So I got my butt in gear, wrote 13, 248 words, and finished the rough draft of Assassin 3 this weekend. Huzzah! :ww:

Word count: 90,016.

How long it took me to write: About 6-8 weeks.

Finishing the craptastic first draft: Priceless.

I’ve written/revised the three Assassin books back-to-back-to-back since June, so I’m taking a couple of weeks off from heavy-duty writing before I start doing revisions for my editor on Assassin 1 and hear what my agent thinks about Assassin 2. I think I’ve earned it.

I’m planning to dive into my TBR pile and whittle that down a little before Christmas rolls around. I also need to do some other housekeeping stuff, like clean my house and update the Web site (and finally post the first chapter of the Assassin book for you guys to read).

But I’m looking forward to a little break from writing — at least until I get another idea for a new book. 😉

What about you guys? Anyone do anything fun this weekend?

So I attended the book events that were part of the annual Women’s Expo in Kingsport, Tenn. this weekend. There was a dinner Friday night and then a book signing Saturday. (Some folks also signed books Sunday, but I was busy working on Assassin 3).

I got to meet several authors, including Julia Quinn and Teresa Medeiros. They both write historicals, and both of them were super-nice. Very funny too. Lora Leigh was also there, but unfortunately, I didn’t really get a chance to talk to her, and I only got to talk to Kay Stockham for a few minutes before the signing on Saturday. (If you’ve ever seen Kay in person, you know how gorgeous she is). I’d always like more time to chat with folks. Ah, well. Maybe at the next event I see them at. 

I also got to speak with some readers and other folks I know, like fellow Smoky Mountain Romance Writer members Jessie Verino and Trista Ann Michaels. And then, I got to talk to folks at the expo who stopped by the table where the book signing was.

I thought the dinner on Friday night was especially fun thanks to the guest speakers Valerie Ramsey and Joanna Campbell Slan. After raising her kids, Valerie got into modeling — in her 60s! And Joanna reminded us all how very blessed we are with her funny talk. Seriously, Joanna was hysterical and had everyone laughing out loud. If her books are as funny as she is, you will be giggling the whole time you read them.

Overall, it was a very fun time. I plan on attending again next year (it’s always held the third weekend in October). Jim Butcher is scheduled to be the big guest author next year, and the organizers are hoping to bring in some more urban fantasy writers. If any author or reader out there wants more details, just send me an e-mail, and I’ll get you in touch with the event organizers.

Note: I actually took some photos this time, but for some reason, WordPress isn’t letting me upload them. Grrr! 👿

What about you guys? Did anyone do anything fun this weekend?