Well the plan with the Gothic Heat proofs was to read through a third of the book each day, then, after three days, start again on the second pass, with one day left to write up all the corrections...But instead, yesterday, I read through the whole thing in one long sitting! Maybe it was because there weren't any particularly major proofing snafus to deal with, or maybe it was because the new trade format has bigger, clearer print, I don't know... I only know that once I got started, I felt compelled to push on through and relive the story all over again.
Now this is rare. I used to devour one, maybe one and a bit Harlequin Presents novels in a day, when I was reading those, and I have been known to read large, large chunks of something like a Thomas Harris in a day, but lately, I must admit that I've become one of the slowest readers on the planet, even with books that I'm thoroughly enjoying. But somehow, Gothic Heat, my own creation, gripped me. Even though I was reading it for proofing purposes and checking for typos and whatnot... I found myself liking Paula, my heroine, and falling for Rafe, the hero, all over again. And also enjoying secondary characters like Michiko the white sorceress and her lovers Hiro and Balthazar. I even, in a backwards about way, felt a smidgen of sympathy for the villainess, Isidora... although only a smidgen, I must admit.
Shall I read the whole thing through again today, for the second pass? [I always, always find more typos on the second pass, even if I think I've got them all on the first.] Probably not... I'm two days ahead on the job, so I think I need a mind clearing day before I tackle it again. Perhaps I'll spend a little time later on, checking some of the flagged up things against the manuscript... or perhaps I won't? We'll see...
But it does feel strange to have enjoyed my own story so much. Mainly because Gothic Heat was a difficult book to write, and during its writing I often felt I'd made a mistake agreeing to do it because a] it's ten years since Gothic Blue and b] I began from a standing start, with virtually no plot or outline or anything, just the simple commission to write 'a sequel'. And yet, it all turned out okay, or at least it seems to have worked out okay. I've ended up with a story I really like, with quite a touching love story at the heart of it.
I don't know what readers and reviewers of Gothic Heat will think of it, and I'm sure they'll find plenty of faults and shortcomings in it - but at least I've enjoyed reading it again! :)
Does this all sound big-headed? Do other authors feel this way about their work?
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Telly: not yet
Choc/Yummy: not yet
Mood: okay, but strange
Writing: checking Gothic Heat
Reading: Claiming the Courtesan
RSI/FMS: tired, achy, same old, same old
Don't forget Portia's Promos - new stuff being added all the time!
