Janie Two is off to the editor

I finally sent Book Two off to my editor. As you know I self-publish, so I use a local person who happens to be a member of the same writers club ~ The Life Journeys Writers Club. This is another example of how we support each other.

It will take several more months to get all of the editing and fixes done before the book can go to print, but I am anxious to get it done. My other stories are calling me back.

Below is the write up that will appear on the back cover (once I get that done) and also appears on my website.

Janie Montgomery is settling into her new job as a tag and title agent. She's even managed to make peace with the fact that handsome private investigator, Alexander Drake, works next door. Even though she is struggling with getting her own business off the ground, she finds herself helping Aleck more and more. 

While she has every intention of doing her best, she finds herself pulled back to Edenton, repeatedly, when her family arrives unexpectedly. First, her parents arrive from Hawaii during one ride-along, then, her brother arrives several days later.

Then to top it off, when Aleck has to go out of town for a few days, she even volunteers to watch his dog, Puddles, the same dog that tripped her up in the park. She considers she must be crazy to take on a hyper little mutt when she owns a cat named Joey. But she was taught to help your neighbor, even a handsome PI who makes her heart trip over itself.

Aleck believes she has a knack for PI work, but even when she manages to help Aleck solve his latest case, Janie wonders if she only has a knack for trouble.

Hello once again. I'm back again for another update.

Taxes are done and on time.

Today I finished Janie's Got The Knack, Book Two, enough to send off to the editor.

Because of changes I made in Book One I had to re-write quite a bit of Two in order for the stories to flow. Plus, I had to start on the Book Three re-write, Janie's Got It Bad, because I place an excerpt in the back of each book. And it had to be what the reader expects to see in the beginning of Book Three, therefore, how I want it to stay (fingers crossed).

I will be happy when Janie Two gets published and ready for sale as I have a number of other stories that I'm anxious to get back to. I have learned a lot since I first starting writing Janie back in 2008. Between the editor's input and the LJWC critiques and guidance, I will have a lot of re-writing and changes to make in many of the drafts I have waiting.

I tell people I write women's fiction, mostly character-driven stories with a touch of humor. However, recently I had an idea come to me, which will be written in the first person and will be about a guy. He will become a ghost private investigator, literally a ghost. So, now what will I be able to tell people that I write? Just fiction?

In reality, I want my characters to be older women. There are not many books out there about older women characters; not counting the "make over" kind of books. Hooked is about a woman who is forty. That's a start.

The sad news (for me at least) is that I have several books cooking that are about women in the thirties. The good news is that I also have a few that are forties and up. The really good news is that the next story I'm attacking is about four elderly witches who are crime fighters (?). Got to get those juices stirred up so my fingers can do their thing.

On a long-suffering note, self-publishing has been a learning experience. I try to save money by doing much of it myself, so I upload, format, preview, edit, select book cover and fonts, order first proof, and edit some more before the final product. Then there's the marketing.

I've been to several book events in the last year, even sold a few of Hooked and Janie's Got A Job, and I have a few more events scheduled for June.

I also have a very busy personal schedule for most of April and May, which will of course, impede my writing schedule.

Til the next time, hope to see you again.

I was surprised (again) to see how much time has gone by since I was here last. It has been a busy time and will continue into June. We have several weddings to attend in May, which puts the bridal showers/one bachelor party to attend and gifts to be purchased in April. So every weekend in April and May are taken.

The Life Journeys Writers Club was incorporated in December and soon to be non-profit. I am now a Board member and the Treasurer. Every quarter, I attend the Board meeting where we are in the planning stage. This is besides the monthly meetings we have as a club.

I continue working on the re-write of Janie's Got The Knack, Book Two in my Janie's Got series. Time is at a minimum for working on making change and getting it ready for the editor.

March flew by, but I did manage to get Janie re-written to follow the changes I made in Book One. I am anxious to get it finished so that I can get back on to some of the other stories that have been on the back burner for some time now. It's always a "I think I can make that part better" moment when I'm nearing the finish line. At some point I'll have to say it's good enough and send it on.

On the first Saturday in March I did another Local Authors event at Booknuts Book Store in White Plains, MD. There were about four of us there this time around. The owners serve refreshments, and are very helpful when it comes to advertising and taking care of ringing up the sales. I did sell a couple of Janie's Got A New Job, Book One in the series this time around.

I've signed up for another event on June 1 at Booknuts. I still have several books left that I'm hoping to get sold. I would love to have Janie Two finished before then so that I can offer them for sale at that time. However, given how time consuming it is to go through 250 pages for the thousandth time looking for typos, or ways to improve a sentence, it doesn't seem likely that I'll be able to accomplish that. So, I'm hoping by the time I have it done and printed (fingers crossed it will be before end of year),  Booknuts will be having another event to which I can sign up.

That's a wrap.