I got my cover for Between Floors, and I’m very pleased with it.

Here’s a teaser to start with:

When Chloe Wilson enters the elevator in her apartment building, she doesn’t expect to see ex-lover Sean Harris, the man who left her six months before. Sean’s return is no coincidence. He wants Chloe back, and he’ll do whatever it takes to convince her to let him back in her life.

I’ll post once I find out the release date.

Between Floors is in the editing stage. I was interested to see what changes would be made and what I could improve. I didn’t have as much trouble with wandering body parts as I did last time, but several changes were suggested. I appreciate how thorough the Cobblestone Press editing process is. It’s much better to catch things now instead of when the story has been released.

Speaking of releases, the release date for Between Floors has not yet been assigned. I’ll post it once I get it.

I finished the first draft of The Seventh Sense. It’s rougher than most of my first drafts, since I need to revise the the first part of the story. I know the characters better now. I also know the villain better, so I need to adjust that part. There are a few more parts to fill in.

But the draft exists. And it feels good to have gotten it to this point.

I did something stupid yesterday. I printed The Seventh Sense and started reading it. I know that doesn’t sound like a stupid thing to do, but here’s the thing: I’m not finished with the story yet. I’m nearing the end of my first draft, and I’ve learned a lot more about my characters than I knew at the beginning. I’ve also got some layering to do.

I started reading and a case of I-suck-itis set in.

This morning, I realized how unproductive I-suck-itis is. Every writer has moments when they doubt their abilities. Along with most feelings, this too shall pass. More importantly, I learned that I need to respect my writing process. I’ll print out the story when it’s ready.

In other news, my jewelry arrived yesterday! It’s all very nice. I received a thick ring with a gecko pattern (which I’m wearing now), two pendants, and the ring for an upcoming contest. (Enter now! Sign up for my newsletter.) The pendants are a little smaller than I expected, which isn’t the company’s fault. I need to pay better attention to the listed measurements.

Would this be a good time to mention I have three more pieces of jewelry coming? I have no willpower.

Lia:

Man: Hey.

Lia: I’m busy . . . whoa! Who are you and what are you doing in my head?

Man: Call me Tony.

Lia: {Thinks this man is beautiful. Tall, dark hair, dark eyes. Yum.} It’s nice to meet you, Tony.

Tony: {Subjects me to careful scrutiny.} I’m glad I’ve got your attention. I want you to tell my story.

Lia: Uh, what?

Tony: You know that story you’ve had simmering in your brain? The one about a woman on the run?

Lia: {Wonders how he knows about it.} Yes.

Tony: I’m the hero. And I gotta tell you, I’m getting impatient for you to start writing it.

Lia: But . . . but . . . I’m working on another story.

Tony: The Seventh Sense. I know. Nice title. But I’m here now.

Lia: {Uh oh.} Um, okay. Hang on a minute. Let me take down some notes. {Gets notebook and pen.} Go ahead.

Tony:

Lia:

Tony: You get all that down?

Lia: Mostly.

Tony: When are you going to start writing it?

Lia: Once I finish this story.

Tony: {Narrows his eyes.} I thought you were going to shift to some other projects.

Lia: I was. I am. But I’ll work your story into my schedule. I promise.

Tony: In between all your other stuff, huh?

Lia: No. Yours will be front and center. I’ll work in the other stuff around you.

Tony: {Nods and looks pleased.} Good.

Lia: You’ll come back, right? When I start working on your story?

Tony: Maybe. If you’re lucky. {Leaves.}

Lia: {Wonders if anyone else wants to come and visit.}

I posted about heroines on the Cobblestone Press blog. Please click and comment when you have a minute!

I’ve reached the conclusion that three-day weekends should become the norm. I feel like I accomplished a lot, although I didn’t finish all the things I listed in a previous entry. I did the writing and relaxing, so that’s a good thing.

I’ve also discovered (thanks to a few Cobblestone Press authors) a new website: http://www.silverjewelryclub.com. I haven’t decided whether I am grateful or not. (If you go there and become addicted, don’t blame me!) I think I’ll reserve judgment until I receive the four items I purchased this weekend.

One is for an upcoming contest (sign up for my newsletter so you’ll be entered!), the second was because the ring was cute and in my size. I can’t even remember the third one. Oh yes, it was a pendant, although I can’t remember what it looks like. It will be a surprise, hopefully a pleasant one. And the fourth item is a pendant I’ve decided is a “Yay for being published” gift. $5.99 isn’t too much to spend on a treat for myself, right?

I know, I know. Stop the madness! (Please kill me if I buy anything else for a while.)

Ahem.

I’ve reached 15,000 words on The Seventh Sense. I like hitting milestones. I’ve also got my newsletter just about finished, although it won’t be sent out until May 1. It’s nice to have it ready, though.

Hope everyone had a good weekend!

Researching is a necessary evil about writing–necessary because you want to make your story authentic, evil because it’s time consuming. I tend to do most of my research after I’ve written the story. It sounds a little odd, but once I start researching I can get bogged down in it. I may spend two or three hours researching a subject when it turns out that what I need for the story could be found in ten minutes.

The story I’m working on now is a little different. Some characters are fighting. Not arguing, fighting. I’m doing an okay job of description, but I don’t know martial arts, so some parts are a bit sketchy.

I’ll fill in the details later, but I’m curious about how other writers do research. Please share.

Today’s blog hopping revealed that I’ve been tagged by Sara Dennis.

Four Movies You Watch Over and Over
The Lord of the Rings trilogy (sorry, but I’m counting this as one)
Pride & Prejudice (the latest version)
Memento
The End of the Affair

Four Places You Have Lived
Utah (So far I’ve lived in three different cities)
Manhattan, Kansas

Four TV Shows You Love to Watch (You might see a theme here)
Medium
Unsolved Mysteries (I’m watching taped episodes right now)
Cold Case Files
The Investigators

Four Places You Have Been on Vacation
New York City
San Diego
Tampa
Reno

Four Websites You Visit Daily
Kinja, to check out whatever blogs have been updated
E-mail Account #1
E-mail Account #2
Romance Divas

Four Favorite Foods
Ice cream
Pizza
French bread
Donuts

Four Places You’d Rather Be Right Now
In bed, asleep
In England
Being massaged by a tall, dark, and gorgeous man (although he can be blond, I’m not picky)
Finishing my latest story (better get writing)

Four Friends You Think Will Respond
Cora Zane
Jorrie Spencer
Vivienne King

I would tag Sylvia, but I know she’s already done it.

Today, I faxed my membership application to Romance Writers of America. I’ve been debating about this for a while, and I decided to try it for a year and see what I think. At the very least, I’ll get a reduced price on the Atlanta RWA conference. I’m also excited to see the RWR, the publication for members.

I’m finally getting back in to The Seventh Sense. It’s been a difficult week, mainly because I’ve been feeling sick and out of sorts for the past few days. I had a bad bout of food poisoning a few days ago. I’m starting to feel almost normal now, which has got me writing again. It feels nice.