SLAM!
That is the sound of finishing the final draft of JEALOUS?, the second book in THE ASHLEYS series. It is so weird to be done with book #2 before you all have even had a chance to read book #1! I’m soooo excited for the launch of THE ASHLEYS, coming to a bookstore near you in January, I’m told. JEALOUS? drops in April. How fun is that question mark at the end?? LOL.
I’m so sorry we still haven’t mailed out the prizes. They are sitting on my couch in my office right now but we will mail them this week as long as you have sent your address to my office email.
It’s been a very stressful summer as we continue to give our baby physical therapy to correct her head tilt and Mike and I try to meet our deadlines at the same time. She’s going to be one year old in a few months! It’s so crazy! I can’t believe it’s been almost a year since she was born! I still remember the pain of those first few months. And I STILL don’t have highlights in my hair! ARGH!
In other exciting news, I’ve figured out what is going to happen in Blue Bloods 3: REVELATIONS. I know, I know. I’ve kind of known for a while what I thought was going to happen, but last week the whole thing finally clicked and I thought, voila! It’s really really juicy. The sad part is that I still don’t quite know what’s going to happen in ANGELS ON SUNSET BOULEVARD: THE STRIP. I thought I did, but now I think I’ve changed my mind. It’s very annoying when that happens. But I do know there’s going to be a lot of Johnny Silver in it. I’ve also started writing the outline for the third book in the ASHLEYS series, THIRTEEN CANDLES: IT’S MY PARTY AND I’LL FREAK IF I WANT TO. Which I think comes out next October.
I know, a lot of books. Lately I’ve noticed a lot of my friendly and frenemy acquaintances have been giving me a lot of grief for the amount of books I have written or are coming out. You know, little jokes like "Melissa will be publishing her thousandth book this summer!" Or "We don’t have room in our shelves for all your books!" Or "You write faster than I read!"
I don’t mind the jibes. I guess I do have a lot of books in me. And I have ideas for TONS more. I mean, the other day I got an idea for a new YA series that I am DYING to write but I can’t yet because I still have all these books under contract, and my god, SOCIAL LIFE hasn’t been started yet. But I really really want to start writing it. And I just did a proposal for a little-kids book which made me think of ANOTHER little kids picture book idea. And I have an editor waiting for a proposal for a non-fiction style book that I am JONESING to get started on as well. Plus, I have an adult novel that’s fully outlined that I can’t even start yet, plus another one in synopsis form that I would love to write at some point. Sigh.
You know, there was a time in my career when I couldn’t get published for the life of me. All my proposals went unsold, I have three unpublished novels in my hard drive, and god knows how many unanswered pitches to various magazines before I finally hit it. So now that people actually want to publish my writing, I’m just so grateful.
Of course I go through writers’ block. I sometimes just sit and stare at the computer screen for god knows how long. But I fight it–you have to–and I start to write gibberish. From the gibberish sentences form. I have no trouble writing outlines. I love writing outlines. But fleshing it out is another story. I hate writing first drafts. I much prefer the revision process, when everything–click, click, click, comes together.
Besides, the biggest revenge is to publish even more books, right? LOL.
What I have also been doing is planning our vacations. This is my favorite thing to do next to writing my books. Because the minute I finish a book I HAVE to get away to relax. My life is work-work-work-work and BIG RELAX. I think we’re going to drive down to the St. Regis Monarch Beach. It looks fantastic! And Guiliani Depandi and Bill Ranzic were just vacationing down there! Hey, me and the C-listers! That’s how we roll. LOL.
I’m hoping to get to St. Tropez this spring as well, so I can finally start writing SOCIAL LIFE. Everyone says to just take the baby along with us. I have several friends who know the scene there very well, and I can’t wait to start yacht-hopping!
Why do all the good things in life start with Saint? St. Regis. St. Tropez. St. Barth’s. Yummm.
Hoping everyone is having a scahhhn-dahlous summer!
xoxo
Mel