Finally...it's here

Well, it will be March 11!  PLAY ME went up on the Coming Soon page at Ellora's Cave today. I still can't really describe the feelings I experience when I see it out there in the world. Something I've created, labored over and yeah agonized for, out there for everyone to see and read. I'm really excited for this book. Gabe is my kind of hero--harsh and tortured--and whether he knows it or not, just waiting for the right woman to come along.

BLURB
Lily Hamilton had her quiet, predictable life all mapped out, including a hot-shot attorney for a fiancé. That is until she catches him screwing around and takes off in his prized Mercedes, for once not giving a damn where she’s headed. How clichéd is that?

Gabriel Jackson is raw and disillusioned. Driving a tow truck is a far cry from the dangerous career he turned his back on, but when he finds the classy blonde in a dangerous part of LA, he’s immediately back in the role of protector.

Lily is hot and sweet and so out of his league it’s not funny, yet Gabe can’t deny the sizzling heat between them. He thinks he wants hard, fast and rough—until he gets his hands on her. He knows he should stay the hell away, but Lily makes him feel, really feel for the first time in two years. Is she just slumming or can she see beyond the harsh, broken façade to the man beneath? A man who dreams of making her his?

EXCERPT
Copyright © KAILY HART, 2011
All Rights Reserved, Ellora's Cave Publishing, Inc.

Warning: the below excerpt isn't exactly PG. Enjoy!!

Of the many kisses she’d experienced, of the few lovers she’d had, of the year and a half she’d been with Ian—no, wasted on Ian—Lily had never experienced anything like the sensations she’d gotten during those minutes of his mouth on hers, his body pressing into her. Or had it been only seconds?

She licked lips that felt swollen. He tasted like coffee, or maybe that came from her. She thought she’d been ready that second time, but when he’d taken control… She was still tingling from it. She took a deep breath and looked up.

God, his eyes.

They were dark, like everything else about him, but it was a deep-blue rimmed with a border of navy or black that made his gaze that much more intense. It was a look that saw everything in an instant and she shivered under his piercing stare, not from fear or even from the cold, but from something she didn’t have a name for.

Where she’d gotten the courage to kiss him like that, she’d never know. She’d never done anything remotely like that before. She should have been scared, cautious at the very least, yet somehow knew she’d be safe with him. He’d done something extraordinary for her, knowingly risked himself for her, and it was weird, but she felt connected to him on some elemental level she couldn’t even begin to understand. She was thankful, of course she was, but gratitude didn’t have her heart racing, her stomach flip-flopping, her body singing. Did it? Jeez, who was she kidding? She ached in places that usually only came alive after long and intense stimulation of the solo kind.

All she knew was that she hadn’t been able to just let him walk away. Not yet.

“C-Come inside,” she whispered.

Yeah, and she so totally sucked at stuff like this.

When his gaze slid down to the juncture of her thighs, heat bloomed in her cheeks, low in her belly, between her legs.

“With me. I meant come inside with me. Although…” She took a deep breath and rushed on before she chickened out. “You can come inside me too. Well, we’ll have to use protection, of course, but—”

“Lily.” Gabe closed his eyes briefly and groaned.

“It’s okay. You know, if you don’t want to, I mean.”

“God…”

His gaze slid over her in a hot caress resting on nipples she could feel hard and erect against the thin silk of her dress. Her stomach clenched. It wasn’t exactly a “no”.

She swallowed. She should probably give him fair warning. “You know.” She licked her lips. “I-I’ve never done anything like this.”

“Adrenaline,” he dismissed. “It’s just the adrenaline.”

She shook her head. “No. I don’t think so. I just…” She looked at him, tried to ignore the tremor in her limbs and went for it. “I’ve never wanted like this before. Never so quickly, but never, ever,” she glanced away, “like this.”

God, she probably sounded as if she had a screw loose or something. What happened to all that girl talk that assured a woman could get laid whenever she wanted, at the snap of her fingers? All of her friends had had one-night stands. Okay, they might not have been proud of them exactly, but they’d all expounded on the benefits of no-strings sex. After having the evidence that the relationship route hadn’t exactly been working for her, didn’t she deserve some uncomplicated pleasure herself? She was entitled, wasn’t she?

His jaw flexed and his gaze bore into hers. He took a couple deep breaths. He seemed to be weighing his options. Jeez, she didn’t want to have to twist his arm.

“I—”

“Why the fuck not?” he finally muttered.

The bottom dropped right out of Lily’s stomach. Okay, not exactly the resounding response she’d been hoping for, but she could run with it, couldn’t she? If she could get her nerves under control and didn’t make a complete fool of herself, of course.

She frowned when he opened the passenger door and leaned in. His gaze was direct on hers when he straightened, a small square packet held unapologetically in his hand as if he wanted to be certain she saw it.

“Are you sure?” he rasped.

Her heart thundered, her throat was dry and the damn trembling was back. Especially when it registered he was holding more than one.

God, she hadn’t been exaggerating when she said she’d never done anything like this before and she couldn’t say why she was now exactly. Sex had always been a natural progression in the relationships she’d had. After a reasonable time, after getting to know someone, after feeling a connection that came with spending time together, but this… This was a driving, aching need, a want so powerful it drove her to seize the moment, to not let him just walk away and to hell with the fact she didn’t know a thing about him. She just wanted to learn every inch of him, run her hands over the hard body she’d felt pressed against her, feel him on her, in her. She was drawn to him, her body attuned to his, every nerve ending tingling alive for him. And after knowing she’d wasted a year and a half of her life on a one-sided relationship, a farce, well, she was done with that.

She’d never gone for the bad-boy type before either. There was definitely something savage and untamed about him, something held tightly under control. He’d come tearing in, literally guns blazing and saved her from a fate that just might have been worse than death. It was hot and arousing. He was hot with this rough and rugged appearance, there was no doubt, but there was something almost vulnerable about him as well, something that reached out to her, as if he needed someone to keep him safe too. It was ridiculous. She knew it was. He was probably the last person who’d be in need of protection. He clearly didn’t need it, wouldn’t want it and probably wouldn’t appreciate it.

Mouth dry, she nodded.

WOOT!

My editor loves my book, my editor loves my book *sing-song voice*. Heard from my editor today and she loved PLAY ME! I'm in the process of taking care of the administrative side of things on this and will hopefully be able to share details of a release date soon. I poured a lot of emotion into this book and it took awhile to wrestle it to the ground. Gabe is the damaged, tortured hero and I have a soft spot for that type! I hope everyone likes it. It'll be great to get another book out!! More details to follow soon....

WOW!

PAY UP is up for book of the week at Long and Short reviews!! How awesome is that? The recognition around something I've created will never get old. It just won't. There are other great books up there as well. Go over and vote!

http://www.longandshortreviews.com/WC/index.htm

Almost finished another one...

I'm polishing my latest WIP to turn into my editor. Actually, I've been doing that for ::cough:: quite some time. Really, I should have been done with it by now. Really. I know I'm a perfectionist when it comes to certain things--things that really matter. And my books and stories really matter. I like to tweak until I'm wringing just the right amount of emotion out at a particular point, until I'm satisfied I've represented the hero and heroines feelings well enough, until I have the thread of passion and tension just right. I know all that, but it's more than just trying to make the story as good as it can be. I have an idea about the 'feel' of a book when I start. It's hard to describe, but I'm aiming to create that certain 'tone' I have inside my head and it's quite different for each story. Sometimes it takes awhile to get that just right. I have a hard time letting go of my characters and their stories as well. I write heroes I could fall in love with and  heroines I can relate to, that I can cheer for. I do extensive character maps on them and they become three dimensional. I yearn to give them their happy ever after. I need to be able to turn in a story that can do justice to them, you know? Sometimes it's an effort to say "I'm done", leave their world and move onto the next story hammering away in my brain.  LOL Yeah probably sounds like I need therapy, right? Anyway, PLAY ME is almost done :). Gabe and Lily are an unlikely couple (on the surface), but oh so right for each other. I can't wait to share them with you!

I'm up on Amazon and...a teaser excerpt from my WIP

I noticed over the weekend my latest book, PAY UP was up on Amazon! WOW. For me, it's the closest thing I can imagine it would be like to see my physical book sitting on a shelf at a book store (or at Target, whatever - I'm not fussy :)). I'm not exactly sure why I get so excited seeing my books out on these sites. Perhaps it's because they're sharing virtual shelf space with best selling authors, authors and books I read. Perhaps because I know it means it's that much more accessible to readers. Perhaps because it's just another form of validation on this path to becoming a successful author. Regardless of the specifics...it's just way cool! I'm on Amazon!

In between looking at my covers on 3rd party book sellers ;), I thought I'd provide an update on my WIP. PLAY ME is coming along nicely and should be finished any day now. I'm really pleased with how it's turned out. Gabe is an hot alpha hero, enough to make any society princess take notice, but things aren't always what they seem. It's a story about chance and what can happen when two people on completely different paths find themselves thrust together. Will they continue on as before or...just go for it? I thought I would share a snippet from the page I'm currently working on:

    “Show me your vibrator.”
    “What?”
    Lily was pretty sure she’d passed the point of being able to pretend any kind of worldly sophistication, but she thought she’d give it one more shot just the same.
    “Um…what makes you think I even have one?”
    He smiled. It was wicked and full of knowledge.
    Yeah, that was probably a fail.

RomantiCon, a Book Signing and a new Release, OH MY!

OK, I have a LOT to pack into this post. First off, I can now officially say I'm a multi-published author. PAY UP released today! Big sigh of relief. Of course, I'll be waiting for those first impressions of the book, so I'm still nervous, but I'm SO excited it's out there today.

The last week has just been a whirlwind of awesomeness. I attended RomantiCon 2010 in Ohio and had the BEST time. When I tried to think about why the event was so great, it's because it was just...so well rounded. There was something for everyone. It had amazing opportunities to meet authors and readers. I'm not much of a social butterfly or a mingler, but I met and talked to a LOT of people at this conference. Everyone was so friendly and approachable. I met Ellora's Cave founder and many of the staff who were wonderful and worked so hard organizing and managing this event. It had interesting and informative workshops. The social events were amazing and just SO MUCH FUN, I can't even tell you. There was a book signing, which was awesome. It was special because it was my first but it would have been exactly what I would have wished for if I could have scripted it out myself! And there were the Cavemen. OMG! Not only are these guys absolutely beautiful to look at, they're great guys. They attend most of the events, provide entertainment ::fanning myself remembering:: and mingled and danced with attendees. They really are such great sports. They posed for photo after photo without complaint.

SO, you wanna see some photos?

AWARDS

I got an award!! I was given a 2010 Rising Star award at the dinner on Saturday night. I was SO surprised and SO psyched 'cause it meant another photo op with all the Cavemen!

Nara Malone, me and Marilyn Campbell

Nara Malone, Marilyn Campbell and I all share an editor at Ellora's Cave and we all picked up an award that night!  How cool was THAT?

And of course, all the winners got to pose with the models. Sigh...

MY EDITOR

Me & Grace Bradley

One of the highlights for me was hanging out with my editor. It's amazing what you share with someone you've never met in person. I haven't figured out if getting to know her better will help with that or not, but she's not only talented, she's a really great person! Grace, I think the next drink was on me :).

AUTHORS

I lost count of the number of authors I already knew by reading their work or seeing them on the social network scene.

THE Jaid Black

I have to say I did have several 'fan-girl' moments at the conference. Not all are captured on film, but those that are, are pretty special!  I had an opportunity to meet THE Jaid Black. She started it all - Ellora's Cave, the erotic romance wave and a new book publishing model! 

Me & Desiree Holt

Desiree Holt! She went out of her way to send me a wonderful message when she read PICTURE THIS. I'm still blown away that she read and liked my book!

Helen Hardt & I

Helen Hardt! I've known Helen a long time from the internet. She's always been generous and friendly and she's even nicer in person. AND she looks so YOUNG! We sat next to each other at the author meet and greet as well.

BOOK SIGNING

I signed at my very first book signing and it couldn't have been a more positive experience. Well, I guess if I'd sold a hundred books, that might have topped it LOL. I sat between the fabulous Helen Hardt and Francesca Hawley. I signed and sold my books, I chatted to readers and even had people stop by who had already read my book. My very first autograph was so special, I took her picture. Thanks, Sheila. Hopefully, I didn't weird her out too much! You'll forever be my first!

THE CAVEMEN

What can I say? These guys are drop dead gorgeous and the nicest and most gracious guys you'll ever meet. It's a deadly combination, let me tell you! I watched them pose happily for photo after photo with attendees and dance up a storm with everyone on the dance floor. I had a chance to pose with them in costume for our Friday night Roaring 20s party

and snapped as many pics as I could get while we partied. They're not bad dancers either. In fact, they're awesome. I'll be thinking of them...fondly for months to come I have no doubt LOL!!

 Lorenzo!

Angelo!

Brooks!

ALL of them! Sigh... 

Oh yeah, I have a book out today! PAY UP released from Ellora's Cave and I can now refer to myself as a MULTI-published author. I'm so excited for this story because I really connected with the hero in this one. Rio (God, just the name is hot), is protective and respectful of women, but that doesn't detract from his mega-alphaness. Actually, it just amps it up even more.

BLURB

Neighbor. Friend. Lover.

At least that’s what Carly Wagner wanted Rio Reyes to be. She’d settled for two out of three for almost a year and it just wasn’t enough. Not anymore. When Rio proposes a shockingly sexual bet, she knows it’s out of character and he’s not really serious, yet she can’t resist. The pay off could be finally getting her hands on the gorgeous firefighter she’s drooled over since she moved in next door.

The timing had never seemed right for him and Carly, but that hadn’t stopped Rio from imagining wild and wicked things about her. It had been a joke—sort of, but Rio’s shocked when she takes him up on the dumbass bet. Now he’s in a world of hurt, because regardless of who wins, he might be crossing a line he never thought he would and jeopardize a friendship that means more to him than anything.

ENJOY!

Gulp...I'd almost forgotten

It's October. RomantiCon is this week. I'm SIGNING on Sunday!!! That is, I'll be doing a book signing. Of course, it's my first. And I'm SO excited to be able to check that one off the list, but it's scary too. The good news is I'll be in the same room as many fabulous and talented authors. The bad news? Well, I'll be in the same room as many fabulous and talented authors!! Authors who have been doing this far longer than I have, have extensive backlists and have readers who know who they are! They'll actually be signing books! Me? I'm not sure. I'm looking forward to the experience, I'm eager to learn how experienced and established authors handle these things, and I'm looking forward to soaking up the atmosphere of being in a room with so many like minded people. But I'm scared too. It might be unlikely I'll come across anyone who's read my book and I'm not sure I'll sign or sell any copies of Picture This. I'm not sure anyone will even talk to me, but darn it, I'm going to have a good time with it regardless!

If you happen to be in the area (yeah, right :)), I'd love for you to stop by and say Hi! I'd probably be forever grateful LOL. The details are:

Date and Time
October 10 at 12 pm – 3 pm

Venue
Days Inn & Suites
4742 Brecksville Rd., Richfield, OH 44286

More about the event
- https://www.jasminejade.com/romanticon/index.html

Got Edits?

Well, I finalized my edits and PAY UP is awaiting a cover, release date, official blurb and excerpt!! My second book will be out soon from Ellora's Cave and I couldn't be more thrilled. I'm so excited for this story because it's the first 'friends to lovers' story I've ever written. It's also the first firefighter hero I've done and Rio is one HOT man in uniform (or out of it)! This is quite a bit longer than PICTURE THIS and I enjoyed the luxury of having some more words to tell a bigger story. As soon as I have news I'll post more details, but thought I would post a teaser excerpt:
                                                                      *****

  “Yes, yes, Rio, yes…oh…God, yes…”
   Not again.
   Carly felt heat flare in her cheeks, not to mention the other parts of her body. It washed over and through her all at once, leaving her weak, her breathing unsteady and just plain…hot.
   What the hell did Rio do to get them to moan and scream and gasp that way? She’d never called out like that in the throes of passion or anywhere else for that matter. She was also pretty sure it wouldn’t have been with that sense of utter abandon or lack of regard for who might hear her. And let’s face it, she just wasn’t that great an actress.
   One of the reasons she’d bought her condo in this building was for its construction, specifically the interior concrete walls. It should have been impossible, but some freak design with the ventilation system meant…they had to be going at it up against the entry wall that backed directly onto hers. Why hadn’t that occurred to her? They’d barely made it past his front door, before…
   Whew.
   Carly inhaled quickly at the sharp pull low in her abdomen. She swore she could hear a faint rhythmic thumping and muffled groans too, but it could just as easily be her imagination taking over. It didn’t take much to have her picturing Rio’s big body and what he was doing with it to get that kind of response. God, he’d be hot and sweaty, his big body gleaming with exertion, his dark hair damp and sticking up where urgent hands had been buried in it, maybe holding on to him, urging him on. He’d have his shirt off, but maybe he’d been impatient, unfastening his pants just enough, having thrust them down roughly so he could—
   She took a deep, shaky breath. She really, really needed to get a life. Unfortunately, she’d heard the whispers and giggles for a long time about how awesome Rio was in bed. About how built he was…down there, and about how he knew his way around a woman’s body like few guys did. Hearing the evidence of it for the second time in a week didn’t help.

                                                                       *****

I also wouldn't be honest if I didn't say it's a nice to relief to know my first book wasn't a fluke LOL!

So, what's next? I'm putting the finishing touches on a third book. Gabe is burned out and used up until Lily provides a much needed breath of fresh air and a touch that he didn't know he was craving. It's been a great  and fun story to write. A couple, seemingly unmatched on the surface but perfect for each other. I hope to share it with you soon.

Where the heck is Kaily?

I've been AWOL. With the RWA conference, a date night that turned into a long weekend in NY and a family vacation to the land of the Mouse, it feels like I've barely been online. Probably because I haven't! School goes back next week and I'm counting down the hours, eager to get back to some sense of 'normal'. And I want to write and write and write!!

I did manage to accomplish something over the last few weeks. I still need to complete the formalities, but I've sold a second book to Ellora's Cave!!! I'm over the moon. Hopefully PAY UP will have a release date soon and I can post it. I'm excited about this book and I'm totally in love with my hero. I can't wait to share Rio and Carly's story!

I have a cover, a blurb, an excerpt, & OMG a release date!!!

Picture This will be released on June 29 from Ellora's Cave!! There's equal parts excitement and terror. OK, maybe not so equal LOL. The terror at this point probably outweighs the excitement by A LOT. I'm sure every new author goes through the uncertainty and fear. Will anyone read it? Will anyone like it? Will they hate it? Will they ever read anything else I write? Will I get any reviews and will they totally suck? How can I possibly get everything done I need to before it releases? After conditioning myself against the long waits in this industry, I got my release date surprisingly quickly after I turned in my edits. I seriously thought about reaching out to them and say, 'can we delay this?', but I didn't want to be the first writer in the history of forever to do that.  Now, I'm trying to absorb what I can about promotion and balance it with what's practical, while trying to work on my WIP--oh, and the end of the school year is coming up and I'm going on a family vacation in June and...you get the picture. Anyway, I'll probably be posting about this again when it gets closer to the date, but can't hold it in any longer. The really cool part? Seeing it up on the publisher site in the 'coming soon' section and having my bio up on the author page alongside so many fabulous and taltened authors. Picture This at Ellora's Cave 

So, my cover, blurb and excerpt!!!!

PICTURE THIS

Desperate and young, Jillian Moore did something she knew would one day come back to bite her in the ass. She’d posed nude. For money. Years later, and on the fast track to a successful career, she’s still haunted by her mistake. She can’t help but wonder when her past will catch up with her.

Samuel Steele is not short on female attention, but the women who warm his bed pale in comparison to the fantasy he’s created of the seductive temptress in the painting hanging prominently in his bedroom. A fantasy that has ruined his once satisfying sex life. When he discovers that her exact likeness works in his building—for him—things get…interesting.


Excerpt (warning, contains a disgruntled alpha male with crude thoughts and bad language, hence my new 'adults only' filter!)

“Well, thank you for your time and for the information. It was very helpful.”

Not.

Jillian put the phone down a little harder than she’d intended. It slammed back into the cradle with a sharp crack that more than matched her mood.

Dammit.

It’d been sold, again, three months earlier. Private auction, anonymous bidder and there was no way for her to find out who’d bought it. All she knew for sure was that it’d been a man. It figured. Damn, she’d been close this time. Not that she would have been able to afford to make even one bid herself. It had opened at fifteen thousand and after some fast and furious bidding had finally gone for a cool seventy-five thousand—dollars. Jeez, she’d probably be paying off her student loans for another twenty years and some guy had dropped seventy-five grand on a picture?

Jillian sighed. She wasn’t even sure what she’d do if she could uncover the identity of the new owner. She’d kept telling herself she’d be able to buy it one day once she got established. She’d planned on it, she’d counted on it. It was why she’d tried her damndest to keep track of it for the past ten years. Her only hope now was that it would sit in some private collection, gathering dust and never see the light of day. Yeah, right. She’d never, ever been that lucky. All those years ago, who would have thought? Deep down though she’d known and it had plagued her ever since. When she least expected it, it was going to come back and bite her on the ass. She just knew it.

* * * * *

“Sam? Man, are you even listening to me?”

Sam couldn’t tear his eyes off her. The dark luster of her hair, the curve of her cheek, something about the shape of her body. It just now occurred to him, but he’d seen her around the building before. He’d noticed her legs he remembered, appreciated the toned lengths, the shapely calves and too easily imagined how they’d look wrapped around his waist or up around her ears. And her mouth. God, the things he’d thought about her mouth.

How could I have forgotten that?

As soon as the thought formed he knew the answer. He had a strict hands-off rule at work that he’d never broken, not even in his head. Until her. He’d made himself forget.

He watched her mouth curve into a smile and his dick twitched in immediate response. Something flared low and sharp in his gut. It was a sensation he didn’t think he’d ever felt before, at least without some form of specific and intentional stimulation.

“Who’s that?” he demanded.

“Who?”

He heard rather than saw Duncan’s puzzlement. He motioned across the expanse of the elegant lobby. “The woman there. Slim, dark hair, black suit. Talking to the blonde.”

“I thought you didn’t fuck around with the staff?”

Sam’s balls tightened in a rush. The explicit image he got was shocking. Not just because it was of her—on her knees in front of him while he fucked her from behind—but because he hadn’t been able to censor it, or control his body’s reaction to it. Sam shot him a glare. He was in no mood to be trifled with.

Duncan cleared his throat. “Ah, sorry, I think her name’s Jennifer, something like that. She works in Finance. Or maybe it’s Legal.”

“Jillian?” he managed to choke out. “Could her name be Jillian?”

“I…maybe. Why?”

“Last time I checked you were head of Human Resources, Duncan.”

“Jesus, Sam, we have over four thousand employees, two thousand in this building alone. I can’t personally keep track of all of them. I haven’t worked with her directly. She’s probably—”

“Find out. I want her file on my desk in ten minutes.”

“What’s got into you?”

Sam took a deep breath. “Schedule a meeting with her.”

“A meeting?”

“Yeah, with me.”

“You don’t know where she works or what she does in your company, but you want a meeting with her? Why?”

Sam felt the impatience he’d tried to contain roar through him. He wasn’t used to having his orders questioned and he sure as hell wasn’t used to explaining himself to anyone.

“Because I’m the fucking boss and I said so.”

Blurb Anxiety

So, I hit send on my edits. There was trepidation and nerves. I was fortunate in that the edits were minor and any changes I made were minor, yet I couldn't help being insecure about it. Did I do it right? Did I address all the areas adequately? Have I met expectations? Are they still happy they bought my story? LOL I know, it's neurotic, but this is the first edit process I've been through so I think it's allowed. Now? I wait and work on the blurb. I have to summarize the main elements of the story, give a sense of the characters and my voice, ensuring it's catchy and interesting enough to convince people to buy it, and, oh yeah--it has to be under 120 words! All the writers out there will know what I'm talking about. What ideas to incorporate? Is it enough of a hook? Does it accurately reflect the feel of the story? Will anyone even want to read it? It's hard to boil a story down to a handful of words and hope you've conveyed what you set out to. Wish me luck!

Thankfully, one thing I don't have to worry about is the excerpt. How could I possibly choose? The editor will select that and I have to say I'm really excited to see what she pulls out to become the official excerpt. It will be like opening a present! Hopefully, I'll be able to post a release date soon, display the cover, and unveil the blurb and excerpt for real!

BTW, don't forget Monday I talk to Madelyn Ford about her journey to publication and what she's learned. Her insights are awesome!

Got edits?

The dust has settled and the excited has worn off. Some. Kinda sorta. I'm immersed in the reality of edits. OK, so the reality of them still can't diminish the excitement that these are my very first edits. EVER! I was anticipating the worst but kept telling myself they can't be that bad, because if they were extensive they wouldn't have bought my book. Right? I guess that logic paid off because they ended up being really minor. A lot of formatting and punctuation stuff and some words I use a LOT. Who knew? I did buy the Chicago Manual of Style some time ago and it makes a nice paperweight. I did try to read it, really I did, but whenever I opened it, I nodded off. Thankfully, my editor is beyond thorough and I love that. I mean, she must have read every single word and checked every single character I used. Actually, I know she did. That's her job and I can see how this is really polishing the story, tightening it up and making sure everything hangs together. It's still such a funny feeling to know someone has poured over everything you've written and evaluated every choice of word you've made. It's really given me a different perspective as I continue with my WIPs. It's a powerful feeling to have that editorial awareness and begin to see how you can apply it as you write. I'm jazzed to get through these edits so that I can get it back in and hopefully get a release date! THAT will be awesome. Plus, I need to get back to writing! My April goals got blown out of the water. Yeah, I got a contract in April and that makes it OK, but I need to really knucked down this month.

Goodbye en dash! It was nice knowing you!