What's next?

Yesterday someone asked, "What's next? You've had your first novel published, so now what?"

What's next?

Hey, I thought I could settle back for a bit, enjoy the feeling of supreme happiness that swept over me on August 1st.

Next?

All right, I'll spill it. The "next" thing on my list, the most pressing thing in my mind, is pickles.

Yeah, pickles.

Yesterday we made 14 pints of bread-and-butter pickles. This weekend? Dill spears. I'm not sure that's what everyone does when they've just published their first novel, but in our house the "next" thing is pickles.

Who knows what we'll do after my second book comes out? But now, pickles.

Oh, and although I haven't tried doing this yet, I've got a recipe for fried pickles. Oh? You'd like to see that? Sure, here it is:

Fried Dill Pickles

1 cup flour
1/4 cup cornstarch
1 teaspoon baking powder
1/4 teaspoon salt
1 cup ice water
1 egg yolk
2 tablespoons dill pickle juice
3 cups drained dill pickle slices, 1/4-inch thick
vegetable oil for frying

Combine the flour, cornstarch, baking powder and salt in a large bowl. Add wet ingredients and whisk together until batter is smooth. Cover bowl and chill for 45 minutes.

Heat at least 2 inches of oil in a deep pan or fryer. Dip pickle slices in batter, coating evenly, then fry in hot oil. Drain pickles on paper toweling. Serve immediately.