FROLICKING first because Book 4 is now firmly on my editor’s desk at Mills and Boon. And it is probably the most intimate and emotional story to date.

Hugh sigh of relief. My plan was to submit by the middle of November – at the very latest. Two weeks before the end of the month deadline. Ummm. Right.

How does this Frolicking manifest itself? Cue scalding hot tea, mince pies and cumfy sofa with backlog pile of reading materials. Including a couple of ideas for new stories for the Romance Line which popped up during the writing and were duly noted. 

Now comes the FEAR part.

I loved the story I have just submitted and my hero Sebastien is droolicious.

AND I know that I have worked my big girl panties off to make it as compelling as possible. [  The mince pies are probably not the best choice of food after a month of sitting behind a desk for 12 hrs a day.  I need those pants.]

But what do I know? Cue much waiting for editorial feedback.

So.  Here is an insight into the self-guessing that went on in my mind this morning. Between mince pie one and two.

Q. How do I divert myself in the interim so I am not forced to do the ironing for distraction? [ shudders at thought]

A. I know. I’ll work on the next book for the Romance Line.

Q. But how do you know that the editor will like your proposal? You could be wasting 2 weeks of writing time if you go ahead and start to write it.

A. True. Perhaps I’ll just write the storyidea? At least I will have a proposal that I like.

Q. Okay. That will take you one whole day. What comes next?

A. Well I have this partial for a Single Title Romantic Suspense. My heroine runs an Italian Deli in London and is called on to investigate..

Q. Wait a minute!!  That was supposed to be next year’s project. Are you sure you want to start developing that idea?

A. Yeah. I am sure.

This decision was then followed by cackles of crazy mad insane laughter.

I actually want to run both projects in parallel to divert my ADD monkey brain – oh, look, there is a squirrel on my fence- forcing it to focus. And trusting myself to free write on a fun project without the Editor Brain turned on.

Ask me again in January whether this was a good idea or not. And what the gnocchi tasted like. And the soft amaretti biscuits I am rapidly becoming addicted to.

What the experts say about Fear.

By happy serendipity I picked up an interview today with the famous screenwriter Shane Black on how he overcame Fear to become one of the highest paid and well respected action writers in Hollywood.

Happy writing. 🙂