It's going to be a very busy year......

So now that Christmas and New Year are distant memories, my house has started to resume of semblance of normality, the kids are back at school and have activities every night of the week, I've decided to take stock.  And plan ahead.

YIKES!  Do I really think I can do all this????

Lots of things I'm doing this year are fun.  I'm going to the RNA Summer Party on 17 May in London.  And I'm organised, I've booked my flights and hotel so I will definitely be there.  I'm up for the Joan Hessayon Award as my first published novel went through the New Writers Scheme.  I don't think I'll win - I've seen the other nominees, but I'm looking forward to going.  Hoping to see Natalie Rivers and India Grey and lead them astray...  I'm also hoping I'll get the opportunity to go and see Mills and Boon headquarters in Richmond, now that would be cool!

July is the conference at Penrith, which I'm hoping to drive to - I may never be seen again as I don't have the best sense of direction in the world.  But my other half and I drove down to Blencowe Hall in Cumbria in November and that didn't seem too far away. My place is reserved, I'll be in a room near to Natalie and India again, and I will hopefully meet the minxes!

Finally September is the Mills and Boon Author lunch in London again and as I had such a good time last year I will definitely be going again. (In between all this I have a "football" weekend in a dodgy caravan with my 7 yr old in May, a family holiday on a cruise ship in July and a girls weeked in Edinburgh in November which I haven't told my other half about yet!)

I also have three lovely books to write for Mills and Boon this year.  The first is submitted and awaiting revisions, the second is almost planned and the third?  Ask me about that in October!

I've also agreed to be an editor at the Pink Heart Society this year and write a monthly column for them.  I will also be blogging at Tote Bags 'n' Blogs a few times this year.

All this a day job, 2 lively kids and a beloved other half.  Time?  Who needs it!!!!

Waiting....

The revisions are finally finished and have flown off to Mills and Boon again.  But I really felt as if I couldn't post a picture of the flying books for a THIRD time.  That would have been really lame.  So, instead I found a nice tranquil picture, to try and show a nice, calm, patient, waiting attitude.  But those of you who know me, know that that's never me in million years.  (Incidentally, this is actually wallpaper.  Would be a nice feature wall in a room somewhere, but since my beloved has just decorated our bedroom with a lovely red feature wall - pictures on facebook! - I think I might not be able to suggest it!)
This is me...

So, now comes the question of how long you wait.  Incidentally SO appears to my favourite word in a manuscript, Rachael Johns found a multitude of them that had all passed me by... Therefore I have to say thank you to her and my lovely critique partner Nancy (AKA Sheandeen on eharlequin) for their help in the past week. 
What do I think about the revisions?  At first, I have to admit, I wasn't sure.  After all, I was tearing 'my baby' apart and putting it back together again.  At one point I really didn't like my characters anymore, and would have hated to be stuck in a lift with them.  However, things moved on and I learned to love them again and I do think the story is stronger.  But is it strong enough?  Here's hoping.
The competition for today is HOW LONG HAVE YOU BEEN WAITING?
Most of us will have heard of Soraya Lane, who got the Call recently after around 8 months.  Maisey Yates had a 20 month wait all in.  However, the lovely Wendy S Marcus, returned her revisions on the Monday and got the Call at the end of the week!
I know that another blogger Janette has been waiting a while too.  So the question is everyone, how long has it been?  Move over, there's plenty of room on the waiting bench!

It's away Part 3

So the revisions are done and have flown away to Mills and Boon land.  And I know they've landed because I've had a lovely email to tell me.  So what now?  Because this is the time that the crows of doubt usually land.  And they've been known to heckle me quite a lot.  So I'm looking back through my lists and thinking "Did I capture what they want?" and "Will I be in with a shot?"

Then there is the really big question - WHAT IF THEY HATE IT?  What if they think we've given her two chances, she hasn't delivered, let's just ditch her.  In the meantime Harlequin has a medical fast-track until the 24 August.  If I hadn't had this opportunity I would have submitted. 
Then there is the New Voices contest.  Would I be brave enough to submit a chapter for the whole world to read?  In the meantime I have decided to plan ahead.  I have last year's story to rewrite.  This time with a POV.  I've done the first three chapters but will continue with the rest.  It's good practice in rewriting and editing.  I am also doing Shirley Jump's online class From Good To Sold.  Halfway through and it's proving quite inspiring.  It really nice to read the whole classes homework and the changes she suggests.  I am also planning towork on something else and try and put a synopsis together.  So this is me trying to be calm while I'm waiting, what do you think?

And finally, a big congratulations to two Australian Medical Romance Authors who won a R*BY for their stories.
Sharon Archer for Marriage Reunited: Baby on the Way Winner of Short Sweet
Amy Andrews for A Doctor, A Nurse: A Christmas Baby Winner of Short Sexy
It's lovely to see medical authors getting recognition for their work, sometimes medical books aren't eligible for some awards, or are overlooked, so I was delighted to see some medical authors waving the flags.  Well done Ladies!

Revisions received, time to get to work!

Okay...so this is me.  Stuck between plain terrified and stressed!  I've received my revisions from my editor and it's time to get to work. 
The truth is they are fine.  Five pages of notes and a genius action plan which is very concise and just what I need.  It tells me in one page and a few bullet points exactly what to change.  Some things are going to need a little thinking through.  My problem here is the time scale.  I need to give some indication of how long I think the revisions will take me.  Of course I want to do them all NOW.  But right now, I'm really not that sure how long they are going to take me.
Plus on top of all that - I'm scared.  There I've said it.  I'm scared I might do these wrong.  You know what I mean.  I'm a data nerd and posted on eharlequin about getting some stats, and someone gave me some.  I wondered how many people who submitted partials were asked for fulls.  Then how many fulls got revisions. Then how many get second revisions and how many go on to be bought.  I've seen lots of people on the eharlequin boards who've got to this stage and then got a big fat R.  So that's what I'm afraid of.  But on to better things...

Jenny Harper who I met at the RNA conference sent me a sparkly pic of my black dress.  Who said black was boring!  I was also invited to join an email group for Writers Scotland which seems very informative and supportive.  And last but not least I heard Rachael Johns talking about an online course on her blog and decided to join in, so Shirley Jump's From Good to Sold (I'm rubbish and don't know how to do things that link) now has myself, Rachael and Joanne Pibworth on board.  It seems we apparently are the bad girls at the back of the class, some things never change!  It's proving to be value for money already and it lasts until the end of August.  So I'm listening to what she says as I'm plotting my revisions.
Last of all, good luck to everyone at the Romance conference in Australia - I'm expecting FULL reports on your return!
 

It's away Part 2!

Woo hoo! Well the revisions are completed and it's away! One chapter completely rewritten, another partially rewritten and some "onion" layers a la Kate Walker added. So the picture is my book flying off to Mills and Boon London on it's merry way (and YES Joanne Pibworth I did Google Street the building after you told me about it!)

So now I'm all aquiver. What a good word that is. Jackie Ashenden always tells us not to read anything we send in. So I'm going to try and follow her advice. No, really I am. I'm already wondering if I've really captured exactly what they were looking for. Do I think the manuscript is better? Yes, I do. Do I think it's perfect. No, not yet. But hopefully someday....

Never mind. At least I can't start wondering if they received it or if it's lost in cyber space. Since I got a lovely email acknowledging receipt. Thought about replying to that - but then decided that might make me a bit of stalker. Now I need to focus on the next WIP. Haven't decided yet whether to rewrite last year's attempt or to try something completely new.

I've also got an appointment to meet the editor I'm working with at the RNA conference in London in July. So I'm really looking forward to that. A little nervous at the prospect, does anyone think 11am is too early for wine????

Wedding Day

Thursday was my nephew Jordan's wedding day and it was a gorgeous day. Hayley the bride, was beautiful and the family had a wonderful time. Couldn't post all the pictures I wanted to, so had to put them on facebook instead.

In one month's time my niece Carissa gets married too, so will have lots more pictures!

Have been amazed by the amount of emails I've received about newbies at the RNA conference. I think yesterday alone there were around 40 flying back and forth between us. It seems everyone is just as excited as I am. I've picked my workshops (how hard was it to choose? I want to go to them ALL!) and I've also got an appointment with the editor I'm currently working with at Mills and Boon which will be fabulous to get the opportunity to meet her in person.

I will be finished my revisions this week, which means I've done it in the time frame I wanted to. Now I'm just wondering whether I should send them in as planned, or wait until I've spoken to her, just in case there is something I haven't quite nailed. Decisions...decisions.

If anyone else is going to the conference, I look forward to meeting you there. Unfortunately I think I'm going to have to leave just a little early around 12.30pm in order to get the train back to Scotland, but never mind, I know it will be great.

By the way does anyone know how to change your background? I saw a FABULOUS background on someone else's blog that looked like shelves of books. I SO want it, but don't know how to get it!

It's away!

So the revised manuscript was emailed on Friday afternoon to the far away office in London. Now the waiting game begins. I only hope I get a return email to let me know they received it, I have horrible visions of things being lost in cyberspace.
But on to other things check out www.brendanovak.com/auction.shtml This is a website for an American Romance Author who has an auction every year in aid of diabetes. Her son suffers from diabetes and she is keen to raise money for research. This is an area close to my heart as I have had diabetes since the age of 8. There are some fabulous things to bid for. For writers there is a chance to bid on critiques from various published authors around the world. This includes our own Kate Walker, Heidi Rice and lots of others. There is also autographed books and goody bags from various authors. The auction starts on 1 May with bidding similar to how it is on ebay. Have a look ladies!