Back on the Bike!

                                                         UPDATE!!!!

Since my last post I've submitted two new short stories to different publishers. This may not seem like a big deal, but, I must say, it feels good to be writing again. Since the deadlines are still a few months out, I won't find out if my stories have been accepted for a while, but it almost doesn't matter. The voices in my head are back, and I'm figuring out how to write with Stitch and Baby around. It IS possible. (I was starting to have my doubts.) Thanks for stopping by!

P.S. I'll (hopefully) be adding another story in the "free" section, soon, so come back and see me.  :)

Wildflowers and riding bikes.

As promised, here is the link to my latest short story, Wildflower.I'd love to hear thoughts on this story, either on my blog or on the website comments.

In other news, for the first time since Baby has been here, I sat down last week with a clear idea about a project, and an actual deadline. And...yikes! You know what they say about riding a bike, you never really forget how. Well, apparently that's not true with writing. There's been a lot of rust building up on my brain in the last five months. It was bad, folks. But I'm not giving up! That deadline is getting closer and naptime won't last forever, so that's all for now. :) I hope you enjoy Wildflower!

Woot Woot (And A Happy New Year)

Hi gang,

I hope you had a happy and safe New Year. I've got some exciting news. My next short story, Wildflower, will be published on January 10th at InfectiveInk.com. This is a big deal to me for a few reasons. Wildflower was one of the first short stories I tried to publish, years ago. I loved it, but everyone else...not so much. Finally, I shelved it and moved on. Or, at least I tried to. But my MC was one of those stubborn characters who just wouldn't sit quietly in the background. So over the years I've polished my story and tried again. And again. And not Britta has a home! And yes, she's happy about it.

Now here is why you should be excited: It's free. Yep, Infective Ink is a really cool, 100% free ezine. So I'll be back in a few days to post the link for you to enjoy!

Coming Soon

In our busy world of meetings and microwaves, car radios and cellphones, people always wish they could get an extra hour in the day. But what if they could? Doorways to Extra Time is an anthology that explores ways to get extra time (be it an hour, a day, or a decade) and the impact it would have--whether upon a single life, a family or an entire world.

Expected Publication, August 13, 2013.

Okay gang, I just wanted to let you know about this super-awesome anthology coming out next month. Why, yes, I do have a story in it. How did you guess? ;)  

Doorways to Extra Time is home to my first published flash fiction, and I'm excited to see what you think. It doesn't hit shelves for another month, but you can pre-order it in the "Buy my Books" now, and I'll be adding a Goodreads widget to my sidebar as soon as possible. Happy Weekend!  

FREE story!

Hey guys! I hope everyone had an awesome holiday weekend. But, since it's back to the real world today, I thought I'd make it better by reminding you that my latest short story, "Mother's Voice" is up on Infective Ink for FREE. So check it out and let me know what you think.

*On a side note, please excuse the website's sidebar ads. They aren't all child-friendly. I wish I could do something about that, but until I take over the world....

News!

Good News! Later this month, I'll have a short story published in an on-line mag. Better News! It will be free for you to read. :)

I'm always excited when I have something published, but this time I'm super excited. You see, I honestly had an easier-than-normal publishing experience with some of my first pieces. After a very few rejections, I had my first short story published. Then, my first novel, a direct result of my story, was born. Blood Bound was accepted by the first publisher I sent it to (which almost never happens.) And in the early stages of publication I had a few more stories published as well.

And then the writing powers that be decided it was time to pay my dues. The last several months, I've worked my tail off with zero results. Rejection after rejection, some short and to-the-point, (we don't like you) and some encouraging, yet still declining my work.

I kept looking, though, and one day, scrolling through publishing venues, I found one that caught my eye. I had an idea! I had characters! I started writing...not the story I planned. You see, one of my characters turned out to be quite bossy, and she took over. When I finished, what I had on my screen was not at all what I'd thought I was writing. I had no idea if it still fit in the publisher's style. But I liked the story so I sent it anyway. And they LIKED IT TOO! So now I'm wondering, have I been over-thinking this writing thing all along?

It's Monday!

So, last week I posted about my "Writer's Winter," and about getting my latest round of edits. Then I banished myself to a week of editing, correcting, and re-looking at my book. I've got to admit, I liked it. My book, that is. It's been long enough since I'd read it that I smiled anew at the funny parts, and even though I did write it, I'd forgotten about a few details. What I'm trying to say is that I'm excited about the way Blood Bound has taken shape, and I'm really grateful to all the awesome people who've helped me so far.

And now I feel the first breaths of Spring! Maybe. It's been a bit elusive this year. But I do feel a spark of creativity coming back, so I'm going to grab it. Which basically means this may be another post-less week. I hope you'll forgive me.

My Moment

Last week I read a fellow author's post comparing the ups and downs of being an author to the seasons of the year. Well, I've been experiencing Writer's Winter for a while now. Lack of inspiration, chasing dead ends, and lots of rejections. Even though I fought against it, this barren time has managed to make me depressed. And, as you can imagine, the more depressed I became, the harder it became to write the creative pieces I love. I've definitely needed a "woo-hoo" moment.

Well, I got it last night. My editor sent me the (hopefully) final edits on Blood Bound. That's right, my novel is one step closer to the printing press.And it hit me: This is no longer a dream foe me. I'm actually doing this. I've always known that not everyone will like my ideas or my style. I've lived in my head long enough not to expect every thought to be creative gold. But, no matter what anyone else says, I've proven to me (my worst critic) that I can do this.Future rejections ans "winters" will come, but they can't erase what I've already done. So, Yay Me!

My Muse is Back!

     I'll admit it. The last several weeks, I've done...nothing productive. I managed to finish a few projects at the same time, and then my Muse went on vacation. I started (and restarted) a project. But the characters were flat, the dialogue stiff, and my plot....lets just not go there.It's really hard to get excited about a project like that. So, I let it sit. and sit and sit. My "writing time" turned into "let's see who's online" time.
     
    And then, yesterday happened. While cruising the web for anything interesting, my Muse came back! Inspiration hit, fast and hard. So, after a minor welcome back party, I called a friend to run my ideas by her. Since then I've been on plotting and researching overload. Characters, complete with backstories, are popping in my head. My research is lining up perfectly with my plot, and my fingers are itching to get started. And now I realize how much I missed my muse. Even if my new story goes no further than my laptop, there is something completely awesome about the creating process. And so, I'm back on my "writer's high" typing, plotting, losing sleep, and being happy about it. All I have to day is: Dear Muse, please don't ever leave me again. Please, please, please.

Playlists?

Okay authors/aspiring authors/ anyone else who wants to comment: I've noticed a lot of authors talking about and/or publishing playlists that they listened to while writing. I'm always looking for new ways to get the creative juices flowing, so I'm curious as to how this works. Do you just listen as background noise, or loop a particular song until you get a scene right?

When I read a playlist, I find it's about 50/50. I either completely see where a song fits the mood/ narrative, or I'm like "What does that have to do with anything?" So, which is it? Should you just listen to music you like as you write, or look for songs that have meaning to you in the the story, even if no one else will get it?

As a side note, doesn't listening to the song make it hard to concentrate on writing? Of course, it's hard to concentrate while listening to a screaming toddler as well, but you do what you have to do... I am completely open to comments, opinions, suggestions. I think it's an interesting idea, I'm just not sure how it works. Thoughts?

The Importance of an Editor

I'll admit it. There have been several times in my short writing career where I have thought very bad things about my editors. I pour countless hours, a ridiculous amount of caffeine, and a chunk of my very soul into a project, and then, if it's even accepted it comes back bleeding with ruthless commentary. Entire chapters get deleted, characters get re-written, and some of my favorite scenes and witticisms are declared useless. And I tell myself "they're only being big meanies because they care."

Unfortunately, I just read a book that did not have the same kind of "care" I have received. The plot was original, took several twists, and had me involved. Even better, even though it was very much a teen/new adult romance, it was very clean, both in language and content, and we all know how I feel about that. In short, this should have been a book I gave at least a 4.5 rating to, blogged, tweeted, and otherwise promoted while ordering the next in the series. Only, it wasn't. In my opinion, it was all in the editing.

There were several instances of missed punctuation, "dropped" words, random sentences in the wrong tense,  and sentences that were so stiff it was obvious the author re-wrote it twenty times, trying to make it perfect. Now, I do not at all think that this means the author isn't talented. But, as an author, this funny little thing happens when you stare at the same page for the thousandth time. The brain starts to auto-correct what is actually written with what you think you wrote. It's like you're not really seeing what is there anymore. And that's why we all need editors.

After pouting, defending my phrasing, and finally walking away from my shredded manuscripts to clear my head, I've found that my editors are right. Every. Single. Time. It can be slightly annoying, and I've had to swallow wounded pride, but in the end I have a product that is so much better that I could have made it by myself. Because I know that some of my early drafts of Blood Bound looked just like the novel I finished this weekend. The only difference is that I have some awesome editors that care enough to help me make it better.

Unique Experience

I have had rejection letters. I have received acceptance letters. But, last night, I received my very first rejection and acceptance in the same letter. Of course, that's because I submitted multiple stories to the same anthology, but still, I thought it was interesting.

Now for the announcement. My very first Flash Fiction story, "The Game," will be in Doorways to Extra Time, an anthology from Spencer Hill Press, due out in 2013. (Insert Happy Dance Here)

As for my other story, well, congrats to everyone who beat me out. :) I know the competition was very stiff, and, honestly, it's an honor to have written one story that got in. I can't wait to read all the winners!

And the Winner Is...

    First of all, I want to give a HUGE thanks to everyone who voted, blogged, tweeted, ore otherwise spread the word about my special cover reveal. We had over five hundred votes!  And for those of you who preferred the "hand" image, the publisher just informed me that we may be using that image as well, in one form or another. And now all that is left is for you to add my awesome debut to your TBR list, and (along with me) anxiously wait for September!

MY Cover Reveal CONTEST

It's finally here guys! It's my very first COVER REVEAL day!  Here is my official blurb:

Blood Bound

Starting college a year early is hard. Starting fae college and learning to protect the world from the Unseelie is harder.
Brielle Reed has always been an over-achiever, but this time she may have bitten off more than she can chew. Between her crash course in fae politics, struggles to control her new mind-reading ability, training sessions with the demanding Dr. Schwartz, and discoveries about the father who is still a mystery to her, Brielle finds herself longing for a chance at a normal life.
But she may not get that chance. Or chance at a life at all, for that matter.

And now for the even more awesome part. Are you ready for it? YOU get to pick my cover!!! Feast your eyes on these awesome choices.

 

OR

 

Which one pops out and grabs you? Makes you want to pick it up and figure out what is going on? I want to hear all of your comments and opinions, so feel free to leave them in the comments section, but for your vote to count your have to vote here. May the best cover win!

 

Rejections, Edits, and Other Facts of Life

For those of you who may not know, being an author is a thrilling, maddening, exciting, depressing, rewarding, crazy job that only someone slightly mentally unstable would want.

Writing is the only thing I've ever really wanted to do. But it was a dream, a time consuming hobby, at best. And then I had my first short story published. I about died of happiness. What happened next? My mom asked me to write a chapter for a book she was working on, and her publisher loved it. Now, my actual words are sitting on a local B&N shelf! *pauses to do happy dance* And then my awesome husband got a promotion that allowed me to stay home with Stitch and write during nap time! Almost immediately, I got an offer on Blood Bound, which I'd been working on forever. I decided then and there I was going to die a happy woman.

But then I got a rejection letter on a story I'd worked really hard on. Sure, I've been rejected before. But...but...but... now I was published. I thought those days were behind me.

And then I received the first round of edits on my beloved Blood Bound. My editor went out of her way to remind me that they chose my work, and I had a lot of potential. But not only did her edits amount to a complete re-write of the first half of my book, I also have to rewrite my entire planned sequel (which I was quite proud of myself for finishing so quickly). And my brilliant idea for a book cover turned out...well...like crap.

I wanted to curl up and cry. For ever and ever and ever. Who thought writing was such a good idea anyway?

But now, with my first round of edits basically done, Blood Bound is way more awesome before, and I can't wait to dive in and redo the sequel with my new, improved plot. And my cover (which I can't show you yet) is so stinking cool. I'm back to short story writing as well. I may have been rejected, but it made me a better author. I'm trying new and different writing styles, and I have ideas for an epic fantasy novel!

In conclusion, if this sounds insane to you, DO NOT WRITE. But, if it sounds fun, exciting, or like a normal life, then by all means pick up a pen and join me in the loony bin!

Random Tidbits

Looking over my last several posts I noticed that they are all reviews. It almost looks like I've been binge reading or something. Well, I have. But I have a good reason. I'm supposed to get my edits for Blood Bound in a few weeks. *Squeee!* Depending on how horribly shredded my MS is, I may not be able to touch another book (or blog page) for a while. *Shudders*

But reading isn't the only thing I've been doing. I promise. I've written and submitted a few short stories to various places. They all have long waiting periods before they'll tell me anything, so here I go again. I hate waiting.

And finally, I'm getting to see some cover mock-ups now, and let me tell you: Seeing my name on the cover (even if it is just a picture) is pretty darn awesome. So, since the entire point of a cover is to catch a potential reader's eye, what do you think? Should the cover be a scene from the book, something that makes you think "Oooh, that's pretty/creepy/interesting," or something else entirely?


Have a great weekend!

Main Characters...

I had hoped to have a review for you today. I picked up a new book by an author I have always thoroughly enjoyed in the past, but sadly, I just couldn't get into the story. I tried, I really did. I read about 250 pages of it's 400+ before giving up. The writing style was what I'd come to expect, the plot was sufficiently twisted but still... The problem was the MC.

I didn't connect with her. At all. I never understood what drove her to do the things she did, why she didn't do other things sooner, or why she was so darn pouty.By my stopping point, she was in a pretty tense situation, and I just didn't care. So, my question is: What makes a great MC for YOU?  At what point in the story do you stop and say Oooh, I like her/him?

Obviously, we're all different, and not everybody clicks. That's fine. That's the way it should be, actually. So it is understandable that we all find books where we never really like the MC. So, here is question #2. If you find yourself with an annoying MC, do you put the book down? Why or why not?


That is all for today! But if you're in the mood for more blogging, may I recommend this? http://talkingaboutghost.blogspot.com/2012/07/its-in-my-blood.html   

I Refuse to Title This Post.

For those of you who've followed me for a while, you've heard me rant about how much I hate Titling my work. But I have new followers and this is my blog, so I'm doing it again.

I can write a novel. But I can't come up with a title. WHY? Why is it so hard to come up with a one or two word phrase to encompass the entirety of a book? Okay, I know very few titles actually accomplish that, but they do accomplish intriguing a potential reader, giving hints about what is hidden between the covers of the book, or at least sounding cool. Gah! I've got nothing. Fortunately, I only seem to have this problem with novels. Short stories, I can name. But novels, I had less trouble naming my child. Sad, but true. I'll quit ranting now and go back to flipping through the thesaurus.

* On a side note, I did survive VBS. Thanks to all who were concerned.  

Now I Get It.

On the recommendation of a friend, I read Stephen King's On Writing several months ago. I mean, what better source to learn how to be a successful author, right? There were a few nuggets of wisdom I put into immediate practice, and several that I thought, "Well that's just plain weird." One of these oddities was Mr. King's suggestion that, after a manuscript was written, the author should put it out of sight for a while to let it "incubate" before revising it. Incubate? I thought. Am I trying to write or hatch an egg here? And so I filed it away and ignored it.

You may have caught my post earlier this week about having some short stories accepted in an anthology. Even though the deadline for submission was in June, I knew I would be working on a different project, so I wrote, re-wrote, sought advice on, polished, and sent off my submissions back in Mach. When I received my acceptance email, I went back to re-read my first story, and to my horror, I instantly spotted three grammatical errors on the first page. And yes, I *do* claim to be a professional editor. Then it got worse. There were phrases, whole sentences even, that made me go "huh"? I have no idea what they meant, and I wrote them.

And now I get it, Mr. King. Time is the best, perhaps only way, to make sure you are looking with fresh eyes on your work, not simply seeing what is supposed to be there. Since I will be spending the rest of my free time in an editing cave this weekend, I hope you all have a lovely one.  :P

Yay Me!

I just found out that TWO of my short stories are going to be part of a new anthology, Holiday Magick. My stories are titled "Marked" and "Easy as Pie," and the anthology has a projected release date of May 21,2013. That's all the info I have for now, but you can bet I'll pass anything new along as I get it. :)