Inspired by Life ... and Fiction

Novelists bound by the pen, sisterhood, & more

Happy New Year = Deadline Met!

By

Are you a list maker? I am. I love the satisfaction of checking things off of my to-do list. So I had a special thrill this week by being able to check off a big item from my 2024 list. I had a book deadline on January 2, and I emailed the manuscript to my publisher on January 1. Boom! Done!

Such a satisfying feeling. Though, things looked dicey for a while. The book refused to be wrapped up in the timely fashion I had expected. Christmas loomed and I still had more story to tell. Yet, the last thing I wanted to do was cheat my readers by rushing the ending. Thankfully, I had time off from the day job, so I was able to hunker down in my home office for a couple weeks and give the story the ending it deserved.

This was the third book in my Texas Ever After series, a mashup of Little Red Riding Hood and Sleeping Beauty in a western 1800’s setting. A missing heiress, a Pinkerton sent to retrieve her, a wolf, and a figurative dragon made for quite the adventure. By the end of the day, this story ended up with the second largest word count of any of my novels. The total number will likely change after edits, but I imagine it will remain one of my longest books. As such, I thought it might be fun to play a little game.

.

Guess the Word Count

Most of my books run between 92,000 – 96,000 words, and until this latest manuscript, I’ve only had one book crack 100,000 words. This became the second book to surpass that milestone.

So, for a chance to win an autographed copy of Fairest of Heart, Book 1 in the Texas Ever After Series, leave a comment with your guess as to what my final word count was for Cloaked in Beauty. Closest number wins.

Contest ends at midnight on Friday 1/5/24. I’ll announce the winner in the comments on Saturday 1/6/24.

Happy guessing!

The following two tabs change content below.
My Facebook profile

Karen Witemeyer

For those who love to smile as they read, bestselling author Karen Witemeyer offers warmhearted historical romance with a flair for humor, feisty heroines, and swoon-worthy Texas heroes. Karen is a multiple award-winning author and a firm believer in the power of happy endings. She is an avid cross-stitcher, tea drinker, and gospel hymn singer who makes her home in Abilene, TX with her heroic husband who vanquishes laundry dragons and dirty dish villains whenever she's on deadline. Learn more about Karen and her books at: www.karenwitemeyer.com.
My Facebook profile

Latest posts by Karen Witemeyer (see all)

Subscribe to Blog via Email

Enter your email address to subscribe to this blog and receive notifications of new posts by email.

LINKS IN COMMENTS

Please note: If you include a link or links in your comment (URLs or email addresses), your comment will not post right away. It will wait for a moderator to approve it, which may take some time.

Comments

    • Thanks, Deb. I loved checking that off so early in the year. Of course, then I got out the calendar and plotted the next set of deadlines and realized I needed to get right back to work on the next project. 😉

  2. Woo Hoo on meeting your deadline! I agree there is definitely a feeling of great satisfaction crossing a To-Do item off the list. I have a list going every day at work, and if I end up doing a task that is not on there, I add it & then cross it off. 😀 Seeing a list full of crossed off items at the end of the day reminds me that I’m accomplishing my goals, no matter how small they are. Not only that, but having a list lets me relax a little, since I don’t have to keep track of everything in my brain & worry I might forget something.

    Thank you for caring about us, your readers, and not rushing the ending – we truly appreciate it!

    My guess for your word count is 103,075. (LOL – I feel like I’m on The Price is Right!)

    • Ha! “Come on down . . . ” I thought about saying “Closest without going over” for just that reason. Then I decided we’d let the overs count as well.

      The older I get, the more I need physical instead of mental lists for just those reasons you mentioned, Nadine. I don’t want to forget anything. And I’ve also been known to add things to my list for the express purpose of crossing it off. 🙂

    • Congrats on meeting your deadline! I am not a habitual list maker, but if I have an extra busy few days or week, I will definitely make a list of things that need to get done. It does feel good to cross things out.

      Word count guess – 106,329

  3. Happy New Year, Karen! And congratulations on meeting your deadline over the holidays.

    My word count guess is 108,350.

  6. Congratulations! What a way to start the new year.

    My guess on word count is 110,101.

  7. Karen, I always love reading your books. As for your wordcount, I’m going to guess 105,000. 🙂

  8. Congratulations on meeting the deadline. We’ve got one coming with publication in April. Fortunately it’s for the second round of edits.

    Several of our books have gone over 120,000 because we have five POVs most of the time. Since we are writing a series there’s the H/H of current book, the mentor, either the heroine or hero of the next book, and the protagonist. Makes for a lot of words.

    Our guess is 121,345. Yes like the “Price is Right” only calmer.

    Best of sales.

  9. Somehow I doubt you hit an even thousand, but I’ll go with 102,000 anyway!

  10. 106,0000 is my guess! I’ll look forward to reading it! I’ve really enjoyed all of your books, especially the Hanger Horseman series and Fairest of Heart!!!

  12. My guess is 98,432 words. 🤩
    I LOVED this book, and I love your version of fairytale retellings. Thank you so much for sharing your talents with us…and for not rushing an ending due to time constraints. Looking forward to reading the next one. 😍📚

  17. Its exciting to have beat your dead line and a new book to come in. I think your word count would be 99, 985

  24. Thanks for the fun game & giveaway opportunity! My guess is 102,333. I don’t think I duplicated anyone else’s, but if I overlooked it, please forgive me!

  25. Yay for finishing! We had Fairest of Heart in audible and listened to it over Christmas. Loved it!
    I think your word count was 102,754.

  36. Because it is a combination of two stories, I am going to guess 125,000. I too can’t wait to read it. I’ve loved these reshaping of fairy tale stories.

  37. Happy New Year, Karen! Good job meeting your deadline at this time of year.

    My word count guess is 103,265.

  38. Congratulations for meeting your deadline. I’m glad for another book to look forward to reading. My guess for word count is 107,228.

  39. What a sense of accomplishment. Guessing 100,575 words. Thanks for the chance to win a prize.

  42. I am so looking forward to this! I am glad you didn’t rush the ending. I’m sure I’m not the only reader to enjoy a good wrap-up. Part of the beauty of a great gift. I am going to guess 101,224. The extra 12-24 for the release date schedule. And congrats on making your deadline!

  45. We have a winner!!!

    Congratulations go to Cindy Yake for her guess of 102,754. She was the closest to the actual number of 102,566. WooHoo!!!

    My longest book to date is The Heart’s Charge, my second Hanger’s Horsemen book. Since it is a double love story, it required extra length as well. It’s word count is 104,108.

    Cindy – I’ll send you an email with instructions for claiming your prize.

    Thanks for playing, everyone!

Monthly Archives

Blog Categories

Recent Posts

Disclosure

Disclosure of Material Connection: Some of the links in the pages on this site may be "affiliate links." This means if you click on the link and purchase the item, someone will receive an affiliate commission. We are disclosing this in accordance with the Federal Trade Commission's 16 CFR, Part 255: "Guides Concerning the Use of Endorsements and Testimonials in Advertising."