Author Christine d’Abo

I’m not that much different from everyone else in that I have a lot on my plate. I love writing and have so much excitement towards it that I tend to get frustrated when I can’t devote the time I want to it. So I find myself getting creative with my time.

The next six weeks at my day job is going to be insane. There is also the possibility that the insanity will continue on well into the summer. Normally, this wouldn’t bother me as I like to be busy. But I’m scared it is going to eat into my writing time. I have so many stories in my head right now that I need to get out and onto paper it’s driving me nuts. I try to write on my lunch break, but that half hour is slowly starting to disappear. Once the sun starts coming up sooner I’ll be able to get up earlier and write then. I just can’t seem to do it when it’s dark. Nighttime is hard as I want to spend time with my family.

I find myself giving up other things I enjoy to make time for my writing. I don’t mind for the most part. I want to make writing my primary career someday. So all these little sacrifices will be worth it in the end.

So, my question is how do you guys fit in the me time in your life? Be it writing, reading, painting, or any other hobby or passion.

I only have time for a quick post. I have a new group of new hires starting today and I’ll be kept pretty busy.

My goals for this week are to try and get as much done as I possibly can on Perfect Match. I’m expecting my first round of revisions from my editor either late this week or early next so I want to make sure I don’t lose the momentum I’ve gained. I also have a burning itch to start plotting out a new story. I have an idea but I’m not sure if it’s going to work. I don’t dare think too much about it for fear I’ll like it more than my current WIP and switch. No! Evil thoughts!!

So here they are, my goals for the week:

• Write 5000 words on Perfect Match
• Revisions for Bonds (if they come in)
• Fight the urge to plot new story

I’ve had one interesting weekend. The bad was my hair cut (see below post). We won’t talk about it except to say I’m slowly coming to terms with it. The scary is this…last night after watching The Departed (which so totally rocked!!) my husband goes pale, can’t breathe, and starts having chest pains. He’s 35 and I got very scared. So after calling 911 we made a trip to the hospital in the ambulance. After a few hours in emergency we find out he’s fine, but we have no idea what happened to him. We didn’t get home until 3 am and my girls were up at 6:30 am. To quote my youngest daughter when she was younger, “My sleepy.”

The good news, I reached my writing goal for the week. Didn’t just reach it - crushed it! I was hoping to get 3000 words written on Perfect Match, but somehow managed over 6000 and the day is still young. I know exactly where the story is going now and shouldn’t have any further problems finishing it. I’m so happy.

I’ve also setup a new chat group! I plan on stopping by to chat with friends both old and new to talk about writing, life, and anything else that catches our interest.

http://groups.yahoo.com/group/christinedabochat/

*sigh* The title says it all people. I went for a trim and came back with a cut. Who knew shoulder lenght meant different things to different people. I should look fine in a few months.

And my husband is a wonderful man. He even says he likes it.

Okay my friend Renee Field has a new book trailer for her new book Rapture. It’s an excellent trailer that actually gave me chills when I watched it. It will pop up automatically when you launch her site.

Go check it out! 

Work this week has been crazy (silly Daylight Savings Time changes…grumble) but it’s Friday so I can be happy!! It also means I’ll be able to do some writing tonight. Perfect Match has been going much better this week. Being a pantser I don’t always plan out where I’m going, but I was able to do a chapter by chapter outline of where I’m going for the rest of the book.

Not detailed mind you, but I know the major plot points. There’s still lots of room for me to be creative and add those unexpected moments. Like right now they are having sex in the back of Ben’s limo. Good times! 

So far I’ve written three thousand words and am hoping to get another two done this weekend. We’ll have to see how crazy my kids are :).

I’m also hoping to start Jaci’s Surviving Demon Island either tonight or tomorrow. The problem is I’ll get sucked into it and won’t get my own writing done. It will have to be my treat.

What are you guys up to this weekend?

So I’ve received threee rejections from three agents over the past three days. Which sucks, but I’m okay with it. It did get me thinking about everything that has happened over the past two month. I thought I’d take a look at my annual goals that I’d laid out for myself in January.  

Update on Thirteen 2007 Goals. 1. To get published. Funny, this is the one I didn’t think would happen and it was the first goal I accomplished! 2. To write consistently every day for one hour. This one hasn’t been happening quite as much as I’d like. I’ve been averaging around 5-6 hours of writing a week. Which isn’t bad considering everything that’s going on. 3. To read five writing craft books. I have two that I’ve started, but haven’t finished. I need to finish these up. 4. To read two new releases a month. I’ve been okay with this goal. I only need to read one more new release and I’m right on track. Thankfully, I have Jaci Burton’s Surviving Demon Island on my night stand and I’ll be starting it tonight. 5. To finish the second draft of All Bottled Up. Done! 6. To finish the second draft of Summer Theatre. Done, changed the name, and sent it off to my EC editor. We’ll see if she’s interested in it. 7. To plot and finish the follow up manuscript to All Bottled Up.  I have the plot worked out in my head, but I haven’t had a chance to start it yet. This will have to wait until closer to summer I think. 8. To finish the first draft of Perfect Match. I’m slowly getting through this. I need to take a day off and just work through the draft. Push through and finish it up no matter what I think of it. Maybe I need to do a mini NaNoWriMo for it. 9. If Ellora’s Cave doesn’t buy The Bond that Ties Us, to send out partials to at least three publishing houses. They bought it so this goal gets to go away!! 10. To query at least three agents this year. Well as my above statement said, I did this but got three rejections. I’m not going to let that slow me down though. I’m going to try and find some more agents who I think will match with me and query them. 11. To send All Bottled Up to at least three publishers. As I was getting ready to do this I realized in order to hit a lot of the houses I want I need to add about 5000 words to the story. So once I get Perfect Match first draft done, I’ll be going back and doing that so I can send this out. 12. To send Summer Theatre to at least one publisher. Done!! 13. To blog at least five times a week. Oh I’ve been so doing this. Too much time blogging! I’m an addict!

Get the Thursday Thirteen code here!The purpose of the meme is to get to know everyone who participates a little bit better every Thursday. Visiting fellow Thirteeners is encouraged! If you participate, leave the link to your Thirteen in others comments. It’s easy, and fun! Be sure to update your Thirteen with links that are left for you, as well! I will link to everyone who participates and leaves a link to their 13 things. Trackbacks, pings, comment links accepted!View More Thursday Thirteen Participants

I’ve never…ever had a manuscript that has been this painful to get the first draft completed. OUCH!! I don’t know why either. I think the story is good. I think the characters are interesting. I KNOW the sex is hot. So why can’t I seem to get through this one?

Once I’m done the first draft I can rip it apart and fix it. I know I complain about revision on occasion, but I don’t really mind. That’s where I can make the story so much more than it was before. But if I can’t get there, I can’t fix it. I’ve taken time away from the manuscript. I’ve had someone else read it and they really liked it. But each page is like pulling teeth.

Here’s what I’m going to do. I’m giving myself two weeks to finish this book. I only need 30,000 words to get the book to a word count where I’ll be happy. Considering I won NaNoWriMo this year, finishing the book in two and a half weeks, this shouldn’t be a problem. I’ll be starting my NaNo writing schedule up again: 6am, 1pm, 8pm for an hour each. Let’s hope that gets me through it.

So I’ll be tracking my progress here over the next two weeks so you guys can keep me honest.

We got some wonderful news yesterday. Fellow TRW member Kim Howe has made it to the final round of the American Title contest!!!! I’m super excited for Kim, as she is a wonderful person and a very talented writer.In case you’re not familiar with the contest it is run by Romantic Times and the winner get a publishing contract with

Dorchester. Each round the contestants had to post a scene, description, or bio about their book. The final round will be judging the best love scene. I have every confidence in Kim. Her scene is fantastic!Voting is a snap. You can send an e-mail to webmaster@romantictimes.com with ONE SHOT, TWO KILLS (the title of Kim’s book) in the subject line. If you have more than one email address feel free to vote more than once. Good luck Kim!!!

Somehow amid everything else I had to do this weekend, I managed to finish Colleen Gleason’s The Rest Falls Away. If you haven’t bought this book, you NEED to go out and get it. Loved it!!

The story centers around Victoria, a young woman in Regency England who has an unusual family legacy - she comes from a line of vampire slayers. Victoria gladly accepts her family’s legacy and begins to hunt the hordes of vampires that are stalking the people of London. Problems arise when she falls in love with a childhood sweetheart and she is forced to chose between love and duty.  

Colleen’s characters are wonderful and come to life on the pages. Victoria is a strong female figure who has the best intentions but still manages to find herself in trouble. She is surrounded by a strong cast including Max her fellow vampire hunter, and Sebastian a man whose loyalties are in question. The last part of the novel I couldn’t put down having to know what would happen. The action was intense and the relationships between the characters full of future promise.

I’d easily give this story a 5 out of 5 and I’ll be near the front of the line to buy the next book in the series, Rises The Night.