I heard back from whispers and it's good news. The editor has read the first pages, loves the changes, and thinks the book is now a lot better.
THANK YOU GOD.
Because I was worried there, for a bit. This book has had a rocky start, but if I become a better writer it's worth it. I figure about two or three print books a year would be enough to live on, since that's about a minimum wage job. And a romance book is about five thousand advance, roughly. For beginners.
But let's rip out eyes off that tantalizing future and back to dull reality of the here and now.
Reading other romance books has helped a lot. Look at how the author does the work. Hot verbs. Lots of adjectives. Prolonged kissing scenes that lead to short sex scenes, with sensuous metaphors and similes for the kissing, hard action for the actual sex scene.
You don't want to copy what other authors have done, but allow them to set your own style free. I felt braver about purple prose and using more adjectives after reading Lisa Kleypas.
But mostly, I think, it's the editors who have helped with the writing.
Well that and getting away from work long enough to write.
and-
Thank God they love the book!
on to the next one, soon.