My Recent Comments

I'm thisclose to finishing Outshined which makes me a happy camper! Then my house needs a good top to bottom clean since I've been on back to back to back deadlines it's been triage around here and my carpets are in dire need of a cleaning.

Kids don't go back to school until the first week of September, gah! But we're off on a mini vacation for a few days which should be good, especially since I'll have finished this book before we go.

Yay school!

LD

Hiya everyone! Whew, on the slide toward the end of the week, thank goodness. I'm now over the midway point in Outshined, my next book for Berkley - the middle of the middle so to speak. 

A month now until my children go back to school. Not that I don't think about it fifteen times a day or anything.

How's everyone doing? For those who went, how was Nationals?

LD

Hoping everyone who's in SF for Nationals is having a great time!!

I'm home, and not in SF but I'm burning up my wordcount so I can't complain. Caught a glimpse of Kayla Perrin's new Spice offering - gorgeous cover!!

Oh and neener neener, I just read Megan's 2010 Spice book - Switch and it's awesome.

 Back to work, hope everyone is doing well and getting loads of work done.

LD

Victoria - have fun at the con!

Amanda - wow, busy!

Sue - Relentless is a futuristic that comes after Undercover (another futuristic) they're erotic romances from Berkley Heat and Relentless focuses on a relationship between a rabble rousing barrister and the leader of the most powerful family in their world. It was a lot of fun to write, there's this dynastic element to that world that I love and have had great fun describing and building.

 Good luck to everyone waiting to hear and congrats on new contracts, etc!

 LD

Poking in to say hello!

 Just completed my second draft of Reckless and it's off for crit now. Then to beta and at last off to my editor at Berkley. While I wait for crit I'll get on to my next book, Outshined.

We're going off to the beach for a few days next month (for kiddo #2 and 3's birthdays!) so I want to have a goodly chunk done by the time we near that so I can have a fun, stress free time.

Thanks for stopping by Hookah! Hope everyone is having a good week.

LD

WB Lorie! We missed you, hon.

Megan, if you feel burning, go to the doctor. Just sayin.

LD

Hey hon, are you all right? You've been gone so long I'm beginning to worry about you.  Check in!

 LD

Charlotte - Congrats on the brief coming out today! WHEEE!  I too, buy from amazon because frankly, I have worse than horrible luck getting my computer to accept downloads from eharlequin. I feel they must have quarreled in a past life or something.

Victoria, I hear you. I think I teetered on the point of feeling just crispy earlier this year. I hope you're feeling refreshed soon.

 Happy Canada Day!

Lauren Hawkeye - thanks so much! I got your little pressie yesterday. You're awesome and I hope you're feeling a bit better today. If it helps, I got a big R today too. Happens to all of us!

LD

Megan - lazy summer, whazzat? I know these things exist in dreams, like perfect children and houses with white carpets, but that's not my world, LOL!

I'm on a deadline for my second Berkley book, Relentless. It's due July 31 and I *think* I'll be finished with the first draft by Wednesday of next week. Which gives me three weeks to revise, get crit and tweak.

And then it's on to Outshined, (third Berkley book) which is due in September (and thank goodness I have it partially started and I can lock down and focus because whoo, I've got a lot of work to do.

At some point I expect to hear from Susan about Sensual Magic, my novella in the second Vegas antho and I'll need to revise/tweak on that.

But really, can I complain? Not so much. In fact, I'm pretty freaking thrilled to be so busy. That means I'm selling and so I'm pretty darned happy to do the job. 

Off to get my words for the day!

LD

The writer who hasn't felt like quitting because she was frustrated and blue about this business is a rarity.

It takes patience, perseverence and planning to succeed. So perhaps you can take a step back and speak with  your agent about why she didn't like the pieces you've sent her. What is missing? What does she feel you need to work on or address? 

And then ask yourself if those suggestions are on point and if so, make it happen. If not, perhaps you need to have a discussion with her about expecations and think on fit.

I know it feels like you need to rush because there's a train and you don't want to miss it. I know because I felt that way for the better part of two years. But there are homes for good stories.

Most authors do not sell the first thing they pitch. that's rare. Most authors work and get rejected and pitch and get rejected again until they finally sell. The thing you see most often with successful authors is perseverence.

So eat some chocolate, watch some movies, read and let yourself wallow some and get right back to it.

LD (who has been there)