Second edits of Sawyer's Rose were turned in several weeks ago, even with a broken hand. So it appears that we are approaching the homestretch of getting this story out there. I haven't asked about release dates, mainly because things will happen when they happen. There is enough stress getting to this point, with working full time, two kids, a husband, three dogs, two guinea pigs, the wash, the dinners, the dishes, the homework and the list goes on. How was it I found the time to write in the first place? I spent last weekend at GRW's Moonlight and Magnolias event and the one thing I noticed was that I had made some kind of transformation along this journey since the previous times I have attended this event. I am usually a little tense at these type events as I am preparing to pitch my story or if I have been named a finalist I am definitely nervous. This time there was none of that to worry about. Because I had a contract on the story, Sawyer could not enter the unpublished Maggie's and since I didn't have a book in my hand, the story could not be put into the published Maggie's...so I was free of sorts. I took a look at the schedule of topics and tried to choose the ones most pertinent to an author with a first book coming out and it was fun. But the transformation came in the fact, instead of walking around not knowing too many people, I knew a lot of people. It didn't feel like such a foreign event. And the amazing thing? Here and there, other writers were asking me questions about my writing and how I am doing things. Some asked about Sawyer's Rose and others asked the details about editing and how it goes. I suddenly couldn't be the quiet girl at the table in the back of the room. I had to speak up and to my amazement people were listening. Maybe I have evolved a bit, not that I am going out on a limb. Speaking in front of people and to people I do not know is very hard. I am a total introvert, more exhausted by a room full of people than most, though I think I did well. But looking forward, Sawyer's Rose will be released soon and this time of year I tend to get more story written as the kids are in school, it will be getting cold outside and I've gotta get that second story written. I've been working on Wyatt's story for about a year now, but it needs some changes and editing and I've been working hard on that. This story has seemed harder as I have interrupted it each time Sawyer needed edits and every time I get back to it, I have had a hard time getting my head back into the story. I've got to wrap my head around being able to write one story while I get another out to the public, without losing a bit of the story or myself. But Wyatt has a story to tell, the same as Sawyer and it has been coming along. How some writers spit out more than four books a year...more power to them, as I will be doing good to get one a year and maybe one day two. Whew...this had been a busy year of a lot of firsts with my writing. One writer mentioned to me to celebrate the little things along the way and I have tried to do that, but when Sawyer's Rose hits the public, I am planning to have a big party, open house type thing. At least for the first book and that will make it even more memorable. I've also been thinking of the things or contests I can do on Facebook to make it fun as well. So stay tuned, I am going to max the fun things related to a long time dream finally coming true. Stay tuned.
