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I've been very remiss on my blogging lately, but that's because I've been wrestling with the "sh*tty first draft* of a new book. After writing 11,000 words in third person past, I had this sudden insight that actually it needed to be in first person present, but with alternating points of view, in order to create more suspense, because then the reader will only know what the MC knows. It's also the first time I've ever written a suspense novel, so I leaped on the offer from an avid suspense book reader middle school friend that I reconnected with on Facebook whose kindly said he would read early drafts and help me with pacing. aprilhenry also sent me some useful tips, which I'm going to pin above my workspace.

So now I'm rewriting what I've done so far in first person, and it's amazing how the manuscript has suddenly come to life. It's like I've slipped into a pair of comfortable slippers after dancing all night in stilettos. I hate to think that it's because first person is what I'm used to, and that I'm just a one trick pony who will never have the ability to write effectively in third person. But I genuinely feel for this novel, it's what works - at least until my editors tell me otherwise!

Research for this book has been fascinating. I had to write to FBI Headquarters in DC for permission and send them all my questions in advance, but after months of waiting, I finally got the go ahead to meet with the supervisory special agent of my local FBI office in New Haven, CT. He was incredibly helpful, and gave me a lot of good ideas for the book, some of which required reworking what I'd done so far anyway and changing certain plot points.

Now I just need more time. Time without kids interrupting me to tell me that they're bored or need to be driven somewhere. As much as I love the lazy routines of summer, I'm getting ready for school to start so I have hours of lovely uninterrupted writing time to try to crank this thing out so I can then get to the part I like best, revising. Hands up if you would rather revise than write. (*ME! ME!*)

Meanwhile, LIFE, AFTER (July 2010) is moving ahead - my avatar is the cover, which I love, and I've just added a new page to my website about it. More to come in the near future.

I've read two wonderful books by LJ friends in the last two weeks: SAY THE WORD by onegrapeshy aka Jeannine Garsee and JUMPING OFF SWINGS by joknowles Both are highly recommended. Daughter has already read and loved Jumping off Swings (and apparently been book talking it to my neighbor) and is about to start Say the Word.

I also highly recommend the film JULIE AND JULIA. Daughter and I went to see it and we both loved it. Meryl Streep is amazing. She should get an Oscar for her portrayal of Julia Child. She made me want to come home and start sauteing everything I possibly could in mounds and mounds of gorgeous butter. I mean, I'm on Lipitor, so it's okay, right?

Fear not, dear readers, I am restraining my butter urges, although I did sneak a tiny but into the pan with the PAM when I was sauteing mushrooms and garlic, just for flavor the other morning. It made the omelette taste sooo much better.