Okay, I’m 2 weeks behind on the blog. I wished I had something amazing to say but like most of my life…it’s all pretty calm other than work hassels and we won’t get into them. Wow, that was a long sentence. lol Anyway, I’ll get on to what I AM doing in regards to writing.

I’m in the last stages of editing for A Touch of Heaven. The book is due out November 18th from Alinar Publishing. The new blurb and cover are now posted at the site if you’d like to take a peek. You can find it HERE.

I’ve purchased new cover art! I love this cover. It was made by Dan Skinner. Take a peek at it HERE. I’m going to use it for Destined Hearts. Dan is getting it Fonted for me now. I can’t wait to see my name on it. Once ‘Heaven’ is finished and sent off I can get back to work on edits for DH. I miss this story already. The time I’ve spent away from it will be good though. I can see it with somewhat fresh eyes and catch those blaring mistakes I’ve missed in the first draft. It’s due for release Feb. 24th. I know I have tons of time but we all know how slow I am!

The company I work for has been going through some changes. I work on the 2nd shift crew which limits my writing time but by years end, the 2nd shift crew will be moved to 1st. I’m hoping then I will be able to devote more time to writing and Blogging! Now, I have the weekends which doesn’t make me very productive, as you can tell. Keep your fingers crossed our move is made quickly. I was told by mid-November we’d move so only a few more weeks of this torture and I’m home free. lol

I worked an 8 hour shift yesterday at work. On a Saturday. I felt so cheated out of my weekend that today I dicided to do exactly what I wanted to do. I’m writing. The edits on the books are on hold. They need working on but I didn’t want to take me ONE day of leisure time and actualy ‘work’. Writing to me isn’t work. It’s the ‘fun’ part.

I’m working on the next novel. I’m 35 pages in so far. Not much but this is the ‘murder mystery’ I mentioned way back when. Lots of plotting, planning and getting my thoughts in order. I’m not entirely sure I can pull it off. Only time will tell, I suppose. If it flops then we’ll find something to do with it. Post my failed attempt for free or something. I’m not going to think on that much though. I’d hate to doom the story before its done. Right now, I just need to get my first draft finsihed and let my crit partner have at it to see where I ‘messed up’. And who knows, maybe it’ll be damn near great! Stranger things have happened, I suppose.

All right, I’m back to my manuscript. I just wanted to pop in and try to keep to the Sunday posting schedule I promised. Have a good week!

I’ve fallen behind on blogging again. No surprise there, but I had a good reason this time. My husband and I took a vacation. The first in 5 years, to be exact. We spent a week at the beach with NO kids. I did nothing for an entire week but lay on the beach and read. I read 3 1/2 novels, got toasty brown and came home feeling relaxed and refreshed. So much so, I finally finsihed my edits on book #1!! Which, I can now say, is a rewrite of my first published title, A Touch of Heaven. I chose not to renew my contract through the publisher who had it. It needed a new life. So now it has been rewritten, got a snazzy new cover and will be available November 18th as a FREE READ through Alinar Publishing.

Destined Hearts is now is round 1 of edits. It’s due for release February 24th, 2008 through Alinar also. And I have a new story just chomping at the bit to be written. I’m resisting the temptation to mess with it. I have too much work with edits to start getting distracted. Lord knows it takes me forever to write a book. My need for ‘perfection’ is a major problem, not to mention time. I’ve been getting up 3 hours early just to work on my books. I work night shift so when I get home from work, I barely have the ability to check emails. I’m bleary eyed typing this – it IS nearly 2am and my bed is calling. I’ll try to update again soon. I’m shooting for every Sunday so we’ll see how that works.

The edits for book #1 of the two I’m currently editing is almost done. I’ve just printed it off and need to do a final read through and make the last minute changes. Once I have that done and sent off, I’ll let you know what it is and where its going.

Destined Hearts is in a holding pattern at the moment. I’m more concerned with getting #1 finsihed before jumping too heavily into this books edits. It’s a huge book with tons of work needed in order to get it readable. Plus, I think the ending was too rushed. I may need to rewrite that last few chapters and knowing me – this means adding several. I can’t ever seem to do anything simple. It’s always over the top.

I’ve been scarce for a while now but with work, the end of summer and edits, there just isn’t enough time in the day. I’ll try to make more of an effort to update the blog once a week. Don’t hold me to it though. LOL

Two post in one week. I must be feverish!

I’m neck deep in edits. I normally HATE editing. It’s grueling and in no way fun but I love it this go around. Why, you ask? Well, it’s so nice to actually have something TO edit! I’ve been struggling with my story for…well, a long time. I never thought I would finsih it. For the longest time it looked to be one of those stories that just sat, collecting dust until it was forgotten completly.

I’m actually working on two stories at once. Yes, crazy, but when one tries to drag me down, I just switch to the other. I honestly believe I’m ADHD. I can’t seem to stay focused on one task for long. If I have something else to occupy my time, I’m there. Hopefully I can keep this schedule up when I head back to work on Monday.

The first story is Destined Hearts. The ‘labor of love’ I mentioned a few days ago. The first 13 chapters of it were written 4 years ago. I’ve learned a lot about writing since then so you can imagine the shape those chapters are in. It’s almost like completly rewritting the story. But that’s okay. It needs it and like I said, editing is a piece of cake to me now. The book will be finished and I can celebrate once all is said and done.

The second story is actually an old story. I’m rewriting pieces of it that I don’t like, adding things I thought of after the fact and cleaning it up. I’ve been wanting to do it for ages now so I finally just decided…why not? It should be ready soon and then I’ll tell you what it is and what I have planned for it.

I’ve been out of the writing ‘groove’ for a while now. So long that my family has forgotten what it means when I say, “I’m working.” They just look at me like my head spun around in circles before whining again about whatever it is that brought them to me in the first place. I’ve had more interuptions today than any other. I can’t understand why my ‘alone’ time bothers them so. It must. They won’t let me have it. I guess I need to put up a huge “Do Not Disturb” sign on the door and lock it for a few hours. I’ll need better headphones. Heaven knows they’ll be pounding on the door when that happens.

It’s been forever and a day since I’ve update. I apologize to the handful of you who still check the blog.

I’ve been crazy busy this summer. Work is–well, it’s work. 40 hours a week is 40 hours less time I have to write. It’s taken it’s toll on me but it’s vacation time! A time to relax, play and get work done. It’s paid off. I just finished the first draft of Destined Hearts. This story has taken me 4 years to write. It was a true labor of love but it’s finished, for now. I’ll give it another look in a few weeks and start the editing process. The release will be months away but it’s feel SO good to finally have something at this stage. It’s been a long time. Too long.

I hope everyone’s 4th is filled with friends, good food and plenty of fun. Be safe and I’ll be back soon!

I’m not sure what it was that finally ‘clicked’ on this story, but boy am I glad it did. Destined Hearts has been haunting me for close to 4 years now. I opened it last Sunday evening, re-read the last couple of chapters and BOOM…the characters finally started talking to me. I sat down and wrote every thing they whispered and before I went to bed I had a complete outline AND 2 additional chapters. It’s officially Sunday again and I’ve added 13,691 words to the manuscript. That’s probably more than I’ve written in the last six months. Sad, but true. I have 7 more scenes to write and I’ll finally be finished.

Just saying the word ‘finished’ makes me smile. This story has been a true labor of love. Its the first original I ever tried to write. It may be why I’ve slaved over it for so long. I wanted it to happen for many reasons. I’m just glad its all coming together for me. I feel like I’ve accomplished my goal even though I haven’t written ‘The End’ yet. I know exactly how the story will play out and that’s more than I knew 2 weeks ago. Just having the ‘road map’ in front of me is a blessing. I’ve always been a ‘fly by the seat of my pants’ kind of writer. I know where I’m going, just not how I’m going to get there. It’s always worked in the past but with this story, it didn’t. That’s probably why its sat dormant on my computer for so long. Those characters needed guidance where most of my others tell me where their going.

I’m in the home stretch now and the end is in sight. It’s a feeling I could get use to.

I’ve taken the plunge. Of course, I’m not sure if I’ll sink or swim but there’s no harm in trying, right?

I’ve started writing my first mystery. Sure it’s still paranormal and I’ve spent more time plotting than anything but hopefully it’ll all pan out in the end. This is actually the first story I’ve felt passionate about in a while. I’m not sure if I should be happy about that or sad. I have so many stories started that I was passionate about as well — but they all fizzled and died a slow agonizing death. This one I’m hopping won’t meet the same fate.

The rate at which I’m getting things published, it looks like one a year for me. Tis truely sad. I know. I’m a slow writer in case any of you hadn’t figured out by now. My internal editor won’t be quiet long enough for me to get 2 pages worth of work done before she’s standing over my shoulder with her red pen scribbling up the pages. I haven’t figured out a way to shut her up. I see something wrong and I can’t move forward until its fixed. It’s truely a disease, one that is slowly killing me. I blame it on my ‘writing roots’. If any of you didn’t know, I started testing my writing skills with fanfiction. (Yes, I know how the world views it but to each their own, I suppose) In that form of writing, most stories are written chapter for chapter and posted as you go along. The need to get that one solidary chapter in its best form is why I find it so hard to write anything now. Instead of spending hours and hours editing, fixing and prettying up something as I go, I’m now forced to just plunge ahead and write crap and THEN come back and fix it. I can’t get my brain wrapped around the concept of letting the crap stay. You can go back and fix it when it’s all said and done. Of course, saying that is easier than actually doing it. I’ve been writing and publishing work since 2002. That’s a long time to do something one way only to try and rework my brain into another way of thinking. Hopefully I’ll get it eventually. I’m trying so that’s all anyone can ask for, right?