Down to the wire

Tired and wired yesterday evening, I headed back to the computer to finish revising my latest manuscript: Bear of the Midnight Sun, which I have only recently discovered is the same title of another paranormal romance by another author. Good thing titles aren't subject to copyright law.

I must have done a somewhat better job drafting this manuscript, but most of the editor's corrections and changes concerned botched punctuation and typos. She had some good suggestions for clarity, too, which I acted upon. Most of those concerned the heroine's cat, Gonzo, who's key to helping the heroine recapture her humanity. (Yes, he's named after the Muppet.) As usual, revision expanded the word count a little bit.

(If you want to know why and how the heroine loses her humanity, then you'll just have to read the book.)

It's always a pleasure to work with an editor who likes my work. Her words regarding the newest book made me giddy: "This latest book didn’t require much in the form of commentary; the flow and story arc played out nicely.... Cheers! I raise my glass to yet another magnificent and satisfying manuscript!"

One of her comments within the manuscript complimented me on the heroes I write. Again, another warm and fuzzy moment. For those who want to know, no, my heroes are not based on anyone in real life. In fact, one of the heroine's observations early in the book is that those dreamy, alpha males who populate romance novels are a pain in the neck in real life.

Back to the topic.

I finished revising and sent the manuscript back to the editor for a final proofreading before I format and upload. Because those last tweaks from the proofreading will take time, I've cut down my time for formatting to the last minute. This is a task that takes a bit of skill--and I know just enough to be dangerous. At least I've got the cover blurb and cover design finished.

So, I've got a week of nail-biting before the editor returns my manuscript one more time. In the meantime, I ought to be thinking about the next book. After all, I have over two dozen unfinished manuscripts that I could work on, aborted stories that might go somewhere if another idea doesn't sidetrack me first.

I could tackle that new story idea, which is--cheesy as it sounds--an alien romance. There's a sequel to Pure Iron that tells love-'em-and-leave-'em Jack's story. The Lothario of Glencarol, Robbie, has a story to tell in the sequel to The Dragon Wore a Kilt. I'm several thousand words into a contemporary romance between an event manager and video game magnate. There's a May-and-December romance about a young veterinarian and a middle-aged rancher with a interesting horse named Bonnie.

I don't seem to be doing too many one-off stories anymore. I'm not sure whether that's good, bad, or indifferent. In the meantime, I've got a new book to complete. Look for Bear of the Midnight Sun on October 31. And feel free to pre-order the e-book. I won't mind. Really.

For those who remember, yes, I do freelance as an editor. I'm a pretty darned good one, too, which means I know that my own work requires the fresh, objective eyes of someone else--an editor. Let that be a lesson to any of you who also write: invest in competent editing service. It will improve the quality of your writing.

If you won't invest in your own writing, then why would you expect the public to pay for it?

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