Okay...I know you've heard this before...but HOOKED is finished! Yes, again. At just a few words over 15K, it was decided that it should be longer so readers feel like they're getting their money's worth. LOL

So I've spent the past week polishing into a nice, little jewel that sparkles in all sorts of light. It's now a bit over 17K...and we'll see if that makes the cut.

So now it's back to CABIN FEVER...although I'm going to need to back up quite a few pages and get a running start again. One of the problems with working on two novels at once is keeping the characters straight. I don't want Tania to sound like Isabel...they're totally different women. Or Jim to sound like Daniel...one prefers the jungle of the boardroom, the other the jungle of the wilderness.

Am I teasing you? You bet!

Play safe,
Diana

A special hello to Joy and Linda and Paula and Debby! It was wonderful seeing you at the Border's booksigning in Farmington, CT yesterday. What a great time!

Mary Wine flew in all the way from California for her two signings...and boy are her arms tired. It was great to see her again. She's a wonderful go-getter when it comes to selling EC -- we have no better saleswoman than Mary! If she saw someone browsing in the romance section, she was over there like a flash, chatting with the woman and asking her if she might like to try something a little spicier. Nine times out of ten, the customer was at our table within a minute, ready to learn all about our books and Ellora's Cave! I love working with Mary!

Sarah McCarty is no slouch, either, let me tell you! When she saw we'd been put in the back of the store, she marched right up to management and demanded that we be given better placement, preferably right near the romance section. When Brenda came in from the EC bus to back her up, the manager didn't know what hit him! LOL Needless to say, we were in the center of the store where customers had to pass by. We let very few go by without a hello and many stopped just to see what the fuss was all about. Nice job, Sarah!

We had a great time and met many people from all over the world (including a delightful woman from Ireland who told us her incredibly romantic story about how she met her significant other...it has all the makings of a wonderful book!). I still can't believe Joy came all the way up from NYC to see us.

And now it's back to the laptop for further edits of HOOKED (this is going to be one special story by the time we get done with it. Many, many thanks to Pam Campbell, my editor, for all the time she's spent helping me polish this jewel!). Till later...

Play safe,
Diana

A great brouhaha is brewing over two recent blog posts (other blogger's work...not my posts). In the first, a fellow writer bemoaned the poor writing she found among erotic romance books. In the second, a gentleman announced that the publishing of ebooks, on the whole, was a failure.

We all know there are good writers who get published...and there are terrible writers that get published. But the glory of living in a democracy, is that, should you put any group of people together from any and all walks of life, give them a pile of books, and you will get an extremely lively discussion about which writers belong in which category. I'm not a fan of Charles Dickens (not that he ever wrote erotic romance, but no one can deny A Tale of Two Cities has romance as its backbone!), but my husband thinks Dickens is one of the best writers ever to exist. So is he a good writer or a terrible one? Depends on who you ask. The blog writer who bemoaned the poor writing is allowed her opinions. I don't have to agree with them.

As to the failure of ebooks as a viable publishing alternative? Hmmm...methinks he hasn't heard of Ellora's Cave! Or, for that matter, several of the ebook publishers that cater to the romance genres. The examples in his article came mostly from the non-fiction side of the aisle, although he did reference other literary forms. He also seemed to think that most ebooks eventually were printed out by the purchaser for easier reading.

He could be right on the last comment. I don't know how many readers actually print the books they buy online. I know I don't. I don't have a neat little reader-ma-bob either. I read them right at my computer screen. For some, I know that's a problem, but my eyes are in that in-between stage right now. LOL I use bifocals for distance and closeup work...but the computer screen is exactly the right distance away that I don't need assistance! That's why, if you ever see me, you'll find my glasses perched on top of my head in easy reach if I need to see something across the room or read a piece of paper. But if I want to talk to you, I have to take them off. Otherwise I'm doing the head-nod thing trying to determine which part of my glasses work best to see you!

So to answer each tempest in a teapot with a dash of my own spice: there are good and bad writers of every genre. Read the authors you like; ignore the ones you don't. And don't bury the ebook publishers just yet...they're still alive and kicking in my experience!

Play safe!
Diana

To paraphrase an old movie: what would happen if they gave a booksigning and nobody showed up?

Many thanks to Julie...our one and only attendee at the first stop of the EC bus tour! I'm afraid Borders didn't quite do the advance advertising we'd hoped...although the timing was also against us. Seems two major colleges in the area had their graduation ceremonies this afternoon...so everyone who would normally be in the bookstore was occupied. Even the mall next store which is normally one of the busiest malls in the Albany area, was empty when I went shopping afterward.

Oh, well. Jennifer Dunne and I had a great time talking with Julie and getting to know each other better as well. The EC bus is resplendent, of course...and many people stopped by to talk to the staff there. LOL I think Jennifer and I might have had more traffic if we had been out by the bus!

Still and all, it was great fun and I'm looking forward to doing it again in 2 weeks time in Farmington, CT. Several fans have already told me they'll be there...and I look forward to meeting them in person! Very cool.

My editor sent CABIN FEVER to me yesterday for the first go-round of edits. Darn point of view is shifting again. Not sure what got into me this winter that all of a sudden I keep head-hopping. One paragraph of what she's thinking...the next in his head. Enough to drive a reader to thinking she's watching a tennis match! Gotta fix that.

Off to work!
Play safe,
Diana

HOOKED is no longer a Quickie. With only 115 words to go before reaching EC's guidelines for a novella, I'm having another go at it and pushing it to the longer length. Wasn't a hard decision to reach...when I went to fill out the cover request and got to the question about the hero's appearance, I couldn't remember if Jim had blonde hair or brown. And what color were his eyes? I didn't have the foggiest.

Now, if the author can't remember the basic physical characteristics of her hero, how on earth does she expect her readers to remember? "More visual detail" is the mantra my editor hammers at me...and with good reason. So tonight, I shall be rereading it with an eye towards throwing in key phrases to give the readers a great visual image of hero and heroine.

Sooner or later, I'll stop tinkering with this story!

Play safe,
Diana

Have been working on the edits for HOOKED all week. I sent off one version to my editor...she sent it back saying the sex needed to be hotter. At the moment, it would get an "S" rating, not the more coveted "E" (for Erotic) one. So I figured, no problem...just have them play a little more, right?

I love it when my characters understand there's another whole level to a scene that I didn't even realize was there. Jim, the male protagonist, finally shouted it in my ear: "This scene is about sensation, idiot! Where are all the wonderful sensations I can put Tania through? Would you just write them in please???"

And like the obedient writer I am...I'm giving the Dom what he asks for...

Of course, now we're skirting the novella length instead of EC's guidelines for a Quickie....

Back to work for me...need to give that Dom something to do with his hands....

Diana

I spent both Monday and Tuesday getting caught up. DIAMOND HEAT is almost ready for print...Ruby, Ruth and I had to go over the galleys and spot any changes that needed to be made. Not too bad, I only found 2 mistakes I'd made and one that was a spacing error. Our changes are now in, so that should be released in paperback sometime over the summer. July, maybe?

I also started a business plan. When I sold my first manuscript, SECRET SUBMISSION, to Ellora's Cave, I had no idea that a writer's life was more than just writing the books. LOL Boy, do I know better now! Promotional items, webpages, newsletters, conventions...the list goes on. I begin to understand why JK Rowling is having trouble getting a book written!

So now I'm beginning to actually think of my writing career like a business...and that actually has brought about some exciting ideas. Nothing I'm ready to announce...but lots I'm considering for the website. Need to get a DBA (Doing Business As...) form and go from there. So much to keep in my head!

Today I'm hoping to find some time to work on the short story I have underway for the next Caveman series. It needs to be in by September. And my editor has told me I should have edits on HOOKED and CABIN FEVER back soon, so those will take up my time quickly.

Back to work! Play safe,
Diana

I do apologize for not posting yesterday, but when you read about my day, you'll understand why.

It all started early. Anxious to get home, Angelica and I headed down to the lobby to go souvenier shopping. We made our purchases, then noticed the very long line for the shuttle bus. After some discussion, we headed back up to finish our packing and head out. If we had to wait in line for the bus, with no guarentee that we'd make it on that particular run, we figured we'd best get in line now.

The checkout went smoothly and the clerk handed us a form to fill out for comments...boy, did we have comments for them! Believe me, the hotel WILL be getting an earful because we'll be sending our remarks by email...so we have lots of time to get the phrasing exactly right .

The first bump came at the airport. Curbside check-in. The attendant cannot find our flight...then discovers it's been cancelled and all the passengers shifted to a flight that leaves 15 minutes earlier. Grateful that we'd given ourselves plenty of time, we were not distressed at the news. Until he told us we were not showing up as passengers FOR that flight. In fact, we were not showing up at all. On any flight. Going anywhere.

Some tense moments followed as he tried first one thing, then another. Resigned to having to hassle with the ticket counter, we had picked up our bags and turned to go when he called us back. For whatever reason, our names, which hadn't been on the screen earlier, suddenly popped up on the flight when he refreshed the screen. Relief!

I gotta tell you, I love flying. I had so much fun! Especially banking...making those turns makes me feel like I'm on a ride in an amusement park. Way too cool. Just way too cool.

Chicago -- O'Hare airport. No problems landing. We go to leave the plane and the pilot is standing in the cockpit door saying farewell to the passengers. I swear, he's twelve. I'm not kidding. Skinny little thing who can't be out of puberty. There's a good reason they don't let you see the pilot until you're safely on the ground!

We grab a bite to eat (neither of us had eaten yet and it's now after 11:00) and head for the gate. Just get comfortable when the gatekeeper announces our flight is "over weight" and needs to be lightened by three passengers. Wish taking pounds off my thighs was so easy! They'd give a $250 flight voucher to any passenger who volunteered to take a later flight. LOL Angelica and I headed right for the counter. I'm no fool.

The later flight took off at 9:44 (it was now close to 3:00 pm). The airline would give us the flight voucher as well as a $20.00 food voucher and bump us to first class if we agreed to give up our seats on the scheduled flight. Didn't even need to discuss it. We agreed.

So now we have several hours to kill in the airport. A restaurant not too far away from the gate looked promising, but since we had time, we wandered a bit to check out the other places. Except those darn bags get pretty heavy after a while, so we went back to our original choice, the Chicago Tap & Grill at Gate G. I was wearing my "Got sex?" T-shirt and the waitress laughed out loud when she saw it. I turned around so she could read the back and she said, "Ellora's Cave? I LOVE those books!" I grinned and gave her my business card (everything else was packed...gotta start thinking ahead....) and signed it for her. She was so excited!Let me tell you, I've never had better service at a restaurant before! She hadn't read any of my books, but she sure knew EC! And if you're reading this...Hi, Diana! (yes, our waitress and I have the same first name!)

The restaurant was gracious and no one tried to kick us out, even as I sat there nursing a Coke after dinner and typing away furiously on my laptop (had a great idea for a short to submit for the Ellora's Cavemen series...wrote 6 pages waiting for the plane. See? You guys win by our taking the later flight, too!). But after a while it started to fill up and when tables became scarce, we decided to make a graceful departure.

Our flight was on time and things went well, until we went to get on the plane. We were first row...great seats! Only the idiot businessman in the seat across the aisle had put his briefcase into the overhead instead of under his seat because he wanted the extra leg room. But that meant OUR carryons had to go in the back cupboard. You know...the one all the way at the BACK of the plane...the one you can't get to until everyone else is already off? GRRRR. Not happy campers about that. But the flight crew was gracious and the city gorgeous beneath us in the dark. It looked as if someone had scattered brilliant amber diamonds on a black velvet cloth to see the lights of the city below. I watched until we climbed above the clouds and we couldn't see anymore.

We landed at home just before midnight. By the time we got our bags (which, amazingly, had been transferred to the proper flight!) and drove home, it was almost 2:00 am. As I said, I apologize for not writing yesterday, but now you see why.

Very soon I shall put the quiz up on my newsletter site for the wonderful readers I have. Some of you I met in St. Louis...you're ALL terrific. I won't spoil it and tell the wonderful surprises I have for you as prizes for this contest...but let me say, I was thinking of you at RT!

Take care and play safe,
Diana

Well, I'm not sure I can recommend this hotel, but other than the accommodations, I've had a great time. Today the entire EC family had a great breakfast and I think just about everyone from the offices was there. With EC authors attending, it was quite a crowd! Patty Marks and Crissy Brashear gave us great news about the company and how it's growing (they've bought a new building!) and an update on what's coming this year. Let me just say...the news is exciting an wonderful. I am so lucky to be writing for a great publishing company!

After that, it was time to get ready for the big booksigning. One person told me there were 300 authors...from Heather Graham, Sherrilyn Kenyon and Laurell K. Hamilton to me! It was great to meet with so many readers and fans, including Sha herself! Hi, Sha!

The Mr. Romance competition was a lot of fun. Nine gorgeous men competing in a Question & Answer session, in Datewear and finishing up in a Posedown. And let me tell you...those guys can pose! I'd take any one of them on my covers! And under them, too!

Okay, I'd better stop before I get myself in trouble...Hi, honey! I'll be home tomorrow!

Play safe,
Diana

Before I begin today's adventures, I forgot to tell you about the Hospitality Suite here at the convention. EC has a table staffed by authors and I was there yesterday from 4-5:00. What fun! I got to meet so many readers...and I finally met Renee -- a long-time member of my group~ Hi, Renee! I sat with Denise Agnew and Patrice Michelle and we had a great time.

Today's activities got started with a breakfast mixer given by Avon Publishing. We made it down late (sleepyheads!), so most people were already gone, I'm afraid. Workshops again this morning...I went to listen to our very own Raelene Gorlinsky on a panel with Anna Genoese from TOR/Forge, Susan Grant, Sue Kearney and Linnea Sinclair discussing Plausibility Problems and Solutions in Fantasy and Science Fiction. Now, does that mean I might have an SF or Fantasy up my sleeve? You bet! It's a fantasy, but not a romance. Probably will come out via Cerriwidden under another name...but that's a different discussion. Hmmm...have I teased enough?

I also went to listen to Anna's presentaion with Melissa Ann Singer to hear about the happenings at TOR/Forge...I've been reading fantasy since fantasy was only one set of books ... JRR Tolkien's Lord of the Rings. It was great to get a chance to sit there as a reader instead of an author and listen to all the wonderful things coming our way in the next year.

RT gave a Salute to the Buyers luncheon where we heard Sue Grimshaw, Waldenbooks Romance Fiction buyer, speak about some of the trends in publishing. You won't be surprised to to know that, although book buying is slightly down this year, two genre are selling off the shelves: paranormal and romanterotica! In fact, she mentioned EC by name in her speech as the premier publisher of romanterotica in the market today. All other publishers are scrambling to get where EC already is!

Cheyenne McCray and Eden Robbins gave a great mixer in the afternoon, but I was late 'cause I was IMing with my husband. We got to chatting and...well, you know how it goes! Tonight's Vampire Ball is still going on, but I'm beat. I love the life of an author, but these parties are doing me in! LOL

Tomorrow is the big booksigning. I'm tremendously excited about that. I can't wait to meet more readers! Besides which, tomorrow is also the Mr. Romance pagent...and we all know that's the real reason we're all here! I'll have a full report tomorrow night on all the gorgeous, hunky guys that are here.

Play safe!
Diana

Wow, what a day! But let me start at the beginning...

Because I'm still on New York time, I woke early. We had set the alarm for 7:45 (the first mixer .. ie, breakfast.. started at 8:30), but I was up by six. Ended up being great because my husband and I IMed for over an hour. There are days we don't get that much time together when I'm home!

The breakfast mixer was hosted by our own Lori O'Clare, Lora Leigh, Mary Wine and Jaci Burton and let me tell you, they put on a great spread. I had a walnut muffin that was huge! I got a chance to talk with Patty Marks and Crissy Brashear for a bit...there are some great things coming for EC! You ain't seen nothin' yet!

Afterward, Angelica and I headed up to beard the lion in his den...otherwise known as the Front Desk Manager. "He" turned out to be a "She" on the daytime shift. "She" was quite pleasant, very helpful and tremendously apologetic. We went back to the bellhop's desk for her to begin tracking it down...and lo and behold, there sat my box...right out in the open, with my name and room number on it. Not delivered. Not secure. Right there. Were we ticked? You bet!

So we gave her what for, she apologized some more and I told her I wanted it delivered to my room by the time I returned at noon. She also told us she would have the bellhop's superior contact us at some point during the day to get more information (which, by the way, he never did -- perhaps tomorrow?).

The good news is...I have my promo notepads back. The bad news is...I do NOT want to carry 47 pounds worth of them back home on the plane. LOL After mapping out a new promo plan, we decided to put the notepads out on Promotion Lane and hope people would still pick them up. They're going like hotcakes! We've gone through almost half of them already.

And yes, I still have some home, so I suspect whoever wins the contest on Monday will be getting one. Then you can let me know if the hullabaloo was worth it!

I'm afraid we skipped the Awards Luncheon. The workshops on promotion in both the morning and the afternoon sessions were great, but we were tired and decided on a quick lunch at The Grill (a very pricey restaurant in the hotel) and a nap. Gotta be rested for the party at night!

Cerriwidden launched today and EC had a nice mixer with lots of fresh fruit, cheese and crackers and a fruit punch. Raelene Gorlinsky helmed the mic and there were lots of goodies (chocolate, of course...and a neat traveler's manicure set).

Tonight was the Masquerade Ball, and I wish I could tell you I wore a costume, but alas, I did not. There just wasn't room in my suitcase for everything! But plenty of others were dressed magnificently. Our very own Mary Wine and Lisa Stoddard were two of the five winners of the costume contest. Lisa wore a white and royal blue jester's costume and Mary wore a beautiful Victorian lady's dress...complete with corset and the requiste "S" shape. But the piece de resistance of her outfit had to be the mask...covered in the same material as her dress with feathers dyed in the same hues. Yes, I have pictures and will upload them to the group site...as soon as I figure out how to get them off my camera!

And so another exciting day in St. Louis draws to a close...till tomorrow, play safe!

Diana

Wednesday, redux...

What's that adage about if it can go wrong, it will? The day hiccupped and I ended up with a major problem.

You see, ahead of time I sent to the hotel, via UPS, 2 boxes of notepads with my website and promo info imprinted on them. The intent was to put one notepad in every bag EC gave away at the party tonight. 400 notepads in total. There were 100 notepads in the smaller box; 3oo in the larger one.

UPS is a good company and true to their word. By 4:30 this afternoon, the two boxes had been delivered to the hotel. And then the hotel lost the larger of the 2 boxes. Yes, you heard me. Somewhere between the delivery dock and the spot where we were stuffing bags (2 floors down), the hotel managed to "misplace" 300 personalized notepads.

I did not have a happy face.

Good thing Angelica is here, let me tell you. She's very good about taking care of matters like this. Unfortunately, the box was still missing and the bags needed to be done. So, instead of putting the excerpt booklets out on the table as planned, 300 of them went into the EC bags in place of the missing notepads. And on Promo Alley? Well, let's just say it's a good thing I brought a lot of bookmarks!

So yes, I can be flexible and adapt as needed. But let me say that the hotel darn well better find that box, or I'll be asking them for the replacement value!

On to better things...like the EC party...What a blast! So many cool people...Arianna Hart, Cheyenne McCray...dancing with Camille Anthony (let me tell you, the girl has some moves!). The EC cover models were there and I got a hug from Rodney Chapman, whose wonderful face and physique graces the cover of 'my' TALES FROM THE TEMPLE III. Over 40 gift boxes were given away as door prizes -- so many authors donated great prizes!

The party is still going, but we've conked out. The day has been long for us, even after a short nap this afternoon. Tomorrow the day gets started at 8:30 ... so till then, play safe!

Diana

This is way too cool. I have to admit...I've only traveled by air once before in my life...and that was 24 years ago in a short puddle jump that lasted less than an hour in the air. Today was great! I had a wonderful time flying! We were over 6 miles up in the air and I couldn't stop writing about it. So many wonderful images that will come in handy later, if I have a heroine that goes flying....

Many thanks to Angelica, my promotions manager -- a seasoned traveler who knew where to go and what to do. She pointed and I just did what she did. We arrived at the Millennium Hotel with no hassles...and almost an hour early! American Airlines sure get points for that.

After checking in (no, my promo materials that I sent on ahead are not here yet -- not panicking, not panicking), we put out 50 excerpt booklets for TABLE FOR FOUR and toured the area to get the lay of the land. Then back upstairs for a nap -- we lost an hour in changing time zones. And since our flight out was so early, I'd gotten up at 4 AM.

Rested, we headed back down to the lower lobby where all the action is -- and came back up almost immediately when we discovered only 7 excerpt booklets left! Have put 50 SECRET SUBMISSION booklets out now.

Speaking of SECRET SUBMISSION -- it was reviewed in this month's Romantic Times Magazine -- FOUR STARS!!!! I'm very psyched.

Have re-met Ashleigh Raine, Ruby Storm, Titania Ladley, and Heather Osborn. Have met for the first time, Jordan Summers and Camille Anthony. What a great group so far!

Off to get ready for the EC Fantasy party tonight...will write more later. Till then...play safe,
Diana

"All my bags are packed, I'm ready to go...."

Ya gotta love John Denver! One of my favorite folk musicians. Only I'm not going as far as Colorado...this time. "Only" to St. Louis.

It didn't take me as long to pack as I thought it would (thank goodness!)...so my husband has decided to take me out to dinner tonight as a sort of send-off. See why I married him? He's taking the kids for the next five days...and they're going to have to deal with Daddy-taxi instead of me.

In an effort not to overpack, I'm probably forgetting something. But my philosophy is simple: if I don't have it -- I don't really need it.

Take care and play safe!
Diana

In 36 hours, I land in St. Louis. This is quite an adventure for a gal who has never been further west than Battle Creek, Michigan! I can't wait to see the Mighty Mississippi up close and personal.

I have everything laid out...and have been receiving reports from some authors already there. The weather is getting warmer. Good thing...here in the Northeast it's in the 40's...and with snow in the west, who knows what to expect?! But since we'll all be warm and safe inside a hotel and surrounded by books, who cares what the weather is doing?

Take care and play safe!
Diana

Packed my carryon today...let's just hope the airport people don't weigh it! I decided to take all my promo stuff with me on the plane and put only clothes in my suitcase. Figured that way, should my suitcase not arrive in a timely manner, I'll still have the important things. Heck! I can run out to a discount store and buy a blouse...but I can't get personalized notepads and bookmarks at Walmart!

So we managed to get most of it in my carryon...and what didn't fit, Angelica is taking in hers. Between the two of us, we've got it covered. I hope.

See you at the EC party in six days!

Take care and play safe,
Diana

And so the countdown to the Romantic Times Convention begins! In one week, I'll be on a plane, headed to St. Louis, MO...Can't wait to see the big arch! I spent two hours today organizing my wardrobe! Need five outfits for the nighttime activities and five daytime ensembles. Since I'm flying out, I don't have room for much in the way of costumes, so for the evening affairs I've decided to go sparkly and elegant. Need to save the space in my suitcase for promo items!

Speaking of promo items...for those of you attending the RT convention, stop in at the Hospitality Suite Thursday afternoon between 4-5:00 pm. I'll be at the Ellora's Cave table. Mention this weblog to me and get a special gift!

And for those who cannot attend the conference...watch the newsletter for an important announcement soon. I'll be holding a special contest for those who can't be there. (Here's a hint: each day I'll post my adventures in St. Louis here on blogger.com. At the end of the convention, there will be a quiz!)

Till later...play safe!
Diana

What a difference 6 weeks makes! The weather here is sunny and should hit 70 today. Already I've transplanted some plants and raked off the garden this morning. Now I'm settling in to spend a quiet afternoon with my imagination.

HOOKED is a new story that is currently in its second round of edits. It's a short story...but sometimes those are the most fun...hot sex served quickly! Won't give too many teasers just yet...let's just say I had fun playing around the various uses of the word that serves as the title (to HOOK a man, to be HOOKED on something, a HOOKER, to come unHOOKED...you get the point...).

I've been so busy writing, I have neglected this blog once again...my many apologies. I really need to do something about that. I've written a plus-length novel that is also in edits and that's taken up most of my time. The working title for that one is CABIN FEVER. One of the most challenging novels I've ever written because there are only two characters throughout 95% of the book. The primary focus of the story explores their relationship as it grows and then falls apart (don't worry, it does have a happy ending).

Of course, these two created themselves as do all my characters. Although I start with a basic framework, by the time I'm finished, the story is often completely different. As the characters come to life on the page, they begin to tell the story in their words. I might give them life, but they give themselves depth and personality.

Over the course of the next week, I will be gearing up for the Romantic Times Convention in St. Louis. I hope to see you all there!

The snow is really coming down here in the northeast US, and it's that fine, slippery stuff that I hate to drive on. As a result, I spent the day inside, snuggled on the couch with my laptop propped up on my knees, a cup of hot chocolate at my side...and wrote. And wrote. And wrote some more.

In fact, I wrote so much, I finished not one, but TWO stories today! The first one is an as-yet-untitled full-length novel for Ellora's Cave. I've been working on it off and on since July and today I wrote the last paragraph and sent it off to my editor.

Everytime I send my editor the first draft of any of my works, I get butterflies in my stomach. It takes me forever to gather my courage and click "Send." There's something nerve-wracking about letting someone else see what I've been working on for the very first time. I don't get nervous when I send her a second draft, or a third. Only that first.

And today I sent not only the unnamed novel, but also "Hooked," a short story I'd written before. Since I finished the novel by noon and still had several hours before the family returned home, I decided to give it the rewrite it needed and send that in, too.

Whew! So for the first time in almost 2 years, I don't have a story hanging over my head. I don't quite know what to do with myself! Perhaps I'll do something I haven't done in a long time: take a walk in the snow....

Okay, I didn't win a CAPA (Cupid and Psyche Award) from The Romance Studio. That's all right, it really IS fun just to be nominated. And speaking of nominations, Table for Four is nominated for an EPPIE from the Electronically Publishing Internet Connection group. This is a huge honor and I'm grateful for the nomination as one of the top erotic romances of the year. Unfortunately, I cannot go to the award ceremony, held in Long Beach, California, as I've already made arrangements to go to St. Louis for the Romantic Times Convention a month later. But I will be there in spirit!

I've just about finished a new novel. I've just the resolution to finish and then I can send it off to my editor for her fine-toothed comb. For those who've never had the honor of working with a great editor, let me tell you: the editor's work is invaluable to the writer. My editor, Pam Campbell, has the most wonderful knack of finding every spot where I got lazy and pointing it out to me. Without her eye for detail, my books would be dry as the Sahara Desert. Her favorite phrases for my first drafts are, "more visual detail," and "moresexmoresexmoresex"! LOL

Seriously, a writer knows some of the flaws in her book when she submits it; the editor finds those and more. Taking to heart the criticism an editor gives, can give an author a chance to add the spit and polish every book needs. It is the editor's work that helps mold a rough draft into a work of art.

Let me conclude this paean to editors with a hearty thank you to Pam for all her work on all my books. Whether they win awards or not, we have a great time creating them!