2008--Let's Take a Closer Look

Yep--2008. Can you believe it!

Where did the end of 2007 go? Like the last two months of it???

Well, remember that old saying, be careful what you ask for... Here's the skinny...

1) 2007 was so eventful (don't believe me, check out the Appearances like above), I pretty much crashed into the end of the year. Not that I got to rest much, because...

2) I finished revisions on Atlanta Heroes: Book 2 (my agent's over the moon with the results)--Remember Me's title's now To Save a Child, BTW--then did quick Line Edits, too...

3) Took a week and a half to head down to the Isle of Palms outside of Charleston (for a writer's workshop weekend), then stayed a week to finish my Paranormal Thriller trilogy pitch--oh, and to pitch it to a big dog editor from a big dog NY publisher...more on that later...

4) Then there was Thanksgiving, and more work for Harlequin, including final packaging work on the Superromance Mother's Day anthology that's coming out in April with Lori Handeland and Rebecca Winters.

5) Oh, and GRW (Georgia Romance Writer's) stuff that had to get done (coming off of our 2007 conference and New Jersey's...my last speaking travel of the year...)

6) Atlanta Heroes Book 3 is due in mid-Jan., and I have half of that to write still, which means I wrote half of it between Thanksgiving and now...

7) While I was finishing revisions on the "Temple Legacy" series pitch--Book One: The Healer. My agent has all the final goodies, and she should be getting back to me this week about taking it out for a spin in the publishing world... I'll share details as soon as I have them...

8) Then came the surprise the week before the week before Christmas--a call from a lovely Harlequin NY editor (my super's are published out of the Toronto office), who wanted to know if I'd like to participate in a single title anthology (with their HQN mainstream imprint) that will be headed by a New York Times best-selling author, and, oh, will also be joined by a USA Today best-selling author:

I give you my newest partners in crime (the book's due hit shelves--tables, actually, because this isn't a series book, so I might just get to see my name on a bookstore table, he-he--in January '09):

Vicki Lewis Thompson:

http://www.vickilewisthompson.com/

and

Jade Lee:

http://www.jadeleeauthor.com/biography.shtml

The hitch...and this is the be careful what you ask for part)--we had to pull together a anthology overview and a blurb/short synopsis for each of our stories in a week! Eeeeeek!

Did I mention the revisions and line edits and new novel writing that I was supposed to be focusing on???

Did I say yes--you betcha! You have to be ready for your luck and opportunities, and you have to believe you can make what you want happen. It was exhausting, but that's part of the job. And it put me further behind during the holidays, but that's part of the job. And it was a blast, because the are great authors and fun ladies and we had a blast collaborating on the idea--one of the best and most surprising parts of the job ;o)

So, concept approved, all I had to do was write a book and I was one week further behind and more tired, and then the holidays came again, and

8) then came the surprise the week of Christmas ;o) I'm a Romantic Times Reviewer's Choice nominee again--this time for All-American Father, the Singles with Kids continuity novel I was asked to do in '07...another surprise that I had to work hard to take advantage of, but that's the job... So, cool to be included with such fine writers...and the contest season's only just starting...

Pant, pant....

There you have it, where I've been and what I've been doing (sans all the personal life stuff that would make this long post even longer)...

And just what does that have to do with '08???

This year, I'm going to be focusing on the suprises of this business and the world in general (which I happen to think the publishing/writing business paralells pretty closely)... Because I'm sensing it's going to be a year for the unexpected...

What does Bette Davis say in All About Eve? "Strap on your seat belts, it's going ot be a bumpy ride."

So, I'm on the looking out for bumpy in '08. Bumpy but surprising and very, very good. I'll be ready this time ;o)

There's lots to catch up on, I know. If you've been trying to reach me, know I haven't been ignoring you. I literally haven't had time to check any of my three email accounts since befoer Thanksgiving. Of course, there will be prizes and I'm going to get a newsletter out regularly.

No real resolutions this year, except to enjoy each bump. I'm pitching workshops to cross-genre conference all over the country. So, hopefully I'll get to see some new places and people and to teach to lots of different types of writers. And who knows...promote that mainstream thriller series I'm hoping will sell ;o)

Otherwise, I'm sticking closer to home. Join me as we start a new year of blogging--we'll be inspirational and wild and fun and supportive and it'll be exciting. That's what I want for all my friends this year--exciting lives you can't wait to share!!!

Happy New Year, my friends ;o)