Hello friends! I am back with another installment of my journey as a debut author.  I have completed my 2nd round of edits and my manuscript is now going into the copy edit stage – yes!  Rumor is that it will be released in June . . . but that isn’t written in stone.

Oh – and the title changed from SOUTHERN COMFORT  to A NIGHT OF SOUTHERN COMFORT.  Cool huh? It evokes more of the “one night stand” trope of my book.

Okay . ..  back to my post.  I decided that I would share with you the top five things that I learned during my edits process. So, here we go:

1. I write like I talk . . . alot!  I’m Southern, so it’s no big surprise there. But, I was shocked when my editor pointed out all of the extra (I say necessary – but she won the arm wrestle) words I use in my writing. So, she was absolutely essential to help me see that. Has it changed the way I write? A little bit but I still use LOTS OF WORDS on my first draft.

2. I can crank it out on a “real” deadline.  Yeah, I set goals for myself but I also let myself cheat, so there was a moment of panic when I saw the deadline. But, I work well under pressure and being the first-born and Type A – I need to please. ‘Nuff said.

3. I am not “hot shit”.  Okay – I never thought I was but this whole experience showed me how much I still have to learn.  I soaked in my editor’s comments and put them into action. No ego. No hard-headedness.  Just being open and honest with myself.

4. Trust is key.  I trust my publisher, Entangled – so I trusted the people they assigned to work me.  My managing editor and editor wanted me to succeed, wanted my book to be great and everything they did and said made that absolutely clear. It was easy to make revisions when I knew that fact.

5. Reading is sherbert for my brain.  When I got stuck or had to work through a problem I needed something to “cleanse my mental palate”.  That was reading for me.  I could shut my mind off and let my subconscious work on the problem while I relaxed.

So, now I’m working on a book proposal for the new Covet line and am waiting to get a R&R letter on a second submission.  Meanwhile, juggling the business side of the of the writing business is taking up lots of time.

So, that is where I am. Thanks for joining me once again as I talk about my favorite topic – me! ; )

As a thank you, I’m giving away a copy of the book that gave me such a boost when I needed it.  Harper Fox is one of my absolute favorite authors and her new release, SCRAP METAL, left me tender, raw, and joyous when I read the last word.  She does that to me every time.

fishy kisses,

Robin