It's off!

I just emailed my manuscript to the HMB offices in London! YAY! Now I can watch the Alias Series Finale.

A few things I learned during polishing:

- I called my hero (Jared) by two other names: Jake (from a book I wrote before selling) and Reed (from Santa Brought a Son)

- Tom Welling is cute, but he wasn't my hero. Don't worry, Tori and Lissa, you'll still get your books. But I learned yesterday my muse should have been Russell from INVASION. Yep, he was right in front me this entire time. So I had to go back in and add a dimpled smile. I just knew Jared was missing something. The scene where he is sweaty and doesn't have a shirt on tipped me off!

- By getting rid of the extra THATs, I lost a page. Some thing with, THING. I also overused the words LOOK, ALREADY, RIGHT NOW and FOCUSED. Not to mention a few others.

- By going back and searching on the word IT, and actually putting what I meant by IT into words, you can strengthen the sentence. Not that I'm suggesting not using IT, because I do, but there are instances the detail improves the writing.

- Smiles, unless they are dimpled or tell us something about the characters emotion, are worthless. As are most glances, gazes and looks. I still use the words/phrases, but not as much as I used to.

- Other words I could use for STALEMATE. IMPASSE, DEADLOCK, STAND-OFF. DRAW.

- I didn't have a lot of kissing in the book so I added three in the last chapter. And it's only ten or so pages long!

Huge hugs and kisses to my hubby who kept me fed and watched the kids so I could get this book finished on time. Now he's a true hero!

I'm going to relax now. Talk to you on Wednesday!