Last week started off very gently, with me working my way towards the end of Haunted Warriors (The Rogues book 3). I love being in the middle of writing a book – there’s something very peaceful about it. Especially since I’m still working in my new office, i.e. in bed. 🙂

In the gaps, I was working on a twenty-five minute talk for the Byron Bay Writers Festival at the end of July.

But halfway through the week, things started piling in. Firstly, I was asked (and agreed) to write an introduction for an anthology of short stories that I had helped judge. Secondly, the designer of my new website sent me the links so I could start writing material for it (including a previously unpublished short story, ‘The Last Brizzlehound’.

Thirdly, I received the typeset pages for Secret Guardians (The Rogues book 2) with a note that it has to go to the printer a month early because they’ve got a bottleneck of hardbacks coming up and they won’t be able to meet their delivery dates unless they get it early. So could I please proofread it really quickly.

As my favourite character in Secret Guardians would say, ‘Eek!’

I thought the proofreading would be fairly straightforward, as there usually isn’t too much to do by that stage. But when I came to the last few chapters, I realised there were problems. Things slowed down a bit too much. And I wasn’t happy with the motivations of one of the characters, Sooli, because it made her seem a bit nasty, which she isn’t.

So I’ve spent the last few days cutting out the slow bits, making corrections, and trying to get Sooli right. I think I’ve got it now. I will reread my changes tomorrow, then get it all off to Kate, my editor.

Then I’ll get back to Haunted Warriors. And the anthology introduction, which is one of those things I tear my hair over. And then the talk for Byron Bay. And then the website. As long as nothing else comes up in the meantime.

Really, I like it much better when things are quiet.