I need a cigarette

Okay, look, I don't smoke.

But you know how smokers feel the need to have a cig after they've finished a satisfying meal...or whatever? Well, I have finally finished the first draft of Don't Get It Twisted. And it feels so fuggin' good that I'm beside myself.

Together now let's...

Ahhhhhhhhh!

And right before my NYC trip. So I can "hand" over the mss when I meet my new editor on Monday. Alright, well really it'll be in her inbox Monday morning and we can talk about how wonderful that is when we meet face-to-face.

I refuse to bore you with what it took to produce another labor of love. Because, as a writer, that's my job ya know?

And I wouldn't really want a plumber giving me a blow-by-blow on all it took to unclog my sink. I just want my friggin' sink unclogged. I'll consider him a genius once the water flows clear again. The proof's in the pudding and all that jazz.

And lest you think I'm celebrating, I'm not.

Now that I've gone through the rigors with DRAMA, I know that this draft is literally only the beginning. Please, feel free to visit the blog again when I'm crying into my keyboard about my Ed letter for TWISTED. All the glorious relief I'm feeling now will be long gone and nowhere to be found.

But for now, I feel great. Feels like I've run a successful marathon...or at least the first leg of it.

What's also great about this is, I can finally get some re-writes done on my third, stand alone book. It's been in need of attention for some months now. But I've quickly learned to close off my mind from certain creative projects when there's no earthly means of fitting it on my plate.

However, the most important lesson I'm taking with me - I will NOT even begin to think about the third Del Rio Bay Clique novel.

Okay wait...let me re-state that so it's more honest. I already have a short synop of what I'd LIKE to happen in the third book.

But I refuse to expand on it at all and I'm not allowing myself to get married to the idea. Just in case editorial changes to TWISTED lead it down a different road, I don't want to be stuck having to divorce an idea. I'm quite monogamous and break ups get a little messy...thus my issues with the original story line of TWSITED that as of now looks nothing like it did when I wrote it three years ago!

Me and the original text have a few more therapy sessions to attend before we can go our separate ways and not hold any grudges. It's accused me of jumping into our relationship too early, leading it on and I'm still a little peeved that it stood between me and my new love (the current draft) for so long, delaying our courtship.

I'm just hoping it won't ask for alimony!