My baby sister

For the sake of this post, we’ll call her Lisa. We call her Lisa the rest of the time too, but I love the cloak and dagger stuff. Though, I suppose if I follow the metaphor through, I’ve removed the cloak and sunk the dagger.

Jeez, I must be a terrible brother!

Well, since she’s already uncloaked, let me tell you a little more about my baby sister. She follows the pattern set by her older brother and sister. I’m three years older than the middle child: her older sister – within a month, and she’s three years younger than the middle child – within a month.

She had the good sense to follow us both to UF to further her education.

She’s an RN with a cool husband and two adorable boys.

Strangest of all, she’s all growed up! Heck if I know when that happened. Probably sometime between when Beth was born and when she went teetering off on the brink of teendom.

Not too long ago my sister sprung some news on me. It was about he time she got the copy of a friend’s first published book I bought her in the mail.

“Hey, guess what? I’m just finishing up my first novel!”

What!?! Who!?! Where!?! Why!?! Was there an alien abduction involved?

In case you haven’t figured it out my now, I’m a really supportive brother.

“It’s a fantasy I started back in August…”

Back in August? What was I doing back in August? Probably better not to think about it.

“… and I’m thinking I might even see if it’s something someone would publish.”

My sister, a writer? I never saw it coming. It’s not that I don’t think she’s capable, I just didn’t know she had an interest. I’m proud as hell she’s built a life where both she and her husband can work, one of them can be at home for the kids 7 days a week (they’re not what you’d call sedate), and she’s still got the time to write a novel. I know, it probably describes a lot of people… but not me though. I wouldn’t have that kind of focus.

That was a month or two ago. Since then she’s been editing away, getting a few opinions. A writer friend of mine offered to read a bit for some feedback. She had my sister read the whole thing, who gave her more. (She may have had others read it too, I’m not sure.) She did some research on her own, and…

Yesterday I got an email announcing she took the big plunge.

The big leap.

The big query… soon enough to be followed by the ever-so-likely universal rejection.

In case your wondering, I haven’t read it yet. I’m afraid to. Why? You’re gonna think I’m an even bigger jackass than you do already. I don’t like most fantasy and I don’t want to jinx it. It kind of drives me a little crazy, actually – like that’s an accomplishment. There are a few fantasy novels I’ve really enjoyed, and there are a whole bunch I started and couldn’t finish – not necessarily because they were poorly written, but because me and the stories didn’t gel (if that makes any sense). So, Lisa’s book could fall into my narrow band of acceptable fantasy, and could be something I could fairly judge. But my fantasy detector gives off a lot of false positives. I could start reading it and be crushed. There’s a funny thing about me you may not know: I don’t like feeling crushed. In this case it makes me a quivering coward. Eventually I’m going to gather up the courage to ask her to read it, if she’ll still let me – her big bother.

In the mean time, no matter what my failings are, I’m really proud of my little sister. You see Steve’s book over there to the right? You know, the one you bought because you always do what I tell you to and you loved it?

Someday I hope you’re looking over there and buying one of my baby sister’s books.