Busy, busy, busy

Handsome dude, isn't he.  It's the cover for my March book which is a reissue of a 1999 Murray book.  It's about Nigel, the second of the original 3 brothers.  Always wanted my name printed on a studly chest.  Snicker.

Things have been a little crazy here.  Yes, I finished IF HE"S WILD - which comes out in June - several weeks ago and have already been through the copy-edits, but now have the page proofs ready to be looked through.  Get them in the mail on Monday(along with a bunch of prizes won that need to get out, too) and then get back to finishing the next vamp tale.

The vamp tale was being touchy.  Adeline and Lachann were dragging their feet and I wasn't happy with the start.  So - in puzzling over it and typing up the first three pages to take to a writer's retreat yesterday - I suddenly had an idea how to perk up the beginning.  Took the prologue I had just created to the retreat, read it to my fellow RIRW(Rhode Island Romance Writers) members and got a great response so will now do some reworking of the start.

And that brings me to the value of such retreats.  They are small, they are usually attended by just your own writers' group, a few writer friends, or a limited number of attendees to one put on by a chapter.  Small numbers, writers intent on working on their craft and talking, talking, talking about writing.  I always find them enervating.  At a regular meeting of your writers group, there is business, then a talk by someone, and a few short breaks and then everyone has to go home.  Even a critique group can have a more or less set agenda.   A retreat is by the group, for the group, and for the art of writing.  Yes, there are some exercises and some talks but the biggest - and best - part is getting together with other writers and talking - even if sometimes it's just about all the other things in your life.

To my way of thinking - small is good.  There were 18 of us at this retreat.  A good turnout yet still intimate.  I've also been to one with just two women (although we hope to add to that number next year)  You want one where there can be a lot of talking, a lot of discussion, and the exercises can be done by all and enjoyed by all.   Sharing a small piece of your current work in progress for input by the others also gets the ball rolling and the input can be invaluable.

So now feel raring to go.  Have had some fun and a lot of inspiration as well as the very important boost to the spirit one gets from peer approval.  I'll get this vamp tale out and then start right to work on the next Murray story.  Simon Innes and his lady are itching for me to get off the stick and get working.  Now I am ready to do so.

Oh - and if any of you are in the area of Cumberland RI - I plus 14 other New England writers will be there to talk about their writing, sell, and sign their books.  Monday, 2/8 from 6:30 - 8:30pm at the Cumberland Library.  I'm going to try and find the link to put up but might not be able to get it up in time.  These things can often defeat me.  Check out my website for the full info and the link - http://www.hannahhowell.com/
Hope all of you in the path of those nasty snow storms are doing all right!  Take care and stay warm!