Obviously, having incentive can do wonders to kick a writer’s behind into gear.  I made awesome progress in The Earl’s Stolen Bride and my novel in A Groom’s Promise.  At the end of this month, my mother-in-law is coming for a visit and I have a conference in Arizona.  I want to get the first drafts to both done by May 23.

 I am now at chapter 16!  (I just hit the 40,000 word mark today.  The total word count is supposed to be 65,000 words.  This puts my chapter goal around 22-24 chapters.)  So I’m well over the halfway point.  My goal is 1500 words a day (at least).   If I can keep up that pace, I can make my goal.  *fingers crossed*

I am in love with Chloe and Orlando.  I’m really enjoying their story.  When I introduced their romance back in The Earl’s Secret Bargain, I never expected to be as wrapped up in their romance as I am.  I fall in love when my characters do, but there are some couples whose love seem to run a little deeper than the others, and this is one of them.

My story in this anthology will definitely be a full-length novel.  I’m very pleased with the way this story is playing out.  I have seventeen chapters in this so far.  I’m expecting there to be about 21-23 chapters total.

This story has not turned out at all like I expected.  The hero starts out as so awkward and shy, but then he decided he doesn’t want to stay that way.  As soon as he realizes the heroine returns his feelings, he developed this newfound courage I never saw coming.  I’ve been writing long enough to know that if a character is going to be a certain way, then I need to let him be that way.

Not to give away too much, but it really put a damper on the wedding night since I had hoped he’d hide in the barn to avoid her.  That was supposed to be really funny scene.  But now I can’t use it.  Maybe I can do it in another book.  (Sometimes I hate it when characters won’t let me do the incredibly awesome scene I wanted to.)  But Jack wins.  He gets to the wedding night his way.