Before & After

Disclaimer: This blog will be LONG. But it will be worth the read. I think LOL.

Five years ago I had a weird autoimmune reaction causing extreme vertigo. Yes, I was a "dizzy blond" for a good five or six months. Before I had the reaction, I was an uber volunteer at my daughter's school, at church, and in the community. All of these activities required driving in the DC suburbs of Virginia. And they all required me to, well, stand. A "dizzy blond" should not drive in heavy traffic. And this "dizzy blond" was wiped out by about two in the afternoon.

I was officially sidelined. I had to quit all my activities and focus all my energy on accomplishing the few tasks that I could during the morning hours when the vertigo attacks didn't hit me. Oh, those were the days. Lolling around my townhouse in my pajamas, sleeping all afternoon, having an excuse for takeout on a regular basis, maids were hired (I miss them), and I was blissfully recuperating.

Ha. Anyone who knows me will tell you that I do not accept or like enforced periods of inactivity. I am a "doer." A "fixer." A "busy bee." And if I am not doing, fixing, bee-ing, I get BORED. It's a good thing social media like Facebook was foreign to me back then, otherwise I might not have done the following thing: write a book.

Yes, one day I dusted off the first pages of a novel I started, ahem, eighteen years ago. My goals were simple. Write two hours a day, five days a week, ten pages a week (actually there were twenty pages cause I was single spacing at the time *shoulder shrug*). I finished my first novel LOVE BUILDS A CHANCE (you can stop laughing now) in five months.

I sent my novel to two trusted friends who are avid romance readers. They liked it! And they encouraged me to keep writing. And they've continued to do so. I owe them a huge debt of gratitude for not deriding my dream. They encouraged me to try to get it published.

I dutifully went to the Harlequin website, read about the word count requirements for the line I wanted to target, followed their instructions for writing a synopsis (what? I have to condense this!!???) and query letter. I queried the line, Silhouette Desire, and guess what? THEY REQUESTED A FULL. Yes, my very first novel, without the benefit of any support, was requested after I sent only one query.

I didn't know about revising. I thought revising was copy editing. Ha. I was wrong. Heck, I didn't even read through the hard copy after I printed it and sent it to the editorial offices at Harlequin. The editor sent it back to me with a very nice rejection letter which also encouraged me to keep writing and to join the ROMANCE WRITERS OF AMERICA.

I joined RWA in 2005. I read the RWR Magazine every month, I started entering contests and to this day I owe those judges a big hug for their constructive criticism. They were so kind. They didn't write mean and nasty things on my document, nor did they tell me to take up knitting instead. They gave me craft suggestions, and book suggestions. I followed their advice.

I wasn't writing in a vacuum, but I was still very much alone. I bought a craft book about how to write a first draft in a month. I used it to craft my next novel, ROCK ON. I queried ROCK ON, I entered contests with it. I didn't final or win, but I did get a few amazing scores from the judges. I got a few more rejections, but I continued to write. I didn't revise it because I still didn't know that revision meant going into the GUTS of the story and ripping it apart  (fast forward to my current novel in progress--I've had four plot revisions and numerous layering/polishing revisions).

Enter an amazing duo of writers whom I was fortunate to meet through my daughter's school. I was working on my third novel at this point. They began reading my contest results for the second novel. One day they invited me to join their critique group. I was thrilled. And they encouraged me to join my local writing chapter, the Washington Romance Writers of America. I was not writing in a vacuum anymore.

Fast forward: more craft lessons, more meetings, critiques, books about craft, my first retreat, the Moonlight & Magnolias GRWA Conference, two RWA National Conferences, PRO, moving and joining three new writing chapters HEART OF DIXIE, SOUTHERN MAGIC, GEORGIA ROMANCE WRITERS OF AMERICA, workshops, more craft books, meeting other writers, adding critique partners, reading and writing, writing and reading. I enter more contests. I start finaling. I learn to pitch, to hone my query, to keep sending darts out into the world. I get more requests for partial manuscripts, full manuscripts. I get more rejections. I keep writing. Now I have a "future list" of books.

A few months ago, my CP, Sharon, encouraged me to revisit my first novels and revise them for the Golden Heart. I knew LOVE BUILDS A CHANCE would present the most challenge to revise due to copious head-hopping, and tons of bad dialogue tags and comma issues (yes, I know I still have comma issues--but I have a book about them so I hope to improve--and if you think I am bad now, the early books show a marked improvement over time).

So I crept back into ROCK ON! (I know, I know. I have "title issues.") Oh, boy. About the only thing I can say about this story is that I should never write about a virgin who is rescuing her bad boy crush who rejected her feeble seduction attempt 10 years ago. Nor can I write a story about a woman who has nice parents and a perfect life.  I can only stretch the bounds of "fiction" so far. Yes, cliches riddle this piece of work. But the bones of the story are good, the POV is in place, and I have learned a thing or two about writing.

Why? Because I no longer write in a vacuum. I have a community of writers to draw from today. Yes, I had to go back into the book on my own. I imported ROCK ON! into Scrivener, broke the book into scenes, cut the two villain scenes, cut the first three chapters of BACKSTORY, and got to the real beginning. And I got to work on digging through the GUTS of this story, the characters, and discovered that my virgin is no wall flower. In fact, she's not a virgin (I hate to admit it, but my gals have pasts *shoulder shrug* again). She's no pushover. And my bad boy? He's a layered, complex guy. I love him. I know he's the right man for her.

Okay, now we are at the crux of the blog. I decided to do something I have never done before due to extreme shyness (no, I'm not shy about people, but letting people read my stuff publicly? Criticize it anonymously? Rank it? Uh uh). But when I learned about the MILLS AND BOON NEW VOICES CONTEST, I had to enter. I waffled (read again the bit about the extreme shyness--I have my own vulnerabilities though I rarely show them). Then I thought, what the heck? Go for it. So I did.

And now I am going to do something I've never done before either. I'm going to share the opening paragraph of my first chapter for ROCK ON! before I revised it:

 The last sound engineer left the building as Blade Edwards continued to wrap up the track editing for Rising Velocity’s latest album.  His manager Frank sat behind him, keeping him company as his fingers danced with studied expertise across the console’s buttons.

Here is the original story's first paragraph after cutting the first three chapters:

Kayla stood in front of Blade’s door, trying to gather her courage to knock on the dark cherry wood that lay like a barricade between her and quite possibly the most stubborn man she’d ever encountered.  Brushing her fingers through her blond hair, Kayla tartly reminded herself that she had no one to blame for being in this pickle but her.   

I know. I know. Blade? Right. Changed his name to DRAKE SHERIDAN. And much of what was written after Kayla's first paragraph was, um, introspection. I also changed the title to HER PRISONER OF LOVE.

Here are the revised first paragraphs:

Kayla Jackson stood in front of the dark mahogany door and rapped three times. Hard. No answer. And no surprise. Drake Sheridan, the lead singer of Rising Velocity, was officially her problem as of Monday, February seventh. She had only herself to blame for this ridiculous pickle. But if she pulled off a miracle and reformed the Bad Boy of Rock and Roll, she’d earn enough money to keep her program for delinquent teens up and running.

She stared at the wooden barricade standing between her and the most stubborn client she’d ever encountered in all her years of social work. “Open this door now, or I’m rescinding your home arrest and sending your sorry butt back to jail.”

She rubbed her hands on her jeans and drew a deep breath. She’d always admired Drake for his talent. And she’d be the first to admit she’d swooned a time or two when he’d performed live. But his sexual exploits with women, and his wild partying days had never impressed her. Punching out a reporter had done little to raise her estimation.

She didn’t need to respect him. She only had to redeem him and gather her paycheck.

Kayla pounded harder. “I know you’re in there.” He couldn’t leave the grounds without triggering his security anklet. And boy had he kicked up a fight when they’d clipped it on him at the courthouse. One that would’ve sent a less successful and influential man back to jail. A man like her brother.

Introducing the Bad Boy of Rock and Roll

Once she’d regained her wits, she stared at her assigned case. He barred the doorframe and hadn’t bothered to cover his broad chest. Even disheveled, he radiated strength, sex, and soul. Her stomach filled with nervous little flutters as if monarch butterflies had invaded her system. “I’d love to leave you alone just to avoid the stench inside.”

He wiped his eyes, a bit bloodshot but still arresting with their amber color, and shook his dark curls from his forehead. “Then do us both a favor and go.”

“Park your tough rocker routine at the curb.” Grateful for her four-inch heels and the height they gave her, she wiggled around his imposing muscular six-foot plus body. “Good Lord, it looks like a bomb went off in here.” 

Here is the full blurb of my revised story HER PRISONER OF LOVE:

Bad Boy of Rock and Roll Drake Sheridan is in a court ordered time out, but his house arrest heats up when he meets the key to his release, Kayla Jackson. And he decides to turn his beautiful, control-freak warden into his greatest fan. Social worker Kayla Jackson is out of choices. She must help Drake reform his ways if she wants to secure funding for her theater program supporting juvenile delinquents. Too bad Drake is the sexiest man she’s ever met, and he’s determined to prove it. Kayla maintains a professional distance until Drake’s empathy for her young charges draws them closer. And when the mask of Kayla’s no-nonsense, tough girl attitude slips, her vulnerable, compassionate soul takes Drake’s heart captive. Drake is finally ready to give up the fame, but Kayla’s secret arrangement with his manager may drive him back to his wild ways. Then Kayla may not only lose Drake, as well as her theater program, she’ll lose her heart.

I'm sharing this with you because I want other writers out there, the ones who are starting their journey, to know that if they build a community of writers and are willing to apply what they learn to the best of their ability, they will become better writers. They will get closer to achieving their dreams.

I don't know if I will win the Mills & Boon contest. It would be nice, not going to lie. But I don't have to win it to know that I am a better writer today than I was when I first wrote LOVE BUILDS A CHANCE (again, you can stop laughing now). But if you want to read the rest of my chapter (and my CP Gwen's chapter, too, SLOW BURN. Go Gwen!) click the link provided on this page, read the entries, rank them. Please be kind in your comments. And have fun.

I'm still a BEFORE working toward her AFTER. I will never be finished learning about this glorious obsession. ROCK ON!

Off to the Workshop-- Hooray!

I am so excited. Today I leave for Atlanta with my writing friend. It's about a four hour drive, and the BRAVES are playing this weekend, so we're heading out early to beat the crowds and traffic. She should get here around 9AM, and then we'll load up for our road trip.

Oh glorious day! Four hours with a writing friend where we can talk to our hearts' contents about our passion without worrying about boring the listener. This is my favorite thing to do (well I DO have a few other favorite things--but that's romance research LOL).

Here's what I am bringing for the trip:

*wine
*clothes
*toiletries
*chocolate
*lap top
*a book
*jammies
*my workshop homework

I had to print out four different parts of my current MS in Revision. Sounds easy, right? Not really. First I had to export the various scene info out of Scrivener and into WORD. Always a minor snafu when I do that--next time I meet my CP in Birmingham I will get a tutorial from her. Then I had to look at the stuff I wanted to bring with my own critical eye and redo it to the best of my ability. And I can tell you that rewriting stuff with the knowledge that Mary Buckham or Diana Love will critique it is, well, *gulp* very motivating.

But I managed to churn out a reasonable stash of homework pages. I have my 150 word opening, my approximate 100-150 word setting scene bit for deep POV analysis, my sagging middle scenes (help me please! I have to figure out if these even are the middle part!), and my scene to check for hooks in general. Most of the homework I am bringing is taken from the first 15 pages of the current WIP. Only the mid-section is not.

Before I could even determine what to bring for the mid-section, I had to finish my structure outline/label scene cards in order for the WIP. I worked solidly for 2 hours to wrap up that work. Then I analyzed the number of scenes, calculated the word count necessary for each story Act, and I approximated where the major plot points should fall.

You know what? I am pleased to say that I have a clear set up, a clear ending, solid dissecting plot points to break the 1st Act and 2nd Act as well as the 3rd Act from the 4th Act. Now only the MidPoint is nebulous, but it is within striking distance in the mid 40-44 scene range. I also have a pretty darned good idea about the PINCH POINTS (Larry Brooks Story Structure) in Acts 2 & 3. In working on the resolution/Act 4, I realized I had introduced new information, so I quickly marked it, changed it to reflect the way the Act was supposed to flow and voila, brainstorming occurred that would affect the rest of the book in a positive way.

The MAJOR issue I have is TONE. I'm still working on lightening the tone without losing the emotional elements I feel are necessary for my WIP to come to life.

Getting ready for this workshop deadline has helped me focus on my overall story structure. But I know that what I learn in this workshop MIGHT force me to reevaluate my PLOT. Or, if I am super lucky, the workshop will CONFIRM my plot's direction and give me more fodder to support the structure. Or maybe it will lead to my realizing how to fix the mess regardless of the outcome/analysis.

Stay tuned! I'll keep you posted about my writing adventures in Atlanta.

(PS--I see some of my fellow bloggers on blogspot have lovely links to other pages and the blogs look like web pages--any information about that would be greatly appreciated)

Emergency! Scene CPR

I managed to write for at least 3.5 hours yesterday. Well, writing is probably not the "right" word. What I did was start labeling my scenes in Scrivener. Oh yeah. That's a lot of fun (I did promise not to whine after having to do housework--this is me actively trying not to whine).

Any rate, why am I doing this? The first reason is I have a workshop to attend at Georgia Romance Writer's of America in Atlanta where I have to bring in different scene elements for critique and, yes, CPR. I know that Mary Buckham and Diana Love will apply major life saving techniques to my work because I have attended their BREAK INTO FICTION workshop and they are amazing teachers.

Note: If you see a workshop with their names as leaders, run, don't walk to the class. Their energy and enthusiasm and genuine desire to see YOU get to your publishing goal is outstanding. The cost, if any exists, is worth the price.

Here's what I am bringing to this workshop: four bits of my current WIP in Revision  scenes, primarily from the first 50 pages (the set up in Act 1). Why? Because if I can hammer out problems in the first 50 pages I will know what to do with the last 250 pages (give or take). And what does the first 50 pages bring to me? Oh yeah, do you see where this is going? Yes, three stars if you get this right.

Did you guess contest entries? You're right. Did you guess partial? Right again? Did you guess framework for synopsis? Yup.

A lot of talk and bandying about lately regarding the Golden Heart scores amongst those of us who didn't final and what I want to talk about is getting ready for the next contest. You see, I never entered the GH to final. I entered it to get a partial and synopsis ready. I don't care about my scores because they are meaningless to me. Why? Because I know that a person with a 3 book deal didn't final and got a 2 and a 9 on her tally. She was upset. Why? She's published. Who cares about the scores? They don't even matter if you DID FINAL. I know a finalist who got a 4.5 on her finaling manuscript (you can read about it on ROMANCE MAGICIANS blog) and she never won a Golden Heart but she's a NYT bestseller two years later and has a contract with Harlequin Presents!

But will knowing the scores don't matter and knowing that to final in the contest stop me from entering? Heck no! I want to play that roulette wheel and see if the magic combination of cool story and 5 judges who connect with it occurs. Talk about a JACKPOT! And I want to get the ball rolling that direction NOW. Because I am not going to be putting this puppy together in November again. No way. I want both my entries out the door, both with new titles and one in a new category, no later than October 31, 2010. It is NEVER too early to start preparing. You never know what curve balls life will throw at you.

So there you have it. I am mining my workshop mentors for serious CPR on my current WIP because I want to have 50 solid pages to enter in the GH (I'm entering two MS's again). I also want to have 30 solid pages and a new direction for my synopsis by the end of May. Why? The MAGGIES. I entered them. Now that's a tough contest to final in. I managed to do so once. I was thrilled. I got a lot of amazing feedback from the authors who judged my entry. I also got a lot of amazing feedback the year before on the same book (earlier version) and I utilized almost 95% of their suggestions.

Do you see where I am going with this? Oh yeah. The GRWA MAGGIE contest is, in my honest opinion and based on experience, one of the TOP contests to enter both for feedback and prestige. And when you enter, if you don't win or final or whatever, PAY HEED TO THE AUTHOR'S WORDS. They spend a lot of time critiquing your unpublished MS. They want to see you get published. They KNOW what sells. Their intentions are for good.

Note: If you have never entered the MAGGIES, get to the GRWA website NOW and enter. This will force you to write a partial and synopsis that will be judged by PUBLISHED authors. Their advice will help you. This is money well spent!

Now, yesterday I didn't pull together my scenes. I was still a bit in brainstorm mode about a cool idea I have for the current WIP and I also wanted to label my scenes in Scrivener because I need to see which ones will work in the new revision, where they really belong according to the tried and true Acts of story structure, and hunt for my pivotal plot points and where they might fall. I'm about half way through the process. As I went through the first half, I wrote a bit, made annotations thanks to my friend Gwen's wonderful Scrivener Tech Tuesday blog, and shifted some stuff around. Not much more than that.

Note: If you have a Mac, I highly recommend the SCRIVENER program for your writing needs. You will LOVE IT. Trust me. And it's cheap, too. Something we poor and struggling writers need to hear.

So that's what I'll be doing most of today (when I'm not running around with my Mom Hat on and getting forms signed for my DD's upcoming trip--I loathe errands--I am transferring all future whining to boring household duties and diets).

What contests have you entered? Why? Are you going to enter the Golden Heart again? How do you feel about getting started on the next big contest? Are you preparing for the RWA National Conference? It's in July. We have 3 months now to get a partial, query, synopsis and pitches ready for the conference. Now is the tine to get focused! These contests aren't about winning. Yeah, winning is nice. But what's more important is they force YOU, the writer, to get BICHOK (Butt in Chair, Hands on Keys) and to get serious about your writing.

Repairing the WIP

I've groaned about revising this WIP long enough. I've procrastinated and creatively avoided the WIP for almost three weeks. Other than reading through my printed pages and blogging about how to avoid working on this POS, I've done nothing to begin the long process of yet another revision.

I'm ready.

I cleared the decks, literally, on Monday with a huge re-organization of my office. I played a bit more. I read through all my contest entries and judged them. Now they are in the coordinator's capable hands. I organized my future online coordinator files and got in touch with the instructors. I went to the library and signed out a bunch of books written by authors who have been recommended to me based on their tone and style. I've brainstormed new ideas for the current revision's direction. I've spoken to one CP long distance about the future of the book and what to look for as she reads my pages. And I spent the morning going through another CP's critique.

Now I've saved my WIP under a new document in Word.

I'm ready to tear into this and start my revision.

I don't plan to start at the beginning. No. I learned a few good methods about revision from a great online class I took about a year ago. In a nutshell, besides the whole procrastination part, I revise my messes by doing the following:

*let the MS sit for at least two weeks, longer if you can (but not for six months)
*quick read through of the hard copy pages with a pencil in hand bearing in mind the WIP's new direction
*mark micro changes as I catch them
*mark global changes throughout the MS based on earlier brainstorming and critiques
*go through CP's comments and grammar check (TG she is so good at the technical side of writing)
*make minor changes and answer some questions immediately in the document
*add my own comments to the doc as I look at CP's work based on WIP's direction
*save the document with stored comments on WORD with a new title reflecting upcoming round of revisions (TFC7)

Now that the new document is stored in WORD, I plan to do the following:

*macro changes first--no point in fine-tuning something that might be cut due to big changes
*cut the scenes that no longer work and shift to a cut scenes document in WORD
*micro changes in scenes I plan to keep
*address all comments after scenes are cut or shifted
*any brainstorming or old scenes that might work are checked for possible use in next draft
*save the doc

After I complete Part A of my revision, I will move my document back into Scrivener's writing program and break all the scenes into separate documents. Then I will will begin the process of adding new scenes, shifting other scenes and fine tuning the story's timeline. I will focus on the revision throughout the month of April.

During the first part of May, I need to step back and work on the contest entry for the MAGGIES Contest run by the GEORGIA ROMANCE WRITERS OF AMERICA.  I will write a new synopsis and fine tune the first twenty-five pages for the contest. I'll probably have other contest feedback to look at and will consider incorporating some of that feedback into my MS.

Once I have that contest entry ready to roll out the door, via electronic transmission, I will go back into the MS and continue revising until the end of June (or hope against all odds that I am finished earlier). Then it's time to put this MS on the shelf and let it percolate while I begin working on a NEW project (yay!) and spend time with my family.

I have a plan. I have an end in sight. I have a bit of hope that I can wrestle this one back from the brink. And that is why I am beginning to feel a bit of a rush, a high and a thrill.

Onward ho!

Two Tone Writing

Last weekend I was fortunate to attend the GEORGIA ROMANCE WRITERS OF AMERICA's Author Critique Workshop held for members only. I sent in the first 25 pages of my MS and the synopsis. My work was assigned to a published author (turns out she is someone I admire a lot and she is a prolific writer with sage advice). Prior to the workshop in Atlanta, she returned my pages to me and said she enjoyed the story and the writing, but I had two problems:

1) The "through line" or  "log line" was a bit muddy. In my attempt to grow my category romance into a single title romance, I had two stories going on: one is a fun, lighthearted romantic comedy with super sizzle while the other is deep, serious, woman in jeopardy romantic suspense. Yikes! And she's right. Totally right. I've recognized this issue all along but decided to ignore it till I got to THE END for the zillionth time.

2) The tone of my story is directly affected by the muddy through line. Tone A is funny and light humorous writing. Tone B is definitely serious and deep. Yikes again! My story is bipolar. Again, I expanded this book into what I hope will be a single title, but in doing so I wrote two stories.

There are other problems: too many elements, the backstory is too complicated, I have enough conflict without the history, and so on. The thing is, my writing was not heavily edited. She liked it. She just wants me to fine tune my story line.

And that means I have to make a very hard decision: do I keep it light or do I go dark? I can do either. But one thing is for sure: I cannot do both in the same book. Another issue I have is the backstory. I can't really eliminate the characters' history without literally destroying my ending. Seriously! And many minor plot points will have to be cut or revised heavily or ... or ... I am in a dither about what to do. Why? Because I just cut over 20,000 words. I added 28,000 new words. And now I must face the same nightmare again.

And I am avoiding it like one avoids catching a stomach virus. I hate throwing up. I think I hate cutting my words even more. So I am taking another week off. What am I doing while I let my WIP in revision percolate? I'm reading. My reading has two purposes: pleasure and genre research.

I've inhaled two Berkeley Sensations, one HQN single title and a Suzanne Brockmann romantic suspense this week. I've already been confused by the Sensations line. One book bordered on porn with a plot and I'm not sure the porn was used properly given the plot (and I am not a squeamish reader or writer). The other book read like a category super romance with zero sex other than references to it at the end of the book. I loved the story and read it with great pleasure, but where was the "sensation?"

The HQN Single Title I read was nicely written and a sweet story with some beautifully written sensual scenes. I plan to reread this author's work as well as more for that alone. However, the motivation and inner turmoil seemed to be repeated to the point of saturation. By the end of the story, I was frustrated by the MC's and merely wanted them to get together. Seriously. It was like a stretched out category with none of the pep.

If you've read my blog, you know how I feel about Suzanne Brockmann's writing. She is a master and if I could be half the writer she is, I'd be thrilled. I did notice one thing. Back in 1996, she wrote a lovely contemporary romance with a single plot thread. Even then you could see her future would be great: she knows her characters and their emotions. That's what I'm trying to take away from my reading her books. Of course, I plan to read more! Although I don't plan to write only romantic suspense, if I can write emotion and character better because I read her work, I'll be rewarded as a writer with a better book.

Can you see which direction I am headed? Am I making the right decision? Those of you who read my blog know the duality of my tone already. I can be funny or serious. And that's okay for my blog. But it's not okay for my future writing and revision. I need to step off the precipice. As my critique author said, "You need to take a risk."

Why am I afraid? Because what I am naturally buoyed by as a writer, what gives me pleasure and makes it fun for me has been rejected for the very fact that it is fun, light writing. But maybe that's because I muddied the waters with too many elements. I've also been told that they like my writing, but they haven't connected with it. Maybe I wasn't serious or emotional enough? In trying to fix the rejections by weaving my response into my writing I may have tried too hard and tossed the proverbial baby out with the bath water.

I don't know. I do know I am going to work this out. Snippets of plot revision and character solutions are popping into my head. I'm realizing that I have confused plot events with emotional lives. I need to weave in the emotions while being true to the story line. And keeping it simple is a good thing to do as I expand the book.

On my to-do list? I plan to hit the bookstore today and pick up more books, single title, that reflect the future tone of my own story. Then I will read more. I've got Larry Brooks structure book downloaded and will read that as well.

And next week? Oh yeah. Let the work begin again.

Southern Magic Readers Luncheon

Yesterday I drove down to Birmingham with a friend, and writing partner, to attend the Southern Magic Readers Luncheon. The chapter did an amazing job of providing great food, hosting a wonderful program with Anne Stuart as the keynote speaker, giving us lots of cool author goodie baskets to try to win, and offering plenty of opportunities for readers to meet the authors. Afterward, we were able to buy books and get them autographed as well.

I love this luncheon because I see how much the readers love the romance genre. The spirit in the room is sparkling with energy. To know that one day my books might bring readers joy and give them the HEA they deserve to discover is a great and heady feeling. I know some people may pooh pooh the romance genre, but it deserves more respect than it receives. These books give women HOPE. And I love the idea of giving my readers that gift.

As a writer, the luncheon is immensely important to me. I get to reconnect with my fellow writers, published and unpublished. I get to celebrate my friends' most recent successes. Whether it is the first book sold (go Naima!) or the 10th sold, each milestone is recognized. And I get talk about writing with my CP, published authors and my writing partner on the way down and back again to Madison.

We need this time to reflect and connect with the people in our field. The writing world is one where we're usually boxed up in our offices battling revisions, or where we're sitting in a coffee shop downing too much java, or driving down demons of doubt when we receive yet another rejection. Being able to sit with other writers and published authors and just talk about it is a gift to me.

I was privileged this year to sit at Lynn Rae Harris's table. She's a HARLEQUIN PRESENTS author, newly published, and on her way to great success. When I first met Lynn, she was a Golden Heart finalist and had won a yearlong book editor through the Mills and Boon contest in London. In the year that has followed, she has received her call. Her contract! And I am so pleased for her.

She's a gracious and generous person who answered all our questions and shared a wealth of information with those of us who still stand on the unpublished side of writing.

That's the other thing about being a romance writer. Romance writers want to see other romance writers succeed. And the southern chapters I belong to make it their mission to help us all. Both Heart of Dixie and Southern Magic, along with my newest chapter, Georgia Romance Writers of America, give me professional support. In the year I have lived here, I have learned more about how to pitch, compile a synopsis, and SFO Green Berets than ever before.

These chapters and the people who make them run smoothly get a high five from me!!

Now I am energized and ready to hit the next round of revisions for the GH.

Onward ho!