“There’s no practice because the season is over so I have these couple extra hours to fidget with a few messy pages.”
The California State Track Meet is being held this weekend in Fresno. I am not there. Qualifying for state is tough, with five straight weeks of do-or-die meets. Despite having the best coaching season of my career, none of my runners got through. Split seconds made the difference. That’s track and I’m not complaining. Records were set, personal bests were improved, the runners are all excited about the future.
There’s this wonderful convergence of great kids, beautiful places to run, and fellow coaches with a great sense of humor that make coaching a fantastic way to spend the afternoon. I am eager to get back at it. Cross country practice starts in mid-June.
And yet . . . this past week of having extra free hours in my day has been awesome. I get done writing at noon, practice my guitar until it’s not fun anymore, then head out for a couple hours on the trails or a strength workout. I throw the ball with Sadie the retriever (Django the hound refuses to fetch). I read a little. Maybe stop at the local for a pint. It’s all very calming.
Because right now I need calming. Taking London, as you’ve all read a million times in this space, comes out June 11. Two weeks. I did a count of the books I’ve written the other day and came up with twenty-nine. They’re all special (some less so, to be honest. I always want them to do well but it feels more near and dear to my heart when my name’s the only one on the cover), but it feels like there’s a little more riding on this one.
James Patterson long ago told me it was important to play on the big stage. That’s how I’m measuring Taking London. Only the big stage matters. Lots of very good books by very good authors populating the bestseller lists right now. I’ve been there a dozen times before and I want to be there again.
But it’s like that great Jackson Browne song about the load out:
“People, you’ve got the power over what we do. You can sit there and wait or you can pull us through.”
I mean, books aren’t concerts, but it’s definitely the readers who choose the books and tell their friends to give it a read. I like to think that I’m personally responsible for dozens of sales of Gentleman in Moscow and Dispatches because I’ve either given copies as gifts or recommended them. Great writing deserves a helping hand.
We shall see. Right now I’m sitting on my back porch. The fountain is on, bringing forth that amazing sound of gurgling water. The dogs. A pencil and manuscript for Taking Midway, patiently waiting for their edit.
I’m writing this on a Saturday morning. There’s no practice because the season is over so I have these couple extra hours to fidget with a few messy pages. I can’t wait for you all to read Midway, but that’s a year from now. In the meantime, there’s Taking London, poised to leap out into the world on June 11. Believe me when I say it, this one’s special.
Martin Dugard is a best-selling author, a board member of the USA Track & Field Foundation and a high school cross country and track coach.
