Happy Release Day!

Happy Release Day to my favorite romantic suspense author, Laura Griffin! Her latest book, SNAPPED, is out now. It's book #4 in her Tracers series. It's at the head of my To Be Bought pile. Don't miss it!

Call Me A Slacker

A full week since I last blogged???? How can that be? Ah, yes. My name is Lexi and I'm a slacker!
But, here's the scoop:

I'm still working at my part-time job with fluctuating hours. I worked 30 hours this past week so that was good.  It's been nice to be able to go to the same place each day and work with/for the same people. It's been a month now.

I did some revising on Tell Me No Lies based on my critique partner's suggestions, but I'm not done yet. I should be, though. (Or at least almost finished.)

I started reading Because of You by Jessica Scott. I like it, but I've only read 56 pages. I should be a lot further into it.

I hit 11 gym classes and 20 mins on the treadmill this week. It's been tough trying to find a regular schedule with me working. Some days I'm too tired to do anything after work. I have begun to notice some positive changes in my body. My muscles are slightly more defined (well, more defined than I've ever seen them!), I can do more of the class moves, and I have a lot more energy (even when I'm tired)! A lot of my clothes are too big for me and some clothes I haven't been able to wear for a couple of years now fit. (For the record, I'm still hovering around 14.5 lbs down. I can tell these last 9.5 are going to be toughest to lose.)

I've started planning my 40th birthday party in October. Should be doing more of that this weekend when I chat with my sister-in-law who offered her house. I'm getting kind of excited, as I pull pictures to share with guests from my 4 decades!

I've spent WAAAAAAAY too much time on Facebook and Twitter. 'Nough said. See? Here it is close to 1:30 and I've been on the computer since I got up about 9!

NEXT WEEK....I plan to get busy with my revising again. I will attend at least 11 more gym classes. I will FINISH Jessica's book. And I promise to blog more!

I've Gone And Done It

Today I opened a Twitter account for myself. I'm @AlexaBourne and I'm still learning how to retweet, make lists and keep up with everyone. At some point I'll have something on here about my twitter account- either a link or the list of my latest tweets. I figure by the time I actually have a book to promote I'll know what I'm doing...or tweeting will no longer be "the fashion."

Another Step Closer To A Yes!

Got an email rejection on a partial today. I sent it back in March. The response time was supposed to be 6-12 weeks, so I had already written it off as a rejection a long time ago.

The message was quite generic- story sounds interesting, just not right for them at this time. Does it bother me? Well, nobody likes to hear that their baby's been rejected, but no it doesn't really bother me.
 
I have faith and confidence in this story. Maybe the next response will be a "YES!" And if not, I know it will end up where it's supposed to be.

Juggling

So, this is totally new to me. I'm revising 1 book and working on 3 others all at the same time. During my work hours, I write on one of the 3 books still in rough draft form. Then after work and between gym classes I work on revisions for the one that's almost ready to submit.

In the past I've ALWAYS been the type of person to only work on one book at a time. (And I'm like that in my non-writer life too.) I mean, I could write 100 words a day on something new while I was in revisions, but my main focus would always be on the one I was revising.

This summer, I've been accosted by all three heroes of the new stories and they haven't minded sharing the spotlight. I'm pretty sure they know, and are okay with the fact, that eventually, when it comes to the 2nd draft of any one of them, I will have to focus more on one.

At the rate I'm going though, by the end of 2011 I will have written almost 3 rough drafts and revised 2 other manuscripts. I like that my process is still evolving and I hope that I can keep up this pace for a while. For the first time in my writing career, I'll have manuscripts lined up, ready to be submitted.

Can't Forget the OTHER Story I'm Plotting and Planning

Take Me As I Am
(Projected NaNoWriMo 2011 Book)
Emma Jones has two men in her life:
One doesn't know she's alive,
the other wants her dead and
by the end of the week she'll leave them both speechless.

Books I'm Working On

1. Unbroken-Work in Progress- 1st draft expected fall 2011
She needed a hero. 
He had no confidence to be one. 
But danger from the past will force them both
to discover the strength within themselves...and each other.

2. Tell Me No Lies- Completed manuscript, I'm currently revising to submit later this fall
A self-absorbed bounty hunter must convince 

an obsessed victims' advocate to turn over her latest client in
order to salvage his reputation.

3. I Dare You- Coming 2012- I've played around with it, brainstormed a bit and have written about 15,000 words so far  

Jamie Carter knows from experience bad boys are bad news, but Zack Owen doesn't
take no for an answer. In an effort to charm her into his bed, 

Zack inadvertently brings danger crashing through her door.
Now he must put his bad boy behavior behind him and become the man Jamie needs him to be.

 

Surveillance

You know you're a suspense writer when you see a van parked outside of your work window and you immediately begin to wonder who is under surveillance.

What's In The Bag?

You know you're a suspense writer when you see a man carry a brown paper bag to the dumpster and you wonder if the bag has body parts in it.

Another "You Know You're A Suspense Writer...."

When you're in Yoga class, relaxing flat on your back and you think about someone tampering with the speaker dangling from the ceiling above you.

You Know You're A Suspense Writer...

When you're in a yoga class, all relaxed,
and you imagine a car barreling through the windows
to wipe out one line of yoga students.