consultant found a lot of areas for improvement, which means I have a lot of rewriting ahead of me, I really feel like it’s going to make this project proposal better and more saleable. Some of the specific revisions and additions we talked about today sounded exciting to me.

The Bad

I’ve been stuck in the house all day, waiting for frickin’ UPS to deliver some books my wife ordered from Amazon. It’s so frustrating; because UPS can’t commit to any particular window of time, I end up a victim of house arrest from 8am until whenever the hell they show up. It’s currently 6:40pm, and there’s been no sign of these chumps. That’s my whole day, flushed. And I had stuff to do outside in the world, too.

The Ugly

In what I have to admit is a career first for me, I had a book canceled put on hold by the publisher this morning. (ETA: To clarify, it was one of four titles indefinitely postponed. Follow the link for more details.) (EATA: It has been pointed out to me that, technically, my book and the other three are not “canceled,” they have been “put on hold” — the difference being that in the latter case, there is a possibility that they might be published at some future date, while the former implies permanent oblivion. I apologize for the imprecision.)

The victim in this case is More Beautiful Than Death, my novel based on the recent Star Trek film by director J.J. Abrams. The official statement from Simon & Schuster is concise and unambiguous:

“With last summer’s blockbuster STAR TREK movie, JJ Abrams created a new vibrant, layered version of the Star Trek universe. After careful consideration, we decided to hold off on telling new stories while JJ and his team continue to develop his vision.”

My only comment on the matter is this: Though I’m disappointed that Star Trek fans won’t get a chance to read the novel I wrote (ETA: at least, not this year), I understand the publisher’s rationale for holding off on publishing the books, and I respect their right to do so.

Before anyone writes to me looking for more information, I’ll just tell you that I don’t have any. And, although the book was written and had been copy edited, I cannot and will not share it online or via e-mail. The nature of work-for-hire is that while I am entitled to compensation and credit for my labors, the final product is not my property. In other words, even though I wrote the book, it is not mine to share, sell, or give away, so please don’t ask.

Perhaps one day my “lost novel” and the others that were shelved along with it might see the light of day. For now, however, they belong to the realm of “what might have been.” Alas.

Last Edit: UPS delivered my wife’s books at 7:30pm.