Book Progress Update

Bitter Confessions is currently at 126k words, and I’m certain by the end of rewrites, will be extremely close to Bitter Secrets word count of 135k words. I honestly wouldn’t be surprised if I surpassed book two’s word count. I hope not, but if I do… it is what it is.

I’m past the halfway point and nearing the last third of the book. This may not sound like massive progress, but for me, it’s everything! I can finally see the flag at the finish line. It’s still a ways away. I have to squint to see it, but I can see it, which is all that matters.

The changes I made at the beginning of the book has resulted in massive rewrites in almost every chapter. I’ve had to add, rearrange, delete, or tweak dozens of scenes. Even taking away a single line of dialogue can change the flow of a conversation. I had to go back to the drawing board and reimagine/reinvent some scenes before diving back in to restructure and salvage what I can.

Rewrites are the devil and the stage that some authors hate the most. I think this may be my favorite part? I like building on what already exists. It takes forever because you’re cutting and pasting lines, adding description here and there. You’re fleshing out ideas and leaning into topics you weren’t sure you wanted to explore in the first draft… and sometimes you realize it doesn’t work and you’ll stick the the original. The only downside with rewriting is how much time it takes. Even though I want to rush through the process and I panic about how long it’s taking, I know the only way for the book to get done is to be calm and enjoy the process. It’ll all work out.

As you can tell, the rhythm of this book is very different from the others in that there are these massive, long-running scenes that I love and hate. They’re effective in letting us get a real idea of what it’s like to walk in their shoes, since there are no breaks. But it’s a bitch to keep the action, dialogue, emotion going. For example, the first 7 chapters are basically one scene. The Thanksgiving, back to New York scene is 3 interwoven chapters. The scene you guys are going into now (chapters 11–13) is one long scene and the last 4 chapters (where I think I’ll do the most rewrites) is another humongous scene with lots of action, dialogue, and emotional ups and downs. I know I’m going to have my hands full when I get to that point, but I’m trying not to think about it. I’ll worry about it when I get there.

Just as a rambling side note: The elevator sex scene in the beginning didn’t exist in the first draft. The first sex scene was supposed to be after Thanksgiving dinner in C10. Originally, it was this tender scene of them reconnecting and recommitting to one another. But because of the elevator sex scene and him asking for a recommitment in the opening chapters, I had to do major rewrites to make that second sex scene meaningful while also deepening their connection and keeping it true to their characters. And because that sex scene changed, the sex scene in C12 had to evolve, which also impacts the sex scene in C14, which was pivotal in the original draft. It’s caused a domino effect of changes. I don’t know why I do this to myself. 😩

I feel like I’m slowly picking up steam and heading downhill. I know I still have quite a bit of work ahead of me, but I’m plodding away and making progress. Overall, I’m really happy with how the book is turning out. I’m still thinking this is my favorite so far in the series. I love their evolution as individuals and as a couple. They’re both being more authentic and the confessions in this book really live up to the title. I don’t know what it is about this couple that makes me keep adding to the word count. I feel a wee bit obsessed with them, but I guess that’s a good thing since I’m going to be with them for a while.

Thank you all for hanging in there! I’m so sorry the rewrites are taking so long! I always underestimate how much time I need. But we are making progress! I wish the book wasn’t so long. If this was a normal 100k word book, I’d be a few chapters from being done instead of just halfway through. OMG. I hope the next book isn’t this long. And the craziest part is, this book covers barely a month in the timeline! Hence, me thinking the series will be 6 books. As you guys can tell, I’m not a plotter writer. I know where I want the story to go and how it ends, but I don’t know what happens in between. I let that stuff sort of bloom on the spot. I had no idea when I wrote Bitter Heat that the series would become what it is. Thank God, I love Roth and Jasmine and their world—and there are readers who enjoy them too! I hope you're enjoying the story so far. Thank you for sticking with me. We’re getting there!

**Just as a reminder, I don’t read comments under the chapter posts because it distracts me from rewrites and also, this is still a raw draft, not the final. Things will still change on the final polish. Feel free to discuss it amongst yourselves, though, and I always check the chat so you can reach me there!

Personal Update:

I feel a lot better this month. I’m enjoying life in the Pacific Northwest and am more comfortable and settled. My mom went back to Hawaii to decide what she wants to do with her life, so that’s been a load off my shoulders.

Overall, I’m just focused on finishing the book. I’m getting a second wind now that we’re in the final half. I need this thing done and off my plate, so I can take a breather! Ahh! There’s so much I’ve put on hold until this book comes out. I am going to freaking cry when I finally send this to the editor!