Full Speed STOP!

June 4, 2012 – Avalon Books has been sold to Amazon Publishing.

 I am uncertain what is to happen to the Gentlemen of Worth series. Yes, “they” say nothing will change . . . but you know how that is. Time will tell.

Looking Ahead to Book 5

Mid May 2012 – I begin planning a loose outline for Penny’s story. It is coming together very well.

Book 4 – Finished!

Early May 2012 – I’m very pleased with the way Book 4 has turned out. 

Now all I have to do is wait for the okay to submit it to my publisher.

A Grand Deception

April 2012 – Release of Book 3, Muriel’s story . . .

Welcome 2012

January, February, March . . . I’m still working on Book 4.

 Due to circumstances in the Avalon office . . .

 I'm not in a rush to finish.

Happy Holidays 2011

December 2011: The Holidays will arrive soon, the children will be home, all writing will come to a halt. I’m not looking forward to that.

The Good News is I’ve discovered the release date for Book 3 is April 2012!

Work on Book 3

End of November 2011: Page Proofs for Book 3 arrive. I ::think:: it’s coming out in 2012 but I do not have an official date. They’re due: Dec 2^nd.

I send in my corrections, six of them, and return to Book 4. I’m still hoping I’ll finish this by the end of the year.

Back where it all started

Early November 2011: I’m back in Maui and still working on Book 4. I had hoped to finish it but as the “take off” date neared I realized it wasn’t going to happen. All I can do is work on it while I’m there.

I also want to plot out books 5 and 6. I manage to sketch out book 5 and book 6 is coming along.

I manage to hand write 10 pages on the first day of vacation. 

Back to Work on the Book ... 3 not 4

October 2011: The hubby and I are still rushing around. I have a quarter of the book left to write. I’d like to finish the first draft before I leave for Maui. I can do it, there is time.

 A Grand Deception arrives from my editor. I’m to proofread it and answer the Copy Editor questions before they send this to press. I have a week to turn it around.

Taking Some Time Off

September 2011: Time to get the kids off to school. The writing is put on hold while I shuttle to and from Southern and Northern California.  I could consider this a brain vacation except the hubby and I are doing too much. We’re busy every weekend doing… something.

I know I need to gear up for the annual Maui trip. After being away from Edward’s story I feel I can take a few weeks and just concentrate on writing the book. But then there’s the . . .

1)    Moving back into my office… I’ve got to set up my computer, move my boxes of stuff and sort out the material

2)    Start packing for the trip that’s just around the corner

I’m trying to fit some writing in when I can. I’m using an Excel sheet to keep track of the different subplots. I’ve never used this method before and it seems to be working.

Just like Cooking with Gas

End of August 2011: I’m rolling along heading toward the end. I’m making my way through the middle, the very full middle, and it’s a pleasant chore to pick and chose the scenes I’ll use to make my way to the end of the story.

Casting Call

Early August 2011: Just as I had to find faces for Augusta’s suitors in Book 1, The Suitor’s List, I need to find pictures for the countless matrons, widows, and other suitable parti for Edward.

I must admit there are as many pictures of lovely ladies on the Internet as there are handsome gentlemen.

New Cover!

End of July 2011: I’ve just received the cover for Perfectly Flawed

The end of the Tunnel

Mid July 2011: I’m halfway finished with Book 4. There’s the beginning and the end … and ALL the stuff in the middle. 

There's a lot. I’m wondering if it will fit.

BACK TO BOOK 4

Early July 2011: I’m back from the RWA Conference and feeling energized!

 I’ve discovered Edward, Duke of Faraday, has “people”… well, it should not have come as a surprise, he’s a duke.

Book 2 Revisited

June 2011: Writing Book 4 goes on hold. Page Proofs for Charlotte’s book, Perfectly Flawed  have arrived. They’re due in two weeks. I’ll manage to have them in before I go to the RWA National Conference in New York City.

Chugging Along, Singing a Song

May 2011: New scenes are popping up. The first two chapters are filling in nicely but I worry if I continue on this pace that Our Heroine will not arrive until after chapter five. It seems a bit late for me and I have some concern that I will be asked to move her debut to an earlier chapter. I can’t worry about that now. I must write the story as it unfolds.

I’m happy to see a few characters from The Suitor List reappear. I need to remember that some people, who have not read the first book, will see the characters as strangers. I hope for those who remember them, the story will feel richer by the return of these old acquaintances. 

Starting Book 4

April 2011: I’d begun the Duke’s book right after I submitted Muriel’s. I had a rough idea where the story started and what was 

to come next. The first chapter, after some considerable time had passed, had come together and I was moving on to chapter two.

After learning of the new word count I realized I needed to slow the pacing down and rethink the scenes. Chapter one has been pulled apart and new scenes added. Chapter two has the original chapter one scene and needs new scenes around it.

The good news is that it made me REALLY think about the Duke and his world. I found it inhabited with different characters. His children know of these people but they are not of THEIR world.

A real surprise is that I’ve discovered is that he has a friend. I’m sure Edward has many but I’d never seen them before now. I also have a feeling that they’re more integrated in the story than I anticipate. We will just have to see.

Book 3 Revisions Finished!

Mid March 2011: I found an extra 8,000 words, a few extra scenes, for Muriel’s book. I like the idea that I could liberally add to areas I thought could “use more.” 

I’m sending in the Revised manuscript and moving on to the Duke’s book with the new word count in mind. 

Book 3 – The Revisions

March 2011:  All work on Book 4 stops.  The revision letter for Book 3 arrives.  On top of that… this round will be electronically done.  I’m not afraid but I’ve never done this before.  The editor is being a doll and giving me some help on how “Track Changes” works. 

I’m not panicking.  I do take my time and move through the manuscript addressing the editor’s comments and making corrections. I truly value her “new pair of eyes” looking at my story and I believe this will make the book better.

And there is something new… the publisher has moved from the “old” way of calculating word count to using the “actual/digital” word count.  This makes my story 8,000 words short. This means I need a few more scenes.

Yeah, it’s gonna take a bit of work. I’ve only got a couple weeks.

It Doesn’t Take Long

Late February 2011: New scenes are popping up after playing with my storyboards these last few weeks.  Browsing through my character list for the first three books, I have a few who volunteer, with their previously unknown family members, who wish to participate in the Duke’s story.