Roller Coaster Ride

I've been busy with good things and hard things and right now, RIGHT NOW, I have a breather so I'm breathing. This is me breathing.

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Okay that's enough of that.

I've just finished the first major round of edits for THE ORCHARD with my editor, Sam, and as exciting as it was, frankly, I'm fried. Frizzled. Because of some time/life/deadline issues it was an editing marathon between the both of us and I didn't get much sleep. It was entertaining and eye-opening to look at something I wrote four years ago (THE ORCHARD is the first book I ever wrote ever even including my submission in second grade for Young Authors because I procrastinated and my mom dictated a story to me about a girl who procrastinated--who I named after my sister, actually--and I still turned it in) and see how much I've learned and applied. I chuckled a lot. I grimaced a lot. I removed some cheese and kept some in. I had fun. I pulled out my hair. And I got excited honing this sweet romance into the voice I've grown into. I hope I did that. The copy editor has it now, then I get it for another go-over, and then, barring any major gaffes, it goes to print.

And then the real fun begins. Book covers. Back copy. Promotion. Woohoo!

I've also begun querying SILK. Trying to find an agent. This is a first for me. Oh, and writing a synopsis. Taking a 476 page book and condensing it down to...well, I did my best. It wasn't three pages. But it wasn't seven. Crossing my fingers, throwing salt over my shoulder, avoiding ladders, and wishing on stars. All that.

I'll be attending the LTUE writers conference for the first time next week. Megan Whalen Turner is the Special Guest and Keynote. I love her. Love. Looking forward to all the things I'll be learning and the people I'll be seeing and the rejuvenation that always comes with a writers conference.

In the meantime, I've been collecting images (creative commons) for a book trailer for THE ORCHARD and my son and I will be putting that baby together soon! I'll be presenting a class on the basics of writing romance at the Storymakers Writers Conference in May, so I'm researching for that. Lots of exciting stuff! I can't believe, sometimes, when I look back at when I first got an idea for a story and decided to write an outline, where that simple and compelling notion is taking me.

I love this ride.

CC Flickr by sfllaw.