Calzones

I made my first calzones today. The first was kinda crumby. A teeny burnt, too thick, and I put too much sauce in it. Don't worry though. I decided research was a good idea AFTER the first one, so I looked for tips online and tweaked for the second and it came out looking very, very nice and not leaking even a little bit. I'm not sure how I feel about calzones. Most of the time they sound amazing but end up being a folded pizza with not enough flavors to make it worth it. Yet once in a while I get a calzone that is spicy and meaty without giving me heartburn and I go home feeling awesome. The calzones I made tonight were good as far as calzones go, but they were definitely of the first variety. I want to get good enough to make the second type. So. I'm gonna try ricotta on the next one.

As for my second edit: it is finished and looked over again and again. I feel really good about the changes I made. Bookstore Guy Steve gave the changes his thumbs up tonight (thanks for a look-see on such short notice). I knocked about eight thousand off the word count and it makes the story move along much faster. Adding chapter tags also helps artificially increase the pace as it gives readers strong markers for their progress.

I've been considering what to work on next. A lot of it will depend on my next conversation with my agent. I sent her a Promise of Blood sequel synopsis to glance at and I need to brainstorm book 3. I'm seriously considering a pitch for a five book series at this point as I think three is too short for the story I want to tell. That may not be sellable, however. You know. Me being a new author and all.

I hesitate to start book two until we've gotten a nibble from an editor. I have a subtle fear in the back of my mind that all of this will be for naught, and no one will accept my book and I'll have to go back to square one. So much for unwavering self confidence.

I really want to get back to a previous project. Not to the exclusion of a PoB sequel, of course, but rather as another brand to stick in the fire. If it takes Caitlin a month to get back to me with her edit of PoB, I may very well be able to have a finished Drums of War for her to look at. I feel that I have learned so very much from the experience with PoB that I can apply that to my old books (both DoW and Butcher's Price) and make some serious revisions and have a set of fantastic books to offer. Both DoW and BP were good books. I've become a better writer since completing them, and I've learned a great deal about storytelling and I can make them into sellable books.

So there's my musings for the night. I have an amazing feeling of being able to write anything right now--it's the same feeling I had before my five month marathon that culminated in Promise's completion. I think it's a good way to start the new year.