So after our discussion, I became very excited about my next venture.  While I am still going to attempt Amish Romance, my heart is very excited about a picture book.

Yes, a picture book. I can’t tell you anything of anything, except to say that he came up with the most perfect character and I have a storyboard and some watercolour backgrounds to try out. Am very excited.

I honestly have no idea what I’m doing, but I’m feeling very confident about this project. Not sure why…

Eating: salted caramel hot chocolate … reheated 5 times.

Watching: snow fall and my dog snore

Listening to: dog snoring.

Reading: Karen Kingsbury thingy, Desecration and picture books

And it ain’t for kids.

See, I was having a fantastic conversation with the lovely Kathleen, and discussed how at her new Publishing house, she’ll be senior editor of women’s fiction and amish romance. For those of you who are unaware, yes, amish romance does exist. So I laughed. And then realized that she just might be an outlet into other, possibly bigger things. Hm…

So as we email chatted, I came up with what I thought was a brilliant storyline for women’s fiction/amish romance. I have yet to figure out which it’ll be.

So today, after the gym and my Farm Boy lunch run, I made it over to my favourite coffee shop, noticed two of my books had sold over the weekend (yay me!) and began to write.

I wrote 1,000 words without breaking a sweat.

While I am all for writing another Jackson Jones (gosh they are fun to write and I’m pretty sure I have the plot down for the third – which will involve a shipwreck), if I don’t sell an adequate amount of the first, there will not be a contract for a third … yet. Deep down I’m hoping for a late start out of the gate and mid-summer things will pick up smoothly (although I pray for a great Christmas spike) and then I’ll be asked to write more. But why limit myself? I’ve always wanted to write a grown-up book. I’ve always wanted to write a teen series. I’ve always wanted to write an adult fiction.

So why not?

Reading: same as before

Eating: pumpkin scone from starbucks. too sweet! ick. shoulda had chocolate square or something

Listening to: the dog chew her feet.

Watching: Hulk with Ed Norton.

I have all my plans and dates in three different date books but they are scattered throughout the house. I have discarded papers all over my library floor (editing) but I can tell you that my journal is underneath the pile of blank papers over by the second printer. I can tell you that my July student loan payment receipts (yes, still paying them off!) are underneath the empty bowl, empty plate, other journal and a book on the black bookshelf.  I can tell you that I have a stack of magazines (all Bon Appetit, Cooking Light and some Writer’s Magazines) are beside the chair, stacked, underneath two bibles (I like different translations) and part of my manuscript.  I can tell you that my brown jacket is underneath my party dress that I wore two nights ago, which is lying over the chair.

I thought for sure I had four weeks until the edited version was due.

It’s two.

Eeeeek!

Reading: Pollyanna Grows Up

Eating: chai latte! hello? I’m writing!

Watching: IronMan 2

Listening to: clock ticking

I still don’t know how they managed to convince Costco to carry my book. No idea.  Granted, they don’t have it yet, but maybe in the fall.

I still don’t know why my book has not shown up in Kanata yet. But that’s ok.

What I learned last night, when we got home very very late from celebrating the gaffer’s 6th birthday, was that they write the back ad for the cover waaaay before the book is done.

So last night, I got an email from lovely Kathleen, showing me the back cover ad. It was really really good. And it’s pretty much the story.  I want to read it, it’s so good.

I should probably write the book now…  6 weeks and counting…

Reading: Mockingjay by Suzanne Collins (I inhaled Catching Fire two days ago. She is so good. I wish I had written it)

Watching: Nothing. I’m READING!!

Listening to: my teeth crunch a Lindt milk chocolate. Yum!

Eating: see above. Now for healthy lunch.

I am procrastinating because I need to re-write my book.

Ick. But fun!

Gladly, happily, giddy-ly, I have a new beginning. And I like it a lot.  And I think lovely Kathleen likes it too. Not sure yet.  Maybe?

One issue I seem to have: I use too many adjectives. 

I wonder why? I think, in my own opinion, which may or may not be intelligent, I think that there are not enough adjectives out there.  I wish you could say to your computer, “I’m looking for a word that means fantastic/happy/ecstatic/purposeful/glad. ” And then it would spew out the perfect word.  Because I could use ecstatic, but it’s too … flaky.  I could use glad, but it’s not strong enough.  I could use happy, but it’s not right. Fantastic? Meh.  Maybe I should just make up my own words. Hm.. I’d use the word:  eccelpy.  There. Perfect.  Look at it in a sentence.

“She was eccelpastic.”   See? It works? Says everything in one word. For us wordy folks. A-hem.

Oh wait, must get back to writing….

Reading:  Harper’s Bazaar (I know, I’m such a girl sometimes)

Listening to: CBC radio

Eating: chai latte! hello? I’m editing!

Watching: tonight? nothing. am going out to dinner.