Category: Triple Fault

Editseditseditsedits

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I’m totally engaged in edits right now for TRIPLE FAULT (CC #4). Yes, book four. I almost can’t comprehend that sentence.

Interesting things I’ve noticed about this round of edits:

I manage to eliminate favorite words from my writing. Then, I come up with new ones. 🙂 In CHASING BLUE, I was obsessed with “grinned.” It was everywhere. In TRIPLE FAULT, I’d finally manged to ditch “grinned,” but I tossed in two new words–“so” and “sooo.” They *might* appear thousands of times. Okay, okay, not thousands, but enough to cause me to smack myself in the forehead when I reread my edited manuscript.

Chapter titles are so (Ack! The “s” word again!) one of the most difficult and most fun things to write. I heart them.

I might have to go back and read my own books to refresh my memory on certain events. Is that lame? I feel as if I should remember the things that happen in my own books! 😀

Writing mean girl lines is my fave part and it’s easy. That might say something about me…

And, finally, never stuff your edit letter with your precious handwritten notes to self in a cabinet and forget where it is. You might panic, tear up the house and then want to stab yourself in the eye with a pink pen when you recover the letter hours later.

My fear of emailing EK a hot mess

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First, I need to round up a few links!

We’ve got:

A review of Take the Reins from Mara at Whitebrook Farm. Thanks, Mara! 🙂

An interview up at Harmony Book Reviews. Thanks again, Harmony!!

A guest blog at Presenting Lenore. I did a Letterman-style “Top 10 Things I’ve Learned About Writing” list. Thanks for letting me stop by, Lenore!

And now, back to my little writing corner. I’m *almost* finished with TRIPLE FAULT.

Probably a week or so until it’s done. Then it gets sent off to Editor K. But my OMG-I-so-suck cycle begins just before I email the draft. 🙂 Hitting the send button to email my book off to EK or Agent A is still sooo hard! I pull up Hotmail, attach the file, sit, stare and then close out the window. I open the Word doc, scan a few pages and then convince myself it’s really time to let it go. So, Hotmail comes up again and I reattach the file. There’s pacing, glossing of lips, eye rolling at myself and then I finally press send.

Then?

Nooooo! Why did I press the button?! It wasn’t ready! Take it back!

But, of course, I can’t take it back. I force myself to close the laptop and walk away. I remind myself that EK and AA haven’t said, “JB, you just emailed us a hot mess. You’re fired.” before, so the draft might be okay.

Yes, that’s my process. 🙂

Yay, 2009!!

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Happy 2009!! Woo! Last night, Kellie Pickler hosted the festivities on ABC with Ryan Seacrest.

Even NYE spirit couldn’t make her any less annoying. Sorry, Kellie! But seriously.

2009 is finally here!! It’s a fresh start and I’m sooo excited about this month.

~*~TRIPLE FAULT UPDATE~*~

Yesterday: 8 pages written
1 leftover gingerbread man consumed
1 glass of sangria
4 different pens used for notes (pink, purple, blue and green)

And so it begins…

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I’m starting the first draft of TRIPLE FAULT this morning. Like, now. Right now. OMG. There’s always that moment (okay, more like day) of panicked “I can’t do this! I forgot how to write a book! I’m supposed to do what?!”

Happens every time I start a book. But it’s okay. It keeps things interesting and I’d rather be freaked out instead of all “Whatever. I can so do this because I’m the best writer ever.” That would be boring!

Lucky for me, I had my Writer Freakout yesterday in anticipation of starting TF today. So, I’m ready. I’ve got my trusty outline, a sparkly pink pen for notes, cinnamon bun flavored coffee and fuzzy purple socks. You know, all things a writer needs.

Wish me luck! *</:)

Cover Copyright © 2009 Simon & Schuster. Photo © Monica Stevenson.

Settling into outline mode

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The blog might (or, you know, might not) get a little quiet over the next couple of days while I attempt to avoid the Internet and work on the TRIPLE FAULT outline. Plus, I reaaalllly need to do more work and less Internet because of…well…something awesome that I’ll share quite soon! *excited dance*

🙂

Thanks to everyone who commented on the TAKE THE REINS video. Glad you all like it!

TRIPLE FAULT (Canterwood Crest #4) cover reveal!

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I’m completely engrossed in copy edits for CHASING BLUE today and I just took a break to, ahem, stalk myself on Amazon. What did I see? The cover for TRIPLE FAULT (Canterwood Crest #4)!!

So, there you have it! 🙂 Isn’t it lovely? It just might be my favorite cover for the series, but I say that for each one.

Back to copyediting with my violet Crayola colored pencil…