"F&G" stands for "Folded and Gathered." This is basically our last chance before binding to make sure that everything is correct, with the entire printed book gathered into signatures (the eight-page folded units that will be sewn into the binding), but not yet bound with the cover.
This is EXACTLY how the interior of the book will look, on EXACTLY the paper stock that we'll use, straight off the industrial printers that manufacture do the entire 4500 unit run. FedEx delivered it, we reviewed it, and we approved it. Now, after the dozen or so people who have read and re-read the book cover to cover signed off, we get to find out in just a few short months how many typos we all missed. (NONE. The book will clearly be perfect, right? RIGHT??)
Meanwhile, in Oklahoma, Misty and Larry are looking at a box of 4500 signature pages and girding themselves to sign every one of them. (If that isn't a labor of love, I don't know what is.) As soon as they can.
As you know, Misty and Larry are both also passionate about the many rehab birds that they care for. And some rehab birds are more traumatized than others, which makes them dangerous even for experienced handlers. The upshot is that Sweat Pea and Peaches have attacked both Misty and Larry over the last month, which has meant stitches for Misty and serious band-aid management for Larry. Misty was bitten twice, with two fingers now healing. And I'm not going to repeat Larry's bloody injury story.
Please send them good vibes, a healthy pace of recovery, and cool weather. We're not entirely sure how long the signing is going to take—especially since Misty needs to balance signing things with writing the next book with letting her hands heal—but we'll update you as soon as the signed plates are on their way back to the manufacturer.
