In the meantime, I need to continue writing A Man to Dye For and start brainstorming this new one.  According to my daughter, who just turned 14 last Sunday, my chick lit voice is similar to that of a YA voice, so at least I have that as a start.  Plus, having a teen in your house certainly helps too. My own little source of inspiration and research.  How kewl is that?!

It started right where California Demons ended, and not only did I have all my questions answered, I got another surprise and teary ending.  Not teary as in so sad you shouldn’t read it.  Oh no!  Teary as in it’s so damn good I can’t wait until the next book.  Which just so happens to have been released this summer.  And of course there are 3 holds on it at the library.  I’m number four.

I expect the next one to be just as amazing as the first three.  Waiting for a fourth will be torture however.  The good thing about reading a series some years after they’re published is no waiting between sequels.

Ms. Kenner created a fabulous premise about a soccer mom/demon hunter–Buffy all grown up.  As a writer, I am purely envious.  As a reader, I am excited and thrilled.  She deserves huge kudos for this series!!

Even though a large chunk of the book has changed now.  If I final, what the editor and agent will read won’t be the final result.  Oh well, one bridge at a time and all.  First, I need to learn if I even got that far. :)  I have to admit, that part of me expects to final based on finaling last year.  Yeah, I know that’s bad. ‘Cause the truth of the matter is…last year’s placement means nothing about this year.  So, I keep reminding myself the results don’t mean anything other than what those particular judges felt about the entry.

As much as I liked to believe last year’s placement signified “I am good enough” or was some type of validation, I know it was really just validation that those particular judges liked that heroine.  It has no bearing on my future as a writer or my overall ability.  Ok, can you tell I’m starting to spazz? lol

And the funny thing is today is the first I thought about it in over two months.

Plus, and probably the real reason it feels so great, adding the ghost made it a bit more interesting.  It gave me another humor point and when I have those scenes that seem to drag, now I have something to add to make it thicker.

Right now, I’m headed off to judge my last Stiletto entry (discrepancy round), so I can have that done.

Ok, so this post is much shorter than I anticipated.  I wanted to talk about the revisions, but I’ve realized there isn’t much to say. LOL!  So, next time.

Now, Giada’s best friend, Randall, is not only dead, but he’s a ghost.  She can see, hear and communicate with him–which won’t be easy once she’s in CA on the reality show.  LOL, love making my characters lives difficult.

I finished adding this to the first two chapters, now working on the third.  I may not get any more done tonight.  I’m tired and working on other things.  But I’m very excited about the alterations.

Then while working on the new site, I thought of “makeup”.  Not only does it fit the little avatar in the middle above, but it begins with “m”, and all my heroines wear makeup.  I may still change it back, but
for now it kinda flows.  So then I don’t need Giada to see the dead.  I got all my bases covered.  But…

Now I like the idea of her talking to her dead friend.  And if this becomes a series, this friend, Randall, can stick around and help her on all cases.  That would be uber cool, no?  So, I keep him.  The only problem though, is smoothing out the rough edges.  He can’t remember how he died–makes perfect “sense”, but why does he not tell her who Freckles is?  I have one reason, but that would make it obvious who Freckles is.  I need more.

So instead of Randall being an ex-junkie with an accidental overdose (didn’t know how to spin that one anyway), he will be missing.  He was hit (beaten?) with his baseball bat, which is missing, and there’s some blood trickles on the baseboards.  Giada knows he’s dead (well, especially after seeing his spirit and all), but the authorities don’t have a body, therefore, he could just be missing.

Why does a man not tell his best friend (a female) who he’s dating?  Is that just a guy thing, or would there need to be a reason?  This question may have to go to the Diva Dudes.

I judged for two of the categories, 8 entires.  A few of them were so great I didn’t want to stop reading them. LOL

Now that it’s over, I need to get back to my book, reshape, revise and finish–and mostly get serious.  I haven’t been serious about it and that’s hurt me.  No longer.  I’m going to work on the prelims of the revisions tonight and hopefully that’ll be done by morning.  I also need to do some major cleaning tomorrow, because there are inspections at my apt. complex on Thursday.  I hate cleaning. Ugh!

I also finished tweaking JB’s site design this morn, and I’m excited about the two looks.  Some minor work on Jenn’s and then some major work on my new suspense group and my online images are done. :P  But not of that matters if I don’t get pubbed.

So, later!

Then I discover my natural voice is light, casual and breezy. What the fuck is that?

I’m not necessarily girly. I don’t hang with the girls for lunch, and I hate clothing or shoe shopping. So, yeah, I do love makeup and purses, but my idea of killer shoes are a pair of fuzzy socks.

So what happened? Why is the universe playing this cruel joke on my dream?

After a year of going back and forth, I finally decided to throw my hands up and give in. I’ll just do both. My dark plots (and there are a ton of them) will be written by Jennifer Bianco. My lighter, funner stuff (which there is very little of, but is the stuff getting written) is now written by the new me, Jadyn Case.

So, welcome to my new persona.