What I’ve been up to

This week-end I’ve been busy reading my writing buddy’s latest draft of her novel. I’m so excited and awed by her talent!

On the other hand, I’ve been putting revising on my own piece on hold . I don’t really know why. I should be excited. I am excited and I want do it it quickly, but as soon as I open my laptop, I keep on delaying it. Am I unconsciously afraid?

EDIT –  Subconsciously. That’s what I get for writing my posts at midnight  （＞ｍ＜）

First round of edits

I forgot to post this Monday. Unbelievably, I realized it after watching a Doctor Oz show about improving one’s memory LOL
You might have also noticed the lack of Valentine’s day love from my blog. that’s ’cause I’m lonely and bitter. Σ(▼□▼メ) Maybe next year? Who knows …
Anyhow, at the end of last week I received my fist manuscript edits. Man, I have so many things to work on! I love it. Not the work part (>_<), but I love seeing the cracks in my writing, having more insight on what to improve. For me it's a very new experience and I felt a little bad seeing what the poor editor  had to struggle with. There were so many redundant words and many over-used words (I swear I won't  use "annoying", "annoyance" or " annoyed"  in the next ten manuscripts, at least) that made me feel quite ashamed of myself. The good part is that I feel very energetic about this revision (umm… kinda' – I'm switching between being happy and getting depressed at how much I need to revise)
I’m extremely thankful to my editor. And I’m also very anxious to please her and my future readers.

Cherish your life!

Last Friday I witness a traffic accident. Two people, husband and wife, were speeding on the highway in order to get home faster. It was dark and rainy; they hit a van. The van driver had tried to avoid them, but it was too late. They both died on the spot. Now their two children are orphan.
It was quite a shock to witness this kind of thing. We see it on the news all the time, but we never actually realize just how easy people die. It made me aware of the fact that I’m never thankful enough for being alive and healthy and for having my parents by my side. So, my message for you today is to treasure your life! When was the last time you told the people close to you that you love them and that you’re thankful for them? I told my parents that after I got home that night.

The Next Big Thing blog hop

I want to thank Azalea Moone for tagging me for this blog hop. Seems like a great opportunity to talk about my book.Thank you, AZ.
Here it goes.

What is the working title of your book?

My novella, at least for now, is called “Love Rivals”.

Where did the idea come from for the book?

Hmmm… It started with a scene where the MC is sitting on a couch and he’s over-the-moon happy that his crush is next to him. Only between them, much to mis dismay, there’s another guy who’s flirting with the MC’s crush. I don’t know what inspired me to write that scene, but as soon as I did it, I had that eureka moment and I knew I had to write a story about rivals becoming lovers.

What is the genre of the book?

Contemporary M/M romance.

Which actors would you choose to play your characters in a movie rendition?

I’m not a big fan of movies, honestly. In fact, I barely have time to watch TV, but when I do have time to watch something, I’d rather watch j-doramas or k-dramas (Asian TV series, basically). Korean boys are a huge source of inspiration for me. Unfortunately, most aren’t redheads like how I imagine my MC or have amberish eyes like I imagine my other MC. And all are so handsome, its really hard to choose only two XD

But, I guess, if I were to ignore the appearance and base my choice on the feel of a certain image, I think the way these two guys look in these pictures, matches the image of my main characters.

My MC, Aiden, is a very childish, cheeky guy with a bit of a foul mouth. I think this image suits him well:

This actor’s name is Song Joong Ki. Here’s him in another pic:

My other MC, Jordan, tends to be very snappy and vengeful towards Aiden at the begining, but he’s actually a really nice guy. Only a bit of an introvert. So I think this guy looks like him (Lee Min Ho, one of the most gorgeous Korean actors ever)

What is the one-sentence synopsis of your book?
Love rivals become lovers.

Will your book be self-published or represented by an agency/publisher?

Well, unbelievably so, Love Rivals was accepted by Less Than Three Press and it will be released in July 2013.

How long did it take you to write the first draft of your manuscript?

The first draft didn’t take more than a month I guess, taking into account the fact that I write very slowly. Editing, though, took more than a couple of months.

What other books would you compare this story to within your genre?
I’ve read very few enemies-to-lovers stories, so I don’t have a particular book to compare it with. But I guess it would be similar to many books in this particular subgenre.

Who or what inspired you to write this book?

I really don’t know. I generally have a weakness for enemies-to-lovers themed books or for friends-to-lovers ones, so most of the things I write tend to turn into something like this. What can I say? Clichés are my favorite things 😛

What else about your book might pique the reader’s interest?
Umm. That’s a hard question. My book is light and cute and it doesn’t transmit a very strong or important message, aside from the fact that love is an unexpected thing. I think it’s a nice comfort read when you need a break from all the stress real life throws at you. And also,  I might think it’s funny. But that’s just me being biased.

Okay, because most of my friends don’t have blogs yet, I’m tagging Amanda   and Traci for this hop. If anyone else wants to be tagged, leave a comment here or PM me.