The Reading Parties Come to an End

. . . and we’re a little bit sad about that.

We’ll have to come up with another reason to get together and relax in the hot tub on Sunday afternoons.

I haven’t posted in a couple of weeks because I’ve been in the writing cave. Spending every spare moment on getting the final manuscript ready for the Romance Writers of America (RWA) conference. I wrote during lunch hours, three hours every night after work, several hours on the weekend, and all day on the 4th of July. It paid off. Everything was done in time for the final reading party that started Friday evening in the hot tub and ended Saturday afternoon in the living room.

I kind of can’t believe it’s over. None of us can. We started in January, with me frantically re-writing just a couple chapters ahead of the readings, and we finished in the first week of July. What a journey it’s been.

I expected to feel relieved. Jubilant.

Instead, I feel shell-shocked. Disoriented. And a little sad.

I still have a few minor edits based on my readers’ feedback. But it’s done. Just six months past my original goal of completing this novel by the end of 2012.

The funny thing? My two readers had totally opposite reactions to the story. They insist this is a good thing. Vic is heart, and Dia is head. The theme of my story is following your heart instead of your head. So, I guess it’s fitting that they one-eightied each other.

Now, on to writing my synopsis and prepping my pitch.

Oh, yeah. And there’s a leaky hot water heater I have to tend to.