Recharged and Rearing to go

Last weekend, I went to my chapter's retreat featuring Deb Dixon with 15 chaptermates.
It was totally AWESOME!
Deb had expressed interest in my 4th novel, Leprechaun C0nnection. While it didn't work for the Belle Bridge imprint, she gave me invaluable feedback. So I sent her a couple of chapters of my next story, Demon Connection. She liked many things about this UF, but a few other items bothered her. I have them listed as my mantra that I must chant prior to each writing session.
1) complex, not complicated
2) magic, not mechanical or scientific
3) FOCUS
last, but certainly not least:
4) K.I.S.S. Keep It Simple, Stupid!
All of the above are excellent things to keep in mind, especially coming from a gal who never thought she'd have another story idea beyond the first one. Now the problem is that I have too many and want to put them all in the same story!
Deb is also the first person in the publishing biz who showed interest in my stories. After 6 years of writing, I finally have the validation that I had been searching for. With her encouragement, I have ordered numerous books, researching how author's started their first books in a series. I'm excited to report that I just got STORM FRONT by Jim Butcher and I intend to take notes as I read, which will be difficult since I tend to get wrapped up in the story.
Happy reading & happy writing