Book out soon

My first book with Silhouette Desire, Having The Billionaire's Baby, is now going to be out July 14 in Nth America, and in August in Australia and New Zealand. As much as I'm excited, I also have to admit that it's kind of scary, too. Real live people, people who know me even, will be able to read what I write. After years of only having my work read by critique partners, contest judges and a few editors here and there, this feels like the biggest test of them all.

RITA Judging

Strictly speaking I don't know if I'm allowed to blog about RITA judging. The RITA's being romance writing's equivalent of the Oscars. But all I wanted to say was that it's great fun seeing what's being written about out there and how it's being handled and discovering new authors in the process. Although discovering new authors is probably a bad thing considering the state of my TBR pile.

Be happy when you can.

Emailed my revisions to my editor last night - a great feeling. That is, if I can ignore the niggly voice in my head saying will she like them? did I do it right? not too much? not enough? yada, yada, yada. Sometimes it's so hard to unreservedly celebrate the steps along the way. So today, I'm telling the voices "I did a great job" and if my editor wants any further changes, she'll let me know. Be happy. Life is too short to be second guessing everyone including yourself. Live in the moment.

Dancing on the ceiling

I'm finally coming back down to earth after a trip to San Francisco for the RWA National conference. It was a fabulous conference with a terrific line up of speakers and workshops. It's always wonderful to spend time with people who are passionate about romance and to catch up with friends old and new. But without a doubt the highlight was SELLING one of my books.

My Call was totally unexpected. I'd recently won a critique by Melissa Jeglinski the then head of Desire and duly sent my manuscript off. I hadn't thought the manuscript was what they were looking for but I really wanted that critique. A mere 4 weeks later (a very short time in this business), while in my hotel bathroom after taking a shower, my roommate the wonderful Tessa Radley, starts pounding on the door. She'd been talking to Diana Ventimiglia at Desire who told her she wanted to call me. And several hyperventillation-filled minutes later (and after some very quick dressing) she did indeed call. And wonder or wonders she said she wanted to buy my book.

It was amazing to recieve the call at conference and to have so many people on hand to share the news with.

Now, a month or so later, I'm working away and smiling to myself in the knowlege that real people out there in the real world can one day read (and hopefully like) what I'm writing, and what's more I'm going to get paid!

Georgette Heyer Festival

I've been having my own private Georgette Heyer festival. Have read two new ones and two old favourites. I thoroughly enjoyed the two new ones, Cotillion and Black Sheep but Black Sheep was my favourite. I preferred its more concentrated focus on the the hero and heroine. And I do so like the older hero and heroine, neither of whom were looking for love. So that what you end up with is a real meeting of the minds - two people who realise they've finally found that one other who truly understands them, and so therefore who they can truly be themselves with. And the other thing about this type of historical that I really like is because there's no sex, scarcely anying kissing or touching, the attraction is shown very much at that inner level.

The re-reads were Devil's Cub and The Grand Sophy. Got to love them. Georgette Heyer is so wonderfully sharp in her characterisation and her dialogue.

Double meanings

This one bothered me. Virago.

Every day I get sent a 'word of the day' from dictionary.com. Sometimes they're words I've never heard of and know I'll never use. Sometimes they're words I already know and use. And sometimes there's a new spin on a word I wasn't aware of. Take the two meanings of virago:
1. A woman of extraordinary stature, strength, and courage.
2. A woman regarded as loud, scolding, ill-tempered, quarrelsome, or overbearing.

At times like this I wish I was as articulate and insightful as Jenny Crusie - unfortunately I'm not. But I think it's sad and probably not all that unusual that a word that first meant a strong woman came to have the more common meaning of overbearing and quarrelsome. It's surely some kind of indictment on how women were "supposed" to be percieved, and that if they stepped out of that feminine, possibly subservient role they came to be regarded negatively by men, and perhaps even other women.

Anyway, let me state here that I wish to be a virago-strong and courageous. And I can do that whilst being kind and gentle.

no coffee

Easter's over, loved catching up with family, loved the Easter Eggs and the hot cross buns. Back to work now. But we seem to have run out of coffee, and though I would strenuously deny being addicted - I only have one cup a day after all - it is time for that one cup and I'd really like it. Or are thoughts of jumping in the car and shooting the nearest cafe just ways to delay starting writing? Just like the checking of unofficial Golden Heart and Rita lists is. I did it once, (made the GH) so in theory I can do it again. But sadly, time is ticking on and I'm thinking I might have to face the facts on this one. Can't even console myself with Abby, Karina or Tessa making it through on the RITAs because no phone calls there either. Yet. Must check the world clock and see what time it is in Houston. Really, it's not procrastination.