It’s official. I have sent the manuscript of Her Own Vietnam to my editor who, conveniently, is also my publisher, Rosalie Morales Kearns. An editor by profession, Rosalie is also a fantastic writer, author of the short story collection Virgins and Tricksters.

Sending her the book is the first step – and the first test – in the process of letting go. For a long time, I was the only one who obsessed about this novel. Now there will be two of us.

My editor gets down to business. (Photo by Horia Varlan.)

(Please help me by singing in your head the Beatles song about “She’s leaving home after living alone for so many years.” You know the one.)

This begins a period of waiting to see what Rosalie thinks. But there’s plenty for a writer to do while the editor ponders her manuscript.

More on that soon.