IT'S DONE!

It's finished! The first full manuscript of my father-daughter memoir THAT PUNK JIMMY HOFFA. Wrapped up. All 256 pages, 87,346 words, single-spaced, Times Roman 12 point with one inch margins.

I've bagged it!

Started this project in 1992. Set it aside to write MAIL-ORDER KID and again to write THIEVES, RASCALS & SORE LOSERS.

In between times, I researched. Drove to Fort Collins, Colorado, and Sidney, Nebraska, to interview my father's friends and acquaintances. Drove to Lincoln to interview Carl Curtis. Read through the scrapbooks and other papers kept by my mother. Bought a couple dozen Hoffa books; devoured them.

In between times, wrote bits and pieces. Practice pieces. Tried out various versions. Hoping to write an entire manuscript.

Then in August 2015 I began to write this version, Version 6, the first one that made it all the way to the end. Jogging in and out of ideas. Sending bits and pieces to my writing group, the Omaha Night Writers. Revising. And here it is, the first full manuscript.

What now?

Now my first readers will take a look at it. Dan Reynolds, head of my writing group, and others. I'll revise, as needed.

Then I'll send my manuscript to those crazy gals at Concierge Marketing and together, we'll produce THAT PUNK JIMMY HOFFA. I decided to print a limited edition of hard cover books plus our usual type of paperback. Lisa Pelto will help me plan marketing, Sandy Wendel will fine-tune my manuscript, Rachel Moore will design the cover and other visual materials, Ellie Pelto will act as ringmistress, and Sarah Knight as Concierge's front lady.

We plan to bring THAT PUNK JIMMY HOFFA out in 2017 on some significant date. Maybe July 30, 2017. That would be the 42nd anniversary of Jimmy's disappearance.

And 2017 would be a year earlier than Martin Scorsese would release his movie, "The Irishman," about Frank Sheeran, Hoffa's killer. With Robert De Niro, Al Pacino, and Joe Pesci.

But now I plan to celebrate. Don't drink anymore, don't smoke, don't eat sugar, don't even slurp coffee, although for this occasion I might spring for a decaf latte. (Ain't maturing interesting?) And check my e-mails and FB now and then. See what the evening brings.