Is this the One?

I haven’t posted a blog in a LONG time (over 1 month!). Where has the time gone? I have been entrenched, cranking out a new picture book manuscript; and, it is my first Christian one. YEAH! I have it memorized and even my girls do. I love to hear them chant their favorite lines while walking around the house or during play. I walk around, head held high, pretending that they are reading it for REAL. Time flies by for me when I am writing a new manuscript. There are not enough hours in the day to write when I am in the groove! This time I am promising myself that I will not edit it to death! I have received some wonderful feedback recently from two of my closest friends, "Angela, I think this is the one! YOU need to leave it the way it is." These friends know me very well because this is totally going against every fiber of my being! I met with an agent after writing my first manuscript and she gave me the same advice and I didn't listen. I worked feavorishly for one month to recreate the entire thing! Why is it so hard to take trusted advice and move forward with it? Why am I so nervous? Maybe because now I am exploring the not so fun part of writing (once again) - the part that requires researching editors. The part that will see rejection eye to eye. It feels like I am getting ready to travel on a camel across the Mohave Desert with 100 mile an hour gail force winds in my eyes. And my eyes are already bug-eyed from all of the coffee that I am drinking to stay awake until 3 in the morning! Each step forward is painful, but necessary. Which editor will possibly look at my work? Which editor will even look at an unpublished author? Which editor will even look at a PB manuscript these days? The prayers begin...I have to admit that I am somewhat of a princess too. I just want to write, be a mom, play with my girls, and read my picture books to a bunch of excited, runny nose, silly little kids. If only I could hire someone to edit all of my work, AND research editors for me, AND read all of the latest market scoop, AND figure out this confusing blog stuff, AND bring me my coffee and chocolate. A girl can dream, can't she?