It’s Labor Day in the U.S. and these guys came out to show us a little bit about hard labor

Whether you’re celebrating Labor Day or not, I hope you all have a great day!

When I say something like, “Oh this revision will be easy.” That is your cue to

Seriously. I’ve fought with this blasted opening scene for DAYS. I have figured out a lot of the rest of the revisions, but this opening scene, and the first two chapters overall, are sucktastic drek. However, today I will go to the gym, then come home and kick the suck right out of that first scene and make it freaking shine. Or I’ll clean the bathrooms and make them shine. But one way or another something’s gonna shine!

On the upside of things, I emailed my editor with a question about a plot thread in this novella, and she emailed back with “Before I answer this, I wanted to let you know that I’m 20% of the way through edits on Savaged Dreams, and WOW, I love what you’ve done. The opening is soooooo much stronger. I was hooked immediately. You really brought it.”  I did a happy dance!  And that reassures me that all this frustration when I’m revising really does pay off into a stronger book and that’s what I want for my readers. It’s truly worth it.

It’s Labor Day weekend here in the states, which means a three day weekend for some. I’m hoping to see youngest son and his fiance, but we haven’t firmed up those plans yet. What about you–what are your weekend plans? Whatever you’re day, be safe and have a great weekend!

I’m hearing wedding bells! Youngest son–most of you know him as BLB–proposed to his girlfriend over the weekend. They went to Las Vegas on a much needed vacation for her birthday and he surprised the heck out of her (and us–a great surprise) and proposed! We’re all very happy. They’ve dated nine years I think, and she was there through his serious injury a few years ago. That girl showed her true strength during his freak accident, surgeries, long recovery and altering his career path. I know it wasn’t easy for her, she’s had to adapt almost as much as he has.

Now they are both very happy and celebrating their engagement. On the phone, BLB told me, “I picked out the ring out all by myself.” I kind of melted in a puddle of mom-pride in him at that moment. That’s exactly how youngest son is, he wanted to make sure he chose the ring for his future wife.

In other news, my Furniture Hunt goes on. I dragged Wizard out with me yesterday to another big store and we found some possible choices. Then we ended up at another new housing track where we looked at two sets of models…not sure how that happened, LOL! We really aren’t considering moving just yet, but looking at models is always fun anyway.

After than I came home and dove into my revisions and sure enough, I ended up rewriting the first scene instead of just fixing it. I swore I was only going to rewrite the last two scenes, but we all know I can’t help myself. I just had to try another version of the opening to scene to see if it works better.  I’ll see today which one I think works the best.

And finally for Wednesday Worthy, I’m not sure what you guys will think of our candidate. Here he is:

Do you think he’s worthy?

Don’t you hate it when you have good news and you can’t share yet???? I’ll tell you guy on Wednesday. FYI, it’s not book news, but more personal

It’s been a good weekend for me! I sent off Savaged Dreams to my editor on Friday and took some time off. The only work things I did was a little bookkeeping, and I read over all my editorial revision letter and manuscript notes for Savaged Surrender–and the good news there is the while it needs work, all the revising is pretty much within the framework of the novella that I  already have. That makes it so much easier than the revision I just finished. My editor has a ton of really good notes that will help me stay on task too.  It will go pretty fast, no more than two weeks tops. I’ll start on that today after I go to the gym.

Wizard and I went to look at a grand opening of a new community this weekend. There were three new tracts of houses and every house was a two-story, instead of the single level we’d like to move into eventually. That seems to be a pattern in our area. If we do finally decide to downsize and move, finding a one-story house is going to be a challenge. Our price range is also a challenge, but that’s the reality for most people, I think.

Since I had a little break from work, I started furniture shopping for my smallish family room. That was pretty frustrating since I don’t want a huge and heavy sectional couch or recliner. That store was a bust for me. While I can find couches I like online, I’d like to see it in person before buying–am I the only one? I mean I love online shopping as much as anyone, but if I’m sitting on it everyday, shouldn’t I get a chance to make sure it’s comfortable?

So how was your weekend?

I’ll be sending this book off to my editor later today! I could have sent it yesterday except I ended up rewriting a scene because I can’t help myself. It bugged me and I just couldn’t let it go. It’s a sickness  That leaves me with a few more pages to edit today then off it goes.

Next, I’m going to start on the revisions for the novella Savaged Surrender–Ethan and Ana’s story. I’m cutting it close on that one, so I have to dive right in and work fast.

Yesterday I took a break to hang out in the pool with Wizard. He’s still a bit physically limited from the back issue causing nerve pain. That he’s handling pretty well, even going to the gym despite the pain. But trying to navigate the medical system with his endless referrals and roadblocks before getting to the ultimate solution is really testing his patience. Let’s just fix this already! In any case, his level of pain is pretty manageable right now so it’s okay. And swimming in the pool is good for both of us.

This weekend we’re making ribs and hanging out some around my endless working

What are your plans?

For everyone asking about the next Wing Slayer Hunters book–first I want to thank you guys! You care enough to ask and that really means everything to me! But the truth is, due to a variety of circumstances, I’m behind. I really hate that I’m disappointing fans who have been waiting so patiently. Life got seriously chaotic this year, however things are much better now. My hope is to release Primal Magic (Eli and Savi’s book) in 2017.  I would love to get Fallen Magic (Ram and Ginny’s story) out in 2017 too, but I can’t promise that just yet.

Thank you all for understanding. I love the Wing Slayer Hunter books and want very much to keep writing them!

Now onto Wednesday Worthy. Here’s today’s candidate:

Image of hot and shirtless male body in jeans

So what do you think, is he worthy?

And I did it–I finished the rewrite for Savaged Dreams and I’m editing it now! I have a lot of clean up work to do, but I should be able to send it off to my editor for round two of edits by Friday. I’m so happy about that! My weekend was mostly work and cleaning, but it’s worth it! Today I’m taking a break for a routine dentist appointment, then I’ll go right back to working on editing the manuscript. It’s hard for me judge if I made the book better or not at this point, but I know I put my heart into trying!

So last night while Wizard and I were we were eating dinner, I mentioned that I was tired but I still needed to write a blog for tomorrow (which is today when you read this). Keep this in mind, it comes into play in a minute  At that point, the conversation switched to talking about flowers because the flowers my publisher sent me last week are on the table. Wizard commented that one or two of the blooms are starting droop.

For some reason, that set me off and I blurted out, “You know that big romantic gesture in movies and books when the girl comes in the house (or condo or apartment) and finds a trail of rose petals? That flowery path inevitably leads up the stairs to the bed covered in more soft velvety petals?”

“Uh, yeah,” he says, probably wondering how I jumped to that.

I’m on a roll at this point. “Well I hate it. I mean someone has to clean up all those rose petals. And you know it’s the woman who will have to do it. The guy will roll over and go to sleep. I wouldn’t be able to sleep, I’d have to get up and clean up the mess. How is that romantic?”

Wizard’s a little wide-eyed at this point. “I never thought of that.”

“Well I have.” Totally on my soapbox now, I’m go on, “And that’s not all. You know that scene where the guy sweeps an arm across a desk or counter, sending everything on the surface clattering to the ground? Who cleans that up? I’ll tell you who–the woman! I’m not going to be in the mood if I know I have to clean up a mess!”

Wizard is laughing by then. “I’ve never done either of those things.”

No he hasn’t. But he’s done some incredibly romantic-to-me things that others might not think of as romantic. Like these three things I think of often:

–Before I was published, and we were living on a shoestring budget, my computer died. That night, Wizard pulled out the credit card we never used (it was for emergencies) and bought me a new computer. And he spent the evening helping me set it up.

–The time he our washing machine died, and we bought a new one. That’s common sense–we had three boys so that’s not that romantic. But he picked it up after work one Wednesday night and installed it after dinner–doing it just so I wouldn’t be inconvenienced with three young boys by having to wait until the weekend. When I thanked him for doing that when I knew he was tired, he smiled and said, “I’m your husband. This is what I do.” Maybe it’s not romantic to some, but it’s everything to me.

–The day after I’d been taking care of my sick mom all day and came home to the smell of chocolate cake. Wizard was standing in the kitchen next to a plain, unfrosted chocolate cake cooling on the stove. He was beaming because he knew I was exhausted, worried sick and thought it would make me feel better. That was a priceless cake I will never forget.

Those are the kinds of romantic gestures that have stayed with me for years and years.

And last night? After my rant, Wizard looked at me and said, “You just found your blog for tomorrow–all about how you don’t find those standard movie and book romantic gestures all that romantic.” Then he did the dishes. Which is soooo is also a super sexy, romantic gesture in my world!

So how was your weekend, and what gestures do you find romantic…or not?