Ten Things You Didn't Know About...My Immortal

Thought I'd touch on my novella, My Immortal, this week. This was a favorite to write (aren't they all) and I loved Storm's character. I've told the story about how he informed me he was a vampire plenty of times, but here's some factoids you might not have known....

10. Stevie's name comes from Stevie Nicks. Yup. Can't tell I listened to a lot of Fleetwood Mac, can you?

9. Stevie's name is also what my folks wanted to call me, but my mother outlawed the name. Dunno...guess I don't look much like a Stephanie anyway.

8. Persing is a little tribute to my great gramma. It's her maiden name.

7. The main drag of the town is remarkably like the main drag of the town I grew up in.

6. I've always wanted a Camaro...so Stevie got one instead.

5. The name Bruce Tripp was snagged from NASCAR. If you watched the Camping World Truck Series, there is a crew chief named Tripp Bruce. 100% honest truth.

4. Storm didn't bother to tell me right away he was from Salem and it was a pain because then I had to research him and listen to him cackle when I got information wrong.

3. There's a driver mentioned in the story, Tucker Poston. He's the very first character I ever came up with for a romance novel. He's also got his own story coming out August 15th from TEB.

2. I found out the editor wanted to contract the story through an IM at 2 AM my time. Yeah, I squeed really softly. Scared the living berserkers out of my BFF when I IM'ed her.

1. Allan and Todd haven't bothered to tell me if they are a couple or not. Todd's response was a grunt and Allan said "a couple of what?" Men. And Gypsy wants to be involved with both, but they aren't exactly sure what to make of her yet.

Here's the blurb:

What’s a girl to do when she finds out the man of her dreams is a 340 year old vampire?

Run like hell or offer her heart.

Being a vampire hasn’t been easy for Storm Richardson. He’s not programmed to kill or harm, unless he needs to feed. When he meets Stephanie “Stevie” Persing, he knows he’s found his mate. But if he crosses the line between work and play, he risks losing the only person who matters—her.

Stevie’s been in love with Storm since the moment she laid eyes on him. He’s brooding, intense, and her one weakness. But is her heart too steep a price to pay for his love, especially when she discovers his deepest secrets?

This book contains minimal scenes of rape in a flashback. Includes smokin’ hot sex in a hot tub, a pickup truck, and the shower.

A New Contract!!!

For Thank You Thursday, I have a new contract to announce. Yuppers. It's been over six years in the making and gone through about fifteen different versions. What am I talking about? Only the one book that started it all and got me into the idea that maybe, just maybe, I can write...maybe. Hey, you won't hear my say I am the best author out there. I know I've got tons to learn. But this story is near and dear to my heart. I know I say that every time. But if you've been with me on the ride since the beginning, you'll know that racing is one of my passions. I can't race.
Can't figure out the clutch. But I love to watch racing. And I know a couple of drivers and have talked to a few more. Even know a spotter pretty well. (He tells the drivers where the traffic is on track, in case you were scratching your head.)
My first story, first romance I ever attempted was a race themed story. I had this awesome guy picked out for a hero and a great heroine to tame him. But I had no idea that there were words that shouldn't be use. These crazy things called passive voice and point of view changes, head hopping....since then, I've gotten a little better. I know how to not use, if at all possible, passive voice. I know the skill to keeping certain words (was, had, did, has, is) to a minimum, and I realize that if you switch POV's mid scene, it had better be REALLY important.

So my news? The book, six years in the making, has been contracted by Total-E-Bound. I can't wait!!!

What the? Wednesday...The Scariness of Submission

Submission. I know where your mind went. In some ways, you're right. There's a little of that in this post. And there's a little of a different kind of submission.

I'm working my heart out on a couple stories right now. One has to do with a menage. Yup. That one. Still not done with it. Not always a good thing. It's due by the end of the month. So if I want to sub it, then I need to get my buns in gear. That one has some fun submission and some yummy manlove. Yes. Megan convinced me to write some more m/m/f. And I liked it.

And then there's this other story. I've got a story I subbed last summer. Pitched it in person and everything. Needless to say, it was given a R&R. Revise and Resubmit. That would've been fine, had I not oh, I don't know...let it sit for more than a month. I worked my tail feathers off on it and then passed it on to a CP. Problem is, she kinda forgot about it...between forgetting about it and then finding out it was really not in shape...I haven't bothered to resubmit it. It's not that I don't want to. Far from that. I'd LOVE to resub it. I just didn't realize how bad off it was when I'd subbed it in the first place.

Hence my scared-y-cat-ness. I get all excited when a story is close to being ready but the queasiness that accompanies actually submitting...strikes every time.

Ugh.

I've got a sub in right now. It's a favorite of mine. So if it gets shot down, I'll be honest, it'll be a bit painful. Why? It's the polished and rewritten version of my very first MS. I call it the 6YOMS (6 year old manuscript). We'll see. And have fingers crossed.

You ever experienced the "I really need to ralph because I sent in a sub" feeling? Share your story. I'm all ears. Or eyes. Whatever. Let me know.

And Don't Forget to Check out These Awesome Authors: Megan Slayer, Kealie Shay, Menagerie Authors, Jessica Jarman, Devon Rhodes, Ashley Ladd, Linda McMaken, Cheryl Dragon, Marianne Arkins, Anne Rainey, KA Mitchell, Mychael Black, and Jenika Snow!

What the? Wednesday!

Whew! It's been a long couple days...what am I saying... Long couple of weeks! I did the blog tour for Careless Whisper. What a blast! I should do it again. After a nap. I had a great time meeting new readers and getting the word out there. Oh, and talking about ghosts. Always fun.

This week I'm over at Whipped Cream as the Spotlight Author. How cool is that? You can win a GC to Amazon or BN if you comment. Why not? I love being spotlighted over there. The ladies at WC/LASR rock.

And then there was the announcement of TWO contracts. Call me an overachiever, but yeah, I turned in two subs and thankfully my editor liked them enough for contract. Please Remember Me comes out tentatively in May! What Might Have Been is tentative for a June release. Both from Total-E-Bound. Yanno, how cool is that?

Sara Reinke stopped by yesterday with her book, Dark Passages. That was a fun tour visit. Yvonne Walus stops by on her whirlwind tour on Friday and in April the ever wonderful Desiree Holt stops by for her 100th release. That is cool.

So really, my what the? Wednesday isn't really that earth shattering, but it's actually pretty good by me. :)

And Don't Forget to Check out These Awesome Authors: Megan Slayer, Kealie Shay, Menagerie Authors, Jessica Jarman, Devon Rhodes, Ashley Ladd, Linda McMaken, Cheryl Dragon, Marianne Arkins, Anne Rainey, KA Mitchell, Mychael Black, and Jenika Snow!

Flirty Friday...and a Little Down in the Dumps

I don't have much to report today. I spent the week hammering away at my resub. CP said it was ready to go and that I'd fixed my problems in it. I dunno. But I do know that if I had piddled with it much longer, all I'd succeed in would be more procrastinating. So I bit the bullet and turned it in. I'm waiting on a WIP to come back from the CP from the second time around crit. Might be able to send that one in some time this weekend. I don't know.

Crazy, huh. A lot of 'I don't knows' in there.

But I'm working with Megan to get her story done and I'm still hammering at my NASCAR story. I will get that one pubbed and it will be fantastic (and If I don't keep convincing myself it will get done and be worth reading, I'll never finish it.)

I'm having a 'little engine that could' moment and feeling like I'm just not making the grade. Do you ever get those moments? I'd love to know what you do to bring yourself up. Sure, I've got chocolate, good friends, and great reads to get lost in. And I will for a while. But I'm open for thoughts.

And Don't Forget to Check out These Awesome Authors: Megan Slayer, Kealie Shay, Menagerie Authors, Jessica Jarman, Devon Rhodes, Ashley Ladd, Linda McMaken, Cheryl Dragon, Marianne Arkins, Anne Rainey, KA Mitchell, Mychael Black, and Jenika Snow!

Friday Flirts

I'm sitting here jamming to old Billy Joel tunes and working on revisions/edits/WIP's... Yeah, I'm a busy girl. Megan came over for a while to work on her WIP. I looked it over and I think once she gets this particular pivotal scene done, she'll be pretty good to go. Me? Not so much. I chattered with C for a while, too. She teased me about having one too many irons in the fire and setting the bar a bit high. Duh. I don't know what to do with myself if the bar isn't way over my head and more or less out of reach. Story of my life.

In the planning stages:
Rhett's part of You'll Think of Me. He's still in the rough stages. I mean, I know what he wants to do, but I want to put him in a situation he thinks he can't handle. I mentioned something to him about twins. He was receptive...I don't think he has any idea *how* I want him to end up with said twins. Hee hee.

In the works:
Still chugging away on the NASCAR story. I have the lawyerly parts done and right. The rest needs to come into focus.

In revision:
I have two here. I sent What Might Have Been to the CP, got it back and have one scene to finish. I *think* I have a handle on it, but as I know all too well, my having a handle on things isn't always what I think it is.
Also, I'm working hard on the resub. I spoke about that one yesterday, so not much to report as of right now. But hey, I feel a lot better about it than I did on Wednesday. Will it be the fresh, original, creative thing my editor expects? I have no freaking idea...and I'm scared it won't live up to standards.

In edits:
I should be getting the first round edits on Careless Whisper. I always get the feeling of dread knowing the edits are coming. Why? Cuz...I do. I dunno.

Releasing Monday:
Tangled Up releases from Total-E-Bound. Grab your copy!

Back to the grindstone, plus the song changed. Yes, I'm listening to a-ha and I like it.

And Don't Forget to Check out These Awesome Authors: Megan Slayer, Kealie Shay, Menagerie Authors, Jessica Jarman, Devon Rhodes, Ashley Ladd, Linda McMaken, Cheryl Dragon, Marianne Arkins, Anne Rainey, KA Mitchell, Mychael Black, and Jenika Snow!

Thank You Thursday - Christmas Edition

Actually this is for the new year, but I wanted to mention the things I've been thankful for in the past year. I'm not real good at Thursday Thirteen, but I'll give it a shot.


13. My Sony E-Reader - what a great invention. I can take a gadjillion books with me and it's about the size of a trade paperback. Mine's black, but you get the idea.

12. Snoopy Fuzzy Sleep Pants - warm, cozy, and adorable. Can't be beat.

11.Cell phones - I accidentally washed my brand new one last December. Yeah, wasn't my best move. Thankfully it wasn't a super expensive phone, but it was the principle of the thing.


10. My iPod - tunes make the world go round and add to the general inspiration for my stories. Without my iPod, I'd be stuck using my Walkman and yes, I have the CD version of a Walkman still. (I even know what a turntable is and the pain of changing a record needle because it wore down too far. Beat that.)

9. The Internet -- wonderful thing, the internet. I can talk to mom without leaving the house and annoy the BFF in far, far away land. At the same time. I can look at things that would make most blush and then turn around and write the stories in my head.

8. My Laptop - take it with me, write what I want when I want and it keeps my legs warm.


7. NASCAR!!! Heck yeah. You thought I could make a list without it? What else would I do on Friday nights and Sunday afternoons? Keep in mind. I can't just sit and watch a race. I have to have a notebook or my laptop open.Heaven knows I can't write (or when I was in school, do homework) without noise.


6. Gary Allan - the guy writes and plays the music of my career and my life. Trust me, you should listen to him, too.

5. Editors past - I know it sounds like the Ghost of Christmas past, but I'm telling you, a good editor is like gold. You never want to lose them. Thankfully even though mine might not be editing right now, I still have her as a friend. Best thing in the world.

4. Editors present - Yes, it truly sucks ogre balls when you get a rejection letter, but editors, though occasionally the bane of the author's existence, is truly an asset. I've got some fantastic editors (even when they reject/ask for revisions). They know what they're doing and help me to shine as an author. (Did I meet the butt kissing quota yet? )


3. My BFF - She's like family. She knows me better than just about everyone (except maybe Dh). She's seen me with my hair down and laughed when I shouted one of the most oddball things in pubic. (Yes, I'm talking about lube.) We can bounce things off each other (let me tell you, it's a sight to see) and be sarcastic. She's the Shawn to my Gus...or is it the Gus to my Shawn...not sure......


2. Contracts - yuppers, I wouldn't be here talking to you without the drive and the contracts. I love my publishers and my editors. They had the faith in me to give me a chance. I love my readers and hope they continue to find my writing interesting enough to come back for more. Yes readers, I love you.

1. My family - no one else (save for BFF) puts up with me, can time that time of the month so distinctly, knows when to make me laugh, take me to dinner, and (sigh) put me in my place. They know when to give me an 'atta girl, too. Love ya!

Friday Flirts

Ah, it's that time of the week again. Friday Flirts. YAY!

Yeah, I'm actually pretty excited about it. I have a ton of work in progress, but I decided there were a couple things that needed said. Yessir.

First: Tangled Up came back for first edits. Not too bad which made my day. Turned back and waiting for second round.

Farmer. Oh, how I had high hopes for you, dear story. But there also comes a time when one has to step back and say, yanno, this just isn't working. (Doesn't hurt if one has this blugeoned over one's head more than once by a very tenderhearted, but honest CP). So on the shelf you go.

I decided since he went on the shelf, one of my shelved stories was coming back out. Last year, I penned a tale of high school reunion. Seeing as my 15 yr is coming up soon, I thought it was a great story. Is it? No clue. I put it in the hands of a couple CPs. We'll see. (Fingers crossed it doesn't suck.)

Jade/Marlon have been submitted. And that's all I'm gonna say about them.

That's all for now. I have to get working on a couple other WIP's. The characters get cranky when they think they've been ignored. (Which, in their minds, is often.)

Friday Flirts

Friday Flirts.

I wanted to have something fantastic to post today. I did. I feel sometimes like I'm falling a tad short.

Ok, so what am I working on?

Still have the NASCAR book in the works. I want to get farther on it. We'll see. Time is a minimum.

Halfway through the menage story. It sorta got kicked to the back burner. I'll get there.

Got PRM sent to the editor. I won't even hazard a guess on that one. Lest time I did, I fell flat on my face. What have I learned? Mum is the word. :)

Farmer is with CP, so he's at a stand-still. No worries.

I think that's all right now.

Friday Flirts

I know, most of you are out shopping. Well, I'm not. I'm not one for the crowds, being shoved to get a cheap tv or parking out in BFE. I can't see the point in sitting in the snow/wind/rain/cold just to be the first in line for an iPad.

But that's just me.

I'd rather do my shopping online or later or (if I had my way) way early. Yes, I'm one of those irritating people who has their shopping done by Halloween. (If I don't, I chafe. Really.)

So, because I'm a derelict and forgot to mention my NEW RELEASE on RELEASE DAY. (Long story...needless to say, it was forgotten in the shuffle of life).

Get your copy of You'll Think of Me.
Not only did I get a fantastic cover, but at a little over $5, it's a steal (but don't really steal it - cuz that was another hurdle from this week).

Cade is one of my favorite characters and it's a story near and dear to my heart.

The man of her dreams finally came home from the war, but is he still the man she remembers or have his demons changed him forever?

Melanie Roberts loved her best friend more than she could ever imagine, and for longer than she wants to admit. Though once lovers, she's resigned herself to being no more than his best friend and roommate. On the eve of his return from deployment in Iraq, in order to keep her heart from breaking, she decides she's moving on—after one last sexy night.

Cade Nicholson has come to a decision. As he comes home damaged in both body and soul from his latest deployment, all he wants is to find comfort in Melanie's arms. Unsure and unsteady in expressing his love to the only woman to hold his heart, he has to find a way to convince her of his true feelings.

Can two best friends overcome their demons to prove their love for one another before past decisions come back to haunt them and it’s too late?

Reader Advisory: This book contains anal and outdoor sex.

Get your copy today!

And in other news:
Remember me talking about Please Remember Me? For all of you who read Cass and Logan's story (Right Where I Need to Be), well, PRM which is Marlon and Jade's story, is back from the CP and **I think** all the kinks are worked out. I'm writing the synopsis little by little (since they are so not fun) and hoping to have it to editor within two weeks. Am I scared? Heck yeah. Submissions are never my strong point. Stomach ends up in knots and I'm scared the editor will hate it (even after the CP's, beta readers, and everyone else whose helped in the revision/polish process has given it the go-ahead.)

So wish me luck and grab a copy of You'll Think of Me.

Ta for now! (I've got a synopsis to write.)

Thank You Thursday

There's been some changes so I wanted to make today my thank you day to my editor. She isn't my editor anymore, but after four books worth of hard work, she deserves a thanks!

I didn't know over a year ago how rough my work was. At the time I thought it was pretty polished. I subbed and nothing. Guess I just needed to find the right person. My sub found her inbox and the rest is history--sort of.

It wasn't all, "yes, I want this". I'll be honest. She actually rejected and asked for revisions on the sub. I thought my world would end. How could I have possibly screwed up an 11k ms that bad?

Ah, I had to get my ego in check a bit. Once I did that, and found a fantastic CP to go through the story line by line (Chele was a Godsend--still is). Then the story was good enough and clean enough.

Again, it wasn't super easy. There's that response time. (Enter ear worm) "The waiting is the hardest part". No kidding. I knew better than to expect an immediate response. I mean, sheesh, I wasn't important or anything. When the acceptance finally came, I screamed.

Thus started a four book relationship. It's nice to have someone who understands the point you're trying to get at, even when you aren't sure. And someone to talk to about a change that you think might totally ruin the story. Oh and the response time? Hey, it sped up a bit and you won't hear me complain in the least.

The editor/author part has come to an end and though I'm sad, I'm glad, too. I learned a lot and how have to face the challenge of wowing another editor. So thanks Jess for rooting for me and showing me I have what it takes.

You rock!

Friday Flirts! A New Contract!

Remember the Ghost story I talked about? Heck, Ryan stopped by already to chatter about it (he loves to chatter). Well, with a little love, care, and lots of polish, I sent it in. I gave up talking about what I've subbed because, well, I hate redacting and I hate getting my own hopes up. So even tho I let him chatter, I really didn't say I'd subbed it.

My editor loved my concept and the story and contracted it! Careless Whisper will come out late February 2011. Cool, ain't it? I'm stoked. Squee!

What the? Wednesday -- SPELLCHECK!!!!

SPELLCHECK!!!!!

This is a quick rant, but I can't help myself. Where I work, we must use spellcheck. It's not a maybe or a might, it's a must. Now, I am one of those rare few that managed to blow through high school without taking the famed Typing Class. I **er, ahem...** didn't see the need. Ok, so I was blissfully ignorant of that thing called the World Wide Web. Oh well.

But I am also the first to admit, my typing skills aren't the best. They've gotten way better than college. Hey, back then, I was the hunt and peck queen. I've since given up my crown for better things. But seriously, I had issues with margins, with fonts, and the dreaded typing errors.

Like I said, I'm better than I was, but not perfect. I tend to have a few stray teh's, the occasional fo, and the famous fro in my typing. And don't get me started on the invaluable delete and backspace button. Mine don't say delete or backspace on them any longer. Nope, they are shiny and nude from use.

So what is my rant? USE THE DAMN SPELLCHECK!!!

Do you realize how irksome it is (and I am guilty of this as well) to get an email with misspellings in it? Your professionalism goes right out the window. And if you're turning in something important to someone... like a synopsis... yeah, editors will toss a typo-ed synopsis and not even open the document.

So save me and everyone else a bit of time and use the command that will make all your little goofs go away. OH, and then READ what you wrote to catch the pesky their vs there, be vs bea, all right vs alright. You get the idea.

(((Ok, so it wasn't a quick rant. Sorry. But I'm feeling much better now. --And if you know where that line comes from, you've watched way too much tv.)))

Thank You, Thursdays

This week I wanted to give a shout out to a writer who gave me an extra nudge when I was a tad lost and not sure how to get my buns in gear with my writing career.

Back about five years ago, I had these three manuscripts I thought were boff-o. Yeah, really great. There was one or two issues. One: I had sent them out to publishers and gee... no takers. Wonder why? Cuz they weren't polished enough. Duh. Two: I wasn't sure who to send them to. For some ridiculous reason, I thought I should go right to the top and send to Harlequin because if they saw I was plucky, they'd give me a shot. No.

I didn't lose faith, but I did gain some sense.

I joined some romance groups on yahoo... Read voraciously (I had since I learned to read, but I upped the ante) and made contacts. God bless the day I made contacts.

Who? The person I wanted to thank. Lori Foster.

Now don't think that I expected something from her, or pestered her into helping me. Nope. She's just a genuinely nice person. I posted a question asking for a bit of direction and she said, come to Cincy and meet editors. They might not take anything you've written, but in-person meetings are invaluable.

And wonder of wonders, she was spot on. Yup. I went to Cincy, met editors, got turned down yet again, but I made connections. They put a face to a name and saw my drive. Apparently it worked.

But I have to thank Lori for not only writing awesome stories that I read to improve my craft, but also for being approachable so I could actually learn something.

So thank you Lori Foster. You're one of my role models and friend.

Arran's Story Is In!

You may be wondering what I'm talking about. Worry no more. :P I turned in the finished MS for Arran's story, Tangled Up. This is my second foray into menage, but the first into M/M. For those of you grossed out, then stop reading. I wrote the characters the way they told me to.

This is the story that follows Must Be Doing Something Right and Learning How to Bend. Funny, Nate from Must shows up in Tangled Up, but Seth and Abby really don't other than a mention.

I have to admit, the hardest part of writing this story was making sure Arran and his partner, Sav, didn't sound campy unless they were trying to. I've found, when reading M/M stories, that lots of times the authors will make the gay men sound... campy. Yes, I know, some are more effeminate than others... just saying. Arran and Sav are comfortable with who they are and still--their words, not mine--manly men. :::Shrugs:::

But since Tangled Up is done and in the editor's hands, I'm going to tackle the edits and rewrites on my farmer, as well as finish the ghost hunter story and give Megan a hand on her vampire stories.

Yeah, I'm a busy girl. :) But I love it.

Well.... poo

Okay, this will sound like a pity party post. It is, to a degree.

I knew when I got into this industry that writing is subjective and there are a whole lot more tears than joys because, well, you're gonna spend more time learning and producing than contracting.

They (whoever they are) weren't kidding.

Now, you probably remember I subbed my farmer again. This time, I heard from one publisher, who told me the subplot didn't move her. Okay... and she wasn't convinced of the romance, but the writing was tight.

Okey Dokey.

I'm really not pissing and moaning. I'm not. But when I get two rejections and neither one mentions the same stuff... it makes me wonder. What's really not up to par with this story? And how do I figure out what to fix, if anything?

One last thing, Editor said, "What isn't right for one is perfect for another."

Then slip me the name of the one who does, yanno? Just sayin'. And is that nice-speak for, thanks but no thanks?

I know not everything I submit will be accepted. The publishing industry is a competitive, cutthroat industry. So, I knew going in that I had a 3% chance of acceptance. But still, no one said I had to like rejection, even if it's accompanied by great advice.

So back to the drawing board...

HAPPY EASTER!

Happy Easter!

Thinking about what Easter symbolizes and realizing that people have better things to do on a holiday rather than read a blog, I thought I'd babble for a bit.

Shouldn't surprise you much, me babbling.

But the idea of renewal, rebirth, and second life had me thinking.

If you'd asked me ten years ago what I'd be up to, I'd have told you I'd be a teacher, I'd be making art, and probably single again. That didn't quite happen. Well, I did become a teacher, I did create art for a living, and I am happily a married mom of one. But I guarantee, I'd never thought back then that I'd be a writer. Do I consider myself a professional? I'd like to, but I can't quit my day job. Still, writing has opened up totally new worlds to me and given me a day job I actually love (besides writing and playing mommy). I met some great friends who are my closest friends. I've learned that happiness comes in the form of an email. And an email can be the worst thing in the world. I've found that people only think you are a writer if they can hold your book in their hands. An ebook to most people I know, is just a thingy on a screen. I found that waiting for contracts, edits, cover art, and release dates is just about as infuriating as nine months of pregnancy. Sheesh. I love my Ds, but I thought he'd never arrive. Same thing for my novel. Kinda like him, when I hold it in my hands, I'll know it's real.

But enough babbling for now. You've got things to do and people to see. So do I.

Toodles.

NEWS!

After the semi-depressing day that was yesterday, I kinda forgot about the fab news I wanted to share. Sick kids take the fun out of news... and when it comes at 2 AM, well, I plum forgot.

So what is the news?

Remember my vampire story? Well, I ended up naming it My Immortal because Just the Way You Are sounded too...sweet. Yes, there are sweet little moments in the story, but come on. It's a vampire story. Not every moment will be Hallmark. So I renamed it. Back in February, I sent him out into the world and hoped he'd find a home.

HE DID!

Total-E-Bound decided to contract it. How cool is that! Would I consider myself a paranormal author? Um... I'll hold judgment til it comes out and reviewers get a hold of it.

But at the same time, my editor paid me a high compliment. Now working with Jess, like working with most editors, isn't wine and roses all the time. But, there is a faith and trust factor. She trusts that when she asks me to do edits, I'll do them up to snuff. I trust her to not slice and dice with my story. So I told her that because she was willing to work with me and has been up front with me on all my TEB submissions and contracts, she rocked. In return, she replied, you are one of the easiest authors to work with because you listen, but you're proactive. It's a joy to work with you because I know what you can do and have seen it.

Talk about a compliment!

Oh and then, have to add this one in, m a very good friend of mine who, when she critiques my stuff honestly... she scares me because she's wicked thorough and wicked good at what she does. Well, she's hard to please as well, but then again, when looking for quality, you should be hard to please. Anyway, she told me that she was proud of me. "If you keep writing and learning and submitting... you'll get published. And you do. I'm proud of you.. you keep on keeping on."

Imagine my shock.

Half the time, I'm not even sure if she likes me or puts up with me because she has to. (I love it because it sounded like an old Allman Brothers or Lynard Skynard type of song).

So, I'm not trying to brag, but I wanted to share my good news. Hopefully, I helped another friend and she'll have great news to share soon too.

Toodles.

More Random Musings

Over the past week, a ton happened. I know it seemed like I was around.

I wasn't.

Where was I? No I won't make you play a game of where's Waldo. I went to Bristol to watch the NASCAR races. And yes, it was a blast. I love NASCAR (like you can't tell) and being in Thunder Valley. I walked on the track and "Got driver rubber". Get your head out of the gutter. There is ripped/shredded tire rubber on the track and yes, we filched some.

At the same time, I turned in my farmer. That part wasn't so great. I know, I know, there are the highs and lows of publishing. And I know that 1-3% of stories will be contracted. Still, to be told that the story is good, the emotion is great and the interior is fab... but it's not what we want... that took a little brave facing. You know, put the brave face on it, take it on the chin... okay, enough cliches. Still.

I also found out that my vampire story is with the editor. No clue what will come of that. I want to get my hopes up, but gravy, I don't need any more Milk Chocolate Milano cookies. (Yeah, that's my weapon of choice when I get a rejection.)

But anyway, I'm back to blogging, reviewing (cause I'm way behind), and twiddling with my NASCAR story. Oh yeah, it's about a driver and yes, I got some major inspiration at the track, tough part is that it was a submission and was all done, but it wasn't at all ready when I subbed it. It will be one of these days.

Toodles.

New Contract for Must Be Doing Something Right!

Just wanted to tell you all since I finally got said contract in my hot little hands, Total-E-Bound contracted the follow-up to Learning How to Bend, entitled, Must Be Doing Something Right. This is the story of Courteney and Nate (who shows up in LHTB). I got a tentative release date of late June.

I'm psyched.

I also sent in my farmer (now 40k) for resubmission and vampire (42k) is currently with and editor under first consideration.

Wish me luck.

Toodles.