Wildflowers and Edits

I met an editing deadline yesterday. Actually I was almost two weeks early, but that other deadline for my Shaker 5 book is looming out there so I wanted to get the edits done as fast as possible. That way I can get going again on the Shaker book. I reread what I've already written or most of it today. Not bad, but I'm needing a brain surge to tell me what happens next. I like my characters, so that's a good thing. Maybe they'll whisper their plans for the rest of the story in my ear tonight while I sleep.

The book I finished editing is the one set in 1855 in Louisville. It's got lots of romance and some suspense and good helping of history. I think you readers will like my hero. He's very handsome and very in love with the heroine. We've struggled a little with the title for this one. I came up with Words of Fire. I still like that, but the publishers wanted something that sounded more romantic since this story teems with romance. So we've settled on Words Spoken True. What do you think? Does it make you think romance? They tell me the ideas for the cover are going to be fabulous. Anyway, I got the editor's suggested edits finished. Now I can get back to figuring out how to sneak a little romance into my Shaker village, Harmony Hill. Not exactly the easiest place to have a romance since the Shakers did not believe in romance at all.

But as a reward for getting the edits done and since we had a beautiful, sunshiny Sunday and I had to do something to take my mind off UK losing that ballgame, I decided to take a wildflower walk. I really didn't think that many of the wildflowers would be blooming since it had been so chilly all last week, but when I got over to Panther Rock where the wildflowers abound, they were blooming all over. There were the Dutchman's Breeches in the picture above. Those flowers do great over there and they are my mom's favorites. I don't normally pick wildflowers, but since there are scads of these and Mom loves them so much, I always pick a bloom to bring to show her. It's a good thing to see her smile.

But besides the Dutchman's Breeches, there were Woods Poppy, Twin Leaf, Bloodroot, Anemone, Spring Beauty, Yellow Trout Lilly, Sweet William, and others I need to look up in the flower book. I try to remember all the names, but I lose a few from year to year. It's such a treat for me to go see the flowers and I have the bonus of the sun glinting off the creek water as it flows past me. Today I had even more bonuses. I found a nest of some kind of animal in a hollow tree. Not sure what. And I didn't linger because I was afraid my dogs would come investigate and think the little creatures were supper. They could have easily gotten to them. Then I saw a huge crawdad. And a dozen wild turkeys. It was flower and wildlife day. I took pictures, but they never turn out as good as it looks when I'm right there in the middle of it all.

I'll have to go back in a week or so and see what else is blooming out. I'm sure to hit a knotty spot in my book and need to walk a while to give my brain time to figure it out. Writing isn't only done when your fingers are on the keyboard.

Do you like wildflowers? Well, here's wishing you "May all your weeds be wildflowers." Tell me about the wildflowers you love or how you reward yourself for getting something done.

Booksignings at High Noon

I'm off to a booksigning at noon at the Grand Opening of a Sam's Club in a neighboring town. People will be there looking for bargains, but we'll see if they're looking for bargains in reading. Most of the people I meet looking for bargains in reading tell me they've been shopping at yard sales. I had a lady the other day tell me she'd never read any of my books, but she'd just bought one of my books to read. I was feeling pretty good until she said she got it at a yard sale. No royalties in my pocket on that one. ;-) But that's okay. I'm always glad to hear that people are reading my books no matter where they pick one of them up. In fact, I tell people they can find the books in their library or at least I hope they can. And maybe if they can't, they'll ask their librarians to order the book for them. I have always been a library lover and user so I would never complain when somebody tells me they read my book after checking it out from the library.

It's been one of those weeks when if you had time to breathe you felt maybe you weren't getting everything done on time. I'm still playing with my edits for Angel Sister. The zapped computer is at the shop getting an expensive overhaul - if it's not completely fried. The granddaughters had a good time in their overnight stay. Mom is having her ups and downs so we, her daughters, are too. My daughter and son-in-law are due in tomorrow for a visit. The house is a wreck, but what else is new? Edits come first but I'm going to have to ask for a couple days extension. I've not had to do that before, so maybe they'll be understanding when I come begging for another weekend to work. I've got the edits done, but I need to recheck them.

But right now I'm off to Sam's to have fun signing books. I'll let you know how it goes. It should be fun seeing the new Sam's store. Maybe I'll have time to go shopping. Hope you have a great rest of the week.

One Down; One to Go

Got my edits done for The Blessed. Just sent it off to the editor and got back one of those instant "out of the office" replies. But I got it sent in and that's the big thing for me with everything else going on with my mom. I told my editor I did some of the edits in the middle of the night with a foggy brain so who knows whether I improved the wording or totally messed it up. I guess my editor will know and then I'll know shortly thereafter if she sends it back with some big question marks. No, I think I got the changes made. The thing about editing is that you can always see something else to improve. Always. Lacey's story in The Blessed is a lot different from my other Shaker books, but I'm hoping readers will take to Lacey when the book comes out next summer. I certainly did. She's a no nonsense girl who does what she has to do to keep going.

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Now I get to start on my copy editing of the galleys for Angel Sister. Out of the frying pan into the fire. I haven't even read the comments of the copy editor to see what needs doing. I didn't want to have it worrying me while I was finishing up the other edits. One book at a time.

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It's exciting having two books released in one year. A lot of authors of inspirational fiction release even more than two books a year. I admire their work ethic because writing books takes time. Editing books takes times. Coming up with new ideas takes time. Trying to publicize books takes time. But then everything takes times. The seconds keep ticking by no matter what you're doing or not doing. Watching the hummingbird work through the blooms on the million bell flower on my window sill takes time. Sharing my journal thoughts with you takes time. Hummingbird watching and journaling - that's time well spent.

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And that's the thing with time. We want to spend it well. Do what has to be done, for sure, but also use some spare minutes just being glad for our blessings and glad we are breathing and thankful we're so busy that we feel rushed. I love writing. I love editing to make that writing better. I love hearing from readers and getting to know you. I even like reading reviews - sometimes. The Seeker's blog tour has been interesting. I've been able to respond to some of the bloggers, but due to my nights at Mom's with no internet, I'm running behind on messages and such. I do thank all the bloggers who read my book and wrote their opinions. Most have been good. Some have been great. A few have been... well, we won't talk about them. Accentuate the positive. Right?

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Hope much positive is happening in your life and that you aren't sweltering in the heat wave. It's a bit cooler here today, but yesterday when I got in the car to leave my mother's, the temperature flashed 100 degrees. Definitely the dog days of autumn. My poor dogs don't want to step out of the shade when we go for a walk even at almost sundown. So stay cool. Drink some sweet iced tea or how about an icy grape sno cone and read a good book.