Baby, I'm Back

Christmas and New Year are now over and done with for another twelve months -- or ten, if you believe that Christmas starts when the shops designate it. I had a lovely chunk of time off, with lots of great presents (bloke gave me a laser printer!), a bunch of good books, plates of yummy food, and good times with friends. We had a New Year's Eve party which I really enjoyed, and after which we had our first overnight guests. We must have done well as host and hostess because they ended up staying an extra night!

So now it's back to the grindstone. I know I originally planned to have my book finished by Christmas, but it just didn't happen. However, with only two chapters still remaining, my new goal is to have the finished product revised and ready for submission to Silhouette in time for Valentine's Day. I thought that would be a nice marker. And as of next week I will no longer be working Wednesdays, so I will have more time to spend on finishing up and editing.

Today I have also sent off my application form and cheque to join the Romantic Novelists' Association, of which Nell is already a member. I know that she has found her membership to be very valuable and I have heard lots about the annual conference. I thought about joining the RNA in January last year, but I didn't feel like I quite "qualified" in a funny way. It's as if I didn't feel like I was quite ready, but now I feel much more serious about it.

So that's my update. And here's the list of books I consumed over the holidays:

Husbands by Adele Parks
For Her Protection by Lauren Giordano
Out of Sight by Elmore Leonard
Manhunt by Carla Cassidy
Life Swap by Jane Green