Monday, June 28th, 2010
Rejections suck.
That’s all — you may now return to your regularly scheduled life.
Archive for June, 2010
Friday, June 25th, 2010
Tell me it isn’t so!!!! Yet another week has flown by. I’ve been doing lots of busy work, packaging up partial manuscripts to ship off to agents (squee) and a publisher (double-squee), editing the existing words in my WIP to reflect the new direction for the story, and meeting with my writing buddy, Virginia (Amanda was AWOL this week because of her birthday). I came home with an armful of craft books (thanks, Virginia!) to work through as I continue to strive to improve my writing and my voice. However, even with all that ‘work’ accomplished, I didn’t get many “new” words written, as I am a painfully slow editor (and a sometimes slow writer, as well). However, as you can tell, there were lots of good news this week, along with the opportunity for an award!
The Covey Awards have been restarted. This email is to notify you that your entry has been posted on the site. The entry will go live on Thursday July 1st at midnight. Voting will open midday on July 2nd and will remain open until midnight on July 15th.
Title: Crisscross
Entry #: 20
Month: June
In case you’ve forgotten what the gorgeous cover looks like:
So, if you get a chance, please go vote!
I also got a spiffy new review for The Werewolf Whisperer from Sabine at Manic Readers!
Ms. Scott’s tale of werewolves in a strange town that isn’t even on the map is written in such a believable way that the reader indentifies (sic) and even has some empathy for what happens to the main characters—people who just happened to be in the wrong place at the wrong time. There were some hot scenes, but these didn’t overpower the telling of the story and added to its depth.
You can read the entire review HERE.
Oh, the family? They are doing fine. Drama Teen is almost officially Driving Teen. She passed her written test yesterday and goes for her first instructor-given driving lesson on Monday. Then, I’m sure all I’ll be hearing for the next few months is “Can I go driving?” as we have to get 50 hours of practice in over the next six months.
It was water slide day at Summer Day Camp. Love those days when all the boys have to wear is swim trunks, t-shirts, and sunscreen.
Inertia boy has had some difficulties listening and doing his RADalisious best to control all the kids/all the time (stealing game pieces so no one can play, acting up so no one can watch movies, etc.). He has today to turn it around. If not, he’ll be staying home one day next week playing “punish the parent.” Amazingly, he’s been doing better with rational thinking, so I’m trying to think positive.
And not to be left out, Scooter has picked up some really delightful vocabulary words at the camp (I’m blaming the older boys)…and has been threatened that if I hear any of them at home, there’s a bar of soap with his mouth’s name on it. He, of course, ran into the bathroom to see if it really did have his name on it (LOL).
The Husband has a programming contest kick-off tomorrow, so I’m not sure if I get a kid-free or a kid-full day… if it’s kidless, I’ll be writing, if not, I think we’ll be heading off to watch a movie and escape the heat.
Oh, how I long for for winter when the only thing “hot” was my writing….
Monday, June 21st, 2010
I missed heading out for the boys’ swim lessons this morning. They provided a “goal” to getting out of the house on time. I did manage to get the boys to Summer Day Camp pretty much at the stroke of 10:30′ish. They missed tennis, so we’ll have to re-evaluate drop offs and pick ups for the rest of the week, so they don’t miss any of the “fun” stuff.
Also compounding this week’s monotony is that Drama Teen will become Driving Teen in a few hours (well, kind of). Her first class is tonight. She’s excited…she’s been doing her hair since the moment she woke up. Hopefully she’ll be ready to go by 4 o’clock– LOL.
I was supposed to deliver pages to my mentor (Debra Mullins, compliments of the Brenda Novak auction) this past weekend. But realized that since I’m targeting a different audience (Urban Fantasy), the word count for those books is huge (100,000 in many cases). So, I’m adding two scenes, and will have to edit a third, before I can get those pages to her. So, write, write, write is my motto for the next couple of days.
I’ve also racked up another request for a partial of Nevermore, outweighed by the number of rejections I’ve received. So, fingers crossed on hearing more positive than negative over the next few weeks ~
Friday, June 18th, 2010
Well, this week has certainly marched on by. Lots happened, lots of writing, lots of inspiration, lots of rejections (yeah, I keep telling myself that they are part of the publication process, but it’s still an ouch).
Swim lessons are over. Amazingly, I’m going to miss them. The boys had a BLAST. One of them graduated to the Beginner class. I’ve never quite seen a boy take to water the way mine do, but for one, swimmers arms and kicking seemed to come natural. For the other, he was happy to huddle under a beach blanket on the cold days. I’ve decided I need new names for the boys…they graduated from kindergarten, and the #1 and #2 just isn’t as descriptive as I would like. Kinderboy#1 is our inertia boy. Whatever he is doing, he doesn’t like to stop doing until forced to…watching TV, putting on his clothes…it’s all a struggle against movement. Kinderboy#2 is my little Scooter…he scoots along, happy go lucky, never seeming to exert himself but making lots of great and steady progress. Drama Teen…well, she’s dropped much of the drama these days (Did I tell you she’s taking Driving Lessons next week! Yikes!), so she might be Driving Teen by next month (how do you spell heart failure?).
Had lunch with Amanda and Virginia from my IRL writing group. We’ll be having a standing brainstorming, writing, plotting, and eating meeting every Friday. I’m really looking forward to it. I’m a self-starter for the most part…I can bang out my word count without a reminder, but I need someone looking over my work to make sure I haven’t left the path for worlds unknown without a map and compass~!
This weekend is Father’s Day. My dad, as you may know, suffers from Alzheimer’s. Of all terminal diseases, this is one of the worst. It robs a person of family & friends, memories both new and old, and enjoyment of life. But I know that somewhere in all the lost darkness, he is still my biggest fan. Love you Daddy!
Monday, June 14th, 2010
My boys have to wear helmets and knee pads even if they are just riding their scooters up the sidewalk in front of the house. I don’t let me kids run up the street without walking them to the corner and eyeballing their progress to make sure they get to their destination. If they are going to a friend’s to play, I make sure there is a responsible adult at home to supervise, and I don’t let kids come over to play with my kids if only Drama Teen is home. Yes, I will stand tall and stand proud and tell you I am an overprotective mom. A myriad of reasons have shaped the way I am and how much freedom (or lack of it) I give my kids.
I may joke about being happier when my kids aren’t home (or are sleeping), but I don’t know what I would do without them… simply because once upon a time, I was a mom with no child. The ache and hurt of loss is something I have never forgotten and never want to experience again. Although Tiffany, my first baby, was lost to SIDS, my heart goes out to parents of missing children. To not know the fate of your child is heart-rending.
The statistics regarding missing children are staggering (source):
* 800,000 children younger than 18 are missing each year, or an average of 2,000 children reported missing each day.
* 200,000 children were were abducted by family members.
* 58,000 children were abducted by nonfamily members, and
* 115 children were the victims of “stereotypical” kidnapping. These crimes involve someone the child does not know, or knows only slightly, who holds the child overnight, transports the child 50 miles or more, kills the child, demands ransom, or intends to keep the child permanently.
Right now, I’ve been following the case of little Kyron Horman. His disappearance strikes a big chord with me. He’s the same age as one of my boys, and his parents are living a nightmare no parent wants to experience.
Here’s a recap of his case.
Ten days ago Kyron Horman did not come home from school. He was last seen by his stepmother after a science fair (held at the school) and approximately 150 feet from his classroom. Since then nobody has seen the boy. The Sheriff of Multnomah County now declared that the search has been classified as “a criminal investigation”.
I pray daily for him and his family and ask you to do the same.
Friday, June 11th, 2010
Is it really Friday already?
The week has been dominated by swim lessons, summer day camp, and topped off by a visit from my best friend from college. We had a fantastic visit and vowed not to let so much time pass between visits this time. It’s a lovely intention…now, let’s just hope LIFE doesn’t interfere. LOL.
There was only one bump, rather a large one, in the middle of the week. For those of you who follow me on Twitter and Facebook, you’ve already heard about it. For those who haven’t, well, we’ll just say I’m a bit gobsmacked by a critique I received. Lots and lots and lots of comments. Some I can use, some I can’t without totally rewriting the book. On the one hand, I’m thrilled with the in-depth critique. I’ve gained a new perspective of what agents seem to be looking for and at. On the other hand, I’m dejected because this new perspective dumped this particular agent off the top of my agent wish list. I’m sure he’s a wonderful agent but not the agent for me…and as I was told earlier today. Getting an agent that fits needs as much consideration as getting a husband. If not, the working relationship/marriage is a mess.
So, I start again.
The husband has had a busy week picking boys up after day camp. It’s been nice not to have to make that last run out the door right when I’m trying to wrap up my writing and fix dinner. Unfortunately, he has to make a couple of unanticipated trips into work over the weekend. Sometime during the past week (probably right after I was eviscerated by the agent’s critique), I’ve realized that my online support isn’t quite enough for me these days. I do have a small IRL critique group, but when it comes to keeping my finger on the pulse of publishing/agents/etc. it just isn’t cutting it. So…I had a choice of two RWA chapters to visit this weekend. LARA RWA or OCC RWA. One meets Saturday, one meets Sunday. The husband’s schedule decided which one I’ll visit first~! LOL. So, LA here I come.
Tuesday, June 8th, 2010
Essie, The Accidental Mommy, has once again thrown out the gauntlet. Her challenge is to sing it loud, sing it proud, sing the truth about your Shameful Procrastinations.
This week’s topic is…. what do you leave until the last minute?
Um, nothing.
At which point, I’m ducking because I’m sure many of you are shouting and throwing things at your monitor.
What sort of person am I that I don’t procrastinate? I’ll hedge, and say that I may not hop right on some disdainful task (like sock folding), it may stew for a day or two, but then I write it on my to-do-list and ta-da, it gets done (I love lists).
I probably have it in my genes to procrastinate. I’d love to…however, my ex-husband was a procrastinator extraordinaire. His entire life, and by association mine during the duration of our marriage, was lived in a state of emergency. Everything from getting to work on time, getting home on time, paying bills, making appointments, everything was put off until the very last minute. Things that should have been done or done right the first time were just ignored until they had to be done RIGHT.THAT.VERY.MINUTE. And I’ve give you one guess who ended up doing almost all of those tasks for him? Yep. Yours truly. I hated it. Once we divorced, my life evened out, became, might I say it, boring.
I love boring.
After a few years, I met Mr. Wonderful…who is a bit of a procrastinator, as I’m sure most people are. However, he mans up and pays the consequences of procrastinating. Love you, honey!
I will say that not being a procrastinator has another downfall…I’m not what you might call spontaneous. I have a plan, a schedule, and darn it all, I love to keep it. Juggling three kids is not conducive to schedules, which means I have much more stress in my life than I’d like — but nothing, no way, no how, like it was with the ex-. Thank you God.
Monday, June 7th, 2010
Well, my work in progress, currently titled Nevermore, is finished. Or as finished as it can be right now. I won a critique through Brenda Novak’s auction from an agent at the top of my list (Scott Eagan at Greyhaus Literary) — the auction items I win each year are my “birthday gift” to me. I’ll be putting the proposal package together tomorrow and shipping it off to Scott (with fingers crossed) for comments. He did a fantastic job of critiquing one of my unfinished manuscripts in 2008. I never managed to write the entire book because I was derailed by Drama Teen’s brain surgery. Somehow the plot and the anxiety I felt over her medical condition somehow got entwined. So, every time I opened the file, I felt ill, anxious, and overwhelmed. Finally, out of desperation, I shelved the project. I didn’t discard it mind you…the files, the research, it’s all still on my hard drive, it just hasn’t been opened in a long while.
As Nevermore drew to a close a few weeks ago and I began the polishing process, which is all grunt work at times — meaning that while I am working, I am focused on the story, but I don’t have to carry it with me the rest of the day. The characters have been put to bed, the plot is as solid as I can get it, and my critique partners are ripping the prose to shreds. So, in my spare brain time, I started pitching story ideas for what I wanted to write next. I have a couple floating around in my noggin; however, none of them full-fledged enough to be anything but ideas at this point.
Which is when this story started jockeying into position. I love the characters and spent a lot of time on the mythology and research. Just this morning, while I readied the boys for swim lessons and summer day camp, I printed up Scott’s old critique, read through it, and realized that I short-changed myself by not finishing the manuscript. The book has a fantastic premise and there are parts that are really, really cool…My sirens are “to die for” — at least if you are a man (LOL).
I’m ditching the story I had written. I’ve learned so much by writing the past few books that I’ve realized there’s some major problems in most of the prose. So, I’m spending the next couple of days working on a snowflake (see Randy Ingermanson for his plotting method) for the book. I can salvage some of the existing manuscript…a couple of scenes at the most. It’s not as much as I would like, but I think the final outcome will be much better, scarier, darker, and more romantic.
Since I’m finally ready to send my “baby” out into the cold, heartless world of publishing, here’s my blurb for Nevermore. Enjoy!
Patrick Shea may be driving a hack now, but he is also chasing the story of a lifetime in hopes of garnering a journalist position on the staff of The Baltimore Sun. At the home of René Molyneaux, he doesn’t just catch sight of his quarry, a Haitian Voodoo Practitioner called King Louis, but also someone totally unexpected – his wife, Barbara, who disappeared two years ago. She’s working as Molyneaux’s parlor maid. The problem? He finally works up the courage to confront her for the sake of their two-year-old daughter, Emily, when Barbara disappears yet again. While looking for clues to her whereabouts, Patrick finds himself falling in love with her replacement, Mary Reynolds.
Mary Reynolds walks like a lady, talks like a book, and is as pretty and polished as any lady in 1849 Baltimore Society. And so she should, up until ten years ago she was the beloved daughter of a Baltimore mover and shaker. Then, upon her mother’s death, Mary was discovered to be illegitimate and her life crashed down around her. She lost everything: her mother, her home, and her status. Due to the kindness of her mother’s friends, she went into service; however, she’s never given up on her dream of regaining her place in society. When she least expects it, Fate steps in and reveals a clue to her true identity and her birth name, Lenore. With the help of Patrick and his landlady, Mrs. Pym, Lenore begins to rebuild her life. While searching for answers about her past, she encounters magic, zombies, and Edgar Allan Poe. Shocking as all that is, her biggest discovery is the one she makes about herself.
Friday, June 4th, 2010
This week was the first week of summer vacation. I have to say that although the kids are loving the “no school” schedule, it’s been h*ll for me. But, it’s Friday and I’ve made it through. We’ve been to the park to feed the ducks, eaten lunch “out” (as in, eating in McDonald’s instead of just running through the drive in) to kill time and seen The Spy Next Door at the $1 movies (which is now $1.50). The movie might be discounted but the snacks aren’t (ouch).
Next week, the boys start swim lessons and summer day camp. I’ve signed them up for 5 weeks of fun (freedom for me), one week of soccer camp (in the mornings). We also have some vacation time scheduled into the summer to travel to Champaign-Urbana and then Green Bay to visit both sets of parents…with all that, summer will be “done”! School starts on 8 August and I’m counting the days.
Drama Teen went to the physician for her physical last Friday. She stepped on the scale and we all said “holy heck”… I already know I’m hiking around far more pounds than needed, and even Mr. Wonderful has a tiny pot belly… Guess you know what that means. The lovely 4-letter word – DIET. South Beach worked for us before the boys came along (there was far too much cooking involved for it to work when they were little)…but now that they are older, we’re getting back on the wagon. Which reminds me, I need to make a quick run to the store for more veggies…and a treat of zesty chicken wings out of the deli for Drama Teen.
The boys are bored, bored, bored, bored, bored…in desperation, I threw them down for a nap yesterday and rued it all evening. Although they slept less than an hour from 2-3, they were up until 11 pm last night and awake at the crack of dawn this morning. Teach me to send them for a nap so that I can have more than seven minutes of peace (and yes, I’ve timed it…seven minutes max– no wonder I don’t get anything accomplished and feel as relaxed as a ping-pong ball on speed).
I got a fantastic review for Crisscross from Jaye Leyel at The Romance Studio.
“This edge-of-the-seat mystery held me enthralled until the end. The author has created a spine-tingling mystery with twists and turns that have you gasping and wondering.”
Those were just a few of the nice things she had to say about the book…you can read the entire review by following the link below.
http://theromancestudio.com/reviews/reviews/crisscrossscott.htm