>We’re in our house. Finally! Can’t tell you how relieved I am to be basically settled again. You wouldn’t be able to tell that by looking at all the stuff still waiting to be put away, but – hey! – we’ve only been moved in 9 days.

I think my relief comes more from being back at the computer for more hours each day. Writing time has been sporadic for the last three months, so I tried to concentrate on short stories I had started and those itching to be told. As a result, I polished and submitted 4 stories last week.

On Wednesday, I submitted “Marinara Magic” to Woman’s World magazine after vigorous re-writes and cutting 300 words from the manuscript. (My thanks to Linda Winfree, Morag McKendrick Pippin, Sally Sorensen, and Janet Shitabata for all their advice and crits. You guys really came through in a pinch!)

Thursday, “Home For Christmas” went to Arabella via e-mail. Maybe they can use it for the 2005 holiday edition.

Friday, 9/10, I checked over calls for submission and was surprised to see I only had hours to submit something to The Rocking Chair Reader by Adams Media. “Homecoming”, was a hastily penned, but heartfelt accounting of my experiences at family gatherings in the 60’s. I hope I ran spell check and scruntinized it carefully enough before e-mailing. Yikes!

Now what?

Well, there’s my novel, The Reluctant Groom, to polish and re-submit – this time to Silhouette’s Special Edition line.

But, I’m in no hurry to tell you the truth. I feel rather sheepish about sending my first manuscript out so fast. Well-meaning writers on several online threads encouraged me to do it, and there are merits to doing so. However, I don’t feel TRG was ready. Lord knows, I was tired of revising it (I tend to write a draft slowly, with my inner editor slashing and tightening as I go, then go back and re-edit again.), but I should have let it sit a minimum of 6 months before taking another look. Being so new to this field, my writing changed rapidly, and I learned a ton within the first year. I could have sent in a much tighter and well-written book had I waited.

There’s also Forever Kind of Guy (was A Perfect Stranger) to be finished and then it will sit while I write another. I’m 3 chapters from writing “The End”, but I’ve been away from it for so long I dread trying to get back into Kiki & Mack’s heads. Will they even talk to me? I hope so. I really like them and think they deserve a HEA.

I’ve also got two short stories to finish and find homes for. “Mr. Dependable” to continue submitting until it finds a home. Also, waiting to be told are the novels Knight In Tarnished Armor (working title), and at least 6 others waiting in the wings.

Looks like I need to get more organized. Write faster. Be more productive.

Augh!!! Gotta go. Lots to do…

Carol B.

P.S. Check out more about my writing at www.geocities.com/carolburnside2004 and sign my guestbook. I’d love to hear from you.