It’s Finished!!!!!!!!!!!!!

People, it is finally finished after almost a year!  I finished my second book, Memphis Heat, Monday night.  I just finished writing the synopsis to send with the submission of the manuscript, so I am ready to shout!  My writing critique/proofing partner, Joan Chandler, has checked the manuscript, and I am now waiting for her approval of the synopsis.  As soon as she gives the “Go Ahead”, I will press “SEND” and then begin work on another story that I started, but put aside when I got into Memphis Heat.

This is going to be a busy summer!  I am excited about having a bit more time to devote to my writing.  My husband is a wonderful supporter of my second “career”, and will do all in his power to make sure I have some uninterrupted time to work.   Now, I guess I will call it a night and go get some sleep since I haven’t gotten much since entering the home stretch with my book!

Me for the past year…                Me on Monday night…  

Jazzed and Ready to Write!

Joan Chandler and I got home this afternoon after spending three days in workshops about writing, talking to writers, and even doing some writing.  We learned a lot, and I am ready to put into action some of the things I learned from those more experienced in the writing world.  I am setting some new goals and have a few new ideas for the blog.  One thing I’d like to do is share with you the good books that I come across in the romance genre.  I got a ton of new books at the conference, and I’m itching to get started reading them.  As I complete the books, I will let you know how they were (without giving away any crucial information to ruin it for you if you choose to read it, too!) and maybe it will turn out to be something you like as well!

Tomorrow, I will tell you about the most recent book I read, The Ugly Duckling Debutante by Rachel Van Dyken.  I had trouble putting it down, even though it would be 1:00 in the morning, and I knew I had to get up in a few hours to go to work!

Exciting Times…

  Today was the monthly meeting of our chapter RWA meeting.  It was a great meeting with a lot of activity going on for so many of my writing friends.  I am so thrilled for them.  A special friend and fellow writer, Jillian Chantal, will have her new book, Sebastian’s Salvation, released this coming week on the 7th from Siren Bookstrand.  She has written several mainstream romance stories, and this latest one can be purchased from www.bookstrand.com.  I pre-ordered my copy tonight.  I am going to have her as a guest here on my site, so she can share a little about herself and the book.  That will be coming in the very near future, so drop back in to catch that for sure!

  The other bit of excitement in the air are all the preparations for the Silken Sands Writers’ Conference, sponsored by our RWA chapter, GCCRWA.  It will be held in beautiful Pensacola Beach on March 16th – 18th.  The hotel is right on the beach and it will be gorgeous!  We have invited several editors and agents to come for pitching sessions and to lead some workshops.  If you have a great manuscript you would love to publish, make plans to be at this event.  You can register at http://www.gccrwa.com/silkensands/registration/.   Once on this page you can get a list of each agent/editor that will be attending, the list of workshops, hotel info,etc.  Hurry and register as the rooms are filling up fast!  This will make a great getaway for anybody that loves reading romance and writing it!  Who wouldn’t love to be in Florida in early March?  Hope to see you there!

The last thing that has made this a great day is the fact that I have finished my Final Edits for my book, One Sizzling Summer, due out later this month on Lucky Leap Year Day, February 29th from Siren Bookstrand.  My cover art has still not arrived and this is killing me!  I am very anxious to get this, so I can order my promotional materials, book marks, etc.  I have everything ready.  All I have to do is attach the cover art, and I am in business (I hope!).  I want to have everything available, so I can share the material for goodie bags at the Silken Sands Conference in March.  It will all come together.

Well, I guess I will close and go try to knock out a few thousand words on my Memphis Heat story!  I am afraid I may think twice and go get some shut eye and hit it tomorrow. Hope everyone has a relaxing Sunday, and a fabulous week!

The Afterglow…

Spent…Breathless…Exhausted…Content……..

These words describe the way I felt when I finally fell into bed late last night after basking in the news that my manuscript, One Sizzling Summer, had been requested for publication by BookStrand.  It had been four weeks since I had pressed “SEND” and sent it(and my hopes) to their Submissions division.  I knew it would take about four weeks for them to reply, so starting Sunday night, I was checking my email like a maniac.  I was staying up late working on my newly created web page in hopes that as a newly published author, I might actually need one!  I crawled out of bed each morning with only minutes to jump into my clothes, “bark” my son awake enough to dress, and run out the back door in a whirlwind ride to school.  I went through the day holding my breath, hoping with each mail check  I would see an offer for my book.  I realized I wasn’t only tired from lack of sleep, but I was physically worn out from holding my breath and tensing every muscle in my body as I waited on edge.

Finally, last night brought the long awaited answer -YES!  YES!  YES!  I screamed and laughed, called every person that knew about my crazy dream of becoming a published writer, wrote back an acceptance of the offer, and after joining hands with my sister and dancing in a circle of bliss, I  began to calm down, but not stop smiling.  I got everything and everyone settled down for the night , and went to report the news in my new blog.  As I began to slowly climb the stairs long after midnight, I realized that I had made it to the first stop of many “wait and see” stations along a writer’s journey to publication and ultimately success.  I stretched out in my welcoming bed and pulled the soft comforter up over my shoulders, then turned and snuggled down for what I thought would be some of the best sleep of my life.  I began to relax each set of muscles and slowly release that breath that I had been holding for days.  I fully understood the movie title, “Waiting to Exhale”.  It was a glorious feeling to let go and release the tension that had been building up inside of me for a few days.  I sighed and began to drift off into a deep, dreamless sleep, content in the knowledge that I had ridden out the waiting game drama, and come out on top!

Spark of the Day:     Write a sexy note on pretty paper to the love of your life – just a couple of handwritten sentences to make him/her know what you’d like to do, when, and where!  Spray it with a light mist of his/her favorite fragrance that  you wear.  Place it in a coat pocket, inside the book he’s reading, in a brief case or book bag, – anywhere that you know he will find it.  Wait and see if the temperature doesn’t go up a notch when he next sees you.  I bet that will be one note he won’t throw away!