No more than 10 minutes ago, the nice UPS lady delivered a package from my publisher--a package I've waited many a moon to receive.

Final galleys of WAKING LAZARUS.

I haven't opened it yet because, well heck, I wanted to share the opening of it with you fine folks who happen to drop by this blog on occasion. First impression, before I've even opened it? It feels appropriately thick and solid. Like a book. Don't know what the official final page count will be, but it's got the right heft to it.

Now, as I sit staring at the package, I wonder what the page design and typography will look like. I wonder what the header and chapter titles will look like. I wonder, frankly, what the whole thing will look like.

But more than looks, I wonder how the thing will read. I've recently finished the unedited ARC of the book, so it will be interesting to go through the manuscript again and compare where the rough edges have been sanded, where the awkward repetitions have been, um, un-awkwarded.

Most of all, I suppose, I think about this being the last chance to make changes. This is the end, beautiful friend (as Jim Morrison might have said). This is it (as Kenny Loggins, a decidedly less hip pop culture reference than Jim Morrison, might have said).

Exciting, yes. Nervewracking, yes. I don't want any boneheaded mistakes in this, after all. And yet, I'm bound to have made a few. Will I catch them? (And by the way, I mean mistakes in terms of content--geographical mixups, historical references, those sorts of things. I'm quite confident the wonderful folks at Bethany House have caught grammar slips and such.)

And so, it's time to open the package and take peek. After all, I've now reminded myself that I have a lot of work to do, making sure I've got all my facts, figures and timelines straight.

Okay, it's open. Inside is a return envelope, so I can send the thing back to Bethany House. Under that, a form entitled "Author Approval of Edited Galley Proofs," attached to the front of the manuscript by a rubber band. Have to get them back to BH by February 28th, that's...sheesh, what am I doing writing this blog thing when I only have EIGHT DAYS to scrap this whole project and start over from scratch?

Wait, I mean: I only have EIGHT DAYS to make a few additions and corrections. Nerves got the best of me for a moment there.

Okay, let's take a peek at the manuscript itself. Off comes the rubber band. Oh, okay, I suppose I should read the Author Approval form first. All right, it tells me I will find some questions directed to me by my fine, fine editor, bracketed in the text. Hey, that's kinda cool. I'll look for brackets. Rest of the form looks pretty self-explanatory, so off it comes.

Next is a sheet character count, chapter count, a detail of additional back material, and so on. Hey, that's fun, simply because it's the first time I've seen it. And because, you know, it's my book. So when I read "Additional Back Material" includes such things as "Acknowledgments" and "Author Note," well, hey, that's MY STUFF. In a REAL BOOK.

Okay, half title page. Nice serif face--small caps. Me like.

Title page on page three. Oooh. Very nice. The title has the same scratched/shredded treatment as the book cover, and my name, in a big chunky bold face, is actually above the title. Then, the Bethany House logo. At this moment, I think I perhaps love the Bethany House people more than ever before. Just for giving me this title page.

Next is the cataloging information and copyrights (looks like the CIP data has been applied for, so it's not "live" in this version yet). Nice to see that "Copyright © 2006 T.L. Hines" there, though.

A dedication page, to two people very near and dear to me. And it gets its own page.

Oooh, the Bible quote that serves as the inspiration for the book's title (John 11:9-11, if you're interested).

And now...

Oh, my.

The chapter page isn't just your basic number. We have chapter titles, and the BH folks have created a design that evokes the cover's gathering storm clouds, and is...magnificently beautiful. Beautifully magnificent. (RIFLE THROUGH THE REST OF THE MANUSCRIPT TO CHECK OTHER CHAPTER HEADINGS) Yes, indeed, I like me the chapter headings. And the typeface--not sure what it is, but it's...well, it's magnificently beautiful.

Ooh, and the interior pages have a nice keyline box around them (and there's my name, big cap letters on every even-numbered page), which is...magnificently beautiful. Have I said that already?

Okay, flip to the back material. Got to see the acknowledgements, author note and bio. Nice, nice, and nice. And hey, Dave used my "Odd Past Jobs/ZZ Top Air Guitar Contest" bio. Didn't think that one would make the final cut. Hmmm, now I wonder if the bio is too jocular for a "spooky" novel? Maybe...

Okay, folks, I'm gonna have to do some reading. I can't just sit here and not read a FINAL GALLEY of MY OWN BOOK sitting RIGHT IN FRONT OF ME.

Especially because I only have EIGHT DAYS to RETURN A FINAL VERSION.