Jack London was credited with setting the precedent for writers of a thousand words a day. That seemed an impossible task until I tried it. Day in and day out, I worked at pumping out a thousand words a day. By day twenty-one (the magic number for change) I was breezing along and had my schedule adjusted so I had plenty of time for family.

Then I read Stephen King’s ON WRITING, and learned he disciplines himself to two thousand words a day! Good grief. But then I thought that if he can do it, so can I. And how about prolific Nora Roberts? How the heck does she manage to produce so many books a year? Recently, I read she’s been known to keep to her house for three weeks at a time. Another good grief. Does that woman even bother to dress?

There came a magical day when I was really in the flow. I wrote four thousand words. Whew, was I on a roll in the stratosphere, or what? That night I went tearing through my closet looking for my favorite nightgown. Couldn’t find it. Checked the hamper. Checked the washing machine. Finally I realized I was still wearing it! Ha…I’ll bet there are days Nora throws a sweater over her nightgown and doesn’t bother to dress either.

Anyway, I write a lot. A lot. And I consider myself pretty disciplined (except for that piece of cake now and then…chocolate anyone?). and it’s paying off. On Christmas Eve I signed with the Marsal Lyon Literary Agency. I love working with Jill Marsal!

And then I got some more good news:

2012 RWA® Golden Heart® Finalist

That’s right, on March 26, I received a call from a representative of Romance Writers of America® telling me I had finaled in their prestigious contest (sort of like the Academy Awards for writers) with my latest work. Yay! Here’s a peek:

A DUKE’S WICKED KISS

Miss Suri Thurston, illegitimate daughter of a duke and high-caste Indian royal, travels to India to confront a malevolent grandmother, and encounters a man who, ten years prior, left an indelible imprint on her soul. As covert head of the Queen’s Foreign Service, the Duke of Ravenswood’s duty is to prevent a mutiny, but when  Suri appears in a Delhi ballroom on a mission that wreaks havoc, he is forced to intervene, only to find his heart forever bound to hers. While their love can rise above the scandal of marriage, will deceit and treachery tear their world apart?