Progress on Stone’s Embrace

I’m deep into chapter two now of Stone’s Embrace. Still haven’t figured out what happens after the sex, but I’m sure it will come…um, after my hero and heroine pry themselves apart.

This will be a busy week. I want to get through chapter four of this WIP. I have an older manuscript for a romantic comedy my sister and I co-wrote a million years ago that needs a lot of sprucing up. So, I’ll be giving it a read and making notes of what needs to be stripped, what can stay. I’m suspecting that pretty much everything except the basic plot has to be reworked. We’ve both learned a lot since we wrote the thing.

Next Saturday is the Diamond State Romance Author’s meeting in Little Rock, and as VP of Programs I have some administrative tasks to take care of.

Lastly, I will be teaching a worldBuilding class for Roses Colored Glasses at the end of the month and need to refurbish the course content.

So, all in all a packed week. Do y’all have big plans?

I’ll be blogging with the Bradford Bunch today and would love to see some familiar faces! I’m offering a prize, so be sure to scoot over there!

A quick reminder: Tonight at 9 PM ET/8 PM CST, I will be at the Fallen Angels chatroom. Be sure to stop by and say hello—and there will be prizes!

That’s what I need to do today. Writing is like exercising—when you step away from it for a while, your brain gets flabby. I’ve worked so many proposals lately, I have a real problem committing to getting to the end of just one story. Okay, so I need another metaphor, but my mind’s not cooperating.

Maybe I need to scare myself a bit. I have 80 pages due by the end of the month. 80 – the 5 already written = 75 pages to go. 75 / 18 writing days left in the month = roughly 4 pages a day.

So today, I commit to writing at least five pages on the story that’s due by the end of the month. That’s doable. Maybe I’ll open up my AIM and look for a sprinting partner—someone who will kick my ass.

Progress on Stone’s Embrace

I have started on a new WIP, but it’s going slow since I’m having to build a world that’s supposed to be part of a series without knowing the parameters of the other stories. Ah well, I’ll muddle through. Guess I can make my world do anything I want and people it with whatever creatures I want.

Anyway, it’s a new start and I should feel energized by that fact, but I’m just a bit burned out and letting myself get a little frazzled. Happens. Maybe I’ll pull out the new fae research books my new friend Wesley recommended and see what I might be able to come up with.

March’s moon is the “chaste” moon, and a time of hope and rebirth. It’s the month to embark on new adventures and experiences. We’re already eight days into the month, and I’m all for some renewal of energy. The weather’s beginning to warm; the trees and some of the flowering bushes are budding.

I’m trying to pay attention to the “solar” clock and getting out of bed earlier. I have this theory that if I adopt the rhythm of the day, my body might stop feeling fatigued. We’ll see. Can’t seem to prevent those middle of the night flashes of inspiration that send me straight to my computer. Then again, why the hell am I worried about a little tiredness? I have another book to get out the door!

I’ll be back today from the NOLA conference in Shreveport some time today, but in the meantime, let me share pics from my adventure in Granite, Oklahoma last month.

Yes, it was all about work. Hard work. See the plotting charts taped to the walls. They looked like crude wallpaper by the time we were done. Here’s my sister taking a break next to Di Dishman and Karen Kelley (Brava author).

This is our hostess, Julia, on the left and a couple more of the bootcampers hard at work. I’m sure they thought the weekend would be a big slumber party, but we disabused them of that idea quickly!

Okay, the weekend wasn’t all work. The ladies treated my sister and I to a couple of lovely meals away from the retreat house. This is the lodge at nearby Quartz Mountain Nature Park.

The scenery in that part of Oklahoma was unexpected. I love the rugged landscape—just wished I could have taken a day to explore on foot.

I can only imagine how gorgeous it would be in springtime. Sounds like another field trip to me!

I’m getting packed for the weekend. I’ll be in Shreveport, Louisiana for the NOLA conference. I expect to have a great time. I love being around other writers because there’s so much creative energy in the air. And the best part is that I’ll be rooming with Elle James (also known as sister) and Shayla Kersten.

Thought I’d pass along the URL for that live radio broadcast of my interview at Canned Laughter and Coffee with Renee Bernard. It’s short, so you won’t be committing to listening to more than about ten minutes of me talking about Texas Men and their “equipment.” 😉Interview

Check my blog tomorrow for winners announcements! Oh! And be sure to check out Jennifer’s Random Musings—I’m blogging there today!