A FRIDAY FUNNY

More funnies that prove grammar is fun!

FREE BOOK FRIDAY

I’m feeling the love this month  :jumping so every Friday from now until it’s release on April 1st, I’ll be giving away a signed copy of my brand new Harlequin Desire, ON THE VERGE OF I DO!

To enter the giveaway for this book, simply leave a comment to today’s post that includes the code FBF—for “Free Book Friday,” of course—to let me know you’re interested in the drawing. (U.S. residents only for the prize, please, but everyone is welcome to chat.)

Winner will be announced during our Happy Sunday post on…well, you know, Sunday.

Winner is responsible for contacting me with her mailing information—i.e. I will not be contacting you—so be sure to check back in or you might not even know you won! :curses

(If prize isn’t claimed within 14 days, another name may be drawn or item may be tossed back into the goody bag to be re-used for a future giveaway.)

“Editing might be a bloody trade. But knives aren’t the exclusive property of butchers. Surgeons use them too.”
~Blake Morrison

As you know from last week’s post, I have finished my latest Harlequin Desire & am now knee-deep in proofing & polishing so I can get it turned in to Editor C.  (I’ve kind of warned him it was finished & would be on his desk soon, so now I feel compelled to actually deliver on that promise. :oops )

I’m on Chapter 5 so far…which may not sound like much, but editing tends to be a long, drawn-out process for me.

For one thing, by the time I finish writing a book, I just want to be done with it.  No matter how much I love the characters & storyline, it’s always a race to the finish, a struggle to make sure I’ve used the exact right descriptions, tied up all the loose ends, come up with just the right ahh-worthy happily-ever-after ending…  And when I’m done, I just want to breathe a contented sigh of relieve & send that puppy off to my editor as-is.  But I can’t!  Because even though I’m a pretty clean writer (meaning that what I write the first time through tends to be darn close to what I turn in; I’m very careful as I’m writing, which is why it can take me so long to actually finish a book), it’s still a first run-through & not only do I know there will be typos, but I also leave spots that I know need more work the second time around.

For another, I’m too close to the story when I first finish it.  I know everything, I remember everything, I know exactly how certain scenes & paragraphs read.  So I need to take a break & just let it sit.  This is my decompression time when I try to catch up on non-writing-related stuff & let myself be a little lazy—often catching up on sleep or enjoying a movie or two to both clear my head & get it filled with something other than my characters & plot.  (Can you say popcorn & a Supernatural marathon?! :twirl )

And finally, one of the reasons I’m not a fan of the editing process is that it takes extremely focused concentration.  That means sitting with the laptop, reading every single word very carefully, without entertaining TV as a distraction.  (That means no Supernatural marathon…& definitely no popcorn.)

The good news is that, so far, the manuscript currently known as A Baby in the Billionaire’s Boardroom is reading really well. :jumping   Even though I’m quite familiar with them, I’m falling in love with the hero & heroine all over again.

And I’m taking care of those pesky little typos, so those errorists are definitely not gonna win!

I’ll keep you updated on my progress.  Slow & steady wins the race, right?

And in case you’re reading this, Editor C, I really will have the book to you soon.  You’re gonna love it!  :heart   (I hope.)