Life...

I knew I'd been neglecting my blog and my WIPs, but life has a way of interrupting when we make plans. I can sit and make lists or goals for what I need to accomplish...and I can almost hear giggles from up above. We've had work, play, birthdays and sickness. Lots of sickness. Thankfully nothing serious that we can't handle.

I hope everyone had a wonderful Thanksgiving. Ours was nice and uneventful...which was REALLY nice. I haven't done much on the writing side of my life. I've wanted to, I've even opened my files several times and worked on the opening of my Desires ms. I know what I want to do with it, the hard part is putting it on paper and making it readable.

Tonight we're just laying around and watching tv. I love The Family Man with Nicholas Cage and Tea Leoni. But this time while watching, the conflict and character growth really stuck out to me. I wish it was that easy to write. In the meantime...I'll keep plugging away and get myself back into the groove.

After we put up the tree and Christmas decorations.

Forever My Lady by Jeff Rivera

Hey guys! I want to introduce you to an author I've recently met, Jeff Rivera. He has kindly graced me with an interview, and the first few commentors get the chance to win a free copy of his book.

Jeff Rivera

BIO:

Once homeless and living in his car, award-winning novelist Jeff Rivera writes passionate stories of those often forgotten and neglected by society. He believes even in the eyes of a gang member, even beneath the soiled clothes of a bag lady or behind the tears of a lonely kid in the back of the class, there lies a common thread that links us all, the universal human story. He has made it his personal mission to help change the way the world thinks in a positive way through his stories. Mr. Rivera currently lives in Miami, Florida. Adopted by his Filipino stepfather when he was seven years old, his ethnic background is Black American and Native American.

Originally independently published, Jeff Rivera's debut novel, Forever My Lady went on to be acquired by Warner Books/Grand Central. It tells the award-winning passionate story of a juvenile delinquent named Dio who is sentenced to prison boot camp. Everyone who he has ever trusted has given up on him except one special girl that promises to stay by his side no matter what, the love of his life, Jennifer. He promises he will to turn his life around for her and she promises will never leave him. In fact, they plan to marry one day. But when Dio is released from boot camp he discovers Jennifer is about to marry someone else. Forever My Lady was featured in national magazines, on national television and radio including: The Boston Globe, Miami Herald, Rotarian Magazine, Urban Latino Magazine, VOY, Right On! Magazine, NPR, American Latino TV, SITV and was awarded Best New Author Award and the Best Urban Fiction Award and by the Mahogany Media Review. His first novel, Forever My Lady (published by Warner Books/Grand Central Publishing) became a critical media darling having received over 45 reviews on Amazon, over 30 reviews on BarnesandNoble.com and was given 5 stars by Amazon.com's #1 Book Reviewer Ms. Harriet Klausner. Rivera is fast at work on his next novel as well as the sequel to Forever My Lady and anticipates its independent release in 2008.

Hi, Jeff! Thank you so much for dropping by. How does it feel to be one of the few people that start out self-publishing and then gets picked up by a major publisher?

It feels great! I really do believe in visualization and that's exactly what I did when I was writing Forever My Lady. I would visualize not only getting picked up by a major after I had self-published but people's reactions to my novel while reading it. Visualzation works but you can visualize until your brain rots away, you have to also put the work in as well.

Who was your favorite character to write about?

I loved writing one of the supporting characters, Louise. She was the most fun to write because she was so feisty and full of sass. And of course writing the letters in the book seemed to flow very well. Whenever I write it's like I'm watching a movie in my head and it just flows.

Which are you most like Dio or Jennifer?

I think there's a bit of each of them in me. In fact there's a bit of all the characters in me, even the nasty racist character or the trailer trashy Louise character or the tough guy with a heart of gold in the the drill instructor character. They had to be a part of me in order to write it well.

Underneath the gritty parts of Forever My Lady and even the love story elements there are often spiritual messages. Would you describe yourself as a spiritual person?

Very much so. I was raised in the church but came into my own sense of spirituality as time went on. I'm very happy about who I am spiritually and I believe you can go to church night and day but unless your walking the walk it's all in vain. Spirituality to me helps you look outside yourself and realize not only how we're all connected but where our place is here on earth.

What places can we go to get Forever My Lady?

You can get copies of Forever My Lady on Amazon.com, bookstores everywhere and http://www.jeffrivera.com/

Motivation

There's nothing like going away for 9 days and coming home again. I was able to work a little bit, but really spent the time chasing my 5 yo. Boy, was I ready to get home. And had over 600 email messages. Back to work.

I waded through all of my messages and tried to catch up on my crit group news. With the crap going on with the campaign and economy, I haven't really been motivated to do much except to bitch. I'll save you all from my solution soap box and focus on this gorgeous weather we've been having.

NaNo is coming up. I received my comments back from the Maggie contest and had a great suggestion for my Supers ms. So with that said...I'll take the next week or two to get back into the swing of things with my patient crit partners, and at eHarlequin.

But then it's game on.

Tagged!

My writer friend, Nadia Lee, has tagged me to list "six unspectacular quirks about myself".

Here are the rules:

Link to the person who tagged you. Post the rules on your blog. List 6 unspectacular quirks you have. Tag 6 bloggers by linking them. Leave a comment on each person’s blog to let them know they’ve been tagged. Here are my quirks:

1) I hate using premade/store bought sauces to use in my meals. The boys and hubby know the difference and usually won't eat. Since I'm a foodie, I've probably spoiled them. Not that I make fancy meals or anything. They're just used to home cooked meals.

2) I'm a FoodNetwork addict. I LOVE watching Ace of Cakes and would kill to be able to make cakes the way they do. Maybe one of these days when I have a real kitchen...I might even try something cool for the little man's 6th birthday coming up.

3) I LOVE, LOVE, LOVE watching shows that detail or show actual medical procedures. I had to take cadaver anatomy in college for my Occupational Therapy degree and was one of only a few that could go directly to lunch after class and discuss the procedures we were working on while eating.

4) I have to agree with Jennifer here...I can't write if my house is a mess. It doesn't have to be "clean", but it can't be a mess.

5) And here...I would rather clean the toilet than iron clothes. And I married a man that has to have his jeans and dress shirts starched. I'd rather miss going out to eat and splurge on drycleaners before I stand and iron something.

6) I can't sleep unless I have a fan on. Don't care if it's a ceiling fan or a floor fan. Gotta have that air on my face for some reason, even in the winter.

I won't tag anyone, but please play along if you have a spare moment!

Restaurant Pictures

Okay, guys...please excuse me today. I need to show a friend some pictures of a potential business location.

This is the front of the two buildings. It’s the single story green building with the flat aluminum awning. The other two multi-story buildings are all attached on the ground floor. The glass is painted where the front door is located, and we’ll wash it off after the film festival. Kris knows how to attach a metal awning to the building and slope it down the metal bars to attach it to the front of the current flat awning. We can paint the building and awning to match the logo. And we can order t-shirts and hats for marketing.

This is the East side and you can see the side steel door and the 9ft. steel fence which encloses the patio.



This is the back of the building, the patio and heating and air unit on the roof.



This is the garage door leading out to the back patio. We could take out the door and install steel French doors. Kris is holding up the plastic so you can see some of the restaurant equipment we already have. There should be several stainless steel sinks, prep counters with a warmer, a commercial mixer, griddle and gas burners. Not quite sure until we can pull it all out but I think it's in good shape. Most of the interior wall has been sheet-rocked except for the back area that they cut out for the kitchen. The majority of the floors are concrete with some carpeting. A small portion is wood. Not sure what condition until we pull up the carpet. There was an old bathroom in the corner that mom pulled out. But at least there is plumbing and a drain.

This is the rest of the building on the side attached to the main part where we live. It is the side with the plate glass front and the garage door to the patio. About 1/3 of the old tin ceiling by the garage door/patio looks rough, and we'll either need to replace tin or take down and put in new ceiling. The lighting is flourescent and hangs from the high ceiling, but we have large antique lights upstairs we can use instead. I don't know if they work or why they were saved by the previous owner.

The two areas beside the front door can be used for booths to seat waiting customers, and a hostess stand which can hold menus and a seating chart.

This is the side with the front door which opens onto Main street and a large steel door that opens into the alley.

Found a new/old author...

Not age wise...sorry. She's an established author, but new to me since I've been seriously focused on only reading the line I'm targeting as a writer. I've had an email request to exchange blog links with an author and went to the corresponding link to check her out. I've talked/read quite a bit about networking and getting our names out there, so this is a great opportunity I can't pass up.

Girls...she's hilarious!

Check out her website and you might want to consider adding her as a favorite. I love her Southern sense of humor...she fits right in with my family. I LOVE her tagline:

Charlotte Hughes ~ Not just another pretty comedy writer...

Official Website ~ Charlotte's Web

Charlotte's Web ~ The Blog

Book Buzz Tag

My critique partner, Chicki Brown, asked me to play along for a cool theme tag. Book Buzz Tag...here goes:

I am going to list three categories of books.

5 MUST Read Books, 5 Books on Your Nightstand, and 5 Look For These Soon.

Keeping with the theme, I am going to tag at least 5 bloggers. They should put these same lists on their blog but SUBTRACT one book from each list and ADD one of their own. Then they should tag at least 5 more bloggers. It will be fun to see how the lists change as it goes around the blogosphere.

Please come back to this post and leave a comment so I can see how the lists are changing as they go around the blogosphere. Since this is Book Buzz…please keep your lists to titles released in 2007-2009.

5 MUST Read Books:

Kings of California (Series from Silhouette Desires) by Maureen Child
His Secret Past by Ellen Hartman
Lover Unbound by J.R. Ward
Yellow Moon by Jewell Parker Rhodes
Conception by Kalisha Buckhanon


5 Books on the Nightstand:

Wed To The Texan by Sara Orwig
Pleasure by Eric Jerome Dickey
From Harvey River by Lorna Goodison
Trading Dreams at Midnight by Dianne McKinney
Whetstone Still Dirty by Vickie Stringer

5 Look For These Soon:

Anything by Diana Palmer ;)

The Black Dagger Brotherhood by J.R. Ward

Midnight: A Gangster Love Story by Sister Souljah

The Hood Life: A Bentley Manor Tale by Meesha Mink and De’nesha Diamond
Red Light Special by Risque

The bloggers I’m asking to post the lists (and make one book-for-book change to each list if they wish.)

Rae
Theresa
Patricia
Stacey
Mel

Play if you have time...please! (EllenToo...you can play if you have time!)

Visualizing Your Goals

A good friend and critique partner, Chicki Brown, sent this to me and it just really hit home. I've been dealing with so many things recently that I've become frustrated with my life in general. I think this is a wonderful technique to use in our lives...not just writing and/or our career. I definitely need some focus and a kick in the behind. In the meantime...I wanted to show you guys the entire post and not just summarize or post a snippet.

Visualizing Your Goal

First posted on AuthorMBA blog 4/7/08
By Tawny Weber

Did you know that your subconscious mind can’t differentiate between real and imaginary? Whatever you repeat, whatever you give a great deal of energy to is what your subconscious believes… and what it creates for you. Best-sellers like The Secret outline the Law of Attraction in great detail, but the basic concept is that whatever you believe deep down is what you draw into your life.

The bottom line: if you believe in your goal, if you really do believe that you’ll sell your book or that you’ll hit the NYT bestseller list, then your subconscious mind will work to make that happen. Just like if, deep down, you believe you won’t do these things, your subconscious mind will continuously throw up blocks to help confirm your belief.

So how do we apply this to goal setting?

By visualizing your goal. If you can visualize or imagine the goal, your subconscious will see it as real. The more often you visualize, the more real it becomes.

Writers have gifted imaginations and creating a visualization is as simple as writing a scene with you as the main character. Choose a goal and ask yourself what scene would best epitomize that goal? If it’s to sell a book, the scene could be signing your first contract or celebratory launch party. It could be a long line of readers waiting to have you sign copies in a crowded bookstore or perhaps seeing your name and book up on Amazon. Maybe it’s as simple as tracing your name over the cover of the book. Whatever your goal is, pick the scene that seems strongest to you (remember, we’re writers. We know how to pick the most emotionally charged scene, right?). Now empower that scene. Use all the senses. What are the scents? What do you hear? Who’s in the scene with you? What are the textures and is the air charged with an electric feeling of excitement? What are you wearing? How does it feel? Bring in all of the emotions.

Now relax and let this scene play out in your head. You can spend five minutes or fifty, whatever works for you. The key is to really live the scene. Let yourself feel the joy, the wonder. Let those emotions flow.

Easy enough, right?

Right!

Now the real trick is to repeat your visualization daily (or in my case, nightly. Each night as I turn off the light, I spend time visualizing my goals.) The more often you visualize the goal, the sooner/easier it’ll manifest. You might find yourself revising your imagined scene as the weeks go by. Just like we revise our goals to meet our current circumstance, our visualizations will shift and grow. But the key is to be consistent and emotionally invested.

Soon, if you consistently do your goal visualization, you’ll find yourself noticing sabotaging behaviors. You’ll hear your own self-talk, notice when you’re procrastinating and getting in the way of your own goal success.

What are your visualization experiences? Have you ever done any visualization work before? Did you find it difficult or easy to see your scene play out in your mind? Have you applied visualization to your writing and goal setting?

Really?

Almost a month since I last blogged? Dagnabit. No excuse...well, maybe a few. Life. Kids going back to school. Hubby coming home. For good. His company was taken over and he lost his job. He'll have a week to adjust and we have to take a road trip so he can interview for another. He'll have to travel, but at least it'll be within the same country.

Excuses? A few. That's life. My writing has taken a back burner to the chaos. But tonight I took a drive. It always seems to clear my head...ya know, kinda like when we take babies for a ride to rock them to sleep? Well, I love to listen to my music and drive. Helps me think.

Jason Aldean. Up very loud. He's one of my favorite country artists. My ex used to make fun of country music, and the misery he thought it stood for. But Mr. Aldean sings about life. I had to move our truck around to the front of the building, and when I turned on the ignition...Jason sang to me. The truck just kept going. I thought maybe I'd take a ride around the block. But the muted lights from the dashboard had a calming effect, with the words from the music turning in my head, and I kept driving. I really listened to the lyrics. It was coming from a man...I could hear my hero talking to me. Telling me why, telling me what to say. Before I knew it--I passed a sign welcoming me to the next town. I had driven 25 miles without realizing where I'd gone.

I'm having an issue with my first chapter, and trying to begin in just the right spot has got me frustrated. I had a critique partner tell me she didn't like my hero. Well...that's ok. He has to have room to grow. But then I thought about what she said and reread the chapter. I began the chapter in the heroine's spunky POV. I think what it needs though, is to begin with the hero. So hopefully tonight I can translate my thoughts and my heroes perspective.

Undone

WooHoo! One of my fellow Outlaw chaptermates at OKRWA has had her first YA released today!! Way to go Brooke Taylor!

Book trailer ~ Undone

Editorial Reviews

When Kori Kitlzer, the “dark angel” of the 8th grade, tells Serena Moore that they are more alike than she thinks, Serena is instantly intrigued. As their friendship solidifies and their lives entwine, Serena tries to become more like the fearless, outspoken, and ambitious Kori. Soon Serena doesn’t know where she begins and Kori ends. But when a twist of fate yanks Kori away from Serena, she will need to find a way to complete her best friend’s life left undone.

Undone is a striking debut novel about friendship, family, and the secrets we keep from the people to whom we are closest.

About the Author

Brooke Taylor lives and writes from her country home in Oklahoma where her horses are a constant, but happy, distraction. Her first “real” job was as a Wrangler for a dude ranch. Since then she has worked for ski resorts in Colorado and traveled the high seas while living on cruise ships. Currently she works for a large public school district. Undone is her first novel.

One Word Only

I've ignored the blog lately...but for several good reasons. Hubby was home for 15 days and I've been feeling really puny lately. Hubby has left the building. And I guess I can't put off going to the Doctor any longer. But anyhoo...here's a fun post I saw on my crit partner's blog, Chicki Brown. Enjoy!!


Saw this fun post on Patricia Woodside’s blog. Not passing it on to anyone specific but feel free to use it.

REMEMBER, ANSWERS MUST BE ONE WORD ONLY!

1. Where is your cell phone? Table
2. Your significant other? Kris
3. Your hair? Headband
4. Your mother? Cooking
5. Your father? Avoiding
6. Your favorite thing? Family
7. Your dream last night? Kris
8. Your favorite drink? Tea
9. Your dream/goal? Published
10. The room you’re in? Bedroom
11. Your ex? Amiable
12. Your fear? War
13. Where do you want to be in 6 years? Home
14. Where were you last night? Airport
15. What you’re not? Thin
16. Muffins? Banana
17. One of your wish list items? Home
18. Where you grew up? Lawton
19. The last thing you did? Crit
20. What are you wearing? T-shirt
21. Your TV? Disney
22. Your pets? Four
23. Your computer? Laptop
24. Your life? Blessed
25. Your mood? Anxious
26. Missing someone? Kris
27. Your car? Truck
28. Something you’re not wearing? Bra
29. Favorite store? Wal-Mart
30. Your summer? Speedy
31. Like(love) someone? Family
32. Your favorite color? Crimson
33. Last time you laughed? Morning
34. Last time you cried? Yesterday
35. Who will re-post this? Unknown

WooHoo!

I'm soooo proud of myself right now!!! I kicked some word count booty today, girlfriends!! It's amazing what can be accomplished when you don't have a five-year-old attached to the hip. My mom has my nephews and wanted my little one to have a play day and slumber party...all night...ahhhhhhhhhhhhhhhh!

I've actually been able to write a full paragraph without stopping to answer a question or break up a battle between the boys. Wow. This is pretty dang cool. It'll be really nice next school year when both boys are in school....full time!

Hope you're reaching your goals today!!

Critique Partners

I love my critique partners. All of you. I'm very lucky to have found such an eclectic group of friends...each of us on the same journey to publication. I am sooo impressed with the friends and pubbed authors I've met through networking on eHarlequin.com.

My goal this week is to work on crits over the weekend and to write during the week. But one of the things I keep coming back to is my current chapter for my Desire ms that is up for crits. I've received a wide variety of comments and suggestions...all worth their weight in gold. Because whether I choose to use them or not, they make me think. It also helps to have someone there to tame my wandering brain. I think I was trying to be an overachiever and cram as much in the first chapter as I could.

Anyhoo...I've completed the outline and have a solid idea on which direction to go. My goal this week:

Monday ~ Synopsis, Rework Chapter 1
Tuesday ~Chapter 2
Wednesday ~ Chapter 3
Thursday ~ Chapter 4
Friday ~ Chapter 5
Saturday ~ Critiques and Chapter 6
Sunday ~ Critiques and Chapter 7

My plan is to get up early before my little rug-rat wakes up running at mach speed. Complete a scene and take a break for breakfast and an activity with my little one. The rest of the day will be a struggle to work on completing the chapter with kiddos running wild and wanting something everytime I sit down and get rolling. Dinner and get little one to bed...shower and work til I pass out.

I did this with NaNo WriMo...I think I can, I think I can...I'm going to do it again.

Argghhhh!

I'm stuck. The words flowed when I was developing the series backstory and story summaries. I was happy with my first chapter in the first book. Got back several great crits, some so-so and a couple that made me really think about the direction I was going.

So now? I'm stuck. Frustrated. Aarrgghhhh! I need to be writing furiously right now to be done in time for the pitch. But if the first couple of chapters are off...not going to work.

Maybe if I go back to several of the books I've read lately and dissect the first chapters...

Hope everyone else is feeling positive and productive!! Happy writing.

Synopsis

I know alot of my writer friends have expressed angst at putting together an effective synopsis. I've googled and searched various sites to give me some type of 'aha' moment...had a couple of 'ok, I can do this' moments but nothing really hit me with an exploding lightbulb.

I haven't had time to really go through all of Bron's articles but thought I'd check out the one with synopsis advice so I can prepare my Desire submission. I've decided that even if I'm not picked for the online pitch or Aussie's critique opportunity, I'm going to at least send in my partial to the Silhouette Desire line.

I love the Maureen Child's 'California Kings' series and almost anything Diana Palmer writes is a good read for me. But I wished they had more western storylines. Hopefully my storyline/series will peak some interest with one of the editors...

Here's the article. Enjoy and have a great weekend!!!

Bronwyn Jameson: Sample of a Short Synopsis

Good things happen if you'll just open your eyes!

So I was like...working *cough-cough* and noticed my name on a post by a buddy of mine (Thanks Jennifer!!!). She was sending out congrats to me for being a finalist in a contest I had entered. I'd pretty much given up on hoping because they were supposed to have announced the winners by May 30th and nothing has been updated on the website as of this morning. AND...I never received notification. It probably wound up in my junk mail folder and I didn't recognise the name or the subject matter and trashed it.

Congrats also goes out to my OKRWA chaptermate Robin Perini for being a finalist...twice! She finaled in two categories!! You go girl!!

WooHoo!!!

This is the ms I'd entered in their contest last year and didn't follow guidelines. (I'll play stupid since it was my first ms and first contest!) It is a first chapter contest where they score 30 points on the hero/heroine first interaction. Mine didn't meet until chapter two...but I still scored a 71 and 79. Go figure. I later won an online pitch through eHQ and was rejected. I made the changes the editor suggested and decided to try the Dixie contest again to see how they liked the ms now.

WooHoo!!

The Magnolia State Romance Writers Chapter of RWA is pleased to announce the finalists of the 12th Annual Dixie First Chapter Contest.

Contemporary

Kiss Me Cowboy
CHELLE SANDELL (See me Snoopy Dance!!)


Proof And Consequences
DONNA MEIER

Texas Hold'er
JUNE LOVE

Historical

Maiden Widow
VICTORIA WHITAKER

The Masquerading Duke
STEPHIE SMITH

Fatal Fortune
JOANNE BARNABA

Inspirational

Dead Letter
C J EERNISSE CHASE

Undercover Marriage
KELLY ANN RILEY

Knowing Grace
DEBRA E MARVIN

Paranormal/Futuristic/Time Travel

Fallen Angels In Paradise
CATHY LEMING

Dark Guardian
ROBIN L PERINI

Bluebeard's Hunger
ELLA DRAKE

Romantic Suspense

In Cold Storage
KATHY-DIANE LEVEILLE

Truth And Consequences
ROBIN L PERINI

Pleasant Lake P.D.
KELLY FITZPATRICK

Super Sexy

Heart for Hire
MARY RHYAN

Rock Hard
DEE CYMBER

Waking The Witch
LISA WHITEFERN

Finally A Bride ~ OKRWA Contest

~ Seventh Annual 'Finally A Bride' Contest ~

***Over Half of the Finalists in last year's contest received Editor Requests***

Sponsor: Oklahoma Romance Writers of America

***NEW LOWER ENTRY FEE***

Fee: $25 (RWA Members) - $30 (All non RWA Members)

Deadline: September 1, 2008

Eligibility: not contracted/published

***NEW - ALL ELECTRONIC ENTRIES***

***NEW - Separate Mainstream category***

Entry: First pages of MS (30 pages max) that has finaled, but not won, in a previous RWA or RWA chapter-sponsored contest. Manuscripts finishing in the top quarter of GH also qualify.

Judges:

First round: experienced, pubbed, and/or RWA trained judges.

Final Judges: Two Editors and/or agents judge each category.

Inspirational/Traditional: Melissa Endlich with Steeple Hill and Rebecca Germany with Barbour. Series Contemporary: Patience Smith with Silhouette and Wanda Ottewell with Harlequin.
Paranormal/Time Travel/Futuristic: Margo Lipschultz with HQN and Leah Hultenschmidt with Dorchester.
Romantic Suspense: Natashya Wilson with Silhouette and Alex Logan with Grand Central Publishing.
Historical/Regency: Tess Woodward with Avon and Megan McKeever with Pocket.
Mainstream with Romantic Elements: Keyren Gerlach with HQN and Deb Werksman with Sourcebooks Casablanca

FMI, entry form and rules, send SASE to:

OKRWA FAB contest

9805 Red Oak Lane

Parkville, MO 64152

okrwabride@aol.com, http://www.okrwa.com/

Mechanics

Oh, yeah! Nice and sweaty, lean and hard...chiseled...

No, no, no! Not the hunky mechanic that works on your vehicle. You dirty bird you. LOL! I guess you can tell where my mind is at today. It's almost time for Mr. Chelle to take another R&R. Okay, back to work.

Have I told you guys how much I LOVE Bronwyn Jameson and her incredibly helpful articles?! I wanted to share another one with you that has worked wonders with my tired brain. I had to write a few papers in college and did well with my grades, but I've struggled when it comes to the mechanics in writing romance. I love this article about the basics of good dialogue.

http://www.bronwynjameson.com/article15.html

Enjoy!!

Conflict

Recently a friend turned me on to reading Silhouette Desires. I'd never bothered to pick them up because I thought they were all based on exotic locations. I love the Cinderella stories but never really bought. Big surprise - I like them more than I thought. Never assume anything. eHarlequin has begun a new section where they offer podcasts...interviews with editors and authors. So...I decided to research a little about writing for Desires and I'm getting really excited about the line.

The podcast with the editors was very informative as to what they want from new authors. They are looking for westerns...and I live where??? Oklahoma. I grew up on the Texas border. I'm married to my own personal cowboy hero. I used to LOVE watching Dallas. I think I can do this. I thought my mom would be upset because she doesn't really read the racier novels, but she borrowed some of my books and has said I should go for it.

We've been talking about conflict lately and I happened to come across a great article on one of the Desire author's website, Bronwyn Jameson. See what ya think...I found it to be really helpful.

http://www.bronwynjameson.com/article8.html

eHarlequin

I know that some of my crit partners target Harlequin or Mills & Boon. One of the things I love about their chat threads...the editors pop in and offer words of advice or encouragement. When I received my first rejection, of course I was confused as to what I should do next. We were told by the same editor I was rejected by, to read and dissect the suggestions if any were given. Which she WAS kind enough to give in her letter. One of her revision suggestions had something to do with my heroine's internal conflict. Not that I thought she was wrong...I thought my character couldn't have any more internal conflict or she'd be put away in a home.

So...I've had plenty of time to think about the revisions and I am trying. Still confused, but trying. I have nobody to blame but myself. I have never thought to blame my teachers, crit partners or the editors. This is my story. I hate when I hear people pass the buck. Either I can do this or not. It's a VERY competitive market and a crapload of talented writers pushing through the same bottlenecked door. I can do this. I WILL do this. It may take me awhile and hopefully my eyes are open enough to know that. What really helps is when a lovely editor pops in and will give us suggestions and/or tips.

I had another one of those a-ha moments yesterday when an editor popped in the SuperRomance thread. Several of the girls were being hugged for receiving rejections. The common denominator? Conflict. Lack of. My problem basically. Something she said just hit home and I had a brilliant idea. Now if I can just get it down on paper.

Here's the link...hope it helps!

http://community.eharlequin.com/forums/simply-series/home-and-family/harlequin-superromance/make-mine-supers-5#comment-57040

Here is the section that really stood out to me...

Why don't we forget about conflict for a minute and talk about stakes. Robert McKee, in his book Story, writes: "Pressure is essential. Choices made when nothing is at risk mean little. If a character chooses to tell the truth in a situation where telling a lie would gain him nothing, the choice is trivial, the moment expresses nothing. But if the same character insists on telling the truth when a lie would save his life, then we sense that honesty is at the core of his nature....The more powerful and complex the forces of antagonism opposing the character, the more completely realized character and story must become."

Without referring to any particular submission or writer, it's common for us to see stories with characters making low-stake choices--like telling the truth when telling a lie gains nothing. This low stakes leads to low tension and a lack of compelling obstacle between characters.

Thank you, Ms. Curran! I am forever grateful!!

Pitch Perfect

Several of us have had the wonderful opportunity to pitch our manuscripts with an editor and/or agent. Several of the girls in my critique group recently mentioned they might need advice as they go through the same terrifying process. Why is it so scary for us?

Yesterday, on one of my favorite threads at eHarlequin.com, an editor for the SuperRomance line mentioned she wanted to know why it was we worked ourselves up to the point of feeling the urge to vomit. Here is a portion of the post...

http://community.eharlequin.com/forums/simply-series/home-and-family/harlequin-superromance/make-mine-supers-4?page=7

Okay, question: I thought writers got nervous about pitching because they only have 10 minutes (or, in Chicago time, seven minutes). But on the weekend everybody was quick to point out how wrong I am about that. (See how fearsome I am? My authors can't wait to tell me I'm wrong.) So if it's not the anxiety of getting so much information out in such a short time, why is pitching this nerve-wracking for authors?

Inquiring editors want to know,

Victoria

and her response to some of the answers...

Re: Writers write. That's why you can't treat a 10-minute pitch as your make-or-break moment. Because an editor can't decide much based on a pitch (except, if you tell me the heroine is a wolverine at full moon, I might be able to decide on the spot...). It's all in the execution, so no matter how sheep-voiced you get, we still need to read the work to get an idea about the writing. Even if you vomit on us, it's still no indication of whether your writing suits Superromance. Although, again, thank you Tasha for abstaining.

Good luck, everybody, with your work!

Victoria

One of the reasons I love spending time on that thread, is an occasional editor will pop in with words of wisdom or encouragement. She made it sound like as long as you do your homework and pitch the right type of story with an editor of a particular line...she'll almost always ask for a partial. As long as the storyline can work with that publisher or line...they need to see a.) not only your writing style, but b.) a general gist of the direction you're headed.

So...no worries, right?! Never. LOL! My fear is...sounding like an idiot and not getting my story blurb out in an intelligent manner. These wonderful editors/agents that take their weekend time to visit conferences may hear a ton of storylines all within a short period of time. What happens if mine was number 85 of say ... 101 of the same type of story?

I think that as long as it fits the editor, line and/or publisher... there's a VERY big possibility it'll be requested. SO chin up, girls. Use that knowledge to your advantage to calm your nerves and blast that pitch out with confidence!!

Industry News

Wow. I feel like I'm back in high school. I've had to cut back on my blog-hopping because hubby was home and I also have a ton of work to do. Well...I heard about Signet/Penguin releasing all rights back to Cassie Edwards and thought I'd check out the Smart Bitches blog to see what they might think. One poor woman made the mistake of blasting a few and it became a feeding frenzy. One poster even made the effort to find out what the girls full name was and posted it as if she was doing everyone a favor. The poor woman probably felt like she was being attacked by a pack of wolves. Big surprise...why would you open your mouth and not expect snarky, crude comments in return? The girl even went so far as to call...get this...Nora Roberts a bitch. No, I'm not kidding. Of course, by the end of the posts everyone was kissing and making up....well as much as possible considering the blog.

Then ~ I guess a historical author Deborah Anne MacGillivray has posted some nasty remarks about someone who gave her a 3 star review at Amazon. Even went so far as to comment that she'd tracked down the reviewers personal information through a private investigator. Wow. Come on people...really? Apparently the bruhaha is that she trashes anyone who gives her anything but stellar reviews and she has a crew that dominates the Amazon review system by using it to their own advantage. Ok. I can see that because if there is a way to cheat...there will always be people that will take advantage of it. But now the site Dear Author has gotten just as nasty with people fighting in the posts.

Then ~ *sigh* Author Tess Gerritson has decided to stop posting on blogs because of something she supposedly said with a sarcastic humor was taken out of context and she was blasted on her own blog.

A wonderful mentor that I have looked up to has said we should be spending more time on our writing. She doesn't blog, blog-hop or anything compared. She is very successful and doesn't really have time to devote to anything but her writing. Maybe I need to take her advice??

I love blog-hopping when I have time...but too many times...I make time when I don't need to and get stuck spending WAY too much time online. So I'll shut-up and get back to work.

Checking in...

Hey, guys! I realized I hadn't posted in several weeks and thought I would check in with everyone. I miss blog hopping but I've been struggling with a chapter in the new manuscript. I thought what I needed was a road trip, actually I need to sit my butt down and just write. Without thinking or my typical over-analyzing. Several of the authors on the eHarlequin SuperRomance thread were talking recently about their struggles and it made me feel better. Their main focus is getting through the first draft. I guess what helped the most is the fact they talked about how rough the first draft always is. It seems to me that the editing is easier because you have a foundation to work from.

Hubby leaves for base again on Thursday and I know I'll need to purge some emotions. I've saved an emotional scene to work on for the end of the week so I can work out some of my tears and fears as hubby travels through Baghdad. That is always the hardest part of the trip...waiting for the call that he's back on base. As safe as he can be in a war zone.

We've talked about writing as therapy...do you use this method?

Telephone Tag

Rae tagged me with something really cool that I loved doing in a favorite class in high school.

Did you ever play the game Telephone when you were a kid? It’s sometimes called Rumor or Gossip. You sit in a circle, the bigger the better.

The ring leader will tell a “secret” to one person. That person turns to the person on their left and whispers it. Each person hears the “secret” on one side and tells it on the other until it goes all the way around the circle. The last person says out loud what they were told, then the ring leader says what everyone started with. Most of the time it isn’t the same thing, and can be quite funny.

Using the power of the Internet, let’s give it a try.

I’m going to write a paragraph. Your job is to make a change. It can be as little as one word or as big as twenty words. You can change names, plot and setting, but don’t change it so much that we can’t tell how it relates to what (Alice) started with. Post your paragraph on your blog with a link to Alice’s post. She will link back to you. Then, pick three people to whom you will “whisper” your modified version. Let them know they are up next. Link to them and to the person who passed it to you (me).

Here is my paragraph for the three people I’m going to tag:

“Jocelyn and Will staggered up Cob Street to find a corner in a dark alley. When Jocelyn tripped over the curb, she broke her bottle of pink champagne and asked Will to kiss her senseless. Will was happy to oblige Jocelyn’s innocent desire before she changed her mind, but her kisses weren’t enough. If he hadn’t already lost the bet that night, he could have had Jocelyn.”

I'm tagging Theresa, Mel and Jennifer. You can still play this game even if I didn’t tag you. Anyone can play if you follow the rules. Come back in a month and see what happened to our little rumor.

~*~*~*~*~

The rules for this meme:

1... Change something in the paragraph you received; a minimum of 1 word, a maximum of 20 words.

2... Link to the post at http://aliceaudrey.wordpress.com/2008/03/03/alice-calling/ and leave a comment so we can keep track of what happens to the paragraph. Alice will link back to you.

3... Link to the person who tagged you, preferably to where ever they posted their version of the paragraph.

4... Tag three people you think might enjoy this game. Let them know they’ve been tagged. Link to them.

5... Include these rules in your post.

No One Heard Her Scream

No One Heard Her Scream by Oklahoma author Jordan Dane.

Not only do I want to give a shout out to a fellow Oklahoma author, a fellow member of my local OK RWA chapter, but she is a very cool person! This is her debut novel with back-to-back releases from Avon. Here's a glimpse at her press kit. Check out her website!!!

Burdened by Grief, She Hunts a Killer
They never found her sister’s body, but Detective Rebecca Montgomery knows her murderer is still out there. In the five months since Danielle went missing, there have been two more brutal abductions. A savage menace stalks the women of San Antonio and therelentless detective will do anything to find him.

And a Seductive Stranger Shadows Her Every Move
But her latest case—the discovery of a young woman’s remains inside the wall of a burned-down theater—plunges Rebecca from her grief into a brand-new nightmare. She soon meets handsome, mysterious Diego Galvan at the crime scene and his shadowy connections will lead to her first break in both cases. But when Rebecca submits to his considerable powers of seduction, she will leave herself vulnerable to a merciless killer . . . and when he attacks, no one will hear her scream.

I've just bought Scream which is the first in the series, and I'm having a hard time putting it down! I'll blog more about if after I finish.

Another one bites the dust...

Well, unfortunately, another e-publisher is closing. A good friend of mine had a release date set for April and has had her rights reverted back to her. Sadly, it doesn't have anything to do with lack of readers...the owner is having health problems and refuses to allow her business or authors suffer as she undergoes treatment. The website as of yet has not posted the news, but apparently the owner has sent emails out and it was announced on Smart Bitches.

Here's the link...Smart Bitches.

Putting yourself out there...

One of the things I've realized recently is that I'm not the only person who gets freaked out by the thought of a face-to-face pitch. Whether it be with an editor or an agent...you're still having to put yourself in a situation where you look someone in the eyes and try to sell yourself.

When I pitched this last weekend at my OKRWA mini-conference, I knew I'd be extremely lucky if I could sound halfway intelligent. I also knew that so many others were just as nervous and I wouldn't be the only one to walk in and stumble my way through the pitch. To be honest...the only thing I remember is that I did one thing right - I did my homework.

One of the key things I can honestly recommend is that you do a search on who it is you're pitching to. Know the line and key elements that the line or publisher is known for. The conversation became easy and relaxed when I discussed several of the authors she'd published, books I had read.

Another bit of advice...have a high concept pitch ready and practice, practice, practice. Narrow your storyline down to a basic book cover blurb. Talk about how your book fits the line but is unique. I was able to compare my writing to a favorite author in the line and the storyline was similar to a light paranormal concept similar to another author being published by the editor. But it was unique because...blah, blah, blah. And know the key turning points which highlights the relationship and how it progresses.

Remember...the romance is the selling point. The GMC of the characters is essential to the turning points and progression of the story. Know your black moment and resolution. What helped me is that I had a basic 2 page synopsis I'd studied, but I'm not sure if I was able to spit it out in a way that made sense. LOL! At least I have my first one-on-one pitch...well, two actually, under my belt and out of the way. I know what to expect now. I don't honestly know if that will make a difference next time.

Here are a couple of links that helped...

http://www.screenplaymastery.com/3MinutePitch.htm

http://writerunboxed.com/2006/09/15/interview-michael-hauge-part-1/

http://www.kathycarmichael.com/pitch.generator.html

And remember to breathe...without hyperventilating!

OKRWA Mini~Conference Weekend

Wow! I now know, that without a doubt, the best thing I could've ever done for my writing career...was to join my local RWA group. The Oklahoma Outlaws are an incredible group of talented and generous women...and one man - sorry Kevin.

We had an awesome time this weekend. I could go on and on about the intimate details but I need to be frantically typing on something else other than this blog. My editor and agent pitch was Saturday afternoon and I have some work to do...I got a request from both.

So my friends...I will miss you!! I'll have to neglect the poor blog for awhile longer.

Beautiful Life

Yeah, okay....so I'm in one of those moods. I could just hug you guys today. But, I won't. Probably because I'm soooo sore, I can't raise my arms. Yesterday was such a beautiful day. Our patio area is the link we have to the outside world. We live in a commercial building, downtown on a busy street. But my hubby built a 9 ft. metal fence so we can have privacy. Welllll, I had let the patio become overrun with trash and a bunch of crap. The pool I struggled to put up last year....holes. My buddy Rae calls them Smurf's pots. It was big, and very blue. Anyhoo...I got it taken apart yesterday and we worked all day, but the patio is clean. As spotless as it can ever get. I wonder how long it will last? Three dogs and two boys? I'll give it a day or two.

I woke up very sore, but in a fantastic mood. That's my little one's new word for the week. Fantastic. I have a busy week ahead, but I feel very optimistic. LOL. Just check in with me at the end of the week. I will spare you though and NOT post a picture. You can thank me later. My reservation has been made at the hotel where our conference is to be held. My OKRWA group will have a dinner, Friday night, and it's kinda like a meet-and-greet with the editor and agent. Hopefully it'll make me a little more comfortable on Saturday for both pitches.

Hope ya have a "fantastic" day.

A week?!?

Boy, I'm a bad girl. I need to be punished. Haha. JK. Well...maybe not, I wouldn't mind being sent to time-out for like...two days.

What have you guys been up to? Me? Obviously not enough because I decided to torture myself. Ya know, when I was younger I thought I was the bomb when it came to working under pressure. Eh...not so much anymore. I decided to push myself and kick things into high gear. I thought I would force myself to get off my butt and make something happen. In several different areas of my life. Well, maybe not.

I make handmade soaps, body products, candles, and jewelry and sold them on a website. When Mom was diagnosed with cancer, we decided I had way too much to handle and put everything in storage, taking the website down. Several of my local customers refused to back away and insisted they were hooked on the candles, soaps and/or fragrances, so I'd kept a few local junkies hooked up. Hubby and I have talked about getting the website published again. We thought maybe I could build it back up and try to get it going good before he came home. At that point we would expand it with his woodworking and custom welding decor.

So I did it. I bought three web addresses today. Velvetcowgirl.com - velvetcowgirl.net - and what the heck...Chellesandell.com. I was able to program a basic format today for velvetcowgirl.com and got it published, but have a ton of stuff to do. I still have to make products, labels, take pictures, set-up a shopping cart and payment gateway. I'm not quite happy with the current design so it may change as I get the logo designed...



Did I mention I have an editor/agent pitch next weekend...and wanted to submit to two contests? What was I thinking???

Hummer, baby!

Here are the pics from our night out on the town in our big ol' yellow Hummer! We had a blast. I had everyone around us teary-eyed when the managers walked out with two vases of my favorite pink tulips. My hubby is the man. Thank you, sweetie!!!!

Busy, busy, little bee....

Daaaannnng. How do they do it? I checked the blog and realized I hadn't posted in a week. I've got 3-4 contests coming up, pretty quick actually. My local chapter pitch is in a couple of weeks. Did I tell you I'm starting to get nauseous??? I'm not sure if I can do this one-on-one thing. And I've got 2, back-to-back pitches. Ugh.

Do you think it'll scare 'em off if I'm puking in the corner trash can? I also have a dinner the night before where we *mingle*.

Oh, man.

Magical Musings

Hey guys, Magical Musings blog has quickly become a favorite for me. They often have industry professionals as guest bloggers. Lately they've been having agents and editors offering advice and information about their agency or submission guidelines.

Today's guest blogger is Jennifer Schober of Spencerhill Associates, Ltd.

It's a great way to ask any questions you might have. Check them out!!

Magical Musings

Happy writing!

Tag

My buddy Melissa Beck, aka Mel ;), has tagged me on her blog.

There are rules to the game of tag here. Share 6 unimportant things about myself, and then link back to Mel's blog and others' and to post the rules on here. So here goes:

1...I LOVE pink tulips. I don't think it's just the flower that I love...when I see them available in the stores, it signals how close we are to Spring. I'm usually pretty sick of winter by then.

2...I was one of only two girl drummers in our junior high band.

3...I LOVE a nice, juicy steak cooked medium rare. I think I woke up hungry today.

4...I'm starting to feel short. That's not something I ever thought was possible. I'm 5'7 and have always been considered tall for a girl. Most of my friends are shorter and I like to tease them as much as they do me. But my hubby is 6'3 or 6'4. My oldest is 14 and eye level with me and my 5 yo is already 4'. The doctor has predicted our baby boy will be as tall as his daddy...maybe 6'5. It's kinda cool cause I can almost think I'm petite when I'm with them.

5...I love to work outside with flowers or a garden. I can't have much where we're at in town, but I've got grand plans for when we move out onto our land.

6...I love horses. When I was a little girl, I always dreamed of owning them. When we had our house in the country before mom got sick, we bought a line back Dun. She was absolutely gorgeous. But mean as hell and we had to sell her back to the previous owner. What pissed us off was when he took her back, he said he'd probably have to sell her to a rodeo because she was so mean.

Okay...if you guys have time to play along...have fun!

Workin' it out...

So you know, I thought I had a breakthrough and actually got my chapter finished. No. It sucked. And I know why...I hope. But the key is ~ I was writing and not staring at the screen. I sent my chapter out and a wonderful friend lovingly told me it sucked. I needed that. I reread it and it sucked. It's snore boring. Have you ever read a book and hit parts where you just kinda skimmed? I don't want people to skim. I want the reader to fly through the pages and forget the time. Don't we all. *sigh* I felt I'd lost my confidence.

After IM'ing a crit partner until almost 2 am this morning...THANKS RAE!!!...I have a direction. I need to focus on the romance and not so much on telling the story. Yes, I need to increase the conflict but I need to let my characters react to the conflict. They'll tell the story.

On the fence...

We were talking recently about career investments, whether it be by methods or with money. Of course I want to fast track my writing career and start my publishing journey as an author...but I don't think I'm really ready when it comes to making a big time money investment. I want soooo badly to go to San Francisco this year to the RWA Nationals. But WOW!! The conference fees are $425 (for early bird registration), hotel room minimum cost per night is $309...per night!!! And airfare is showing up at about $500 if I were to book today.

Now...I know there's a possibility I could find a roommate to cut down on room costs, but WOW. I don't think my writing abilities are worth making a $1500 investment at this point. So...it looks like I may be waiting for something a little closer. I'd also looked into going to Chicago for a chapter conference, but same thing...hotel and airfare will eat me alive.

Did I ever tell you guys what a tight-wad I am?? I'd rather put that money toward building our house. That's also a lifetime investment. And if I'm going to spend that kind of money...I kinda need a guaranteed return on my investment. I know eventually it'll lead to a contract, but WOW. I think I'll have to find a cheaper route.

Tag...

I owe someone for a tag...maybe, Jennifer? Okay. It was supposed to be something like 8 things about myself. What about 10? An author from eHarlequin, Samantha Hunter found a fun way to get to know people...here's her blog post on eHarlequin. You may have to register if you're not already a member. Feel free to skip a question if offensive to you.

Samantha Hunter Blog - eHarlequin

I love watching "Inside the Actor's Studio", and so I found these questions online and thought it would be fun to post them here and see what people had to say. They originally come from the French series, "Bouillon de Culture" hosted by Bernard Pivot, but they're the ones James Lipton asks all of his famous guests on TAS. So... give them a shot, and use brief, one-word answers as much as possible, and asterisks where necessary to avoid saying anything offensive. ;)


1...What is your favorite word? Contract
2...What is your least favorite word? Cancer
3...What turns you on creatively, spiritually or emotionally? Unconditional love. Or good music.
4...What turns you off? Self-centered arrogance.
5...What is your favorite curse word? F*ck
6...What sound or noise do you love? My babies laughing.
7...What sound or noise do you hate? People eating with their mouth open...smacking. Or...forks scraping on a plate.
8...What profession other than your own would you like to attempt? DEA Agent or Psychiatrist
9...What profession would you not like to do? Executioner or bill collector.
10..If Heaven exists, what would you like to hear God say when you arrive at thePearly Gates? Sit down, shut-up and enjoy the ride.

*Rant Warning*

Be warned...I'm in one of my moods, girls! Super Tuesday is almost upon us. I believe strongly in voting because I believe my voice counts. If ya don't vote...don't bitch. I haven't made a decision yet...on candidate or party. I'm not ranting to piss anyone off - just want you to open your eyes and really KNOW who you're voting for. Regardless of who it is. Hopefully this election won't be a battle about race, gender and religion. One of the candidates has even brought age into it. Okay...that said.

I vote for the person, not the party. But - my beliefs run along Republican values. I believe in less government, less social programs and less taxes. If you don't work, you don't pay taxes - you shouldn't get a tax refund. I want our elderly, disabled and vets taken care of...don't get me wrong. But I was a single mom and worked my butt off working two jobs. I also went back to college as a single mom and racked up a crapload of debt...but I did it. I did it without welfare. My Mom was a single mom with two kids, no child support and she worked her butt off. Without welfare. We were broke. I remember eating alot of macaroni and cheese, bologna sandwiches and home-grown veggies. I don't use it to make anyone feel sorry for me...I know what it means to me. I DO NOT believe in socialized medicine, pork-barrel programs that silently get slipped into a bill as if being sold for a vote (or grants to see why spiders eat flies) or welfare. I've seen too many people living off the system while the gap spreads wider...you're either rich or poor. I've seen too many people on welfare while wearing designer clothes and eating a hell of alot better than my family. Too many people not getting married because it would cut off their benefits...so they keep having babies. It's not a gender or race thing, it's a people thing. Too many are willing to cheat a system instead of working hard.

Everyone has a plan to fix the government. All I'm asking is to give everyone the same opportunities. Yeah, it sucks to work my/hubby's butt off and have the government quadruple tax us. It sucks that stupid, careless people can sue because they spilled hot coffee on their lap. I know a guy, union labor, working for a big plant here in OK. He has been off work for 3 YEARS because he hurt his knee playing softball. He's still playing softball, he's still getting a full paycheck. It's a morality thing.

We're taxed when we make our money, and when we spend it. I think if you're taxed when you make the money, you shouldn't be penalized because you sacrifice and invest it. We're taxed on anything we sell...even though we were taxed on the income, taxed when we bought it...we're taxed if we try to get a dollar back at a stupid garage sale. We're even taxed on the toilet paper we wipe our butts with. Sorry. But one of the politicians said that if we work, we shouldn't be poor. I applaud that vision...but then they went on to say they would support all types of social programs. Uh...where are ya gonna get the money for those programs? It's a no brainer that the whole system needs an emergency make-over.

I think if a company is making record, billion dollar profits...they shouldn't be able to raise the cost of a product because of supply and demand, or get huge tax breaks. People are having to sell wedding rings and window air-conditioning units so they can drive to work. I don't think we should have to pay someone to do our taxes because it's too hard and confusing to read the directions...and a simple tax return with three write-offs takes 20 pages of forms. My hubby is working in a foreign country...and still has to stay out of the country 330 days before it's considered foreign income. He can't come home on one of his R&R's because we'd have to pay taxes on his foreign income. And because it's foreign income...we can't qualify for any tax write-offs but yet anything over $85K is taxable. His income isn't tax-free, we are paying social security and everything besides federal. But someone can sit on their butt, not work...and get free healthcare and a tax refund.

I'm sorry to be so crude. I'm sorry to ramble. But...I've been watching too many politicians lately and it really pisses me off when they "accidentally" point out what the opponent is saying wrong. Who cares...I don't care what you think you're going to do when you're in office...tell me how in the hell you're going to fix it. Don't just talk to the crowd and say something you think a crowd wants to hear. It's very difficult to believe any politician during an election year. I don't care what star power is behind you. I don't vote race or gender. I vote proven experience. I think if you run with dogs and reap the benefits, you share the same fleas. I want this war over as much as anyone else...but don't tell me you're going to pull the troops out on your first day of office. It isn't physically possible. If our troops pulled out today, it would be mass genocide for the people left behind. Talk to the military. We have, personally. They believe in what they're doing. Of course everyone wants them safe and to come home alive, but they joined the military for a reason. Don't join just for the school money if you don't believe in war. I don't agree with how we got there. But I'm sorry...Bush did not single-handedly send the troops. Did you know that an illegal immigrant can find work, get a credit card, bank account, mortgage and driver's license? Legally. Do you realize they get free health care and education? Your tax dollars pay for it. How hard do you, did you, or does your spouse work for that money?

I agree our country is in trouble. But tell me HOW you're going to fix it...not what you think you're going to do. Too vague and easy. I can't vote for someone just because they have star power behind them...when you tell one crowd something and speak to another...and change the speech to fit the crowd - I'm not stupid or deaf.

I believe in our freedom. Freedom to decide...your opinion counts, just as much as mine does. That freedom wasn't free. We fought for it. Please don't take it lightly. Really look at your candidate. Look at their experience...voting record...family life...family history. Not charisma, not - who likes you. It matters. Your vote matters. Open your eyes and your mind. Just because a politician can speak the loudest and weave the words we "want" to hear...doesn't mean they can do the job. And yes, religion does matter to me. I can't vote for someone that doesn't believe in the very foundation and bible this country was founded on. Who am I going to vote for tomorrow? I'm not sure.

Focus...

I'm sorry...I've been slacking on my posts. But it's for a good reason, I've been working. Problem is - on too many things. I've had several great storylines pop into my head lately with all of the upcoming opportunities. So this week I've got to concentrate. I took the kiddos to school and I've checked my buddies blogs...and that's it. I've got to get my chapter finished on my Supers revisions. Then I've decided to try a paranormal. Nothing gory or over-the-top, just something with a light Native American mysticism.

Oh...and crits. Trying to work on being a better crit partner. I absolutely love to read my partners WIP's, just need to make it my second in line of priorities. As for my TBR pile...it's about to collapse. *sigh* Oh, well.

I've tried a schedule, but it never fails to fall apart. It's like God is laughing when I attempt something besides chaos. I think I almost work better under pressure. Anyhoo. I have until March.

Pitch Advice

Some of you know that I have a pitch scheduled in March with a Harlequin editor and an agent. I've been trying to come up with something constructive that doesn't make me sound like a complete idiot. A friend mentioned on eHQ that she was watching a DVD she ordered by Michael Hauge. I had no idea who he was. I found an incredible interview though where he talks about pitching. His book is How to Sell Your Story in 60 Seconds.

Interview at Writer Unboxed. It's a very interesting three part series.

Internal Conflict

One of the things I've thought about when I started revising/rewriting my ms...is what the editor said in her suggestions. I'm trying to focus on her comments. One of the things she commented on was the lack of internal conflict for my heroine. I could semi-understand (Is that even a word?) what she's talking about...I think. I mean, I think my internal conflict is great but I guess I didn't get it down the way it was in my head. Big difference between thinking it...and getting it conveyed on paper.

I thought about what internal conflict was and how to get it down so that the reader can see what's in my head. (Which could really scare someone;) It seems to be...putting the reader into the storyline. Making them feel what your heroine/character is dealing with - internally. An emotional POV because her conflict is what's driving her emotionally.

My character has a great motivation...which is also causing her conflict. How many times have we've been driving down the road...or doing dishes...taking a shower, and thought about our problems? My heroine's internal conflict is something we all deal with...doubt. In her situation it should be easy ~ because of what's causing the conflict. A teenager. If you're a parent, doubt goes hand-in-hand with the daily decisions we have in dealing with the drama a teen can create.

What drives your character's emotions...their motivation? Why? Question their reasons and reactions to conflict. And ask why.

Oklahoma Outlaws

What image does that conjure in your thoughts? That is the name of my local RWA chapter that I joined officially as of Saturday. I think I'll fit in well ;) I was really embarrassed Saturday because the room was FULL of talented, creative...published authors....and I had to introduce myself. I thought my face was going to catch on fire and explode. I can hold my own in a chat channel...but girls...I hate being put on the spot. I wonder what'll happen when I get published and have to sit at a table full of books and pray someone actually wants me to sign one. *sigh*

Anyhoo...our March meeting is going to be a mini-conference. We'll be able to pitch our mss to Miriam Kriss, an agent with the Irene Goodman Literary Agency and Margo Lipschultz with HQN. How cool is that.

Sooo...I'll be a little busy until then...maybe hit and miss for awhile. But, I'm here. Lurking and missing you guys.

Sharing

I'm going to share the love...

A good friend sent me an e-mail I just had to share with my writer buddies. Who else could understand our humor? LOL! Hope everyone is having a productive week.

MY LIVING WILL

Last night my sister and I were sitting in the den, talking, and I said to her, "I never want to live in a vegetative state, dependent on some machine and fluids from a bottle to keep me alive. That would be no quality of life at all, If that ever happens, just pull the plug."

So she got up, unplugged my computer, then threw out my wine. She' s such a bitch.

Funny @ Bopmyspace.com

Cheat Sheet

My, what a bright and shiny new year it is. I have a good feeling about the direction I'm heading and I've met some really incredible people. 2007 overall was a great year for pursuing dreams.

Let's start the year out write/right and get this party started. Let's get some motivation cranked up on high. A favorite author of mine is also a fellow Oklahoman ~ Laura Marie Altom has a "cheat sheet" posted on her website that reminded me of where I am in my career. She gives some great advice! Enjoy!

Top Ten Ways to Get Published in Romance:

"Cassie-gate"

O.M.G.

A long time historical author has been accused of the unthinkable. This should shake things up a bit. Even La Nora has eloquently spoken. I was checking e-mail tonight and a RWA Alert was posted. It was a second notice about RWA's standing toward a recent scandal hitting the press but it sounds as if the internet and blogosphere is where it all began.

SmartBitchesTrashyBooks.com

In a succession of blog posts, you can see the controversy bud and then explode. Supposedly, even CNN, MSNBC, USA Today, New York Times and the AP have responded. SBTB details how they have compared passages from multiple books, multiple publishers written by historical romance writer Cassie Edwards, to identical passages she supposedly lifted from various published works. They've even tracked the plagiarism dating back to 1983. Apparently a big part of the controversy lies with the fact that Signet, the publisher, originally denied any illegal wrong doing and Ms. Edwards herself claimed to have done nothing wrong. The passages she copied were available for "fair use". But I guess now that Signet has had time to see the fallout from this, they've decided to investigate. In my case, the internet worked better than satellite. I hadn't heard anything of the debate until tonight.

SBTB notes that Signet has changed their POV. Hmmm. Really. La Nora even commented on SBTB with calm and class. But even I remember as far back as elementary school, it's considered plagiarism if you copy words verbatim and not site the source. Whether it's from historical research and non-fiction or fiction.

How does this affect us? Well...if people boycott Signet...what about the sales of innocent authors swept up in the tidal wave of bad press? What about Janet Dailey and her admission to plagiarizing Nora Roberts works in 1997...is Ms. Dailey still writing?

Breathing!

Boy howdy! I've been a little busy...eHarlequin has been getting ready to roll-out the new boards and they had some of us doing a little tire-kicking to check for glitches in the system. So, the new hub went online and I sat patiently waiting...finally I had to go pick up kiddos and thought I'd missed it. I checked online and *voila* it was there...I sent a post to my favorite SuperRomance board and before long realized my signature line had changed. It said January Member of the Month! How cool is that! My picture is on the community hub front page. Ugh!!!

Which brings me to another reason I'm busier than normal ~ I joined a gym. I knew that I would make myself go if I was paying for it. I'm such a tightwad and really hate spending money on myself...this forces me to make it work. And yes, I've gone two days in a row. I signed up Tuesday...exercised and actually "wanted" to go back today. It's quiet when I go and only a handful of people were in there...no intimidating barbie dolls! I'm a little sore but not bad. Already down a pound but I think it's because I haven't had a Coke in a couple of days. But...I signed a year contract. Even when I lose weight, I'm going to keep it off!

Wow!

Man stabs another man with pork chop bone

Jan 2, 2008 03:32 PM CST

NBC NEWS REPORT

ARDMORE -- An Oklahoma man was arrested after police say he stabbed another man in the neck with a pork chop bone during a food fight.

Police in Ardmore, Oklahoma responded to call of a fight outside a local business New Year's day. When they arrived, they found the victim covered in blood with a puncture wound to his neck.

Police arrested the suspect, 38-year-old Tony Willis a few block from the crime scene. According to authorities, Willis had blood on his clothes and they found the bone used in the attack.

The victim was treated at a local hospital and released.


(I read this online with a local news agency...it lends a whole new meaning to slapping someone who picks food off your plate. I wonder if the victim had eaten his black-eyed peas for the New Year?)