Books, life, friends and Goats

Twix, the darling of the farm

It shouldn't surprise me that this isn't going to be the post I intended to write and that it's not happening on the day I intended, either. I guess it surprises me about as much as hearing "It's a boy" on that third ultrasound. I kinda knew going in I wasn't going to get my little girl and it was probably for the best. But I digress.

I think I've mentioned before that over the summer, I started helping a few other Booktrope authors with their books. The position is called book manager because it's a mix of marketing and project management. It's a hard relationship to explain - for it to really work, both the author and the book manager have to be fully invested in the book and the whole crazy process. I say this to explain that I try to be really careful about who I agree to work with. I keep my author numbers small because everything about them and their book has to click with me and my bookish world or it just won't work - we'll both just wind up frustrated and that's not fair to either of us.

All of that to say that two out of three authors I work with had really big weeks this week for their books. Knowing this, I intended to spend my week pretty well dedicated to them and their books. Note the word intended.

Monday was derailed when my niece and oldest son were in a car accident (not their fault). Thankfully, everyone's okay and all I lost was a day. (Oy, though. That phone call. And that moment when you see the car, knowing your child was in it. Just oy.)

So I tried to regroup yesterday, to zero in on helping these two amazing women and their equally amazing books. Note the word tried.

An unplanned trip into town waylaid things a bit. The problem with being on crutches and relying on the boys to feed animals is they sometimes forget to mention you're running low on a particular feed in advance. With nasty weather settling in, I decided to make a run for feed and straw, figuring I'd check in periodically while gone and roll up my sleeves for realsies when I got home. Only when we got home, as we were distributing the newly purchased straw to animal houses and feeding everyone for the evening, Dylan noticed his doe was acting off. She wasn't eating, hanging back to herself instead of vying for the best spot at the dinner table with the others. When a goat doesn't eat, there is something wrong. Really wrong.

I took one look at her and realized she was in labor. Only problem: she's not due until January 14. So, instead of the very bookish evening I'd planned, I spent it taking turns with my husband and oldest son, sitting in the freezing cold with Twix, darling of the farm. Dylan bought this goat with his birthday money last year so he could start his own herd. We raised her from two weeks old. When she was little, she would race the boys back and forth across the yard. She loves to run. She's graceful and sweet and we all absolutely adore her. And now she was in pain, losing her baby and there was nothing I could do to stop it. I was scared to death I wouldn't be able to save her, that the long labor would be too much.

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Twix, wondering why I've stopped petting her to take a silly picture.

Thankfully, we have some very dear friends just down the road who are experts in all things goat. They navigated us through this new aspect of goat ownership, and we were finally able to help Twix pass the baby she'd lost. Physically, Twix is doing well. But she's walking around her pen crying, looking for her baby. It breaks my heart. I want to gather her in my arms and rock her and tell her it'll be okay. All I can do is scratch her neck and tell her I know how she feels. I feel so helpless. (Don't even get me started on my poor son - sore from a car wreck, doing his level best to take care of his goat, and losing a whole year's worth of investment, not that the money even crossed his mind.)

What does this have to do with books? Nothing really. Except that every time I checked in online last night, I was either told not to worry about them, to be with Twix, or they were asking me how she was. These two women were having huge nights, nights that really mattered to them and their books, and they were worried about my son's goat.

It's the kind of thing that makes me realize how lucky, how truly blessed, I am to work with the people I do. I'd introduce you to them now, but I don't want it to get lost in all my ramblings about me. Instead, I'll post links to their books today and tomorrow I'll give them their proper due.

If you have time, you should check them out. Not only are they talented writers, they're amazing people - the kind worth knowing, the kind who'll brighten your day, the kind who make this world a better place.

Visit EJ Hanagan online or download Saving Jason - free on kindle through 11/13
Visit Lucy H Delaney online or download Waiting on Justin - only $0.99 as of right now, but it won't be for long!

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