March Goals

It's leap day and time to post my goals for March.

I've decided to go easy on myself this month, but I did complete the workshop I was taking all of last month and I just turned in my edits for Erin's Rebel to my editor. She told me she'll get back to me in about two weeks.

That gives me two solid weeks to work on my new writing projects.

So, what I want to try to accomplish this month:

1) Enter Katie Rose in my chapter's Romance Through the Ages Contest.
Mainly to support my chapter. I entered Erin's Rebel in this contest twice and didn't final either time. But since I'm allowed to enter even though I have a contracted book, I thought I'd give it a try. It would be nice to at least final and would get attention for my new Civil War story.

2) After polishing up those opening chapters for the contest, I want to make a clean printout of Katie Rose and start on my revisions for the entire manuscript. Maybe I'll even have time to complete them, if not I'll get a good start.

3) I worked out the bare bones of a new short vampire story in the workshop I just finished. I'd like to work out an outline for it this month.

I've decided to leave my sci-fi outline sit for now, so I can complete my revisions and whatever edits I have to do on Erin's Rebel. I'll get back to it eventually.

So, let's see what I can accomplish this month.

What Happened with those February Goals?

Since it's nearly the end of the month, I thought I should go over my goals to see how I did.

This month has been crazy, I completed rewrites and edits on Eternity Waits--and just received the final galley--sold Erin's Rebel and have just started edits on that.

Had lots of excitement with cover art, too, and needed to fit in updates on my blog and website to reflect my great news.

Finally getting published brings on a lot of new work, but it's all worth it. But as a result, I didn't get much work completed on my original February goals.

The first goal was to complete that sci-fi outline. Well, I did complete a basic summary outline and made a start on the detailed outline, so I guess that's something. The main thing is, the outline will be there when I can get back to it. And it's always a help to have the basic plot and character motivations in front of you, rather than starting a story completely from scratch.

As for the revisions to Katie Rose, I haven't had the chance to do a complete read-through yet, but have revised a couple of chapters for my critique group. Once I finish the preliminary edits for Erin's Rebel--they're due on Monday--I'll get to work on that read-through and get started on revisions.

So, although I didn't meet my goals for this month, I've been able to get at least some work done on each project. I'll try to post my March goals before the first of the month.

Blog On Slip Into Something Victorian

I have a new blog up on Slip Into Something Victorian on Victorian hair jewlery. This was an important plot point in Erin's Rebel.

A Victorian brooch containing a lock of the hero's hair was the catalyst that sent the heroine, Erin, back through time.

Here's the link: http://slipintosomethingvictorian.com

Another Great Cover!

The Wild Rose Press did it again.

Here's my cover art for my Civil War time travel romance, Erin's Rebel.

Isn't it fantastic?

WICKED WOMAN

Every once in a while, I like to do a review of one of the great books I've read. I just finished reading Denise Eagan's WICKED WOMAN.If you haven't yet read this book, you're in for a treat.

The story's set in Victorian era Boston. The heroine, Morgan, is the daughter of an English Earl and has run away to escape an arranged marriage to a man she doesn't love.

She marries a sailor, who dies. She then quickly goes through two more marriages, both to men who also die. The last husband, who she lived with in Philadephia, abused her. Trying to avoid an attack, she hits him on the head with a statue and he dies. Afraid she'll be charged with murder, she flees to Boston and earns the reputation as the 'Wicked Widow of Philadelphia'.

The hero, Ward Montgomery, is a ship captain. He catches Morgan breaking into his office to steal food and recognizes her as the widow of two of the sailors who'd served under him. He takes pity on her, a girl of twenty-one, takes her to his home and feeds her. He hopes to lend aid by finding employment for her.

She suggests he take her on as his mistress. He doesn't know about her aristocratic background and sets her up with a house. And a sensuous adventure begins.

Morgan is a young woman with a strict upbringing in England, who now longs to experience all the wicked delights she's had to repress. She's young and reckless, but very believable. Ward is a society bachelor, who isn't ready to settle down with a proper wife. He delights in Morgan's nonconformity, until he finds out she's the daughter of an Earl.

This book is fast paced, Victorian-set romance, and a real page turner. If it weren't for time constraints, I never would have put it down. When I did have to put it aside, I looked for every opportunity to pick it up again.

My rating: 5 stars out of 5. And it's going on my keeper shelf.

Fantastic News!!!

I just got another contract from The Wild Rose Press for my full-length Civil War time travel romance, Erin's Rebel.

I've been submitting and entering this story in contests for the past five years, went through a major revision starting at the plot level, and received another rejection for it last fall.

I am so thrilled that everyone will now have a chance to read Erin and Will's story.

Here's a short blurb to wet your appetite: Philadelphia newspaper reporter, Erin Branigan, is engaged to marry an up-and-coming lawyer, but dreams of a man from the past, a Civil War captain, change her plans and start her on a journey beyond time. After a car accident, Erin wakes to find herself living in the 1860s in a Confederate army camp. The man of her dreams is now a flesh and blood Rebel soldier who sets her soul aflame. Can she correct a mistake made long ago that caused his death and denied her the love she was meant to have? A love that lives beyond time?

I'll keep you all apprised as this project moves along.

My Cover for Eternity Waits

Here's my cover for my short vampire story, Eternity Waits, coming soon to The Wild Rose Press.

Isn't it gorgeous?

Rejection

Just got my first rejection today for a partial I'd sent out after the holidays for Katie Rose .

They said my story didn't dazzle them. I got annoyed for about two seconds, then decided I really didn't care. Rejection wasn't going to ruin my day. I just filed the letter away and marked that publisher off on my itinerary sheet.

I think I've finally developed that thick writer's skin where I can put rejection in perspective. That publisher didn't like my story, but one day I'll find the one who'll love it as much as I do.

How do you all handle rejection?

February Goals

I'll make my February writing goals short.

The reason is, I'm taking an online workhop on Plotting via Character Motivation this month and want to be able to fully participate. I plan to use the workshop to help plot out my sci-fi romance, Moons of Cynara.

So here are this month's writing goals:

1) Complete (finally) outline for Moons of Cynara.
I'll use the workshop to move this plot along.

2) Start revisions for Katie Rose, my historical romance.
I've already revised and polished the opening chapters, sent partials and entered the Sheila contest, but most of the remaining chapters are still in first draft stage.

I'm sending chapters of this story to my critique group, so have started going over a few chapters, but noticed I started a subplot thread that I think I may have dropped in later chapters.

So, these are the two goals I want to concentrate on for this month.

What Happened to January!

This past month just flew by. Seems like it was just Christmas!

I realized it's time to review my January goals and see how I did.

1) Send out partials for Katie Rose.
I got them out and actually got the reply postcard back for one already.

2) Complete Moons of Cynara outline.
Well, I stalled out on this one, although I did make some progress. This month I'm taking a workshop on Character motivation and plot development, so that should movtivate me to get moving on this project. Hopefully, I can get the outline done by the end of February.

3) Prepare and enter Katie Rose in a late January contest.
Done! I entered the opening chapters and synopsis in the Valley Forge Romance Writers Sheila Contest.

4) Cut scenes for my time travel romance, Erin's Rebel.
Not only did I cut those scenes to bring the manuscript page count down, but I sent a query with synopsis, got a request for the first three chapters, then the request for the full from The Wild Rose Press. It's currently under consideration there. So, although I faltered on the outline goal, I got way ahead on this one.

Guess I didn't do so bad.

And February's a short month. I'll see what new goals I can come up with.