Enjoying Every Minute of the Ride

Even with all the ups and downs of the writing life, it’s worth every minute. There are so many little thrills along the way to enjoy. For instance, today, my second book went up on Amazon for pre-order. Selling one book was a dream come true. Selling a second book is overwhelming. And you know you lead a sad and boring life when an ISBN number excites you.

Another bit of excitement is my first booksigning. I’m a member of Washington Romance Writers, and in April I’m attending their annual retreat at Harper’s Ferry, MD. I’ll be signing copies of Her Irish Warrior on April 27th from 11:30-2:00 p.m. at Turn the Page Bookstore and Cafe, a bookstore owned by Nora Roberts:bow2u: and her husband Bruce Wilder–located in Boonsboro, MD. If you are anywhere in the area, I’d love to see a familiar face. If you love historical romance, don’t miss out on all the great authors! Nora Roberts and Julia Quinn will be there, along with Madeleine Hunter, Diane Gaston, myself, and 8 other authors. I will be the writer in the corner just smiling from ear to ear, happy to be there. Details are here.

As for the current book, I’m wrestling it to the ground. I’m on the homeward stretch and today I found a pretty key bit of Irish history that needs to be in the story since it happens near my fictional setting. It would be the equivalent of having the Revolutionary War in your backyard and whistling like it wasn’t going on. Um…so, have to include that. The question is, whether I want to handle it as a threat to the hero or whether I want it to be secondary. I haven’t decided yet. In any case, I am going to finish this book in the next 30 days (hold me to that promise!) and then May will be revision month. It’s rather frightening how many drafts I go through on each book. I’d say I’m on draft #5 right now. But it works for me.

I’m teaming up with two other authors to host a very cool April contest. We’re not only giving away copies of our first books, we’re going to make up a “pamper me” type of goody basket. So what would you like to see as part of the goodies? Chocolate? Lotions or scented soaps? Handsome hunks? (Okay, can’t promise the last one, but my thought train went down that track…)