[[Welcome to my weekly writer’s diary where I’ll share my “Woot Woot!” moments and the not so “woot woot” moments of my writing world. And, yes, I might even share the occasional musing or two about reading and writing, two of my favorite things!]]

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Dear Diary,

            It’s Thursday ~ 03/14/13 ~ and…

I’m setting new deadlines!

I was reminded a couple of days ago that RomCon 2013 is right around the corner.  I do know that. I’m helping to organize the romance convention being held in Colorado Springs, Colorado, June 20-23rd, after all.  But what didn’t quite hit me until now was how close that event date was as it pertained to me.

For those who don’t know what RomCon 2013 <http://www.romcon.com/> is, it’s an annual romance lovers convention. It’s a fun-filled weekend where romance authors and readers can mingle, play games, chat, have breakfast, lunch, and dinner together, dress to the nines, and simply immerse themselves in their love for the romance genres. All of the genres. The food and events are excellent, the company even better.

I attended my first two conventions as a reader. It was wonderful to hang with the authors whose writing I’d loved and admired for years, authors who’d inspired me along my own writing journey.  Of course, I’m still an avid romance reader as I mentioned last week when I talked about the books I’m currently judging. However, I now have the pleasure of riding both sides of the fence at the convention and that’s so much fun.  I can hardly wait to attend RomCon this year.

But wait!

When my critique partner reminded me of the looming deadline for author promotion, it hit me like a ton of bricks.  I’m not ready!  At the back of my mind, I’d envisioned attending the convention with my new romantic suspense, Killing Secrets, in hand.  I’d convinced myself that I had plenty of time to finish the book, get it published, and sitting in a box at my feet ready for signing. After all, I had until June. Right?

“Not hardly!” as my favorite actor, John Wayne, “The Duke”, is famous for saying.  The truth is, I need to publish this book in the next 60 days or forget my plans to effectively unveil it at RomCon.  60 days…that’s all the time I have to get it ready to share with readers. I not only have to finish the book, but take care of all of the publication chores that surround it’s release, including formatting, promotion, creating swag, etc. Etc. Etc.

This is a relatively new self-publishing challenge for me.  Not something I’ve had much experience with to date. It’s so easy as a self-published author to not set deadlines.  “No one’s waiting for it, so no worries if I don’t write today!” I’ve been guilty of this mindset in the past but I was doing pretty well at writing regularly until my surgeries took over my life before the holidays. Those surgeries and the subsequent recovery difficulties did a number on my personal writing deadlines.

What’s interesting is that it isn’t really the writing deadline that’s throwing me for a loop.  I know I can finish this book in 60 days, despite the fact I’m still fighting to recover from this most recent knee surgery. I also have a vacation coming up soon which will cut into my time. I’ve analyzed my expected novel length and know that I can meet the minimum daily word count I need to finish.

It’s the business end of my career where I hiccupped.  I’m still feeling my way as a self-employed writer and don’t know all the ins-and-outs of what I need to do outside of my writing. So, when these new challenges come my way, I’m not quite as prepared as I’d like.

It’s a good thing I’m a fast learner, huh?  Lesson learned.  Challenge accepted.  New deadlines set. Killing Secrets will be in my suitcase when I leave for the convention.

Oh! Two last things before I go.

I’m celebrating my birthday by giving away two Amazon gift cards in the amount of $10 to two lucky readers who comment on my Novel Gems ~ Satin Pleasures Birthday Bash blog, Tuesday, March 12th.  Stop by that blog and leave a comment. I’ll announce the two winners on my actual birth date Monday, March 18th. Good luck!

For those who haven’t read my romantic comedy release, Satin Pleasures, my hero and heroine’s first kiss is being highlighted at Amorous Avenue at www.romcon.com today. Don’t be put off by the Over-18 cover page.  Yes, some of the shared excerpts can be spicy, even erotic. My first kiss excerpt, however, is not.  Happy Reading!

See you next Thursday for another rousing entry in Karen’s Diary Drop-In….