It’s been a while, but maybe that’s because I haven’t felt very “in the zone” as a writer—what with illness and family crises going on all around me.
However, this past week I got my mojo back. I read through the final typeset galley of Ravished by a Viking this week, and I loved the story. It’s brash, sexy, has high adventure(sea serpents, battles, spaceships)… Okay, you get the idea. It’s gonna be fun!
I finished revising the crap out of the opening for the second Viking book and it feels “right” now. I couldn’t have explained why it didn’t before until a crit partner of mine, Rachel, told me what didn’t work for her. Thank you, thank you, Rachel!!
Also, yesterday I met with a couple of my closest friends to do a first run through of the entries I’ve received thus far for the Girls Who Bite anthology. I have received 32 entries to date. I know the bulk will come closer to the deadline and I wanted to get a jumpstart so I’m not reading myself blind at the very last moment. We read, talked about problems with some of the entries (I’ll be asking some folks for revisions), and ate lots of pizza. (It was an all-nighter, so I’m actually sitting at my friend’s breakfast table writing this. :))
Did I mention that I have three projects due to editors on the exact same date? Yup, on December 1st (which I am calling D-Day), I have Viking-2, Girls Who Bite and a Nocturne Bite all coming due. I have to move out smartly and with a razor-focus for the next two months. And expect me to grow increasingly nuts and panicky the closer the end time comes. My family is already preparing the barricades.
Next week is not going to be a big writing week. On Thursday, I will drive to Little Rock where I’ll meet up with Shayla Kersten to catch a plane to Ohio. Ellora’s Cave Romanticon is going to be so much fun! And after having to miss Lora Leigh’s big party because I was sick, I am ready to have twice as much fun!
Have a terrific week. I’ll have some great guests holding down the fort on my blog while I’m gone. Make them welcome! Toodles for now! ~DD
