Yes - I'm still talking about that damn novel. It's really all I ever talk about anymore and it is certainly the project taking up every minute of my time.
When I put my mind to something I sometimes become obsessed and even possessed by the project. I've never been much of a procrastinator and I guess that's good if things need to get done. And, right now - this novel is the thing in my life that I am focused on and determined to see through to the end. And ... the end is now in sight.
Oh - that's right, it's not published yet - tee hee.
But ...
Guess who has read it?
You'll never guess.
YES! JAMIE!
My good blogging/aspiring writer/mom friend, Jamie Harrington at Totally The Bomb.Com
And ...
She hasn't just read the first novel - NO - she read both the first and the second. Here's what she had to say after she'd read both books (these are excerpts from the e-mails she sent me):
Okay... first off... I am thinking about driving to Marble Falls and punching Brian. Grrrr.....
Oh, and when I'm done with that... you're next--That's two nights now I've stayed up until five in the morning reading your work! HAHA--It's that good.
LOVE LOVE LOVE the Lake House. It's like my mostest favoritest scene!
All in all this book is so great! I am so in love with the characters, and I need to read book three.
Have you finished book 3????? I NEED to read book 3. Hey what's one more night of sleep? I have a latte maker, and I can't live with them being broken up like this! I will cry, oh yes I will.
It's awesome girl.
When this book is on shelves, I'm telling everyone I know that I read it when it was a word document. There are typos... but I was reading too fast to email you with them haha! I will go back through when you're ready... oh and you might want to just do a word find on "Sweetly" LOL when you see how often you used it you're gonna have to head to the dentist for that big 'ol cavity from all those sweets :)
Book 3!! Send it! I need ta read it!
It's great girl. :)
This was from another e-mail Jamie sent me:
I am dying to hear more of your story... I was telling a friend about this awesome book I read over the weekend... and I didn't even tell them it wasn't published.. they were all "Oh we should read that for book club!" I just smiled lol
And another:
Your book will for sure end up being one that high school kids read when they should be listening to their teachers haha!
I know - I'm totally bragging. I can't help it. I was so hyped when I got Jamie's e-mails and she said she'd stayed up until 5:00 a.m. to read MY BOOK!
Jamie is a very talented writer who started writing her completed novel about the same time I started mine. She is currently writing a second novel and I think - I BELIEVE - it is going to be UNBELIEVABLE! The characters and the idea she has going for this second novel is REALLY amazing and I can't wait to read hers when she finishes it near the middle of May.
So - I am thrilled that Jamie (someone I highly respect - plus she has her degree in English Literature) agreed to read/help edit my books and VERY happy that she likes them. Hopefully she likes book3 as well as the first two.
I am ALMOST done with the third novel in the series. I am at 63,000 words (of 75,000). And ... this will not be the last. Laney's story is not done and I intend to write book4 also.
Right now, I am passing the books around to have people read (just sent both to my friend in Utah over the weekend - Hi Vic!). Once I get suggestions/ideas/feedback from all my volunteers - I will RE-edit book one (again) and FINALLY start searching for an agent.
I know - it seems CRAZY to be writing book after book and I haven't even submitted book one to an agent and blah, blah, blah. I KNOW - it feels crazy to me too. But ... writing these 2 additional books has been HUGE in re-molding book1 and tightening the plot and building the characters. I didn't know so many things about the characters in book1 until I started writing book3. Whatever - I'm writing them and ... I just hope something will come out of so much effort.
Okay - back to writing. I gotta find out how book3 ends!
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