The Big R

And the waiting is over. The verdict is in. And it is a big fat juicy REJECTION!! No really, it was big fat and juicy because I got a whole long email about what did and didn't work for them. So in the grand scheme of rejections it was big and juicy.

To cut a long story short my hero just didn't work. Which I can't say I am that surprised about because I had such a tough time with him I'm sure it showed. They loved the heroine though, thought I'd done a pukka job with her. But overall I seemed to want to write more about her journey than the relationship. There were also some comments on was I writing for the right line.

I already think I could take Zoe from the book and give her a different story maybe for a different publisher.

All in all lots to mull over and think about whilst I finish 'Bah Humbug'.

Mind you all that is above is not what I first thought! Oh no! First there were the tears... then the stomping... then strangely enough the relief... NOW I KNOW!!! Curiously liberating!

And I have discovered something very interesting about myself... rejection makes me come out fighting. I AM SOOOO GOING TO DO THIS!!!

FINISHED!!

I am done! Break out the champagne the trial and tribulation is OVER!! At 10pm this evening the last bit of polishing was done!
The printer is currently chuntering away... because it is going in the post tomorrow!

WOOOOOOO HOOOOOOOO!!!!

Next week will be all about my tax return and then who knows!

Exhausted!

Well it has been one hell of a week. I have been without power, heating and hot water. Got the power back after 36 hours but heating and hot water took FOUR DAYS!!! So not happy! Much ranting and raving which is very tiring. Add this to having to go to the gym at 6.30 am every morning just to get clean.

The day job has also been a bit trying. We had a big deadline due on Friday (much is riding on it!) and it got met... YAY!!

And this weekend I have been getting my Golden Heart submission ready. Yes, I know... a leetle late but hey what can you do? So all is done and it just needs Fedexing tomorrow morning. Fingers crossed it doesn't get held up in customs.

Oh and yeah, this does mean the draft is done!! Still some polishing and layering to be done before it goes to M&B. Soon, very soon it will be gone! Gone I say!!!

Over at The Pink Heart Society

I know I have been AWOL this month, nothing exciting happening just time got away from me.

But today I am over at The Pink Heart Society with my monthly update on THE BOOK. Actually this week it isn't me but rather these two... explaining why I am struggling with the book. They seem to be blaming each other. This could explain why I am struggling... they aren't exactly communicating.

Late As Usual: RNA Conference, Good News and Publicists

Yes I know it has almost taken a week for me to post about the RNA weekend but I have been in recovery! Oh and I was too excited from events that happened over the weekend and also that it turns out I am on Keith Urban's publicist's email list!! This meant I had my Keith Urban/Nicole Kidman at the same time as all the rest of the media! I felt very... erm... very something.

And so to the conference which was amazing. It was as if every seminar/workshop I went to was specifically chosen because I needed it. NOW! It was also fantastic because I got to spend time with my favourite sort of people in the world... romance writers.

So a quick summary of the high points. I had my chat with the M&B editor, basically I need to 'alphatize' Jack from Dream Date and make either Jo or Lucas less angsty in The Artist and The Ugly Duckling. Hmmm this has led to me rethinking ALL my revisions for Dream Date. Luckily the lovely Fiona Harper was on hand to give me the new motivation I needed for Jack that would 'alphatize' him! YAY! So I have started on that... it seems to be working.

I went to 'Grabbing The Editors Attention' workshop. A few issues were had with the comments on synopses but I had good feedback on the first two sentences of 'The Artist and The Ugly Duckling' and also on the story. As you can imagine I was already in a 'Go Me!' mood.

I didn't get the chance to see Anna Louise Lucia's workshop but I hear it was good (I was her tech support during setting up).

Many many great workshops but my mind is now blank! Julie Cohen came up for dinner on the Saturday which was great as it meant both she and Anna were there when a very nice thing happened. And as they were instrumental in this very nice thing that was good!

You see I entered the Elizabeth Goudge Trophy this year, I blogged about working on the entry awhile ago. I loved writing it, so much fun. Anna and Julie very kindly critiqued it (and Julie fixed my punctuation! Supposedly I am improving.) Anyway near the end of dinner on Saturday, Catherine Jones announced the shortlist of six. All I could hope for was being one of those six. I had my fingers crossed and when 'Bah Humbug!' and my name was said at shortlist number five I was over the moon! I stood up grinning... who cares about the rest... I made the shortlist!!

A few minutes later the three finalists were announced (Catherine later told me with only a mark difference between the three of us!) and I was third!! I do believe I might have squealed and started saying 'I can write! I can write!' OK yes I had had a tad too much wine. Then the second place was announced (name escapes me but she was very happy) and then Imogen Howson, who was at the end of my table, won!! She was crying when she got up there and it was her first conference! It was lovely.

I then spent the rest of the night... ok weekend... ok all week... being unbearably happy! Much champagne was consumed and I had a lovely chat with Anne Ashurst (who judged it with Catherine) who has given me a plan for what to do with it. All I can say is watch this space.

Sunday was a day for recovery and more great workshops including Julie Cohen's on pacing. I missed Katie Fforde's and Kate Harrison's workshops (curses) as I had to get back. Grrrrr.

So next year it will be Penrith again. I can't wait. Maybe just maybe I'll have some good news and announcement to make when I'm there.

Partial Query

I have bitten the bullet and queried M&B about my partial, it is over three months and I just thought it would be better to know than not to know. That and making a faux par last night after the M&B panel discussion, when a M&B editor overheard me making a joking complaining to someone about not having heard... ho hum.

The panel discussion was great and afterwards I bought some of Matt Dunn's books. Have already finished 'The Best Man' which I throughly enjoyed. And I took the bus to Oxford... excellent service and all for £12!

Big Celebrations!!!

So some big things are happening at the moment... the first is this...

I FINISHED A STORY!!

I finished it. After many years of half finished wips and some embarrassing scripts hidden in chests under my bed, I actually finished a first draft of a story. That is something that has a beginning, middle and an end. I will admit the middle is a little flaky but it is a middle. I feel I have moved from the group of people saying they want to write a book and fall before the end to the group that have finished a book and are now sitting around thinking "Damn!! No I've got to rewrite this sucker!"

And it is a romance. In fact it is aimed at category romance line... which brings me to another one of those big things!!!

It is the Pink Heart Society first birthday and they have invited me to join their treasure hunt.


So for the lil pink jumpin' guy I am leaving


a wonderful pink cowboy hat
and cowboy boots.

Fitting for presents from a country music DJ don't ya think??

Writing Update

As requested I am just popping in with a quick update on the writing front.

First, thank you for your comments... as a cheerleading squad you are doing an excellent job on keeping me going.

Secondly this week has been a little slower than last week, partly down to extra curricula activities (called socialising).

The word count currently stands at 22,657.

Now a quick question to some of you... when you are doing your first draft does it usually come in a little under the required word count? The reason I ask is that I know in revisions I am going to have to go back and put in things like description and flesh it out. So should I be panicking if I think the first revision comes up short?

And while you think about that here are two more pictures of Zoe and Jack... don't they make a lovely couple??