Finally in the home stretch

After putting aside my sci-fi romance the end of the summer, I've been revising, editing and this week completed proofing the entire file of my post Civil War romance, Cassidy's War.

Today I plan to print out the file, then put it aside for an entire week. Then I'll proofread the printed copy to try to catch any typos or mistakes I missed on the Word file.

After that, it goes back to my editor. I hope when I hear back on it, I'll be able to announce a new book contract.

My next post will be my list of writing goals for the new year.

Revision's Finished!

Of course I'm not completely done with this manuscript, still have to go back and do line edits and a final proofread before submitting, but I'm relieved that this revision is over. And it wasn't as bad as I thought it would be. The trick, after reading my editor's revision request, was to put the manuscript aside for the entire summer, while I worked on other projects. When I came back to it in October, I could look at it in a whole new light.

I'm taking a week off from this manuscript and will start line edits the Monday after Thanksgiving. In the meantime, I'll catch up on blogging and revise, edit and polish a short story.

I even revised the blurb of the manuscript called Cassidy's War.

The Civil War is over, but Cassidy’s War is just beginning.

Cassidy Stuart longs to attend medical school. Her training under her physician father and her time serving as a nurse during the war, have only increased her desire to be a real physician with a practice of her own. When the man who’d left her at the altar five years before, returns, she’s determined not to let him upset the plans she’s set for herself.

Unknown to his former fiancée and her family, George Masters is now a Pinkerton agent sent to investigate a physician now living in George’s former hometown. When he finds Cassidy hasn’t married, he hopes he can have another chance with her, but can’t reveal his real reason for returning, at least not until his mission is accomplished.

Can love be rekindled with a doctor bent on revenge against them both?

I hope to have this completed and ready to submit by the beginning of the new year, if not sooner.

Confusing week for me

I thought I had my path clearly spelled out. My plan was to plot out my latest romance novel, a science fiction romance, and have it all finished, so I could start writing in June as part of a summer book challenge.

But now, I've got a rejection for my latest historical, with a request to revise and resubmit. I know if I follow my editor's suggestions, she'll likely contract this manuscript, while I have no idea yet who I'll submit the sci-fi to whenever I manage to get that one finished.

So, I'm doing the turnabout once again. The historical romance goes to the top of my to-do pile, while the sci-fi gets put on the back burner again.

Although I do like to switch back and forth with multiple projects, it's hard to stay focused on two major projects. So, my plan now is to complete the revision on the historical, resubmit, then resume plotting. I have the opening chapters of the new book plotted out anyway, so can at least start writing in June, plotting further along as I go.

So, that's my plan for now, unless something else crops up.

The life of a freelance writer, I guess.