A book’s journey is never ending. In most cases it starts
the moment an idea pops into the author’s head, and from there, it flows
forward through months, or longer, of rewrites and edits, and all sorts of
behind the scenes work. Years later, long after it’s been published, it
continues on, in the hands of readers. I think that’s pretty cool, and must
say, there’s really not a part of that process I don’t enjoy.
Some parts are more intense, when I’m connected more
passionately with the book, and other times, I have to concentrate to remember
the characters and their journeys. I say this because Harlequin will be
publishing two of my stories in August, in their UNDONE line for a western
themed month, and I received the edits on both books this month. These stories
were two or three books ago, and I had to reread each one in order to gain
insight on the characters and what they wanted out of life, as well as how they
achieved it, before I could work on the edits. That’s not unusual, and I don’t
mind in the least, and had to chuckle last night when my husband remarked, “You
wrote it, how can you not remember it?”
It’s amazing to me, too, all the file cabinets we have in
our brain. How when we start reading, a drawer opens up and all those memories come
flowing out. Like when we start watching a movie we don’t remember seeing, but
then one pivotal scene happens, and everything clicks. That’s when I normally
say, “I have seen this before—the ending is great!” That too—when I do it—drives
my hubby crazy.
All that said, Slow
Dance with the Rancher and Rescued by
the Ranger will both be released in August. Both are fun, short stories. In
“Slow Dance”, Rancher Garret McCoy places a bet he can get Rory Boyle to dance
with him, even though, Rory—the preacher’s daughter—is none too fond of him.
And in “Rescued”, Texas Ranger Trace Edwards returns to Montana to investigate
stolen cattle—which also means he has to face Annie, the woman he’d left
behind.
It’s a wonderful day for writing, considering it’s SNOWING
again! I was hoping to take my Mustang out of storage this weekend. That’s obviously
not going to happen. Papa and I will be
going to the Wild Turkey Federation Banquet on Saturday. We are taking two
granddaughters this year. The oldest has gone with us the past few years, and
now that her sister is four, she’s invited along, too, and overly excited from
everything her older sister has told her.
It’s been a while since I’ve posted a blog, so I’ll mention
we had a fabulous Easter—as I hope you did! My brother and his family drove up
from Nebraska, and two other brothers and their families joined us too. The
Easter Bunny was good to everyone, besides LOTS of candy filled eggs scattered
all over Papa’s garage because the yard was too full of snow, one granddaughter
received a live bunny, another a bike and the other a pink BB gun. You can imagine
the chaos of all that on your own.
Be good to one another, throw some goodies out to the spring
time birds flocking home despite the weather, and give someone a hug for no
reason other than you love them.
