There are several steps in self-publishing, but there’s a first one that’s absolutely fundamental.

Write the book.

It’s easy to be overwhelmed by all the other things that are involved in publishing, but without a book you’ve got nowhere to go. Fortunately, in this case I had a completed MS. In fact that MS had already been accepted by a publisher, which meant it was in close-to-final form. My stalwart critique partner had gone over it and I’d gone over it myself numerous times.

I’d known the third book would be about Ronnie, the “contagonist” of Finding Mr. Right Now, pretty much since I’d finished that book. Originally, I’d figured on making Ronnie the villainess, but the more I wrote her character, the fonder of her I became.

She was an important supporting character in Love In the Morning, someone who helped Lizzie find justice. I’m not sure when I decided Ronnie would be an athlete, but once I’d made that leap, it seemed natural too, and it led me to her character in Running On Empty. For the first time, though, I didn’t have an existing reality show I could draw on, so I made one up. Writers can do that, fortunately.

I also had a spare hero I could use, Ted Saltzman, the owner of the Blarney Stone, the favorite bar of Salt Box locals. Since Ronnie was working for Ted, it made sense that the two of them might get together. As for the rest of the cast, I brought in the heroines of the first two books—Monica and Lizzy—along with limited appearances by Clark Denham and Paul DeWitt, the heroes. And I brought back two of my favorite supporting characters, Dick Sonnenfeld, renegade Hollywood producer/director, and his significant other, Nona Monteith. As for other characters, a few familiar faces put in appearances, along with some newbies.

As I’ve said before, I hate writing blurbs. Like most fiction writers, I find promotional copy isn’t my forte. The blurb for Running On Empty was a little easier than some, but I’m guessing it will probably undergo some more revisions before it’s final (I’m still not happy with my tagline—suggestions, anyone?). Here’s the current draft:

She’s running her heart out just to stay in the same place.

Ronnie Ventura has every reason to distrust Fairstein Productions: she’s had run-ins with their reality shows before. But Fairstein’s newest reality show offers Ronnie a chance to redeem herself from looking like a blonde bimbo. All she has to do is win a modified triathlon. Simple, right?

Ronnie’s boss at the Blarney Stone bar and café, owner Ted Saltzman, is a lot less convinced that another Fairstein show is just what Ronnie needs, particularly when he’s head over heels about Ronnie himself. But she’s determined, and he’s a man in love.

Ted becomes her running coach, which fans their budding romance to a fever, while her other citizens of Salt Box pitch in with support. But can Ronnie’s newfound confidence stand up to the usual Fairstein plots? And can Ted find a way to keep his true love in Salt Box if Hollywood tries to steal her away again?