“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.)

Holy cow—only two more weeks until the release of my April Harlequin Desire, ON THE VERGE OF I DO.  Doesn’t seem possible when it feels like only yesterday that I was starting to do research on South Carolina & gearing up to start Kara & Eli’s story! :dropmouth

This week, I’m going to tease you with a playlist of songs I listened to while working on this story.  And, gosh, just seeing them again takes me right back there.  Some of these are SO perfect for Kara & Eli, they give me chills.  Truly, listen to the lyrics, think about the situation these two people are in, & you’ll just melt.  Or, you know…maybe it’s just me. :oops

Others just sorta put me in a Southern state of mind. :winkwink

“Smile” – Uncle Kracker
“Need You Now” – Lady Antebellum
“This Love” – Maroon 5
“Weakness in Me” – Joan Armatrading (from 10 Things I Hate About You soundtrack)
“Bubbly” – Colbie Calait
“Ever the Same” – Rob Thomas
“Near You Always” – Jewel
“To Make You Feel My Love” – Garth Brooks
“Lullaby” – Dixie Chicks
“Terrified”— Katherine McPhee
“I Want You to Want Me” – Letters to Cleo (from 10 Things I Hate About You soundtrack)
“Marry Me” – Train
“Impulsive” – Wilson Phillips
“Arms” – Christina Perri
“Rolling in the Deep” — Adele
“Son of a Preacher Man” – Dusty Springfield
“Midnight Train to Georgia” – Gladys Knight & the Pips
plus a bit of Carrie Underwood, Tanya Tucker, Trisha Yearwood…

So give them a listen…they’ll put you in the perfect mood to read ON THE VERGE OF I DO when it hits the shelves April 3rd.  Or maybe even a little before, you never know. :kitty

And then you can let me know how well you think they suit Kara & Eli’s love story. :heart

Order Your Copy Today!

Amazon :: Kindle ebook :: Barnes & Noble :: NOOK ebook
eHarlequin :: Books-a-Million :: The Book Depository
!ndigo :: Amazon.ca