My Favorite Romance Novels of 2016 (So Far)

Ever have one of those starts to the year where you feel like you're running and running and never quite catching up? That's me right now. I've been working my butt off getting three books ready for release this fall (as well as a re-release of my novella The Wedding Week in June), and I've been working through some special work projects for my day job. I hate falling back on the cliche excuse, but I've been busy. Still, I try to make time to read even if it's not quite as much time as I'd like. So here's a highly unscientific list of what I've been able to read* and enjoy so far this year:

So Sweet, by Rebekah Weatherspoon

So here's the deal. I know Rebekah Weatherspoon's incredibly smart and funny on Twitter, and I was fortunate enough to have been introduced to her at RWA last summer so I got to see all that in person. This means I should have realized her novella So Sweet was going to be just the right sort of funny-sexy-give-me-more-now-damnit but apparently I wasn't thinking straight because it was reallyfunny-sexy-give-me-more-now-damnit. Now everyone please go buy this book so we can all talk about Kayla and Michael. #okaythanksbye

Amazon | iBooks | Kobo | B&N

Stay With Me Forever, by Farrah Rochon

I want to apologize. This is the first Farrah Rochon book I've read of the several that have been stacking up on my TBR, and I feel like I've let all my friends down in not evangalising for her books before this. Stay With Me Forever is sharp and smart and sexy—just the sort of book that reminds me why I fell in love with category romance so many years ago. The hero is delicious, but the tough-but-noble heroine really steals this Louisiana-set book. Also, can I just say that this has nothing to do with the book but isn't that a gorgeous cover?

Amazon | iBooks | Kobo | B&N

Rushing to Die, by Lindsay Emory

Margot Blythe's back for another sorority sisters' mystery! I was thrilled when Lindsay announced there would be a sequel to her Sisterhood is Deadly and—true to form—I gobbled it up in an afternoon. Fun, funny, and sharp with a sexy police officer to boot, I absolutely love this cosy mystery series and can't wait to find out what happens next.

Amazon | iBooks | Kobo | B&N

No Good Duke Goes Unpunished, by Sarah Maclean

I'm going to pivot to audiobooks for a moment. I might not have had a huge amount of time to read this winter, but I did have to do some mundane things like commute and cook. Enter audiobooks. This was my first, and for about a week afterward I heard my own revisions in narrator Rosalyn Landor's delicious voice. I love the Rule of Scoundrels series (the second is still my favorite) and was happily surprised to find listening to the book a delightful experience.

Amazon

The Splendour Falls, by Susanna Kearsley

This book isn't a romance but what RWA would have called a novel with "strong romantic elements" until they did away with that category at the RITAs (RIP). I picked The Splendour Falls up at an RWA long ago, and it took me until February to finally read it. I'm so happy I did because it fits this lovely subgenre of books about inevitably English women going somewhere charming like France, meeting a bunch of interesting characters, solving a low-stress mystery, and dealing with some link to the past. This is sink into an armchair with a cup of tea reading.

Amazon | Kobo | B&N

*Sadly I can't talk about a couple really enjoyable RITA judging books I read in February because of contest confidentiality. Maybe one day I'll be able to innocuously slip them into a roundup and no one will be the wiser.

TBR Buster: Holiday 2015 Edition

I was having a drink with Tamsen Parker and Suleikha Snyder on Sunday (just as you've suspected authors do get together to hang out and it's the most fun), and we were bemoaning the fact that we don't read as much as we used to. Writing is wonderful and we love it, but it does eat away at those long afternoons when all you do is sit on the couch or in bed and read. Despite the fact that I will be writing over this holiday season, I will have a lot more time on my hands because I won't be working. Growing up in a family of readers means that we're all happy to sit around and read quietly in each other's company, so I plan to get a lot of reading done and catch up on my to be read pile—especially when it comes to historicals.

Here's a look at what's waiting for me on my Kindle:

Once Upon a Marquess, by Courtney Milan

Fool Me Twice, by Meredith Duran

Cold-Hearted Rake, by Lisa Kleypas

A Virtuous Ruby, by Piper Huguley

What Happens Under the Mistletoe, by Sabrina Jefferies, Karne Hawkins, Candace Camp, and Meredith Duran

Under the Sugar Sun, by Jennifer Hallock

 Claiming the Duchess, by Sherry Thomas

Love and Other Scandals, by Caroline Linden

The Lady Always Wins, XOXOConnects, and More!

If you've been following me on social media, you know that I'm right in the middle (literally) of writing book two of a three book trilogy about Victorian governesses that's tentatively set to release next year. It's been a busy, busy fall already but I'm poking my head out of the writing cave today to share a few more things that I think are pretty exciting. "The Lady Always Wins" 

First off, I've got a new short story up on Wattpad! "The Lady Always Wins" is a super fast read jam-packed with a rake, spinster, some kissing, and a big confession. I had a blast writing it, and I hope you'll enjoy reading it too. If you do, please give me a vote and leave a comment! That helps other readers on Wattpad find "The Lady Always Wins" too.

#XOXOConfessions

I wrote "The Lady Always Wins" because my publisher, Pocket Star, is hosting a writing competition for readers that's going on right now. All you have to do is write up a quick short story (2000 words or less) and post it to Wattpad using the tag #XOXOConfessions. The grand prize is a publishing contract with Pocket Star, the digital-first imprint of Simon & Schuster! Full details are available here, and definitely check out the stories already posted to vote for your favorite!

XOXOConnects

#XOXOConfessions  is actually part of the bigger XOXOConnects all-day readerfest that's happening right on your computer Oct. 24 from 12-8! Writers, editors, and bloggers will be hosting Q&As, teaching workshops, and celebrating everything romance. It's all digital so you don't even have to get out of your PJs if you don't want to.

I'll be on the historical roundtable with Sabrina Jeffries, Meredith Duran, and Candace Camp at 5 p.m. EST. It's running on Google Hangouts just like my First Draught show does, so be sure to watch live!

The entire schedule of events has been posted (and includes some huge names in romance).  You definitely don't want to miss this one!

That's the latest from me. It's back to the writing cave for now!

The 12 Days of Christmakwanzakah

[UPDATE: Brief summaries of the stories have been added to help recap the first week. The remaining stories will have their blurbs added daily as the hop continues!]

Welcome to the 12 Days of Christmakwanzakah Blog Hop! From December 8th to December 19th, more than a dozen of your favorite authors are publishing free short stories about the winter holidays. You can expect fantastic stories from contemporary, historical, M/M, NA, and YA authors.

Here’s a schedule of authors and links to their work. Check back throughout the blog hop for live links to each of the stories, and tweet along with us using #12DaysHop.

December 8

Falguni Kothari

Starstruck – Things heat up when publicist Tania Coelho escapes from an industry Xmas party only to get trapped on a slow elevator ride fwith her client’s “fiance,” Bollywood heartthrob Veer Rana. Veer’s engagement is a sham, but could what he feels for Tania be the real thing?

Story | Website | Facebook | Twitter

Julia Kelly

Under the Pear Tree – Eleanor has given up on the hope that Lord Michael Hawley will ever see her as anything other than his best friend’s little sister. Michael believes that Eleanor sees him as nothing more than her brother’s friend. When they’re bought together for a family Christmas gathering, they find that their friendship may have planted the seeds for the best gift of all.

Story | Website | Facebook | Twitter

December 9

Audra North

Shine A Little Light – What could drive a Sunday school teacher to drink before noon on Christmas Eve? When everything Graceanne thought she knew about her life, and her fiance, is shattered, she finds more than a stiff drink waiting for her at the bar—she finds solace, and a new chance at love.

Story | Website | Facebook | Twitter

Alexis Anne

Under the Bright Morning Light  – a Storm Inside short story – Jake and Eve have been trying for a baby, but are they ready to deal with the outcome if the stick shows a plus sign? Eve isn’t so sure.

Story | Website | Facebook | Twitter

Shari Slade

Christmas Mess – a The Opposite of Nothing short story – Callie is bringing Tayber home to spend the holidays with her family for the first time. The fear that her family will drive Tayber away gnaws at her, but he finds a naughty way to remind her that nothing can change how he feels about her.

Story | Website | Facebook | Twitter

December 10

Kate McMurray

Let Your Heart Be Light – Living in New York City is Milo’s dream, but dreams don’t come cheap. Unable to fly home to visit his family, Milo is resigned to spending the holidays alone until a night of karaoke turns into a chance at holiday romance.

Story | Website | Facebook | Twitter

Lashell Collins

A Kinky Kelly Little Christmas a Kelly Family short story – Doms Storm and Payne are checking items off of their Christmas list. What can Payne get for his sub to let her know how special she is to him?

Story | Website | Facebook | Twitter

December 11

Amber Belldene

An Almost True Story – Amelia Scola looks like a bad girl, but even bad girls get into the holiday spirit. When in a rush to get to a hospital where she’s playing the role of Mrs. Claus, she’s pulled over for speeding by Vic Lopez, known as the softie of the police force. Can a bad girl gone good and a cop who isn’t afraid to cry find holiday love?

Story | Website | Facebook | Twitter

Tere Michaels

Fathers of the Bride – A Faith, Love, & Devotion short story – Matt and Evan experience the emotional roller coaster of their daughter Katie’s wedding day. In the midst of a mix of apprehension and joy, the two rely on their love for each other and their family to carry the day.

Story | Website | Facebook | Twitter

Mary Chris Escobar

Kiss, Continued – Jeff and Annie met while participating in a filmed kiss between strangers, but when they discovered he was her advisor they decided to call the relationship off. But sometimes a kiss isn’t just a kiss, and a holiday drink could lead to a second chance at love. 

Story | Website | Facebook | Twitter

December 12

K.M. Jackson

Holiday Longings – In this roaring 20s-set short, Rosemary will do anything to make sure her family stays afloat, even if it means putting herself at the mercy of the only man she;s ever loved. When she steps into Stone Donnelly’s speakeasy, she’s ready to sing for her supper, but she’s not prepared to lose her heart a second time.

Story | Website | Facebook | Twitter

Tamsen Parker

A Thrill of Hope – Sophie doesn’t mind the tall drink of blue-eyed scruffiness who falls asleep on her during their flight to New Orleans; he’s a welcome distraction from her lack of anticipation at visiting her family. When her seatmate offers to take her out for a drink, she leaves the morose Sophie her family expects behind and takes a chance at love.

Story | Website | Facebook | Twitter

December 13

Lindsay Emory

A Room at the Inn – Annie’s flight gets delayed in Reykajavik on Christmas Eve. When all of the hotels are full, she anticipates a night spent on the floor of an Icelandic airport. Instead, she meets rock star Cord DeBose. Being a rock star has its perks—like hotels offering you presidential suites. Cord has a room, Annie doesn’t. What could have turned out to be Annie’s worse Christmas ever quickly becomes one she’ll never forget.

Story | Website | Facebook | Twitter

Rebekah Weatherspoon

Blessed – a FIT short story – Violet is feeling more Scrooge than Tiny Tim when she breaks her ankle right before Christmas, but her boyfriend/Dom Grant is determined to draw out her holiday spirit, even if it means being naughty instead of nice. 

Story | Website | Facebook | Twitter

December 14

Recap Day

December 15

Lena Hart

Story | Website | Facebook | Twitter

Jenny Holiday

Story | Website | Facebook | Twitter

December 16

Alyssa Cole

Story | Website | Facebook | Twitter

Rebecca Grace Allen

Story | Website | Facebook | Twitter

December 17

A.L. Parks

Story | Website | Facebook | Twitter

Dina Haynes

Story | Website | Facebook | Twitter

December 18

Alexandra Haughton

Story | Website | Twitter

Kathryn J. Benson

Story | Website | Twitter

December 19

Amy Jo Cousins

Story | Website | Facebook | Twitter

T.J. Kline

Story | Website | Facebook | Twitter

Defending the Marriage of Convenience

This article first appeared in RWA-NYC's September Keynotes newsletter as part of the tropes issue. I love a good historical marriage of convenience romance. I just do. I know some people find the trope tired—like an old friend you’ve seen one too many times—but my love for the “we have to get married because we just do” storyline will never die.

Historical settings are removed enough from my every day life that I can easily accept that there might be social and economic reasons for a hero and heroine to marry even if they don’t love each other. Take the Regency period. Between securing a woman’s financial future and ensuring a man’s lineage through heirs, you’ve got plenty of reasons why a man might ask a woman to marry him whom he hardly knows—let alone loves.

As an author, getting the wedding over and done with achieves a few things. The marriage immediately creates conflict because these two relative strangers must now figure out how to live together as a couple. At some point, the barriers between them start to fall. Even though they might resist, affection grows between them. And the best side effect of the marriage of convenience? Our hero and heroine no longer have to worry about those pesky societal rules saying they can’t kiss or, you know, have sex. Often it is that physical intimacy that shows the hero or heroine that they’re falling in love even as they try to resist.

Now, you might notice that I’ve only talked about historicals so far. I generally have a tough time enjoying marriages of convenience in contemporary settings because I’m always left asking why?

Why would a modern hero and heroine who are intelligent, attractive, independent people have to get married if they don’t want to? If a man said, “My inheritance is dependent on us getting hitched,” to me I’d probably run in the opposite direction the moment I realized he was being serious. Likewise, when I read about a man who must get married because his corporate environment only trusts so called “family men,” my first thought is always, “It’s time for a new job.”

The problem with using the trope in contemporaries is that it becomes a lot harder to justify forcing the hero and heroine to wed. Let’s take a look at some of the common external conflicts forcing historical couples together. Pre-martial sex has become the norm in this country. With entails a thing of the past, how many families are really desperate for a male heir these days? And even better, most women now have the means to hold a career, own property, and manage their lives as they see fit.

So what is a contemporary author who wants to play with the marriage of convenience trope to do? Get creative.

The key to using a marriage of convenience across genres of romance seems to be finding new, interesting ways to twist and update the trope. If you set off to write a marriage of convenience romance, ask yourself what you can do to avoid sending the hero and heroine down the normal path to love. Breathing new life into the old trope can help keep readers racing to the end to see how your hero and heroine will finally fall in love.

Book Bundles Abound!

The wonderful people at iBooks have been featuring outstanding book bundles for 99c/99p to help readers in the US, Canada, the UK, Ireland, Australia, and New Zealand discover new authors. My debut One Week in Wyoming is included in this deal, but so are a bunch of really wonderful books. I just wanted to share with you a few of recommendations. All of these books have reached the top 100 paid books in the US at some point during this book bundles deal.

Historical

Seven Wicked Nights by Courtney Milan, Tessa Dare, Caroline Linden, Sherry Thomas, Carolyn Jewel, Erin Knightley, Leigh LaValle

(I'm actually reading this bundle right now, and it is wonderful)

New Adult

Up All Night: A New Adult Collection by Erin McCarthy, Viv Daniels, Heidi Joy Tretheway, Ronda Helms, Lark O’Neal, PK Hrezo, KK Hendin, Shari Slade, J.L. Flynn, Jen Frederick

(I cannot highly recommend Shari Slade's novel The Opposite of Nothing enough)

Suspense

Danger and Desire by Amber Lin, Pamela Clare, Katie Reus, Dianna Love, Carolyn Crane, Kaylea Cross, Norah Wilson, Dee J. Adams, V.K. Sykes, Misty Evans

Contemporary

One Week in Wyoming by Alexis Anne, Audra North, Julia Kelly, Alexandra Haughton

YA

Breaking Ties (The Breaking Series, Book 3) by Tracie Puckett

(It isn't a book bundle, but I wanted to highlight my friend Tracie Puckett's new novel Breaking Ties which is a force to be reckoned with. It's been bouncing around at the top of the charts for the last few days, and rightly so. Tracie is a YA writer with a lot of EQ, and her stories are always gripping)

Happy reading, all!

It's Not Just the Sexy Scotsman

It might just be the communities that I'm in online (hi, Romancelandia), but it seems like every other tweet I've seen between Saturday evening and Tuesday morning this August and September is about the Starz adaptation of Diana Gabaldon's Outlander. Of course, I'm just as guilty as my fellow watchers. In August, I jumped right in, watching the series, listening to The Scot & The Sassenach*, and rereading the first book. Every time I get together with other romance authors, the conversation inevitably makes its way over to Outlander. The internet basically exploded when Claire and Jamie got their first sex scene. I was worried that all of the squee might create a black hole that sucks everything into and ends life as we know it. This still may happen. What with streaming and everything, the verdict's still out.

As we get closer to the mid-season break, I've been thinking a lot about what a big deal book Outlander was for me in my teenage years. I remember the old cover clearly with its red plaid, flowers, and broken clock. I used to walk by it on my mother's bookshelves all the time. One day when I was about 16, she pulled it off the shelf and slid it over to me, suggesting that I might enjoy it. Mum is a very smart lady.

I fell in love with the time slip, 18th century Scotland, that hot Highlander in a kilt, everything. I ripped through the 800+ page book in a matter of days, reading so late into the night that the next morning my eyes were gritty from lack of sleep. I even have clear memories of sneaking it under my desk in AP US History class so that I could keep reading.** I'm pretty sure I walked around school with it in front of my face, blushing something fierce because oh my goodness, people. There was sex and lots of it.

When people ask about the series, I like to tell them that Outlander was the book that made me a woman (my sister finds this mortifying).  What I really mean is that this was first time that I read a book with graphic sex in it^ where the sex wasn't meant to stand as a metaphor for growing up or as way to shame its characters.^^

Outlander is a book about a sexually self-possessed woman who knows how to ask for what she wants and the man who wants to give that to her. In fact, the show goes one step further. In the first episode, the creators wrote a scene in where Claire's husband Frank moves to kiss her. Instead, she pushes him down on his knees and he lifts her skirt to perform oral sex. The message is clear. Claire is a sexual person and not the least bit afraid of expressing it. Add Jamie in a kilt to the mix and you have serious sparks.

Outlander isn't perfect. I reread my beaten-up copy of the book while watching the show this summer, and there are some scenes that border on uncomfortable for me. I won't spoil them here, but dedicated readers of the series can probably guess what I'm talking about. However, the book does portray a lot of positive aspects of Claire and Jamie's relationship, and I'll always think of it fondly as my gateway into the world of historical romance.

If you had told me that I would be writing historical romance (or really any romance at all) before those days of reading Outlander under my desk in History class, I probably would have called you crazy. But afterwards? Well, it's all I ever really wanted to write.

---

*An excellent podcast that I highly recommend for not only recapping Outlander but also breaking down what works in both the show and the book from a narrative standpoint. Seriously, go check it out. It's delightful, and there's a real live Scotsman on it.

**Sorry, Mr. Hall. I did go on to get a degree in History so hopefully that makes up for it...

^Upon rereading, the sex seems so tame, but at 16 all I was reading were Kensington Zebra sweet romances where the characters held hands and had one chaste kiss on the last page. THE LAST PAGE?! I felt so cheated each and every time, and yet I read these books for three years. I had no idea that there were sexy books out there I could buy with my babysitting money.

^^I'm looking at you, Go Ask Alice. If you haven't read it, this is a book where the heroine loses her virginity while on LSD or something and then I'm pretty sure winds up addicted to hard drugs and maybe getting raped or prostituting herself or both. She might also die at the end (sorry, 40something year-old spoilers). Clearly, that was not what teenage Julia was looking for.

VIDEO: Learn to Love Your Research

Yesterday night First Draught tackled the question of research and writing. How do you get the details right, where should you start, and how do you know that you're just avoiding writing the book? A.L. Parks shared her stories about interviewing members of the FBI, Alexis Anne discussed the pros and cons of writing about fictional vs. real places, Mary Chris Escobar talked about authenticity, and I tackled the historical side of things. UPDATE: Looks like a gremlin got into one of our computers and caused some feedback for a few minutes in the middle. Bad gremlin. The problem does resolve itself pretty quickly, and we will try to figure out how to prevent it in the future.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=RMRN7X8MW5k

If there is a topic you want us to discuss, reach out to one of us! We're always happy to take suggestions.

Mark Your Calendars!

Mark you calendars! First Draught is back this Tuesday at 8:30 PM EST (can you believe that it's already a new month?). A.L. Parks is joining Alexis Anne, Mary Chris Escobar, and myself (and maybe a surprise special guest) to talk about research and writing. We'll discuss how we approach research in our different subgenres, and why it isn't just the responsibility of historical authors to get the details right. RSVP to let us know you'll be watching live, or keep an eye out for our YouTube video after the show is wrapped.

The Writing Process Blog Hop of 2014

Why hello there. When my friend Alexandra Haughton tagged me in The Writing Process Blog Hop of 2014 I was thrilled. I love reading about other writers work, and I'm glad to get the chance to share. With a GIF or two. Because that's how I roll. I. What am I working on right now?

All the projects. I'm working on all the projects right now. Or at least that's what it feels like compared to how I used to work.

When I started writing I had one full-length historical I dedicated all my energy to. Since then I've finished two other manuscripts (one is junk and will never see the light of day and one is a sports romance I love that is in the hands of my wonderful agent right now). Currently I'm working on a second, full-length sports romance, a novella for an indie anthology with Alexis Anne, Alexandra Haughton, and Audra North, and some flash fiction for a blog hop (coming soon). I'm also in the research stages of a mystery based in 1920s New York City. That's a project that makes me so excited I'm practically vibrating like this...

However, I know that I'll come to hate it if I start it without a good research foundation, so I'm reading everything I can get my hands on and holding off on the writing for now.

II. How does my work differ from others of its genre?

Well isn't this an intimidating question? I write in two genres. Historical and contemporary. Let's tackle historical first.

I studied Victorian sexual and gender history in college. The women I found most fascinating were on the fringes of social acceptability. We're talking governesses, doctors, prostitutes -- all women who gained some form of economic independence and therefore pushed back against the constraints of patriarchy whether they knew it or not. Society typically categorized them as "abnormal" and often saw them as under or oversexed (whatever was most convenient). Those are the women I like to write about.

My first book is set in 1880s London and follows a poor relation who writes a book to earn money so she can strike out on her own. The book sells. A lot. Now she's in the awkward position of having an elevated -- although eccentric -- public persona while her relatives still treat her as a second-rate member of the family. Naturally there's a tall, dark, and handsome marquis who comes along and falls in love with her (you know this ends).

When it comes to contemporary, I want to tell stories about women I would happily grab a drink with. Right now I'm focusing on sports romances. What is more fun that turning the hyper-masculine world of professional sports on its head by dropping in a smart, confident female character who can go toe to toe with a hero? The heroine in my first contemporary romance is a sports agent. She's kind of a bad ass when it comes to the business side of things, however, she's not a "strong woman" (ie so perfect she's unrealistic). She has moments of doubt. She cries. She makes mistakes. I'm happy to see readers asking for strong female characters, but I want us to get to a point where we can have heroines as layered and complicated as our heroes.

III. Why do I write what I do?

I started writing romance as a relief from my masters thesis. I would get home from Columbia University's radio lab late at night exhausted and burnt out. I wanted a mental break, and a woman can only watch so much Dancing with the Stars. I needed a more creative outlet to keep my sanity, so I started writing what would become my first historical novel.

Now I write because I can't imagine doing anything else. I know that's such a cliché, but that doesn't make it any less true. On some level I want to tell those pro-female, sex-positive stories about those complex women I mentioned earlier, but I also just love romance. Some friends have asked me if writing stories that must end with a Happily Ever After is limiting. The answer is a very simple no. The characters dictate the way you get to that HEA, making each story unique. The HEA is just an expectation of the genre -- nothing more, nothing less.

IV. How does my writing process work?

My writing process has undergone some changes since I started scribbling scenes in graduate school. I used to be a pure pantser who wrote whenever the feeling moved her. Let me tell you, that is not an effective way for me to get anything done. I will always come up with something else to do. Then I went to the total opposite end of the spectrum and started to write every single day on an absolutely brutal, unrealistic word count schedule. This was a really stupid idea for someone who works in a high-stress job (producing TV news in New York City, hotbed of crazy). Learn from my mistakes and don't kill yourself. You'll just burn out and wind up curled up in a ball on the floor of your apartment.

Now I use Michael Hauge's "Six Stage Plot Structure" method to plot out character arcs. This isn't a strict, detailed outlining method so it offers me enough flexibility to get creative while still knowing the major turning points in plot and character. I write what I call a Fast Draft which is exactly what it sounds like. I get down whatever I can as quickly as possible. This is usually heavy on the dialogue since I write anchor scripts for a living.

My goal is to write 2,000 words a day Sunday through Thursday for my main work in progress. Anything extra counts as brownie points. If I'm working on a secondary project I'll switch my attention to that once I hit my main WIP word count. I'm out of the house at least 11 hours a day between working and commuting so I write everywhere I can. This includes on the subway and at the laundromat. I like working with background noise thanks to all my years in newsrooms and nearly as decade of babysitting/nannying before that. Don't tell my reporters, but producing and childcare overlap in more ways than one.

I should also note that I've recently moved over to working in Scrivner, so part of my day is dedicated to learning a new program and pleading with it to like me.

After the Fast Draft I go back and do a First Draft 2.0. That's a pass through to fix any character inconsistencies and add in all of the emotional development that might have been lost in the Fast Draft.

Next is the long, slow process of revising. I'll usually do a second draft and then send the MS around to my critique partners. This gets another set of eyes on it and forces me to put it aside for a few weeks so I can better pinpoint problems later.

Next is a few rounds of fiddling with sentence structure and polishing. At some point I realize that by continuing to work on it I'm going to make the book worse rather than better. That's when it goes off to my agent to see what she thinks, and I feel like this for about a week:

Then I start the whole process over again with a new book.

It. Never. Ends.

So that's me in one very long blog post. I'm now tagging Audra North and Mary Chris Escobar. Audra's post is already live on her site (definitely check it out), and Mary Chris will be posting hers soon.

Thank you all, and good night.