First Time Here

Whew, I'm here! Okay, truth is, I've been awake and semi alert for hours, but its Sunday and I started off by being lazy. Then I decided to weed the garden before it got too hot. Of course, following that, shower time. There's something incredibly grounding about having a garden. I don't grow a lot of different things and the main course is always tomatoes, real home-tasting tomatoes, not those plastic things the stores--

Okay, back on task here. As I said in my title, I haven't blogged at Loose Ends before. This bugs me because I blog elsewhere and love writing for Loose ID. How I slipped off I don't know, but I'm ready to try to make up for lost time.

First, isn't the cover for Galen's Pet a killer!!! I love it, love the colors, the hunky male body. Have to laugh a bit at all the rope around my heroine's torso. One thing for sure, she's not going anywhere Galen doesn't want her to go. For those of you who've read other Vonna Harper erotica, you know I focus a lot on bondage and there's no doubt of that in this cover. I don't consider my work BDSM although it often gets that label. I keep thinking I can write about women (always the women, never the men) who get off on pain, but that's not a place I personally can relate to and so far I can't get my characters to take that leap. But bondage and capture, ah yes, now there's a great fantasy! Don't want it in real life because then I won't be able to weed the garden and the gophers will probably take over, but stratigically-placed rope and loss of freedom in the hands of the hunkiest hunk on the planet, siigh! Now you're talking.

Gzz, I can't believe how scattered I am. My initial plan was to focus on my editor. In my opinion, editors are the unsung heroes of the writing biz. My Loose ID editor is Ann Curtis, a woman I've never met but desperately love. She's a blast to work with. IMO, her greatest skill is her ability to zero in on the flaws in my writing and coming up with the exact right solution. Granted, probably because I've been writing fiction since dirt was new, I know a lot about this gig. But I don't know a writer who won't admit that they're so close to their characters and plot that they can't see the whole forest for the trees. That's where skillful editors earn their keep. Ann hasn't bought everything I've sent her, and that's no fun, but the once or twice when she didn't, in retrospect I had to admit she was right.

In contrast, the stories she has approved, well that's where the real fun is. She strokes what needs to be strokeds. She's upfront and fun. We speak a kind of writing shorthand which says to me that we're on the same page. She's gone to bat for me with a copy editor and when the release date for Galen's Pet was kicked way up, she rolled up her sleeves and handled her end of things like a pro.Last week I sent her something that's been languishing with another publisher, asking her opinion. She zeroed in on exactly what I did. Now the ball's back in my court to live up to her expectations. I'm looking forward to that because Ann, my partner with Loose ID believes in me.

Yes, that's what it all boils down to for a writer, an editor who believes in us. Ann, this one's for you.

Vonna

www.VonnaHarper.com