1. Her Counterfeit Husband is finished!
Firs of all, no matter how many times I tried to interview the heroine (Anna) and the butler (Appleton), my mind went blank, so I give up on trying to do one.
I plan to work on smoothing out the first draft the rest of this week and onto the weekend. With any luck, it’ll be off to the editor on Monday. *fingers crossed*
I’m really happened with how the story turned out, and I can honestly say I had no idea it would end the way it did. Well, obviously there was the happy ending. We all know the hero and heroine end up together with the happily ever after, but how they got there was the part I didn’t know until I was writing it. 😀
It’s always scary and exciting to write when I don’t know what will happen next. That’s why writing is mostly by instinct and the characters need to take the lead. Fortunately, Anna and Jason are two very easy characters to work with because they led me right along.
2. Clayton’s Win is back to Mitch’s Win but will Remain a Nebraska Book
Yes, I realize this is terribly confusing, but as I was reading through Isaac’s Decision to figure out Clayton’s background, I realized putting him as the hero would require a significant rewrite. Clayton’s father worked at the paper, and Clayton had a job he was happy with there. To remove him from that to plop him in a farm wouldn’t work well for his character. Wiley was the friend who worked on a farm, but I already have him paired up for a young pregnant widow I briefly mentioned in Isaac’s Decision. I’m thinking Clayton might end up with Eva Connealy. And I can already see that this will pose a problem between Isaac and Clayton since Emily and Eva can’t stand each other. 😛
So I’m going to have to stay with Mitch. But all I need to do is transfer it to Nebraska, and I can have Isaac befriend Mitch after Isaac’s Decision. I can see how Emily and her little sister Lizzie (aka Elizabeth) can add some fun to the book, but they will be mostly in the heroine’s (Heather’s) point of view.
So long story short, I’m changing the title back to Mitch’s Win. I know. It’s confusing, but the solution doesn’t always present itself right away.
I already know, however, that Mitch’s brother will end up with one of Dave and Mary’s daughters, and Lizzie Craftsman will end up with Greg Wilson (who is introduced in Mitch’s Win).
3. Bound by Honor, Bound by Love
It’s coming slowly. It might not end up as long as the books I’m used to writing, but I’ve never been a fan of reading a book that drags in the middle, and I refuse to write one that drags. So if I can’t make a full-length novel, then so be it. And that might be why it’s taking me so long to write it. I’m already at 34,600, and the pacing is excellent up to this point, but I don’t have too much more to go in all honesty. So I’m going to adjust the new word count goal to 50,000 words. I know I have at least 15,000 words to go. Any more than that is up to the characters.
4. A Most Unsuitable Husband
I’ll state upfront that Her Counterfeit Husband is not a comedy. There might be a few humorous parts, but it’s more of a drama (similar to Shotgun Groom, Bid for a Bride, etc in tone). I presented some harder issues in Her Counterfeit Husband, and without those harder issues, the book wouldn’t have turned out as well as it did. But each story is different and some are more serious than others.
A Most Unsuitable Husband, however, is definitely a comedy. It will be spicier on some levels because the storyline requires it and it’s fitting for a lady known as being a total wallflower to have a more sensually playful side to herself in order to fully develop as a character. And honestly, who better than an uptight “librarian” type of character to bring some fun to a “rake’s” life, esp. when that “rake” is secretly afraid she’ll discover he has no idea how to please a woman in bed. (Remember that jesting Lord Edon was doing with Lord Roderick in The Earl’s Inconvenient Wife?) That’s why I enjoyed that scene so much. I just knew he was the one who was really inept in the bedroom. But don’t worry. The heroine in A Most Unsuitable Husband (Lady Catherine from The Earl’s Inconvenient Wife) will help him in this area. I’m looking forward to it. 😀
5. The next post I’ll do will be to announce the winners of the Summer Reading Giveaway. 😀
Ruth Ann Nordin's Author Blog 
I’ve looked forward to Her Counterfeit husband for awhile. I’m happy to know I won’t have to wait much longer!
I’m trying to figure out if I want to read all the Nebraska series at once or skip around and read some of your other stuff in between. You have so many books out there! 🙂 I also need to get caught up on my reviews!
There’s no need to rush. I read books as they interest me because I get in the mood for different genres at different times. Right now, I’m into thrillers. 😀 That’s probably why Misery appeals to me as much as it does at the moment, though I admit after reading the warning about It, I’m thinking maybe I shouldn’t. If I understand right and it involves a child, I’d rather not since I get sick to my stomach for a couple days when reading stuff where that happens.
Regarding writing reviews, I don’t think I’ve written one in ages. I hope Amazon doesn’t forbid authors to write reviews. Before I was a writer, I was a reader, and just because I write books, it doesn’t mean I don’t still read. But at least there are other places that will still allow it.
It didn’t involve adults and children. Just children together. It just bothered me because they were just eleven.
I don’t know why Amazon would forbid authors to write reviews. I haven’t heard anything about that.
I understand. I think I’ll pass. I hate to read it because that is such a young age.
I’ve just heard about the Amazon thing from what people are saying on the forums. It’s not the most reliable source, but it makes me wonder if Amazon would do it if enough people complained to them about authors leaving reviews.
Yay I’ve been waiting for you to finish it, Is it just the first draft or completely finished? How many books have you finished writing now?
I just finished the first draft. It still has some editing to do, and since I hate editing, I’ve been taking my time with it. My editor has been with a sick daughter-in-law, so it works out that I’m going slow on this one. At last count, I believe I had 42 stories published (some are short, so it’s not that huge of a deal). However (and I hate to admit it but it’s true), the early ones with the vanity presses have a lot of errors in them and I can’t do anything about it. On the good side, they weren’t romance novels so few people read them. But I hate the fact that they’re even there. LOL These days, I just count the romance novels since that’s what I’m known for, and with Her Counterfeit Husband, I hit 26 books.
Heavens, Ruth…how do you have time to work so much in?
Well, last week was a total loss. Ironically, I got more stuff done when we went out and did something every day. I guess it’s because my kids were tired and rested. It’s nice when they don’t bounce off the walls. 😀