That's Write

Francis Ford Coppola Does It

2012-01-30T06:30:00.000-05:00

OK, I did it again. I got another Fresh Air podcast inspiration.

But this time I was listening to Francis Ford Coppola talking about his film career and being a writer. I mean, sure. It's screenwriting. But he had the greatest advice.

I was kind of already doing it (bet some of you were, too), so in truth, it was the greatest affirmation.

He said, "When you're writing, just keep writing."

OK, that's not exactly what he said.

The gist of what he said was that young writers don't trust themselves. They go back and read those first five pages right after they've written them, and lots of times, they tear them up.

Along with some potentially good ideas or inspiration.

(Historical Note: FFC's old, children. Back in the day, writers used to write stuff on paper. Which they cold tear. His point is sort of the equivalent of deleting it all today.)

Back to Frank! He said to write, write, write. (Just keep swimming.) Then put it away for a day or so (Stephen King says a month, doesn't he?), and then go back and read it.

Give yourself a chance to forget it, and then read it with fresh eyes.

It's something I tell my editing clients all the time. Take a break. Let it rest a few days to a week. You'll be amazed how different it'll look.

He also admitted that he copied all his favorite screenwriters and directors.

He confessed that his movie The Conversation was based on some movie he loved and wanted to copy.

And then he said the most important point: But that's impossible!

Which I interpreted this way: It's okay to emulate, to strive to write something like that book you love so much.

(The one that made you almost give up on writing because you'd never in a million years be able to ever write anything that good. Ever.)

I'm not talking about plagerism, as I've said before. I'm talking about being inspired. Being challenged. Being ticked off (or depressed) by other writers.

And then getting in there and trying to beat them, depending on your personality.

I'm a bit competitive, so after I get over the wallowing and the "Oh, I'll never write as good as Jessica Bell!" I get up, dust myself off, and then get ready to kick her tushie. (*wink*)

Yes?

OK, so here's the link to that podcast (link). And now hit it! I want to see some drills. Jumping jacks. Drop and give me 20K (words, that is)!

Have a great week, reader- and writer-friends! I'm planning to get some of my own revisions done this week. More soon~ <3

Bloghop & Book Review - Your Path to Publication

2012-01-23T06:30:00.000-05:00

BLOGHOP

Great bloggy friend (and future Mrs. Maine) Sheri Larsen is hosting the Rebel Writer's Pledge 2012 blog hop (link). It's about sharing our goals for 2012.

I never do resolutions. But I decided on January 1, 2012, I wanted to shake things up this year.

What better way than to make a resolution?

So my goal for this year (as far as writing goes) is to view writing books as a career and not as a hobby that might turn into something.

That means being more deliberate about my choices. Less passive. I know, you're thinking, "You were being passive?" Well, sort of. Yeah.

So there you go! And my new, "career" attitude is a great segue into the book I'm about to recommend.

BOOK REVIEW

[Note: Some of you remember Murray Dunlap (link). Murray is a great southern writer, and his book Bastard Blue (link) is on my Kindle. Heads up: the opening voice is absolutely riveting. After I plugged it here, his publisher Kevin Watson of Press 53 sent me a different book to review. So that's the disclaimer.]

But I wouldn't be giving it a super-A+ review if it didn't deserve it.

Your Path to Publication: A Guide to Navigating the World of Publishing by Kim Wright (link) is the book I wish I'd had back in January 2010, before I sent out my first query for my first-ever novel.

Most of us now know how to query and find an agent, but if you don't, the chapters on that subject will give you the steps to do it. Get it if you're just starting that process.

(My only quibble is Wright doesn't mention Querytracker.net, which I think is the #1 most invaluable tool for querying writers. Even if the comments occasionally devolve into wound-licking rejection-comps, for the most part they're a great way to know which agents are responding, how fast, to what, and what they're saying.)

Back to Wright's book. For me, the most gratifying passages had to do with the "what to expect after" portions of the story: after you have an agent and/or editor, after you get a book deal, after your book comes out.

Information like that is hard to find, and I felt like I was chatting with my favorite, wise aunt about her experiences.

She even has an informative chapter on self-publishing (or indie authors) that answered many of the questions I had about that process, from the different options, to price points, to print v. electronic-only versions... It was eye-opening.

Finally, her words of encouragement really soothed my self-doubty little writer's brain. I highlighted almost every other sentence on my Kindle, but passages such as, "False barriers abound, and people who believe in them can drag you down," and "[Writing is] one of the last noble quests people can go on..." really hit home for me.

It felt like my path to publication.

Her story at the very end about the sun tea at the writer's colony made me misty--LOL! I'd never considered a writer's colony before--I'm not a princess! But now, I'm feeling like that's my new writer-dream. Making it to one of those.

Wright has a fun, humorous style and even great advice for how to respond to negative reviews. (Can you guess what it is?)

Seriously, writer-friends, buy this book. You don't know you need it, but you do. And it's a steal for Kindle at $3.99.

Here's the link to the book again (link) and to Wright's website (link). She has several other titles out, fiction and nonfiction.

BONUS!

Last word for the week, and I'll get out of your hair. If you haven't heard, our awesome poet, rock star, and novelist friend Jessica Bell (link) has the Kindle edition of her poetry book Twisted Velvet Chains on sale for 99 cents.

Jessica has such a gorgeous, engaging, and raw style, both in her poetry and her prose. And her music! Get TVC and get ready to lose a day. Here's the link.

Have a great week, reader- and writer-friends! More soon~ <3

MLK, Joan Rivers, and Yoda

2012-01-16T06:30:00.000-05:00

First, Happy Martin Luther King, Jr., day! I wrote a post about Dr. King that you can see here (link).

It's incredibly inspiring to remember people who have dreams, and who go after them in the face of such terrible realities.

I have a dream, although it's not as world-changing as MLK's.

And at the beginning of this month, I was pretty low thinking about it and where I am in the process. I was driving to the store in the snow and Fresh Air was playing.

I've shared my love of NPR podcasts before--remember Gazumping? (link)

Well, this time T.G. was interviewing Louis C.K., and they played a clip from his Fox television show. In this particular clip Joan Rivers scolds Louie for quitting his gig after discovering he can't insult Donald Trump onstage in a Trump hotel.

Her words really hit home for me and how I was feeling that day. See, I was having a little writer's pity-party and telling myself I couldn't do it anymore. (TMI: It was also that time of the month, so there might also have been some hormones involved.)

Anyway, here's the short version of what she said (and remember, this is for me, but I thought you might like it):

"You know what's wrong with you guys? You don't know when you're lucky. Appreciate where you are for god's sake."

For some reason, that lifted my little chin. (The entire episode's worth a listen--if you're interested, here's the link.)

It's like what Yoda told Luke Skywalker when Luke was doing his Jedi training. The part about how a Jedi focuses on the present and isn't distracted by all the "what ifs." (Right?)

So look around. Appreciate where you are and what you're learning and who you're meeting. And don't forget to keep swimming.

Til next time~ <3

OPEN MINDS Book Review & Author Interview

2012-01-09T06:30:00.000-05:00

My TBR ("to be read") pile must have rabbits in it or something because it seriously multiplied in December...

Regardless, last week I finally started (and finished!) OPEN MINDS by Susan K. Quinn. And it is so great.

If you've been around, you remember I read and reviewed Dr. Q's debut novel Life, Liberty, & Pursuit last year.

That one's a contemporary, "new adult" romance--meaning, the main characters are in that space between high school and college. It's also very good. (Here's the link to that post if you missed it.)

OPEN MINDS is completely different. (Okay, not completely. There are still romantic elements, but it's more solidly YA. And it's a sci-fi.)

Here's my review:

First, I loved the tense opening scene: main character Kira Moore is boarding public transportation on her way to school, and she's a total outcast.

She lives in Chicago at a time in the future where humans have evolved to the point that everyone can see into each others' minds (hence the title).

The only problem is Kira's mind has never opened. In the book it happens to kids around puberty, but if it doesn't happen, you're labeled a "Zero" and treated like a pariah.

You can't go to college, you can't get a professional job... For example, Kira wants to be a doctor, but she can't. Everyone mistrusts her because they can't see her thoughts.

(It's such a cool trick because if you think about it, nobody can do that in real life, yet we all trust one another--even total strangers--based on what? Nothing! But I digress.)

Quinn sets up Kira's alienation and her desire to fit in and be accepted so well that when things do start to change for her, she faces a serious moral dilemma.

Kira discovers that she has the ability to control everyone's behavior by planting thoughts in their heads.

She's totally freaked, and she thinks she's the only one with this ability until she meets Simon, a boy at her school who shares her power.

He explains that she can fit in by mindjacking everyone and causing them to believe she's become a "Reader," too. (Pariah problem solved!)

Even though she knows it's wrong, Kira goes along with Simon and the two begin manipulating the entire school and beyond.

Ultimately, she's forced to decide how far she'll go with Simon, and whether she'll live a life of lies and manipulation or if she's brave enough to tell the truth.

I'll say no more. Except, totally awesome, right?

Not only is the story fresh, but Susan does a fantastic job exploring themes like honesty and privacy rights and how far people will go to be accepted.

There's even a part where Kira has the chance to take a little revenge on a boy who always tormented her before, and I found myself pondering the thin line between justice and revenge.

I also loved the cool slang she invented for the book. Personally, I hope "mesh" (cool) and "demens" (crazy) get incorporated into the regular lexicon.

So I highly recommend this book. It's perfect for readers of all ages who love great stories that make you think. And it's a total steal at $2.99.

Here are the links to get it (click on the names)
Amazon
Barnes & Noble
Smashwords, iTunes, Diesel, Kobo, Request a Kindlegraph
Susan's Website
Mindjack Website

And now for our interview!

1. OPEN MINDS is so unique and cool, and yet it still does that trick of taking the familiar and twisting it around. Like at the part where she fears she'll kill her entire class with her inability to control her mindjacking, I thought of Carrie by Stephen King. Then I wondered, did you have any literary (or other) inspiration for the story?

I love how so many people say that Open Minds is unique, but mindreading (and even mindjacking) are very old concepts – it’s the twisting it up that makes it new.

My literary inspirations have always been the classic science fiction novels (and films) of my youth, like I, Robot, Stranger in a Strange Land, and Blade Runner (which was based on the story Do Androids Dream of Electric Sheep?). (All of which now makes me think I need to write a novel with robots.)

I’ve actually never read Carrie, so it’s interesting that you make that connection! My modern reading includes more YA than SF, and there’s not a lot of YA SF (notable exception: Across the Universe, which is awesome). Almost every YA paranormal novel has some form of telepathy, so I wanted to make sure I did something very different with it for Open Minds.

2. Many times, Kira refers to herself as the "Invisible Girl," and I loved how you explored the question of how far she was willing to go to be accepted--even if it involved lying to everyone and controlling their thoughts and behaviors. So which came first, the themes or the story?

Definitely the theme. From the very first brain spark (a girl in a classroom of mindreaders, only she couldn’t read minds), the story was about this girl’s isolation—how it affected her, the people who loved her, and eventually the society in general. As the story evolved, I discovered this world had mindjackers as well, and found that her isolation would lead her into all kinds of trouble. But it was an organic evolution.

3. The slang, as I mentioned, is awesome. Did you make it all up yourself or did you have help? (Did your sons help?)

I made up all the slang, based on Latin or terms that grew out of the mindreading world of the book. My children didn’t help, but the amazing Adam Heine critiqued the slang (and the novel) early on. I remember distinctly bouncing ideas off him for the term mindjacker. Originally, they were called pushers, and an agent noted that was awfully close to the movie Push (he was right). Adam and I debated the merits of terms like writers, hackers, drivers, eventually settling on mindjackers. I never worked so hard for a single word in my life!

4. Also loved the cool Tron-style cars and mind-controlled technology. Did you have a template for that or did you make it up? (You are the rocket scientist after all...)

One of the best parts of writing SF (and by best, I mean "Really, I get to do this for realz?") is making up plausible future technology. I love taking current technology, fast forwarding it a few dozen years, adding every cool feature I can think of, and then just pretending that some smart engineer in the future will figure out how to make it work. Or I just straight make stuff up. Open Minds has lots of fun gadgets, but it’s got nothing on Closed Hearts. After all, technology evolves.

5. When Kira mindjacks into the other kids and adults, she desceribes it being like penetrating Jell-O. And then everyone has a unique "mind-scents." First, I was totally grossed out. Then, I decided that was genius. What inspired that?

When I set out to write Open Minds, I was a little freaked by the idea of writing an entire novel where everyone read minds. I mean, how would that work? Would the book be entirely in italics? Would the reader spend all their time in people’s heads? I quickly realized that everything we smell, taste, think, feel … it all exists entirely in our minds.

People with damaged brains taste and hear things that don’t exist. We don’t really smell with our noses … we smell with our brains. (Which is now also grossing ME out!) I was determined from very early in the first draft to make mindreading (and especially mindjacking) a tactile experience, since I think that’s the way the mind would actually interpret it.

6. Riding the bus seemed sort of a bellwether of how life changes for Kira, from her first ride in Chapter 1 to the very end. Was that intentional? Did you want to convey some sort of idea or message there?

I like the idea of mirroring the first image and the final image. It’s not necessary, but I think symbolism has a lot of power. The bus is a symbol of something that every person can do, but Kira cannot (or should not), from the very first line: A zero like me shouldn’t take public transportation. It’s a symbol of her isolation, and I liked using it again at the end, to show how her world had changed.

7. In one part of the book, something really bad happens. Without being spoilerish (you know what I'm talking about), what made you decide to take the story in that direction. And how do you feel about reader response to tough choices in our writing?

That scene was really tough to write, but in the end, I think it was necessary to show what can happen in Kira’s world, and also to not let the reader be too sure about what might happen next. I don’t like gratuitous sex or violence in books, or gratuitous anything in novels, for that matter. (I don’t even like the word gratuitous; too many vowels.) If it’s not necessary for the story, take it out. Otherwise, put it in. This part was necessary, so it stayed.

As for reader response to tough choices, I think writers have to be aware of their reader’s expectations. If you’re writing a Spaghetti Western and then veer off the rails into making it a Space Opera, you’re going to freak your readers out. I’m not saying you can’t write a Spaghetti Western Space Opera, but for heaven’s sake, play it straight and write Cowboys & Aliens.

Beyond that, I think writers have an obligation to fulfill the promise of the premise of their story. If the writer plays it safe, shirks from the fullness of the story, it’s possible they will have written something good, but probably not something great. Some people criticized Suzanne Collins (who is BRILLIANT) for the choices she made in the third book of the Hunger Games trilogy (Mockingjay). I think the third book was true to her premise, and I have a hard time seeing how she could have written it any other way.

8. What's next for Dr. Q? (This is Book 1 of a trilogy... Care to tease?)

I’m feverishly working on Book Two of the Mindjack Trilogy, Closed Hearts, which I hope to have out in May (holy cats, it’s 2012 already!).

Also: I’m part of 25 Indie Writers called The Indelibles (link). We’re launching today, in fact, and if you hop over, you can enter to win a Kindle Fire as part of our launch celebration (and also win a paper copy of Open Minds).

Also, also: I have a short story coming out for Valentine’s Day in an anthology the Indelibles are publishing called In His Eyes. My short story is called "Mind Games," and it’s a prequel to Open Minds from Raf’s point of view. (Did I mention that I love writing boy POV? I love writing boy POV.) I’m putting the finishing touches on that tomorrow.

The anthology will be free when it comes out, but you can add it to your Goodreads TBR now (link).

Thanks, Susan! As demonstrated by your answers (Esp. #5, #7, #... oh, heck. All of your answers are brill!), you're an amazing author. Can't wait to see what you've got for us next.

Thanks you so much for having me! It’s always a pleasure chatting with you, Miss LTM!

Now, run grab your copy, and til next week, reader- and writer-friends~ <3

Mission: Imperfection

2012-01-02T06:30:00.001-05:00

Happy New Year, bleeps! Here's to a fantastic 2012, and may all your resolutions and dreams come true.

Over the holiday, JRM and I sneaked in a few date nights, and on one, we saw the new Mission: Impossible film. It was very entertaining!

It reminded me of a chat I had with Dr. Q (link) recently about watching movies like a novelist.

She and I agreed that it's hard not to study character development, pacing, plotlines, etc., while watching films these days, and usually we're disappointed by the too-fast pacing, plot-holes, and undercooked characters.

In the case of MI: Ghost Protocol, it was the opposite. J.J. Abrams is a great storyteller, and he did a wonderful job rebooting the franchise.

What stood out to me the most was the unimaginative premise: A madman is on a mission to steal a nuclear warhead--a Soviet warhead, no less--and destroy the world.

Wow. That premise is so old, it was the basis for a spoof movie that's also 20 years old.

Not only that, it opens with an agent getting assinated in the field, a prison break, and the whole IMF team getting disavowed. (Meaning, they're now rogue agents classified as terrorists.)

I sat in the theater and thought, "Seriously? This again?"

But I tell you, it was the best MI film I think I've seen since the first one. Naturally, I launched into study mode. Why did this work?

The tension stayed high because the story kept me guessing. (OK, maybe some of you out there saw the twists coming a mile away, but I didn't.)

Wasn't this the suit he wore in Rainman?

All the high-tech devices malfunctioned, Cruise did not save the world again and again--in fact, he failed on all but one occasion--and the Americans and the Russians worked together to fight the bad guys.

It was a nice twist. It was also a great writing rule-reminder: take the expected and flip it around.

Yes, there's nothing new under the sun, but I'm starting to believe audiences and readers like the familiar. That's why it keeps working over and over again--only with a twist.

Maybe that's the classic secret: Human experience is common, but if you can take a few common experiences that don't normally go together and mix them up, you come up with something uncommon. And maybe, sometimes, it's something even better.

What do you guys think? Seen any good examples of this lately?

Have a great week, reader- and writer-friends! Til next time~ <3

The smooth jazz, coffee sipping, red-wine drinking, not caring about any of it It.

The whole, I believed. I gave everything I had. I've been lied to. I've lost it all. I have nothing left to lose...

I don't care if I lose it all. Just to be able to say I did...

The joy of it. The dance. The sipping and dipping and squeezing. The taste of eclairs or creme-filled croissants or seafood seasoned just delicately enough. Or meat, marinated for a good eight hours in garlic, red wine, onion, black pepper, and then cooked for another six hours on low heat...

The sounds of crashing waves and the feel of briny salt air on your face.

Nope. It's true. I still haven't seen Midnight in Paris.

But I have lived in south Louisiana and on the Gulf Coast, and well, I guess for us, that's about as good as it gets.

It's that weird break between Christmas and the New Year when anything's possible. When it's all suspended and everything's wishes and twilight.

I'd love to be in the writing cave, but instead I'm on the road. Have a great week, reader- and writer-friends. See you next week~ <3

I Second that Emotion

2011-12-19T06:30:00.000-05:00

First, I'm still making Deja Vu (link) rounds--forgive me, bleeps. Being out of town threw me off.

As for today, I've been thinking about emotional blogging and saying what's on your mind on the web.

I've never been a blogger who put my personal stuff out there. (Out here?) I'm not sure if it's because I know how quickly my feelings change or if I'm just chicken. Or if I'm repressed. Suppressed? ... Sarah?

No, I know bleeps who do that, and they seem to have the most followers. I'm sure it's because they're sharing common fears, experiences, pain, etc., and it's good to know you're not alone in this.

I was also thinking about that poor guy who went on YouTube topless to rant against Simon & Schuster. Or his agent, I don't remember which. I confess, I couldn't watch it.

The conventional wisdom is "Don't." Don't put yourself out there, don't share negative experiences, don't seem to be complaining at all. Ever.

But is that real?

Personally, I have a pretty strong support group, so I just rant to them, bless their hearts. But what if I didn't (or if you don't)? You have to get negative emotions out, and it's not healthy to bottle them inside.

To me, though, it's like being the person who suggests entitlement programs need to be changed. Nobody wants to be that guy. (And who said they needed to change?)

I don't know. I'm just thinking. Is the prevailing wisdom right or wrong? Should we be more open with our thoughts and problems? If we did so, would it become less stigmatizing?

I do find I learn so much from hearing others' experiences--good and bad. And it is encouraging to know some people have a hard time in this business... even after they land that agent or get that book deal.

Have a great week, reader-and writer-friends! Merry Christmas and happy holidays! I wish you all many happy emotions~ <3

Blogfest Special: Deja Vu

2011-12-16T06:30:00.000-05:00

My good friends DL, Lydia, Katie, and Nicole are hosting this fun fest in which we dig up old posts that didn't get much "play" or that are favorites or whatnot.

This was hard! And as a result, I might sprinkle in some recycled posts in the upcoming weeks.

But anyway, without further ado, a fun rerun and looking forward to seeing what I've missed!

Cups of Literary Tea, July 2010

I'm not much of a tea drinker. I wish I were, because it sounds so refined and elegant.

I mentioned in a previous post that my first boss when I was an editor at LSU was from England, and she observed a strict tea time every day, complete with cookies (biscuits). She taught me so many little niceties.

Anyway, so I've been thinking about books and genre and what appeals to different readers and what doesn't. Of course, I was also thinking about agents...

The other night I looked at JRM and me sitting up in bed reading. He was holding a block of wood entitled TRUMAN. I was clutching my shiny copy of Jessica's Guide to Dating on the Dark Side. Being naturally curious, I leaned over to him.

LTM: What's Truman doing?
JRM: They're making the atomic bomb.
LTM: Sounds.... interesting. (Yik!)
JRM: What do you think it says about humanity that we've had the bomb for 60 years and it hasn't been used.
LTM: We love our children.

Personally, that sort of reading doesn't relax me. I start wondering if I'm getting credit for the course. But to JRM it's fascinating.

I boarded this train of thought because I needed a critique partner. (One of those non-relative, or husband or friend types.)

And I was pondering if it's really necessary for him/her to prefer the genre I write in. I think it is, but could I be wrong?

I recently "met" a fellow blogger who's writing fantasy books. This very imaginative (and good!) writer suggested I read his WIP, but I had to come clean--I think I'd be a terrible helper with fantasy fiction. (The true kind, I mean. The kind JRM devours.)

I felt bad. But I think my answer was correct. I've tried many times to read hard-core fantasy, and I always follow the same pattern: my mind starts to wander and I get lost (you really have to pay attention to that stuff). Then I'm faced with having to start over, and instead I just put the book down and grab a good-ole escapist YA romance.

(Not genre romance, mind you. I get the itch if I can feel the formula in a book I'm reading.)

But maybe that wasn't the right answer. Maybe having a critique partner who's not a big fan of the genre in which I write would make him/her more likely to catch problems...

I don't know.

Last weekend we hosted two of JRM's old law school buddies who are serious fantasy fans. I asked them what it is about the genre that appeals to them. Is it the descriptions? The worlds? The literary devices (e.g., time travel, quests, magic). They couldn't really say.

I don't think anybody can. That's like saying why you prefer chocolate over vanilla.

At the very least I like knowing there's a genre for everyone.

Mine's more the love story-anything genre, although I have to admit an aversion to creatures. LOTR was not my bag, baby. Sorry. So the love-story-anything-without-creatures genre.

JRM: There are no creatures in The Dragonriders of Pern.
LTM: Do the dragonriders fall in love?

That's all for today, kids. I'm actually on the road headed back home, so let's all thank Flower the cat for today's post.

My genre's anything I can bite.

Have a great weekend! And I actually am out of town til Sunday, so I'll be late making the rounds. But I'm coming! Til Monday~ <3

Hard Times, Good Times (for Writers)

2011-12-12T06:30:00.000-05:00

Most of the friends who've hung with me the longest are artists. And all of my serious boyfriends/husbands have been musician-songwriters.

I don't know why--whether we just get each others' mercurial personalities or if I just have a strong aversion to money. As Michael Scott says, "Mo money, mo problems," right?

(Yes, I know it was Damon Wayans.)

Anyway, I thought of this because when we were in college, we debated how hard it is to be creative when you're happy.

What do you guys think? Yes/no? Were we simply listening to too much complaint rock at the time?

Regardless, it got me thinking. Things aren't currently ideal for me. And lots of other folks--in some cases worse.

In my case (new bleeps), over the summer we did a major relocation, and as is typical with such things, the adjustment period... well, it's a tough time fraught with stress, frustration, denial, anger, bargaining, depression...

But I was also thinking this can be a great time for writers.

Think about it: as writers we need hard times to draw on for future projects. If we never feel the extreme bad feelings, how can we possibly conjure them authentically for our characters?

Back in the day, writers used to put themselves in all sorts of terrible situations for their art. I do not recommend that practice. But I've decided to take advantage of this opportunity.

I'm headed back into the cave, and for the duration, I'll be blogging less.

I'm cutting my schedule down to once a week, except for special occasions like blogfests or announcements.

So my schedule is now Mondays only. And this Friday, I'll do a post for DL's Deja Vu fest (link).

In the meantime, I'll be thinking of you, and wishing you all the best. Naturally, I'll be making the rounds on Mondays as well, so I hope to stay in the loop.

Have a great week, reader- and writer-friends! I'm working, and when I'm not, I'm writing. Til Friday~ <3

Catchup and Cool Blogfest Envy

2011-12-08T06:30:00.000-05:00

Shew! Catching up after being out of town is hard work! Especially at this time of year. But I'm back, and I'm making the rounds.

Where was I? Well, I tagged along with hubs on a work-trip to Scottsdale, Az., and I have to confess. Part of my motivation for going was superstition.

Superstition Mtns

You might remember this post (link) where I shared how I started writing my first book after returning from Scottsdale and visiting Frank Lloyd Wright's Taliesin West.

Something about the story of him really getting into his life's work, his passion, and designing his most famous buildings when he was almost 60 gave me hope.

It's never too late to start.

And we talked about how he died at his drafting table still working, happily, at 90-something.

Taliesin West

Then I told you about my visit to the cool souvenir shop and the freak hailstorm-40-degree temperature drop that occurred while I was in the American-Indian artificats gallery.

I revisited that place, too, on the way to Sedona so hubs could see the Red Rock formations this time.

But what I'd never done before, and what was really fun, was climbing all over the Camelback Mountains that are located slap in the middle of Phoenix.

So that's what I did. In other news, have you noticed the cool blogfests going on lately?

Camelback Mtn.

My friend DL Hammons (link) is hosting "Write Club," which pits short passages from writers against each other. Everyone votes, and the winners move on to the next round in February. Check it out! (link)

Then my other friend Jen Daiker of Unedited fame (link) participated in the Heroine Challenge where she had to defend a fictional heroine against another writer's choice. Everyone votes based on their arguments. Very cool. (link)

I hosted a blogfest once with Dr. Kang (link) where we all told jokes. But now I'm wanting to do something literary.

Like everyone picking and defending their most satisfying reunion scene from a book. Or their favorite couple. Or best literary battle. (I threw that battle one in for my male followers. You all know I'm a romance junkie, so I'd be more interested in something along those lines.)

Cactus Santa hats

But I think it could be fun and educational. Like it would help me as a writer to see what's most appealing to readers.

So what do you think? What's a literary blogfest you'd like to participate in?

Now let me get back to digging. Christmas is coming, reader- and writer-friends! Have a great weekend; get some shopping done. Til Monday~ <3

Be Right Back!

2011-12-05T06:30:00.000-05:00

I'm actually out of town this week, but I'll be back Thursday.

Don't do anything major while I'm away!

Okay, you can do something major. Just nothing super-fun. Or if it's fun, I want to hear all about it when I get back. With pictures...

Have a great week, reader- and writer-friends!

Til Thursday~ <3

Blogfest & NaNo Writers, Need an Editor?

2011-12-01T06:30:00.000-05:00

It's Dec. 1--all my NaNo and Nanner-split friends rejoice! National Novel Writing Month (NaNoWriMo, link) has ended. How'd you do?

If you finished all 50,000 words (or more), super congrats! You're a rockstar.

Just remember the big mantra: "Don't query now!"

Now you need to enter the all important ReviseMo stage, after which you will enter the all-important critter/beta phase. And I'm taking this moment to remind everyone that I've hung out my shingle. I'm an experienced editor for hire (link).

(The short version is also in my sidebar over there -->)

I've never done NaNo. Mostly because it typically falls when I'm in the middle of revisions or just finished revisions. Last year, Dr. Kang (link) and I observed "ReviseMo" during the month of November, and now she has like a mega, 50-book deal!

So revisions are very, very important! You're not done. Yet.

Speaking of stuff I've never done, or never thought I'd do, my other good friend Vicki Rocho (link) is hosting a fun, "Well, I Never" blogfest today!

Here's my entry: I never thought I'd write a book.

Seriously, when I was growing up, I loved to read, and I always had little stories scribbled out with illustrations in spiral notebooks all over the place. Then I read a short story my older brother wrote.

It was so funny and insightful and moving, and I think I cried at one point. I clearly remember thinking, "One day I'll write like that."

But never a whole book.

I got my degree in English, taught 10th grade one year, went back to graduate school, got my master's in Mass Comm, worked in production at a TV station (CBS affiliate--WAFB, Baton Rouge, whoot!), did some association work, worked as an editor at LSU for 10 years, had two babies 11 months apart (!), started freelancing for seven years...

Then in Sept. 2009 I sat down and started writing a book.

And today I've finished four. Two are actually polished enough that they're with an agent (link). So there you go. Never say never.

What's something you said you'd never do? How's that working out for you?

Have a great weekend, reader- and writer-friends! Til Monday~ <3

The Countdown

2011-11-28T06:30:00.000-05:00

For the first time, we're visiting a church that observes Advent. It began yesterday, and for the rest of the month, we'll be counting down to Christmas.

I kind of like it.

The topic of yesterday's sermon was uncertainty, which I thought was an odd choice. We know without a doubt that in less than a month it will be December 25.

But as he spoke, I changed my mind. My little daughters are waiting to see their first snowfall. The weather lady said it might happen tomorrow night, but it could be Wednesday.

They're also waiting to see what Santa will bring them. And you know the song, a lot of that depends on how they act. (As if.)

As for writing, we face uncertainty from start to finish. Is this idea any good? Is this query any good? Will I ever finish revising this MS? Will I ever find an agent? Will I ever get a book deal? Will anyone besides my mom buy it if I do? Will I ever write another book? Will it be as good as that last one? And so on.

The point yesterday was that one's faith is strongest in times of uncertainty. That made me laugh (internally, of course) thinking of all the prayers said at those times.

I pray a lot regardless, so for me it seems uncertainty brings out my inner control freak. I start trying to do everything I can to make whatever it is happen. Right now.

Patience is hard for me. I don't even like making my daughters (or husband) wait to open gifts I've bought them. Christmas typically starts around the 23rd at our house--or sooner!--because Mommy just can't stand it anymore.

So we're all in this time of waiting and expectation, and things are very uncertain everywhere. How do you guys deal with times like these?

My youngest said she likes to daydream to make the time pass quicker. I agree with her. Maybe it's time to start another book...

Have a great week, reader- and writer-friends! Til Thursday~ <3

Thanksgiving Break

2011-11-21T06:30:00.000-05:00

Wow, the end of the year is zooming toward us. The holidays are here, it's time for family and for gifts... I haven't even started Christmas shopping yet. (o.m.g.)

I have to take off this week. Family's in town, the girls are out of school, and, well, I'm sure many if not all of you are in the same boat.

I'm so thankful for you, writer friends, for readers, for family, for good health, and for having the freedom to pursue an occupation I love. Even if it can be crazy sometimes.

Happy Thanksgiving, reader-and writer-friends. Til Monday~ <3

Book Review - Daughter of Smoke & Bone

2011-11-17T06:30:00.000-05:00

I have to confess, I resisted picking up Daughter of Smoke & Bone by Laini Taylor (link). Hard.

Everyone's been going on and on about how great it is, but I'm not really a huge fantasy reader. And I just haven't been able to jump on the whole angel bandwagon.

Good news: This isn't really an angel story.

I mean, OK some of the characters are seraphim (angels) and some are chimera (part-man, part-beast or mixed-beast creatures), but that's more the backdrop for what is essentially a reimagining of the Romeo & Juliet tale.

Taylor uses these creatures to do some seriously impressive world-building, and why these two sides are at war and the different histories they've invented to justify their ongoing battle are thorough and well-conceived.

It's set in Prague, which is fresh on it's own, but Taylor also takes the reader to Paris and Morocco, all on the bizarre errands main character Karou is forced to run for her adopted chimera "father" Brimstone.

He collects teeth. Which he exchanges for wishes. But he doesn't give Karou good wishes, only little skimpy ones. Why, you don't know until the end, but it's worth finding out.

The opening is super-strong. Karou's on her way to art class when she's accosted by her ex-boyfriend Kaz, and an amusing, somewhat sexy scene is played out between them.

Then Taylor quickly introduces the mystery of Karou, a human, once-American girl now living in Europe, who's forced to run these strange errands for scary Brimstone. (Again, we don't know why--neither does she.)

When Akila, the (literally hot) seraphim shows up, it gets even more juicy. He's as confused about who this human girl is and why she's running errands for his enemies as Karou. He gets a big surprise. And it's very, very good.

The whole story builds to the Karou's true identity and purpose, and it's so intense, when I finished, I kind of wanted to turn around and read the whole thing again.

It's lush and beautiful, and at the same time it's ugly and horrible and violent. But it works. It's the perfect cozy-up-by-the-fire-and-get-lost book.

There was a point at about 30 percent (Kindle readers) where it got draggy, and I felt my suspension of disbelief slipping. A few times Taylor went a bit over the top with her descriptive language; she turned a few phrases too far...

But hang in there, hold that disbelief suspended, because the ride to the end is just fantastic. From the characters who've lost everything, to the ones fueled by jealousy, to those who're so sick of war, they're willing to try anything for a shot at hope, I was totally engrossed.

I didn't care for the end, I confess. It's very abrupt (there's a sequel coming), but I wouldn't let that be a deterrent. I had no problem losing a day reading this book, and I highly recommend it for older teens and adults.

There are some references to sexual situations and body parts (Moms), but it's not really graphic--one's in art class; they're sketching nudes--and there's I think two mild swear words.

So grab a copy reader- and writer-friends, here's the link again. Have a weekend lost in fantasy-land. Til Monday~ <3

I Quit Blogging

2011-11-14T06:30:00.000-05:00

for the month of June. Remember that?

I was in the middle of moving 850 miles due north, and my life was insane. I wasn't sure how much access to the Internet I'd have, etc.

So a few weeks ago, several bleeps were posting about how blogging was getting them down. They were working hard, building up followers and whatnot. And they were frustrated.

There's not enough time to read all the blogs. There's not enough time to make meaningful comments. Some people still write pages and pages for a single post.

And some people still have word-verify on for comments... (*cough*Turn it off*cough*please.)

You all know my story. I started blogging because Janet Reid said to. Now I have an agent (I got through a blog) who is not Janet Reid, and she says for me to do what I want. It's not that important to my writing career at this point.

But I'll tell you a little secret... Blogging is that important to my writing career.

Writing's a tough gig. It's slow and it's isolating. It can make you unbelievably happy, and then it can make you just that sad.

In this blogging community, there's a group who've been at it for almost two years. A mere blink in publishing time.

We've been through all the trials and tribulations. We've been rejected again and again. We've become betas and critters and helped each other shine. We've landed agents or indy contracts.

We've scored awe-inspiring book deals. We've given up on traditional publishing and done it ourselves. We've launched books that landed in the Top 50 (or less) on the paid Amazon charts (whoot, Jessica!--link). We've gotten crappy feedback or mean reviews from "friends."

I could go on, but my point is, every time something like that happens, this community comes together virtually to rub a back, dry a tear, do a high-five, take part in chart rushes, blog tours, and release parties...

Remember how in times of presidential elections, they like to say, "It's the economy, stupid"?

Blogging is about the relationships, (not)stupid!

At least that's how it's turned out for me. You can look over there and see I don't have a zillion followers. But I've got many, many friends.

When I'm losing it with this writing thing, I've got at least two I can email on the spot. Writers who've been through it. Who are struggling, getting rejected, dusting themselves off, and going at it again.

Because as my good friend Matt (link) once told me about this time last year, "The only way to guarantee you won't make it is to quit."

So why are you still blogging?

Have a great week, reader- and writer-friends. Til Thursday~ <3

Score Some Books, Win Some Prizes!

2011-11-11T08:45:00.001-05:00

Special Edition! It's 11/11/11, and from what I hear many babies are scheduled to be born, Veterans are being honored, Lotto tickets are being bought...

And some great friends are releasing the paperback versions of their books! So Happy (book) Birthday, and bring on the bestsellers!

STRING BRIDGE (link to my review)

Buy the book Today, get the Sountrack for FREE!

Today is THE day to help STRING BRIDGE hit the bestseller list on Amazon, and receive the all-original soundtrack, Melody Hill: On the Other Side, written and performed by author Jessica Bell, for FREE!

All you have to do is purchase the book today (paperback or eBook), 11-11-11, and then email the receipt to

jessica.carmen.bell(at)gmail(dot)com.

Jessica will then email you a link to download the album for free!

To purchase the paperback:

Amazon USA (and Australia)

Amazon UK

To purchase the eBook:

Amazon USA (and Australia)

Amazon UK

To listen to samples of the soundtrack, visit iTunes.

Connect with Jessica:

String Bridge: http://www.stringbridge.com/
Goodreads: http://www.goodreads.com/jessica_bell
Website: http://www.jessicacbell.com/
Blog: http://thealliterativeallomorph.blogspot.com/
Facebook: http://www.facebook.com/author.jessica.bell
Twitter: http://www.twitter.com/MsBessieBell

And be sure to Tweet about it using #StringBridge!

* * *

EXILED (link to website)

My friend RaShelle Workman (link) is teaming up some of her writer-friends (Dark C.A.R.M.A.) in a Twitter kickoff party for their books today at t 11 a.m. MST (1 p.m. EST), and then later at 6 p.m. MST (8 p.m. EST).

Use #DARKCARMA to win cool prizes, including books by other Indelibles authors.

Join them on Twitter or hop over now to the Dark C.A.R.M.A. blog to enter to win a $100 Amazon gift card! Follow these guys on Twitter at: @ali_cross, @AuthorCKBryant, @RaShelleWorkman.

Turn sixteen, become immortal. Live out eternity as a princess. If only life were that simple.

Stubborn, sixteen-year-old Princess Venus of Kelari wants one thing, to become a kelvieri, that is, until someone exiles her to Earth, kills her irrihunter and takes her family. Now she wants revenge.

First she’s got to get home. But before she can return to Kelari, the Gods have commanded her to help an arrogant boy named Michael find his soul mate. Only she doesn't know the first thing about love.

Rather quickly, her inexperience with human emotion is obscured by other matters—alien-controlled psychotic teens that are out to kill her, and a government group that is set on capturing and dissecting her.

Worst of all, Venus will suffer a painful death-by-poisoning, thanks to Earth’s atmosphere, if she remains on the planet longer than one week. Still, Venus is a Princess and she's got a plan. Surely, with her help, Michael will fall in love with a human.

But time is running out and Michael is falling for the wrong girl—her.

Available on ebook now; Paperback available Today!

AMAZON.COM - Kindle
SMASHWORDS.COM - Kindle, Nook, iBooks, any ereader
BARNESANDNOBLE.COM - Nook

* * *

Fun stuff, great prizes. Grab a few books and have a lucky day, reader- and writer-friends! Til Monday~ <3

When it's in Your Power, Just Do It

2011-11-10T06:30:00.001-05:00

My parents are pretty smart. (Now you all know how old I am.)

Seriously though, my parents had my older brother and me when they were babies. Literally. My mom was 20 when my brother was born, and then three years later, here came me.

They were married of course. That was just what you did back in 1960s small-town Mississippi. You married your high school sweetheart. Lucky for them, they were right. They're still married after all this time.

But that's not my point.

My dad told me once about some men he worked with who didn't believe in helping their kids financially.

My dad worked for Exxon in Baton Rouge, so we were somewhat upper-middle-class. My brother and I both had nice cars in high school, but my mom also taught. It was a dual-income situation.

Dad's short-bed was a gold Chevy.

Anyway, dad told me he knew there was wisdom in that. Bootstraps and all.

But he also liked to tell how he and my mom moved from Liberty, Miss., with everything they owned in the back of a pickup truck.

A short-bed pickup truck.

My brother was two, I wasn't born yet, and my dad's point was that if his parents had been able to give them a little help at that time, it would've been far more meaningful than $100,000 now, when he's established, has a home, etc.

It's the timing of the thing, Dad said.

My parents also believed in reading the Bible to my brother and me every single morning. Most mornings, Mom would just read a chapter from the Proverbs.

My brother and I still laugh to this day how those darned verses are so lodged in our brains, one'll just pop out at any time. If I've been out late (or didn't sleep well), I often think of this one:

"He that (greets) his friend with a loud voice, rising early in the morning, it shall be counted a curse to him." (Prov. 27:14)

For the sake of this post, however, there's one that goes like this:

"Do not withhold good from those who deserve it when it's in your power to help them. Do not say to your neighbor, 'Come back later; I'll give it tomorrow'--when you now have it with you. (Prov. 3:27-28)

Most everybody wants to give back and help others, but it's hard when we're so distracted by life, job worries, writing, kids, you name it.

But there are many ways to help and "do good." I've been thinking about what all I see if I just slow down and look around me. Little things. They make such a difference.

Have a great week-end, reader- and writer-friends! You guys always do me a world of good. Til Monday~ <3

Research: How I Cheat by Susan Kaye Quinn

2011-11-07T06:30:00.000-05:00

I am so psyched to welcome Susan Kaye Quinn for my first-ever guest post!

Susan runs her eponymous blog (link), and she's just released her brand new book Open Minds (Book One of the Mindjack Trilogy). Right now the Kindle version is only $2.99 on Amazon (link). Run get it!

You might remember Dr. Q from when I reviewed her young-adult romance Life, Liberty and Pursuit last year (link). It was so great, I could not wait to get Open Minds the minute it came out last week. I'll post my new review ASAP.

But now for the guest post. Take it away, Susan!

* * *

I’ve written stories about wormhole-traveling clones a thousand years in the future, dimension-traveling fairies, and sailors going through boot camp (if you can find the common thread there, please let me know).

For every story I write, I do a lot of research, and my new paranormal/SF novel Open Minds (Book One of the Mindjack Trilogy) is no exception.

Bob Mayer says the special forces unit he was a part of lived by the saying, “If you’re not cheating, you’re not trying hard enough.” That saying really speaks to my creative urge to break the rules and do things differently.

(Note: I’m not in favor of cheating on tests, etc. You’re only cheating yourself when you do that.)

When I research, I cheat. I don’t have time to roam the earth and experience first hand the many settings, buildings, deserts, and national monuments where I place my stories.

That’s why God invented Google Earth.

(Did you know that if you type “Earth” into Google Maps, it gives you Earth, TX, population 1,109. Who knew the world was so small?)

I’ve walked around the small town of Rock Point, Ariz. (in Open Minds), strolled the streets of Amesbury, England (in The Faery Swap), and figured out the best route to break into the Great Lakes Naval Air Station (in Open Minds).

I actually drove up to the guard shack at Great Lakes one time, but only because we happened to be driving by and I couldn’t resist. Turns out the guard was working on a mystery novel. He still wouldn’t let me in.

I troll for images on the Internet to find people who have visited places that I want to set my story. I should no longer be amazed at what can be found online, but people post pictures of vacations, business trips, and their hometowns, conveniently labeled with titles and descriptions.

I’ve even used blogs written by other people (a naval cadet in boot camp, a fashionista attenting a fashion show) to get the voice and slang-usage right for a particular character.

If that’s cheating, I think there should be a class to teach kids how to do it. And I seriously wonder how writers did their thing before the advent of the Internet.

Then again, the flip side of the access to all this information is that everyone else has access to it to. And in a global world, you’re guaranteed to have someone read your story who actually HAS been there and done that. I had several (not one but SEVERAL) people who had actually gone through boot camp read my teen love story Life, Liberty, and Pursuit.

I sighed with relief when they were amazed at how realistic the gas mask training scene was. #thankyouSailorBloggerBoy

Sometimes you have to straight make stuff up. Even then, I find inspiration in Science magazine or Through the Wormhole, just a tidbit or two to get my creative engine humming.

And you’d be amazed what “Lightbulbs of the Future” will bring up on Google.

* * *

Awesome. Thanks again, Susan! Those are great links and information to make our research easier. I'll post the book information below again, and in the meantime, have a great week, reader- and writer-friends! Til Thursday~ <3

When everyone reads minds, a secret is a dangerous thing to keep.

Sixteen-year-old Kira Moore is a zero, someone who can’t read thoughts or be read by others. Zeros are outcasts who can’t be trusted, leaving her no chance with Raf, a regular mindreader and the best friend she secretly loves.

When she accidentally controls Raf’s mind and nearly kills him, Kira tries to hide her frightening new ability from her family and an increasingly suspicious Raf. But lies tangle around her, and she’s dragged deep into a hidden world of mindjackers, where having to mind control everyone she loves is just the beginning of the deadly choices before her.

Open Minds (Book One of the Mindjack Trilogy) by Susan Kaye Quinn is available for $2.99 in e-book (Amazon, Barnes & Noble, Smashwords) and $9.99 in print (Amazon, Createspace).

STRING BRIDGE - the Interview

2011-11-03T06:30:00.000-04:00

Welcome back for Part 2 of my STRING BRIDGE treats! On Monday, I posted my review of the book (link), and today we're chatting with Jessica Bell herself (link) about writing it, her path to publication, and how she gets inspired.

Let's get to it!

LTM: STRING BRIDGE deals with such difficult emotions and heavy situations. Yet it has lightness and hope at the same time. What gave you the idea for this story? And how long did you spend writing it?

Jessica Bell: I spent about five years writing it. It went through about seven different revisions. I don’t think there is one thing from the first draft that is in the final version, so regarding "getting the idea," it wasn’t like an idea just hit me and I started writing about it. It was gradual, and developed more and more with each revision.

The thing with this book is that I never really focused on plot. It was more about the characters and their emotions and their interactions with each other. This book is very much centered on the effect rather than the cause, so I think that’s why the emotions are so full on. Also, I’m a very emotional person, so I couldn’t really help but put them on the page.

LTM: Melody's a musician, like you, and STRING BRIDGE has such a nice rhythm and musical feel in the way it unfolds and in the descriptions. Do you think being a musician helped you write it?

JB: Most definitely. I think sound is a very difficult thing to describe so it certainly helped me with that. I spent a long time trying to perfect those parts where music is illustrated. It was quite a challenge to be honest. But what helps, in general, is the fact that I thrive on making sentences with cadence. I love playing around with different words and sounds and seeing how differently they roll off my tongue. It’s just like singing without a melody. It’s writing to a tempo.

LTM: Tessa was one of my favorite characters. She's such a funny, cute little girl, and her reactions to her parents' behavior is so authentic. I know you have no kids, genius, so where did she come from?

JB: I think I created her to be the daughter I hope to have. Haha. I’ve worked with kids her age before in a few English schools here in Athens, so I drew a few observations from that experience. But mostly it was guess work. Thank you for the “genius” comment! Ha! You’ve made my day …

LTM: Serena was also a great character--the loyal best friend who comes right in and carries Melody through her hardest time. I have a Serena, so I was wondering if there's a Serena in your life? Who is it?

JB: I actually have three back home in Australia. Knock on wood they never have to help me like Serena helped Melody!

LTM: I really liked Alex despite his shortcomings. Your depiction of him trying to be modern and "equal rights" in spite of his upbringing and the paternalistic Greek society in which they live was perfect. (Confession: I did not think Alex was acting Greek; I felt he was acting Male.) How'd you approach that dynamic?

JB: Yes, I think I would have to agree with you on his attributes being primarily “male.” Hahaha. Sorry, guys … But (and I’m totally generalizing here) I think Greek men are nurtured to the extreme when they’re young, and remain dependent on their mothers for quite a long time, which I suppose creates a quality in them in which they crave being ‘looked after,’ and/or maintaining traditional, even out-of-date, views and values primarily because it’s what they grew up with and trust to be ‘the way’ to behave. This is a total generalization and is by no means a definition of the Greek man. It’s just my surface interpretation, mixed in with having known a few men that were quite patriarchal. And I must add, not all of them were Greek. Sorry, I’m rambling here ...

In answer to your question, I wanted to make sure I didn’t create a clichéd Greek man, and so decided to make Alex a little more ‘new wave,’ so to speak, regarding his attitude to male/female egalitarianism. But at the same time, those patriarchal attributes still needed to be ingrained in him. Basically I needed him to want to be all pro equal rights, but when things got difficult, to not be able to control letting the traditions he grew up with override his desire to ignore them.

LTM: I told you reading STRING BRIDGE kept making me think of the Margaret Atwood book CAT'S EYE. The stories aren't similar, but your writing style is a lot like hers--gritty and authentic. Was there a particular book, song, or movie that influenced you into STRING BRIDGE?

JB: Margaret Atwood is one of my favorite authors, so I’m not surprised her style has rubbed off on me. I’ve pretty much read every single book of hers. But no, there isn’t a particular anything that influenced me into writing String Bridge. I really just wanted to write “art.” To be true to myself, to write the way I’m most comfortable with and flow with it. I love reading books that go beyond telling a story. So I guess that’s my primary influence: writing that delves deeper than plot.

Now for some business questions!

LTM: You published STRING BRIDGE through a small, independent publisher (Lucky Press). What led you to that decision? Are you happy about it? Can you tell us a little about that journey and what it was like?

JB: This is a whole other blog post. Luckily, for those who are interested, I’ve already written one about it! Here's the (link).

LTM: Finally, what's next for you? Any advice to other writers out there at any stage of the game?

JB: My next novel is called, Bitter Like Orange Peel. It’s about a twenty-five year old Australian archaeology undergraduate named Kit, who doesn’t like to get her hands dirty. She feels misplaced and comes to the conclusion that meeting her father, Roger, will make some sense of her life, despite him being worth the rotting orange rind in her backyard. Well, at least that’s what she’s been conditioned to think of him by the three women in her life: Ailish, her mother—an English literature professor who communicates in quotes and clichés, and who still hasn’t learned how to express emotion on her face; Ivy, her half-sister—a depressed professional archaeologist, with a slight case of nymphomania, who fled to America after a divorce to become a waitress; and Eleanor, Ivy’s mother—a pediatric surgeon who embellishes her feelings with medical jargon, and who named her daughter after intravenous. Against all three women’s wishes, Kit decides to find Roger, but in doing so, discovers he is not the only rotten fruit.

My advice for debut authors: Learn the rules until you can recite them by heart. Then learn how to break them without people noticing. And ultimately, trust your instincts. I learned that one the hard way. I spent five years trying to write like other people were telling me to write until Janice came along. She encouraged me to be true to myself. Being true to myself is what got me published.

Rock on! Thanks, Jessica! And now you're wondering how to get it? Glad you asked:

eBook
Amazon.com (link)
Amazon UK (link)

Paperback
Amazon.com (link)
Amazon UK (link)
Barnes & Noble (link)

Jessica also created a soundtrack for the book, Melody Hill: On the Other Side, which contains her own original songs and an original song written by Jessica's mother.

It's diverse and interesting, and worth checking out. Although I'd say do it after you read the book. It might spoil the story!

Soundtrack
iTunes (link)
Amazon.com (link)
Amazon UK (link)

Enjoy the book; enjoy Jessica's lovely singing voice; and have a super weekend, reader- and writer-friends! (Geaux, Tigers!) Til Monday~ <3

STRING BRIDGE - Book review

2011-10-31T06:30:00.000-04:00

Happy Halloween, bloggy friends!

Special treat for you all: today I'm helping kick off the STRING BRIDGE (link) blog tour for our good friend, musician, and talented writer Jessica Bell, a.k.a., The Alliterative Allomorph (link).

Jessica sent me an arc of STRING BRIDGE way back at the beginning of June to read, but I have to confess. I was scared to read it.

I've known Jessica more than a year now, and I can tell you, she is an amazing, evocative writer. Her descriptions are so real and intense, and she can conjure a difficult scene and fill it with so much emotion, you'll be crawling for the door...

But I'm so glad I finally did read it. STRING BRIDGE is fantastic.

Yes, it's got a few dark moments, but Jessica has infused her debut novel with so much hope. By the time I finished it, I was squeezing my family members, telling them I loved them.

Yep. It's that good.

Here's my review:

Main character Melody is dealing with a promotion in her job as an editor, a husband who loves her, and an adorable, precocious four year-old daughter, who is just too cute.

Life is good, right? Wrong. She's miserable.

Melody decided after daughter Tessa's birth to stop playing the occasional musical gig and focus on being a good wife and Mommy. The only problem is music is her passion. It feeds her soul, and without it, the monotony of daily life is killing her.

She's spiraling into depression, every little thing her family does sends her into an internal rage, and she's battling fears that she's secretly becoming her bipolar mother.

Melody's mother is a whole other aspect of the story. She's a difficult, strong personality, who during Melody's childhood subjected her to sudden, unexpected bouts of abuse while in her dark times.

Jessica establishes Melody's inner turmoil so well. Her guilt over wanting her own life, and her relationship with her husband and her mother. Melody longs to remember the good days before her mother got sick, and her intense self-analysis is so familiar, you feel like you're working through her struggles with her.

And that's only the first quarter of the book!

There's a lovely scene where Melody recalls visiting her parents' island home while her grandparents were alive. It's so gorgeously detailed, you can feel the water on your feet.

Actually, every observation and memory Melody has ties the characters together and builds to the story's ultimate conclusion.

Jessica does this expertly. You don't even notice as you flow along with her.

The office where Melody works is a nice source of comic relief, and it helps our main character confront her problems. She finally asks husband Alex, a concert promoter, to help her start playing music again, and he agrees.

They draw closer as a result, but too bad their relationship victory is colored by a secret Melody discovers about Alex. She's still deciding what to do when she's faced with the biggest challenge of her life...

I can't tell you any more without spoiling the story, but I can say Jessica's written one of those books that's so real and familiar, it opens the door to great discussions.

For instance, how much turmoil do we create in our own lives? Are there are really any wrong choices or simply choices that lead to different outcomes? And do we control our view of the world by what we choose to focus on in our relationships?

Great stuff.

These characters are flawed, but they know they're flawed and they're trying to find a way to overcome their shortcomings, find healing, and ultimately be happy together.

I highly, highly recommend this book to adult audiences.

Jessica's a frank, realistic writer, so there are clear descriptions of real-life events and F-bombs peppered throughout. Still, I think it will make you sit and think long after you're finished reading.

Here's the links for purchase:

eBook
Amazon.com (link)
Amazon UK (link)

Paperback
Amazon.com (link)
Amazon UK (link)
Barnes & Noble (link)

On Thursday, you'll get a second treat. I'll be interviewing the author herself! So have a great week, and come on back for my chat with Jessica, reader- and writer-friends~ <3

Who's Gazumping whom?

2011-10-27T06:30:00.000-04:00

Nerd alert: I confess one of the things I love most about being back in Indy is the 24-hour NPR. There's this one show "A Way With Words" (link) that I think is just the bee's knees.

I had it on Saturday on the way to my hair appointment, and they were talking about unusual words. The word in question was gazump, which means to swindle someone at the last second before signing a contract--usually in real estate.

For example, you agree to buy a house for $200K, but then at the last minute, right as you're about to sign, the seller says, "Oh, the trees on the property are worth more than I thought. That'll be another $20K."

Gazump!

Then they went into a discussion of how to indicate sarcasm in text. This piqued the writer in me, as I'm always looking for creative ways to avoid adverbs in dialogue tags. My little writer-ears perked up.

Apparently there's this site sartalics.com that's promoting left-leaning italics to indicate slang. (She said, not sarcastically.)

The problem is all the typefaces will have to be redrawn (or whatever) to make that work. Too bad, because I think that's a great idea.

Digression: While searching for sartalics, I also found the Sarcasm Society's website (link), which is worth a look. Hilarious.

Back to Sartalics! It raised a problem I've encountered in my writing before. I mean, I'm pretty good at indicating the way people are delivering their lines based on what's gone before and body language, but sarcasm is tough.

How do you guys indicate sarcasm in dialogue without resorting to adverbs? I'm just curious.

In the meantime, have a great weekend, reader- and writer-friends! If you're celebrating Halloween, have fun and be safe.

I'll have a special TREAT for you on Monday. Til then~ <3

A SCARY GOOD BOOK Review by a Special Guest

2011-10-24T06:30:00.000-04:00

Since it's getting close to Halloween, I asked my nine-year-old daughter Catherine to read Anita Laydon Miller's middle-grade mystery (link) A Scary Good Book.

Anita did a blog tour about a month ago to promote it, and it sounded then like a fun mystery. It involves a kidnapping and clues left in library books. And the cover looks super-exciting.

Anita also has a great middle-grade blog (link), which I'd encourage you to check out and follow.

So without further ado, here's Catherine's review!

I think A Scary Good Book (by Anita Laydon Miller, link) is good because it's a mystery with a touch of romance, which is my favorite kind of story.

The story starts with (main character) Hannah helping Mrs. Beechman with a five-gallon Colorado blue spruce and two bags of mulch that Mrs. Beechman bought from Hannah and her mom’s nursery/house.

Hannah Stone’s father, Louis Stone, had been killed when a car hit him when he had been walking across the street, and people from all over Colorado came to the scene of the crime.

No one knows what caused the accident… until the end of the book. (LTM edit: I had to explain not to give away the ending.) The other mystery is about Katie Lyon.

About a year before that, Katie Lyon was abducted. Hannah saw marks that Katie left in books that she had checked out from the library telling that she had been abducted by a madman.

The rest of the book is about Hannah trying to find out who put the marks in the book. Then she finds out it was Katie, then Hannah gets abducted.

Reading at the dentist's office.

I can’t tell you any more or it’ll ruin the book. But it really was a scary good book.

My questions for Catibug:

Who is your favorite character?
My favorite character is Katie Lyon because she reminds me of my little sister Laura. She is smart for using her eyeliner to mark the books because she didn’t have a pencil. That’s something I could see Laura doing if she had eyeliner.

What was your favorite scene?
My favorite scene was when Hannah and her friend Oliver “Ollie” Ortega broke into the library to see if they could find out more about who marked the books. It is cool to think about two 12-year-olds sneaking into the library.

What was the scariest part?
The scariest part was when the kidnapper set his house on fire.

Would you recommend this book to other kids your age?
I would recommend this book for kids at least eight through twelve, because it is a scary mystery with a little bit of romance. (The romance is between Hannah and Ollie.)

And there you have it folks! Straight from Anita's (almost) target audience. Seriously, Catherine read it in less than 24 hours, and then asked if she could borrow her dad's Kindle so she could read it again.

Grab a copy, and have a scary-fun time reading, reader- and writer-friends. Til Thursday~ <3

Another reason to tell your story

2011-10-20T06:30:00.002-04:00

So I was catching up on my Entertainment Weekly reading, and it was that "reunions" issue. I'm sure most of you've seen the pictures.

They reunited the cast of Family Ties, Romey and Michelle, Glen Close and Michael Douglass for Fatal Attraction, and of course The Princess Bride.

I never knew the backstory of Princess Bride. That it had once had Robert Redford attached as director. That it almost didn't get made.

That Rob Reiner had to cut everyone's salaries, had to cut all the expenses for sets, basically had five guys portray the "army of Guilder."

And it didn't fare very well at the box office.

But it became a cult classic. Who under 40 can't quote at least five lines from that film?

The starter, "As you wish," to the ender, "You'd make a great Dread Pirate Roberts." Or my favorite... Heck, I don't know if I can single out a favorite!

Anyway, it got me to thinking about movies that "shouldn't" have done well, for whatever reason. Or the movies that no one would get behind that everyone ended up loving.

Since we're getting close to Halloween, I'll toss out two scary ones: Blair Witch Project and Halloween.

I mean, seriously. Nobody believed those movies would be hits? Nobody? How does that happen?

Then my thoughts went down a different path. Can you imagine how different Princess Bride would've been if Robert Redford had directed it?

I doubt it would've been as silly-funny as it is, and I'm not sure it would've become the cult-classic it is today.

I feel like there's a lesson here. See what you think about this: We've talked about telling your story before. What if these examples illustrate why you're given the stories you're given.

Other writers might be just as good as you, possibly better. But no one else can tell your story the way you can.

What do you guys think?

Pondering.

Have a great weekend, reader- and writer- friends! Til Monday~ <3

Don't argue with Yosemite Sam

2011-10-17T06:30:00.000-04:00

So Anne Kenny (link) and I were swapping Zombieland quotes last week, and since it's almost Halloween, I had to rent the movie.

Upon rewatching, I remembered Cardio and the Double Tap and Avoiding Bathrooms... You know, The Rules to survive in Zombieland.

JRM asked me if he'd laughed as hard the first time Woody Harrelson asks Jesse Eisenberg if he wanted to see how hard Harrelson could punch.

That got me to thinking about characters and character development.

When I was a little kid, I didn't talk a lot. I'm making up for it now. (insert laugh-track)

Anyway, as a child, I spent a lot of time watching and listening to the adults around me.

I try to impart this wisdom to my two young daughters, who like to ignore the adults in their lives. You can learn a lot by just watching and listening.

One of my relatives is a lot like the Woody Harrelson character in Zombieland. Heck, I'm from south Louisiana. I have several relatives who are like that character.

My point is, when I was a kid, he might've been a bit... intimidating.

Don't get me wrong. He's sweet and loyal and would give you the shirt off his back. But this character-type is not the Scarlett O'Hara, swoon, "dropped mah hankey" sort of gentlemen.

It's making me want to get back to that little south-Mississippi sci-fi I've got sitting in the drawer.

I've written two books involving gentlemen. And trust me, I love the gentlemen.

But sometimes it's fun to hang out with Yosemite Sam. You know, the guy who just needs a Hummer and some hollow-point ammo on a quest for a dang Twinkie.

Characters. All sorts. Just keepin' it rill.

Til Thursday. Have a great weekend, reader- and writer-friends~ <3

Mother Superior Pays it Forward

2011-10-13T06:30:00.000-04:00

Matt Rush, *cough* MacNish, (link) and I have been friends for a while, so when he mentioned this blogfest, I gave him the virtual pfft.

He immediately blamed Alex J. Cavanaugh (link), who I sort of know, as he's Mr. Sci-fi, and I'm Ms. ... not sci-fi...

What's all this about, you ask?

Me kicking off the supercool "Pay it Forward" Blogfest (link) a day early (b/c I post M&Th)! It's OK--they said I could.

Here's how it works: we're supposed to list three blogs we follow and think are awesome, and that we think you should follow, too!

This is a really great idea, but I have to confess: it's REALLY hard for me.

I would automatically send you to my beta/critter's blogs because I love them all, and they are all super-great ladies with super-great blogs.

(That would be Tami-Hart Johnson, Carolyn Abiad, Anne Kenny, Jen Daiker, and Jessica Bell.)

But those ladies are established rock stars, and I think we're supposed to showcase bloggy buddies who might be more new or less known. (Still, if you haven't, check out those guys--they're fantastic.)

In that spirit, I'll toss these guys in the mix:

Elle Strauss (link) is not really a newbie, but I was surprised by how many of you *aren't* following her. She recently published her debut novel Clockwise, which I read and gave two enthusiastic thumbs up--here's the link to my review--and she's just a great writer who typically posts really cool writing tips and advice.

Liz Fichera (link) also has fun posts about stuff. (Yep, I just wrote a sentence that would make my sophomore English students proud.) But Liz has a few new books coming out, and I recently finished her book Craving Perfect. It was really cute and fun, and I think you'll like Liz.

Finally, (last but not least)

Old Kitty (link). I just can't tell you how much I love Kitty's quirky little blog. Maybe it's her pictures of Charlie (her cat) or maybe it's just her little cottage in England and her short posts on writing or baking or rain or people who don't act right. Or maybe it's just that she's so encouraging to me. Everyone should follow Kitty. I know her real name, but I'm sort of an Old Kitty myself, and I forgot.

But that's not even mentioning Tracy Jo (link), who is just the most amazing, strong person and takes gorgeous pictures, or Carol Riggs (link), who perks my little chin up all the time...

Now I'm frustrated that I can't list more than three... Malex!

Have a great weekend, reader- and writer-friends. Til Monday~ <3

When the Revolution Starts

2011-10-10T06:30:00.000-04:00

Over the weekend, I chatted with a friend about the "Occupy Wall Street" protests, and we both agreed it reminded us of the French Revolution.

I proposed the question: Who do you think will say, "Let them eat cake"? (You know, Marie Antoinette's infamous response when she was told, "The people have no bread"?)

Supposedly that's a journalistic cliche, and the beheaded French queen never actually said those words.

As for who'll demonstrate his/her cluelessness today, I like to think it'll be one of those Kardashians.

But perhaps that's the writer in me.

My guy friends have always played the "when The Revolution starts" game whenever another of our friends does anything militia-ish (like purchases a big truck or moves to a remote location or mentions owning a gun).

Example: "We'll all be in so-in-so's barn with the gun collection when The Revolution starts." (laughs)

I don't actually know anyone with a gun collection, but I have been pondering my lack of fire-starting skills. The last time I thought of it when I watched that Tom Hanks movie where he was trapped on that island.

You know, in Castaway. I'dve never got that fire going.

To bring all this nervous laughter around to writing, I was also thinking this weekend about how popular dystopain fiction has become.

How did everyone know to start writing about the end of the world as we know it about two years ago?

I've never been one of those writers who tries to capture "Our Times," but here's my question: Is it possible our writing is always marked by what's going on around us?

Like, even if we're spinning tales of romantic comedy, are they still laced with the meltdown of the global economy? Or something else?

I do know when the Revolution starts I'll be headed South. Those country boys can survive, and they all seem to know how to get a good fire going.

Have a great week, reader- and writer-friends. Stay safe. Til Thursday~ <3

Life and Luck

2011-10-06T06:30:00.000-04:00

Steve Jobs died yesterday. So did civil rights leader Rev. Fred L. Shuttlesworth (link). I have to confess, I didn't know Steve Jobs was sick (again), and I'd never even heard of Rev. Shuttlesworth.

And I call myself a southern reporter.

Shuttlesworth

Yesterday morning I went for a walk with a new friend and neighbor who has a big dog. She needed to exercise him, and the weather's been gorgeous lately. So we headed to the nearby university to stroll around.

I told her about catching leaves.

Catching leaves is a game I discussed in this post (link). My old "boss" Susan, who was Jewish-Irish-British-living in south Louisiana, taught it to me.

Basically, if you catch a leaf as it's falling to the ground (from the tree), it's good luck. But don't throw your leaf away, or you lose your luck!

My friend asked me how long the luck lasted. I hadn't asked Susan that question, so my answer was I guessed as long as you kept your leaf.

Luck is delicious.

Flower likes to eat my leaves when I get home and leave them out on the counter.

I also interviewed and wrote a feature about Billy J. Brown II yesterday for the Baldwin Register. Yep, I'm still writing for those guys.

Brown was trapped in the backseat of a burning car when he was only two years old and suffered third-degree burns on 65 percent of his body.

His face was disfigured and he lost a hand. He went on to become a married, father of two, and as a businessman, he did one of those Tony Robbins motivational events where everybody walked on hot coals.

A burn victim walking on fire.

After meeting Robbins, he said he realized he could affect people for good with his story. So he wrote and self-published a book Rising from the Ashes (link), and his message is this: Your past doesn't equal your future. Find your ultimate goal, your vision, and pursue it because that's what'll get you through the hard times.

I'm thinking all of these things are related somehow. Here's what I got: First, it's fun to play games and to believe you're lucky if you catch a leaf. But the truth is, luck = preparedness + opportunity.

Steve Jobs was a brilliant creative thinker whose ultimate goal was changing the way we handle information.

Shuttlesworth had a vision of a Birmingham (Ala.) where little black girls didn't get bombed to death on their way to Sunday school.

Maybe we all don't get such world-changing goals as Jobs and Shuttlesworth, but maybe we do. Brown said he often wondered as a teenager why God even kept him alive.

His ultimate goal now is helping teenagers and college students see their worth and find their vision. He described parents who drop off their kids and never even get off their cell phones to tell them goodbye.

I bet Brown makes a difference.

I think that's how you make your life lucky. Or something. What do you think?

Either way, do try to catch a leaf--it's fun! Just make sure you're on a flat, open surface. Otherwise you'll be lucky not to get hurt running around while looking up in the sky.

Have a great weekend, reader- and writer-friends. Til Monday~ <3

Aging and Growing Up

2011-10-03T06:30:00.000-04:00

I've been watching the teen shows lately, and last night, one of them made a reference to Gilmore Girls.

Two high-school-aged characters were chatting, and the younger one says, "You're Lorelai, because I'm obviously Rory." (Lorelai's the mom; Rory's the daughter for those of you who never watched. I was a huge fan.)

It got me to thinking about aging and looking one's age--and how (I hope) these shows are clearly being targeted at my demographic rather than the kids who are the same age as the characters.

Anyway, I'm often told I look young for my age. Lately, I haven't been feeling it, but I do notice others my age and how they dress. They do sometimes look *a'hem* more mature than me.

I've also noticed these same ones have teenagers.

Perhaps that's part of it. JRM and I didn't get married until we were in our 30s and didn't have our first child til then. But even before, I was being told I looked 14 when I was 21, and trust me, I hated it. Now it's just puzzling... what's the math on that?

OK, I'm way off where I was headed with this. All these thoughts had something to do with character development, and the way we see the people we've known all our lives as we grow older.

I have a friend I've mentioned before, who I've known since we were babies. Actually, I don't remember a time I didn't know her.

Over the weekend, a mutual friend of ours posted a picture of her on Facebook from senior prom. I saw it and smiled. She was a grade behind me in high school, so I ran over to hang out while they got ready for the big night. It was such a clear memory.

Here's my point: to me, she looks exactly the same. OK, she was a little chubbier around the cheeks at 17, but I could still hear her voice even. It sounds the same.

More than that. I remember every funny secret, every not so funny secret, every first love, every dream, every hope, every wish... Every all-nighter spent eating guacamole and chips while watching Out of Africa and crying.

I think about her two boys--she's just Mom to them. I think about my own daughters. Ditto.

Character development. People who've known each other all their lives still see each other with those eyes--no matter what changes.

Hmm... or do they? What would it take to change that? Something major, I bet. Thinking about this...

I'll never truly see my friend as someone's mom even though I know she is, and she'll never look our age to me (even though she is).

I wonder how old I look to her.

Til Thursday, reader- and writer-friends~ <3

CLOCKWISE Book Review & Author Interview

2011-09-29T06:30:00.000-04:00

I "met" author Elle Strauss about a year ago... I don't even remember how, but I started following her blog (link) because she always posted amazing video interviews or speeches by authors I liked.

I've used them as the basis for my own posts in the past--remember "Restless Anchovies" (link)?

Anyway, I could tell Elle was smart and a good writer doing what she could to learn from other famous writers--mutual interests, right? Right.

Well, I was shocked when she told me she decided to self-publish her debut novel CLOCKWISE. She had an agent, and it was one I'd conversed with on two of my own MSs. I didn't know what to say.

Except that I'd help her get the word out. She sent me an ARC (advance review copy) to do a review. I also interviewed Elle, asking her about CLOCKWISE and self-publishing. Her answers follow my review. (Enter to win free books at the very end.)

Here's my review:

CLOCKWISE is billed as "time-travel-YA-chicklit," which piqued my interest right away. I really dig chicklit, and mixing it with time-travel sounded too unexpected.

But I wouldn't necessarily classify Elle's book as "chicklit." Don't get me wrong, it's very funny at times, and the main character Casey has a real problem: she time-travels uncontrollably, and it gets worse when she's stressed out.

She also carries people back in time with her if they're touching her skin when it happens--just ask her best friend Lucinda, who is also hilarious and determined that she and Casey are going to get dates to "THE Prom" by going to every HS dance that year.

Casey is opposed to this plan for one major reason: the last thing she needs is to get stressed out while dancing with a boy, much less the cutest boy in school, Nate, on whom she has an enormous crush...

Yep, that's exactly what happens. Nate asks her to dance and zhoop! they go back in time. (Read the teaser-excerpt of that scene on Elle's blog here, link. It's short and fun and will give you a feel for Elle's style.)

So she takes the cutest boy back in time... and here's the part where it stops being chicklit. (I know--unexpected again!) Casey time-travels back to the same place every trip, and it's a scary, volatile part of American history.

She goes back to Boston, at the start of the Civil War. Abraham Lincoln's just been elected President, boys are getting drafted into the Union Army, runaway slaves are being kidnapped and sent back south because of the Fugitive Slave Act.

Women have practically no rights, and a wealthy Bostonian sets his sites on the mysterious Miss Casey Donovon, who keeps disappearing and reappearing...

Once Nate gets over his initial shock at what's happened (he thinks it's a prank at first), he wants to get involved, to help their new friend, a fugitive slave named Samuel.

Casey's more worried because she never knows when she'll travel back to modern times again, and if she isn't touching Nate when it happens, he could get left there. Waiting for her to come back again, whenever...

I'm going to stop because I don't want to spoil the story, but I'll tell you what I told Elle: I'll bet money this is the best self-published debut novel on the market.

I'm not kidding. And at $2.99 for Kindle (link) or £2.17 on Amazon.co.uk, you've got to get it. The ending is moving and sweet... Kudos to my friend, and I wish her the best with this new venture.

Now for our interview!

LTM: I loved the theme of time travel, and the way you linked it to possibly being hereditary. Have you always been interested in time travel? Was there a book, movie, TV show, or real-life event that sparked your idea for CLOCKWISE?

Elle Strauss: I’m not sure what sparked the interest in time travel—maybe it felt like a puzzle, and I like puzzles. My first time-travel effort had some merit, but not anywhere close to publishable. I did learn a lot from that first effort, though.

(Almost) All of the historical events take place in the same time in Boston during the very beginning of the Civil War. What made you choose that time? Is it your favorite time period in American history?

ES: I’d recently moved back to western Canada after spending a year in Boston. I was fascinated with the history there, the Freedom Trail, the 300-year-old pub, the cradle of America. When I decided to write another time travel book, I knew it was going to have to be set there. Having my protagonist, Casey, loop back to the dawn of the Civil War just made sense then.

To me, time travel is a very intimidating device. How did you prepare for it? Did you already have your where and when plotted out or did you pants it?

ES: Oh, I totally pants-ed it, which I’ll never do again. This novel was actually really hard to write, as I actually had two stories that needed to have a complete arc, and that overlapped into one complete story. I went grey trying to figure this one out. I’m part-way finished with a companion, and I’m definitely planning the structure ahead of time.

Is CLOCKWISE the novel that landed you your agent? How long did your query journey take? Care to share your experience?

ES: It feels so long ago now, I have to think. I queried more than one book, but this is the one that got me representation. I think I had it out for half a year or more. She was a new agent “hungry for clients,” which always helps I think, plus at the time, she only took snail mail. I was willing to do the extra work to get it to her, but I knew many people wouldn’t be. So that helped to get me to the top of the pile. I’m really grateful she fell in love with Casey’s story.

Your agent shopped CLOCKWISE, and then you decided to self-publish. Was she supportive of this decision? At what point did you decide to go it alone and why?

ES: Here’s where I tell you I’ve had two agents. My first agent shopped CLOCKWISE, but the general feeling at the time was that time-travel YA wouldn’t sell (it wasn’t trending). When she left the agency, I was picked up by her colleague. By then, time travel was trending, but the general feel was that editors wanted edgier time travel. At that point I decided it might be worth giving it a go on my own, and my agent agreed.

What did you do to prepare for self-publishing? Any tips for others considering this step?

ES: Oh, gosh. I’d been reading up on it for a while, there are a lot of great bloggers who focus almost 100 percent on this, including The Passive Voice (link) and also a lot of books. I’d spent time following other authors who had self-published to see how they approached it. I suppose it would take a full blog post (or more) to answer this question fully.

What's next for Elle Strauss? Any other books in the pipeline? Traditional or self-publishing? And if traditional, what are your thoughts on doing both?

ES: Yes, there are more books! My next book is going to be completely opposite in feel, a darker drama about a boy who grows up in Hitler Youth, tentatively called PLAYING WITH MATCHES. After that, look for another light and fun romance set in the Merfolk world called SEAWEED. I will indie-publish both of these, with a CLOCKWISE companion to follow. As for both, that can work for some authors.

Thanks for having me, Leigh!

(Note: I've actually read/edited PLAYING WITH MATCHES for Elle, and I can tell you, I wept. It is fantastic.)

Elle's also hosting a great Contest! to help launch CLOCKWISE. You can win five books, so jump over to her site and read about it (link).

Now go buy Elle's book, reader- and writer-friends (link), and spend the week-end tripping through time.

Til Monday~ <3

Patience & What I Did This Summer

2011-09-26T06:30:00.000-04:00

If you participated, you know I forgot about our dear Michael DiGesu's blogfest where we all told how we spent our summers. (Argh!)

But as writers, we've learned the importance of patience (through much tears, wailing, and self-medicating--*wink*). Lucky for me.

As for my summer, well, I spent it moving 850 miles due north!

In 2004, my Louisiana-native self left Indianapolis, Ind., with my little family and relocated to Spanish Fort, Ala.

Hubs got a great job, it was closer to family, and we were less than an hour from this:

I just knew it was God's way of rewarding me for being such a great person... (...right?)

Seriously, though, I'd spent my life saying I would live at the beach. When we relocated, I figured it had happened, and I would never move again.

Just when you think that, right?

So hubs got a better job working with great friends, and since he makes the big bucks in our little family unit (and supports my writing habit), we headed back to the Midwest.

Before I left, though--literally, like the week before--I helped chaperone a few HS seniors on a seven-day Caribbean cruise.

I know.

You have to understand when I was asked to do it, exactly one year ago today, I had no clue I'd be moving 850 miles due north nine months later (a.k.a., within a week of the cruise dates).

Clearly, I went anyway (it was too late to back out), and it was so great. I was able to visit with a friend I've known since before she was born, and it was a fun, fun week in an otherwise stressful summer.

And here we are, and things are moving forward again, albeit not as quickly as I would like. Which brings us to the patience part.

First, there are two things I don't talk about here on the blog, and one of them is religion. I was brought up to be polite, so you can guess the other.

But I do pray. A lot. And patience is one of those virtues that gets me down. If I have to wait for any good thing to happen, I immediately fall down the negative spiral.

You don't have to tell me, "Don't do that!" I know I shouldn't do that, but it's just my personality. No matter how many years go by, how many situations work out well, I still go straight for the worst reasons why whenever I'm forced to wait.

I'm very When Harry Met Sally, in the whole, "If it's in my power to make something good happen, I want to make it happen as soon as possible." (Or something like that.)

So I've been feeling all negative-spiraley lately about how recent events have impacted my writing momentum, but we've started visiting this little church around the corner. On Sunday, the interim pastor read the following verse:

"You know that under pressure, your faith-life is forced into the open and shows its true colors. So don't try to get out of anything prematurely. Let it do its work so you become mature and well-developed, not deficient in any way." (Jas. 1: 3-4, MSG)

I can't say that verse made me feel better, but it resonated with me. I hope it encourages someone out there reading this as well. Hang in there--that which does not kill us, makes us stronger.

Til Thursday, reader- and writer-friends~ <3

Blog What You Want

2011-09-22T07:54:00.002-04:00

I started to title this one "gratitude," but by the end I had to change it.

That's how I imagine the plotter and the panster in me collide when I write. The plotter is the calm, planning one who says what the family will do, a nice trip to the ocean. The panster is the one who smiles and pretends to agree... and ends up taking the kids to Thailand.

Anyway, so this started off about gratitude. I have to say how awesome you all were about my last post.

I already have my first editing project as a result, I've got bleeps offering to plug me on their blogs, I've got Tweeters tweeting about it, some of you directed me to other places to advertise...

It's been a while since I gushed about how great our little writers community is. I think the last time was when I got my agent. That was five months ago! Too long.

I know people say blogging is dead. I don't know. It seems like there are many thriving blogs out there--Jen, Matt, and Katie are the first that spring to mind. But there are so many others.

Some say you should never blog about writing. Can I just jump in real quick and beg some of you to ignore this. Please?

I've learned so much from reading your discoveries. K.M. Weiland has given me more lightbulbs than I can count--also Dr. Quinn... And speaking of doctors, Lydia Kang is always giving me story ideas with her medical Mondays. And that's only three of you!

Others say you shouldn't blog to sell books. Well... I've bought all my bloggie friends' books. I haven't read them all yet, but the ones I have are fantastic. And it's cool to think I know the authors and we're friends.

I bet to them it's like that starfish story (link)--it made a difference to that one.

I'm sure I'll read somewhere about how you shouldn't blog to find editing jobs. And I'll do like I always do when experts announce how I should fill this space of mine. Shrug and smile.

As my friend Shannon said, "Write whatever the *%!# you want. It's your blog." (Shannon also me two serious work leads after Monday's post--one resulted in a writing job. Whoot!)

So there. This post really is about gratitude. And blog what you want. I'll never know how much I've gotten back from it.

Have a great week-end, reader- and writer-friends! Til Monday~ <3

Somebody Need an Editor?

2011-09-19T06:30:00.000-04:00

So this is it! I'm doing it: starting my own (affordable) editing service for writers ready to query or wanting to self-publish.

Here's the deal. Most of you know I worked as a full-time editor before settling down in my 30s to have babies (i.e., 10+ years). I continued doing freelance work for other folks once the girls were old enough to be independent, and at the start of this year, I was doing a pretty healthy amount of business.

I had a local network of folks for whom I wrote, edited, did pretty much all sorts of contract communication services, from web updates to press releases to whatever. And then we moved.

It's great to be back in the Midwest--this is not complaining! We have a great group of friends here, and I don't mind the better hair weather. But starting from scratch with the freelance gigs is slow going. And then I got this idea...

It started with my blog post about critters and betas (link). I've worked with several of our bloggy friends on polishing their manuscripts, getting them ready to query, giving feedback on areas that needed revision or development... I've helped brainstorm difficult spots and given my opinion of first chapters.

That's when I realized, I have a Paypal account, why not cut out the middle man and just offer my service from this blog?

And there you go. I'm hanging out a shingle. Editor for hire.

I've put a little widget in the right-hand column there, and since it's impossible for me to read without a pen in my hand, I'll do macro-copy editing (meaning, I'll point out the big stuff), and I'll read with an eye toward content development and (the highly objective) marketability.

Edit: (12/17) I'm going to set my flat rate at $.007 per word.

I decided that makes more sense than a per-chapter fee, since chapters can be all different number of pages. And I'm still offering a break for new and unpublished authors. In other words, I'm willing to negotiate.

If times are tough, we'll see what we can both live with. Maybe I'll just help you get started, maybe we'll work out a total amount you can afford. I'm trying to supplement an income here, not get rich.

And to my personal critters and betas, you're off the hook. That's called payback.

Anyway, we'll see how it goes. If we've worked together before, leave a comment or please do recommend me to anyone you know seeking an editor.

Of course, I'm still available for smaller writing and editing jobs at my regular, hourly rate.

If you're interested, send me an email (link). We'll see if blogging wins again!

Have a great week, guys! Til Thursday~ <3

If I Could Be Anybody Else...

2011-09-15T07:00:00.000-04:00

In honor of the release of our good bloggy friend Talli's brand new book, Watching Willow Watts (link), we've all been asked to write about who we'd like to be and why. Other than ourselves, of course.

I confess. This was hard for me! I'm too analytical. I know everybody's got their own set of problems, even if it looks like they've got it made in the shade.

We all have our unique challenges and insecurities to round out the good things in our lives, so it's best to be thankful for who we are, enjoy our blessings, and learn from our hard times.

But that's boring! And I like games, so I sat down and thought about it.

Who would I want to be... Who looked like they'd done the most interesting stuff, who had the coolest setup, who I'd like to emulate... hmm...

It was a tie.

My first choice: Frank Lloyd Wright. Remember my post about starting my very first novel? Back in 2009, when I decided I was also possessed by the spirit of FLW in the creepy Indian artifact museum during the freak hailstorm in Sedona, Az.? (link)

Me as FLW

In follow-ups, I told someone I thought it was so cool that FLW was able to live his life doing what he loved, that he got recognition in his lifetime, and that he was able to do it until he died at 91 (at his drafting table, sketching). And his creations still live on, admired and preserved...

Yep, that's what I want.

My second choice: Rosalind Russell. (The actress for you youngsters.)

I was about nine when my grandmother introduced me to the fabulous world of classic movies. She rented The Big Sleep for me, and we watched together. I was instantly hooked, and I spent the next 31 years watching, rewatching, and loving old movies.

Me as RR (that's JRM as Carey Grant)

Of all the actresses, Rosalind Russell is my favorite. At least onscreen. She was tough and sassy. She was hilarious and full of heart. Think about it. From her early films The Women to His Girl Friday, to musicals Auntie Mame and Gypsy, all the way to The Trouble With Angels. She was just fantastic.

She created unforgettable characters, worked with amazing people, and she always looked like she was having a blast doing it.

That's the other thing I want.

So there you have it. And now you all need to get Talli's new book! Take it from me, I read (and reviewed!) Talli's first book, The Hating Game (link), so I can only imagine this one's even more fun. It sure looks that way.

Here's the link to the ebook version of W3 on Amazon (link). The paperback's coming in November, but you Kindle kids, at $2.99, there's no excuse not to grab it and spend the weekend happily reading.

Have a great week-end, reader- and writer-friends! Til Monday~ <3

I Happen to Like New York

2011-09-12T05:56:00.004-04:00

I had a friend with an apartment on Prince Street in Soho.

My last visit to NYC in the spring of 2001 was to visit him and another friend who'd moved there with her husband. She and I'd worked together at LSU.

I was also supposed to meet up with my (sorority) little sister, Tove Sundqvist. She lived in Amsterdam, but she had to be in Boston. We were going to try and get together, but ultimately it didn't work out.

Anyway, my friend John was very excited about the prospect of me moving to NYC and getting an editorial job, and he was helping me meet folks at Newsweek and Hachette.

It was very cold, and I have a picture of me freezing on top of the WTC six months before it hit the ground. It was my third trip in less than two years, but I wasn't going to move. I didn't want it badly enough, and I was married with a husband on his way to med school at the time.

I remember John took me to some way off-Broadway play where all the actors ended up completely naked at various points. I have no idea what the name of it was, but we met up with some of the cast at a little diner after. They kept going on about how much I looked like Drew Barrymore, and John was indignant. "She is not fat," he snapped.

John was from Port Allen. Same city as that little Tracy Porter kid who made the winning play for the Saints at the Superbowl. John's apartment was huge by NYC standards and his rent was only $1,400 a month because of rent control. He'd been there since the '80s. I still can't believe he gave that place up to move to Atlanta.

That night at the diner, I just remember thinking how one of my sorority sisters used to say I looked like Drew Barrymore, and I'd never taken it as an insult.

Six months later everything changed. It was Sept. 11, and I was working at the paper in Shreveport, La. I remember standing out in the newsroom with the rest of the staff watching Matt Lauer covering the nightmare. Then I went back to my office where my phone was ringing off the hook with friends demanding to know what was going on.

I just work here, I thought.

One month after that Tove was killed in Amsterdam after being hit by a tram while she was riding her bike. I remember getting the email from her (bio) sister Jenny telling me what had happened, and I went straight to the phone and called her.

I had no idea what time it was in Sweden, but I couldn't believe it. Somebody had hacked into her email account and was playing the most un-funny joke of all time.

But it wasn't the most un-funny joke. It was the most un-funny truth. We sat there kind of stunned, and I eventually hung up the phone. I don't really remember our conversation.

An hour later, as the email was being discovered by our other sisters, my phone started ringing off the hook again. What had happened? Had I talked to Jenny? But Tove just got married! She was going to have a baby! And she was always so healthy! It was surreal.

I had just gotten the thank-you card she'd sent me for her wedding present. I'd given her some of those giant bath-sheet towels we all loved so much. I remembered how one time she'd fallen in the shower at her dorm and hit her head and we all had to rush her to the ER for stitches. Jenny had been so scared, and we'd all joked about what a klutz she was. Another time she got a speeding ticket, and Jenny just knew she was going to get deported. Tove was larger than life.

I sat down and scribbled out some letter to Jenny that I couldn't even read through my blurry eyes. I wrote how I couldn't believe it. I just couldn't. I wrote about how badly I'd wanted to be at her wedding that summer, but with the move to Shreveport and all it had been impossible. And I hadn't saved enough money to fly to Amsterdam.

I mailed it without even proofreading. It probably made no sense.

Another month later, my first marriage ended...

Tough year.

It got better, of course, and by the end of 2002, I was surrounded by an amazing group of friends in Indy who took me in on sight and made me feel as welcome as if I'd always been here.

They still do. Those guys are amazing. Love them~

* * *

This is a repost from when I first started blogging in 2010. It seemed appropriate today, in remembrance of Sept. 11 and in light of our relocation back to Indy. Still love those guys! It feels like a quiet day, but I'll be sending my revision back as scheduled. And I plan to be around.

Til Thursday, reader- and writer-friends~ <3

Creative Teams

2011-09-08T06:34:00.007-04:00

So I've been watching Project Runway for the first time.

One of the contestants, Anthony Ryan, is a Baton Rouge resident and LSU alumni. Geaux, Tigers! and root, root, root for the home team! He won last week's challenge. Whoot, Anthony Ryan!

I don't know if it's a regular thing for this show, but they've been forcing these designers to work together on teams quite a bit. Each time it's been a disaster for the majority of the teams.

This week, they're doing another team project, and from the previews, it looks like more emotional explosions and fallout are to come.

I'm sure it's great for ratings, but I'm disappointed by this aspect of the show. After each team challenge, the judges ask "who was the weakest link," and basically force the other designers to throw someone under the bus.

First, that's extremely lazy of Heidi & Co. (a.k.a., the judges). But second, it's been my experience that creative people do not create well on teams.

When I was an editor (at LSU), I worked with designers, photographers, etc., very creative people. Most of them were exceptionally good at their jobs. And we all did our parts alone.

We would get together along the way and make sure we were all on the same page, but then we would go and do our own creative part--taking pictures, designing the concept, writing the copy--alone.

The one creative exception I can think of is a musical group. But even with bands who write their own music, these guys/gals have worked together for years, and they usually come from similar life situations or parts of the country. Think Lennon-McCartney, The Rolling Stones, U2, No Doubt, (insert your favorite band)...

In the Project Runway situation, these designers are from all over the country and very disparate backgrounds. Most importantly, they're competing for one shot at winning $100,000 and all that other stuff they get if they win.

I propose it's the same with writers. How many team-written books are there? I've only read one, and it was so terrible, I won't name it.

OK, now I'm remembering the Roeckers. I confess, I haven't had a chance to read their book yet (link), and I've heard it's great! So maybe they're the exception.

But they're so close, I'm not sure they count. I've heard they also speak to each other in Esperanza or whatever language twins teach each other (*wink*). Just kidding, L-L... Everyone go buy The Liars' Society (link) and read it!

Do any of you co-write books? Can this work? How do you do it? Is there a method to this madness? And what's (another) example of a good co-written book?

I'm skeptical. And if Anthony Ryan goes home tonight because of all this foolishness, Heidi & Co. can just forget me watching anymore. (LOL!)

Have a great weekend, reader- and writer-friends! Til Monday~ <3

Pay the Beta Forward

2011-09-05T04:30:00.000-04:00

Happy Labor Day, fellow Americans! Hope everyone's enjoying the holiday. Today I'm thinking about my bloggie friends.

Back when I finished my last MS, the one that got me my first offer of representation, I discovered the greatest thing as a result of this blog right here: Beta Readers.

beta

There's a difference between beta readers (betas) and critique partners (critters), but I can't remember what it is. I think it has something to do with the amount of material you send them.

So I probably use the terms wrong, but I credit my betas (or critters) with being a big part of where I am today.

They gave me encouragement when I needed it, pointed out character problems and plot holes (still sounds dirty), suggested direction for characters who were stalled, gave me ideas when agents requested revisions that I didn't know what to do with, read my MS again (above and beyond)...

And now it's payback time.

critter

Please understand, I can't wait to return the favor. It's unexpected that all the payback has hit at once, but anywhoo! Not the point.

I was thinking about giving (and getting) critiques and feedback. I learned the hard way in my work that electronic communication can quickly break down.

As a result, I tend to be very careful in my phrasing and always couch criticisms in a healthy padding of praise. I would encourage my readers to do the same. If you're a beta (or critter) remember there's another person on the other end who has invested emotional time and energy into whatever it is you're reading.

I like to give at least three compliments for every one criticism. If I can. Please, my betas/critters, don't start counting. My point is, while I am thorough, I realize the importance of sugar with the medicine.

Why am I telling you this? Well, a bloggy friend of ours shared that she cried after getting a query critique, and that made me angry. We're here to help and support each other. We'll get kicked in the stomachs enough from reviewers, agents, editors. We don't need it from each other.

So I've got five, shiny MSs on my Kindle, and I can't wait to get reading! And I take this opportunity to thank my awesome betas. They're encouraging and supportive. And I wouldn't be here without you.

I know Clarissa and Summer offer beta/critter hook-ups on their blogs. If you know a great place to find betas and/or critters, please share in the comments! And do remember the Golden Rule when helping each other.

Have a super holiday, reader- and writer-friends! Til Thursday~ <3

More of an Idea Rat

2011-09-01T07:28:00.003-04:00

I posted a while back about keeping it simple. In my experience, the most effective story that was the easiest to write and that went over best with those that mattered was the one where I focused on a simple concept, easy to explain, easy to relate.

Then we talked about Rebecca Black and Phil Collins and I referenced the little logline exercise provided by agents Rachel, Nathan, and Natalie. Remember that? KISS? Here's the link in case you're curious (link).

But what if you have a really complex idea? One that can't be summed up in one sentence? At least not satisfactorily. And what if you think it's pretty good.

Source

I suppose you could argue that no books can be satisfactorily summed up in one sentence. There are always subplots and characters who if left out, change the tone or whatever.

On my back burner is a little MS JRM keeps bugging me to finish. It's at 15K words with many, many notes. I had to make a separate file of notes because it's a complex idea. I'm not even confident I can pull it off successfully.

So what to do? Ditch it? Maybe I could start and then see how much frosting I have if it flops...

Just kidding, I don't believe in icing together something that's not working. But I also don't believe in spending tons of time on an MS that isn't going anywhere. I'm not that old yet, and I've got two little ladies I'm taking time away from to do this.

What do you guys do with complicated ideas? Wait until they feel simple? Keep writing til they get simple?

Maybe I'm overthinking it.

I'm out of the revision cave (again), so I hope to be around more now. Have a super holiday weekend, reader- and writer-friends! Til Monday~ <3

It Takes a Crazy Person

2011-08-29T06:44:00.018-04:00

Pop quiz: You have to be crazy to be truly artistic and/or creative. (T/F)

It's something I've been thinking about lately. When I was growing up back in the Stone Ages *cough* I mean, in the 80s, that was somewhat the prevailing view.

The truly creative, artistic people were all total nutjobs. Some writers even went so far as to cultivate a crazy persona to be taken more seriously. Remember this post?

Why am I thinking about this? Two reasons. First (and most importantly), I'm trying to rationalize my own nutty behavior as of late. It's all that latent creativity coming out. (Right?)

But also, thanks to Nathan Bransford, I watched Stephenie Meyer on Oprah, and she's just the most normal-seeming person on the planet. Jo Rowling, too.

These ladies don't seem crazy, but they've each created something that everyone loves. Perhaps you would argue that their books aren't particularly original or creative. Or artistic.

In the case of Twilight, I can see much borrowing from the classics. But in the case of Rowling the same can be said. She reimagined many old hero stories and myths--the Alchemist's stone? I think both ladies are great writers and demonstrate much creativity. Yet they're both just average, stay-at-home moms.

So what's the verdict? True or false?

I know, crazy is a charged term. I hesitate to describe anyone, myself included, that way. But there is something different.

Maybe it's more a matter of learning to let go. Losing a grip on self-discipline, schedule keeping, fitness regimines, keeping up with family events, the appearance of actually listening when someone's talking to you...

I guess the way most writers act when they're chasing down an idea does make them appear somewhat crazy. Or air-headed--fer sure--a bit like those absent-minded professors.

Artists can be the same way. Musicians just hum a lot and tap on everything.

I'm going to answer False, but I think the appearance would lead the uninitiated to say True. You?

Just some fun before I head back into the revisions cave--here I go again. Have a great week, reader- and writer-friends. Til Thursday~ <3

In my head, zombie

2011-08-25T08:55:00.002-04:00

My youngest daughter is hilariously extreme. I'll give you an example.

I'll be brushing her hair and hit a snag. She'll cry out, "Ow!" Then pout, "You love to hurt me." Or she'll make a statement of fact, like, "It's hotter here than in south Alabama," and I'll say, "Well, not really. It just seems that way today." Her response? "You just think I'm stupid."

The first time she did this, I was alarmed. Was my child suffering from a horrible low-self-esteem issue? I didn't see any additional evidence of that. She had friends, did well in school...

The second and third times, it was funny, and I'd hug her and tell her to stop being ridiculous. After a while, it became incredibly frustrating because it was like she simply shut down and didn't want to learn or work with me.

She's just a little kid, so my goal is to help her grow out of it. But then I catch myself doing the same thing!

OK, I'm not going around declaring everyone thinks I'm stupid, but I'll catch myself, when met with criticism of a piece of writing or a particular scene thinking, "This is just stupid, I should just trash the whole thing. I'm the worst writer ever."

It's Laura--and she's in my head! Like that "Zombie" song by The Cranberries. (Wasn't that the worst thing? Talk about a message getting stuck in your head, and what did it even mean?)

Anyway, am I the only person who does this?

I can say (with help) I've learned to push back on those mental messages that I stink and I should stop wasting time every day and start pounding the pavement and get a Real Job and etc., etc., but occasionally they'll still pop up.

When my daughters are playing together, my oldest will sometimes yell downstairs to me, "Mom! Tell Laura to stop being ridiculous!"

That makes me laugh because my oldest is a true mini-me. I have to watch what I say, because it will be repeated back to me. In the same tone of voice even.

So I'm telling myself (and any of my reader- or writer-friends out there who might be in the same boat as me): Stop being ridiculous. Just because you get a bit of criticism or a helpful suggestion, take it. Don't close up shop or believe you stink.

And if you're hearing the same message over and over, look at what it's saying. Maybe its an area that needs a little focused attention.

Wow. Some unexpected inspiration for the weekend--have a great one! Til Monday~ <3

What we think we know

2011-08-22T05:55:00.029-04:00

I read The Joy Luck Club in one sitting on a flight from New York to London.

Doesn't that sound romantic?

Truth is, I was in college, and I was helping a friend's mom "chaperone" her high school English students on one of those 10-day guided tours of London and Paris. It was a fun experience.

But back to the book.

I was hooked from the start by the story of the goose and the feather and the mom wanting to use it to tell her daughter all her stories.

Then Amy Tan goes immediately to the days after the mom's death, and her daughter casually remarks that she doesn't know anything about her mother.

That sets off her mother's friends who instantly begin regaling her with "Remember this?" and "Remember that?" They insisted that she did know her mother, and the implication is they fear their own daughters don't really know them.

I remember when I read this book in college, I related completely with the daughter. I felt like I didn't know anything about my mother--at least not as an actual person who'd had real life experiences.

In a way, I still feel like that sometimes. Just a little.

Now we're here, and I see my little daughters struggling with the stress of the biggest move in their lives (so far). My youngest daughter, the one who broke down crying at the news we were moving 850 miles due north of the only home she'd ever known announced today that she's having a wonderful time!

She loves it here!!!

My oldest, the one who was so excited to return to the city where she was born, who couldn't wait to see snow, and who told her little sister not to be afraid, "it's going to be an adventure," announced yesterday at breakfast she wants to go home.

I feel all torn up inside.

On the one hand, I understand exactly how my eldest feels. She wants familiarity. She wants to know that today when she goes to school, she's going to see the same faces, sites, and sounds she's been seeing since she was old enough to remember.

I get that.

But I keep telling her to hang on. The longer we're here, the longer we'll have been here. The more familiar it'll be, the more faces she'll recognize. Just hang in there.

I want to tell her my story of coming here for the first time ten years ago. Back then she was my little feather, a secret in my womb, and I held onto her as I willingly gave up everything I'd ever known and my life quietly began to change.

I planned to wait until she was old enough to understand, but now I fear that day will never come. That as time passes, feelings change. And memories sound different out loud, in the present than they do in one's heart, in the past.

This feather may look worthless, but it comes from afar and carries with it all my good intentions...

Do we ever know people the way they want us to know them? Do people ever know us the way we want them to?

It's a thought that's buzzing in my head now that I'm out of the cave. Maybe it's time for a new opening paragraph.

Til Thursday~ <3

The Revision Cave - What I've Learned

2011-08-18T07:15:00.006-04:00

I'm peeking my head out, I'm almost done, and I thought I'd share what I've learned... what I'm sure most of you already know about revisions. Revisions are painful,

but in the midst of it all, I'm having a very Zen-enlightenment experience of learning about myself. (That's a joke, because I already knew these things about myself, I'm really experiencing the joy of attempting to grow through them.)

#1-I don't like redoing things.

It's the reason I took classical piano lessons for eight years and never excelled. I hate to practice. Something in me resists going back and reliving, revising, learning to make something better.

And that's a huge mistake. Practice, revision, and review are so important. Already I can tell certain scenes are stronger from just a third (or fourth) look.

#2-I get in a funky mood when I write funky scenes.

On Friday I added a love scene (going from YA to adult here) and enhanced a ... (no spoilers) Bad Scene. And by the end of the day, I needed some dancing medicine. (Just ask Matt, Sheri, and Kelly who I happened to find on FB later that evening.) I am not proud.

But at the same time, that's probably a good thing, right? And if we can all resist becoming Earnest Hemingway over it, investing real emotions into emotional scenes only makes them more authentic, yes?

So those are my weak excuses for why I'm M.I.A. again. No moves, no motherhood drama. Just me in the revision cave, hopefully getting better all the time. Miss you.

Got any humorous (or not) self-discoveries to share from the cave? Otherwise, I hope most of you are having a blast at Write On Con--another great writer's resource.

Have a great weekend, reader- and writer-friends. Til Monday. Namaste~ <3

Good Book Alert - Bastard Blue

2011-08-15T08:21:00.001-04:00

Today's a quickie-post, but I'm poking my head out of the revising cave to tell you about a really great book that's just become available for Kindle.

It's Bastard Blue by my friend and Mobile (Ala.) native, Murray Dunlap. Here's the link, it's $3.99, so seriously, you can't afford not to get it. Unless you don't have a Kindle. But then you can download it on Kindle for PC... (Okay, here's the link for the hardcover edition.)

Anyway, I've only read the introduction and the first few pages, but already I want to read the story this narrator is prepared to tell.

Murray's accomplished one of those tricks great writers in the South are known for. He's created a distinct voice that is so evocative of the region. Having grown up in so-La., and then lived in so-Ala. for seven years, I can literally see this character.

I met Murray when I was assigned to write a feature story about him for the Baldwin Register last year. He's an accomplished writer who just happened to be almost killed a few years ago in a car crash.

He suffered a traumatic brain injury, lost the ability to walk for a while, had to relearn how to speak, the works. But he didn't lose his talent.

Here's the link to his website; you can read his inspiring survival story at your leisure. But get his book. It's amazing.

Now, I'm back in the cave. Til Thursday~ <3

What's it all about?

2011-08-11T06:55:00.022-04:00

When I graduated high school, my mom said I was going to write a book. She actually used to say that a lot, and true confession: It drove me nuts. It really did.

I had no desire to sit in a chair for hours and hours, day after day, trying to keep up with some story idea. I just couldn't conceive how that could ever possibly be enjoyable or fulfilling.

And I didn't even know about agents or rejection letters or reviews or sales figures back then.

I remembered this because I read another interview with Kathryn Stockett about her five-year, 60-rejection-letter journey to publication with The Help. (link).

More true confessions, I avoided reading that book for years--mostly because I was just getting started on the journey to publication, and I didn't want to see any similarities to myself in it. (Which would mean that was at least a fraction of the pain I was going to have to endure before... something happened.)

I finally caved when my book club decided we'd read it in January, and of course I loved it--like everyone else in America. I even reviewed it for The Burrow (link).

But now when I read Stockett's story, I react in a different way. Now I know what I'm up against, and now I'm wondering why I had more sense at 17 than I do now, more than 20 years later.

Trying to become a published author (at least the traditional way) is self-abusive madness! So why am I doing this?

Hmm... I've asked myself this before, and I'm not sure if there's one reason. Last time I pondered the question, I decided it was because I'd gotten to a point as a professional communicator where it was the only thing I hadn't done.

That sounds really good, right? I'm not sure it's true.

I sat down and wrote my very first book in the fall of 2009. I'd just returned from a trip to Scottsdale, Az., with JRM, who was there for a work convention.

While he was in classes and hanging out with his lawyer-buds, I was alone, in one of his partner's rental cars (an '09 Camaro, no less), cruising around, visiting ghost towns, running up to Sedona...

I visited the Frank Lloyd Wright house Taliesin West (link), and on the tour, they told us how Wright was a teacher and a designer, how he did what he had to do to survive the Depression in his 50s and 60s, and how it wasn't until then, in his 60s, that he started getting the commissions he's most known for today.

He started work on Falling Water (link) when he was 67 years old. He finished the Guggenheim art museum in New York City when he was 92, after working on it for 16 years.

After I got home from that trip, I sat down and wrote the first of four complete novels and four half-novels that bring us to today, with me in revisions on #4.

What happened?

Well, I visited this weird little souvenir shop on the road to Sedona, and while I was there, in the Indian artifacts room, suddenly all the lights went out and a bizarre hailstorm started.

I was alone, in the dark with shrunken heads, masks, weird weapons, pottery... I walked to the nearest door and looked outside at the huge hailstones falling and thought how glad I was to be driving a rental that day.

The temperature nose-dived 50 degrees in less than 10 minutes. And I returned home possessed by the spirit of Frank Lloyd Wright.

Just kidding.

OK, the part about the freak hailstorm and the temperature drop while I was in the creepy souvenir shop is true, but it's just one of those crazy, "it happened to me" stories I like to tell.

That story of Frank Lloyd Wright did effect me, though. When he died, he was at his table sketching, they said at Taliesin. Happy.

And I think that's it. I think when you hit on something you love to do, you just can't help doing it. It's nice if people like it and you get recognition while you're alive. But I'm not sure if it's ever possible to stop doing it.

I don't know. Why do you guys keep pursuing the dream?

Til Monday, have a great week-end, reader- and writer-friends. I'm over here revising~ <3

And as the game changes...

2011-08-08T07:25:00.002-04:00

So on Thursday I wrote about how interesting it is to be in the middle of a publishing revolution.

And while I'm still personally committed to the traditional route, I'm impressed that so many thoughtful, calm writer-friends are taking the self-publishing leap.

I'll be reading and reviewing their books and doing interviews with a few of them in upcoming weeks. So check back!

Entertainment Weekly recently jumped on the bandwagon and reviewed Amanda Hocking's books (link), and while they gave her Trylle trilogy a B-, they also pointed out a big problem in indie publishing: Quality Control.

In our ensuing discussion of self-publishing last Thursday, we all noted the same problem: it's hard as a consumer to know who took the time to work with a professional editor and who was just (understandably) frustrated and eager to get their book "out there."

I've been burned more than once on a self-published book, so I'm cautious about buying any more.

And it's not just the reader in me cringing, it's the former English teacher/editor as well. I just want to break out my red pen and start making notes everywhere.

So I was thinking, as this revolution plays out, how will the ancillary businesses that develop around it look?

There's already a growing field of professional editors for hire--if anybody's hiring them. (Or can afford them.) Some of these editors even have backgrounds in traditional publishing.

Will there also develop a system of "Self-pub Reviews and Recommendations"? Will they take into account things like plot holes and underwriting? Rushed pacing and undeveloped characters? Poor word-choice and/or misused words?

In a recent post on the Pimp My Novel blog, Eric predicted a resurgence of independent book stores as a result of the collapse of Borders, and possibly other big-box stores. (link)

One thing I loved about indie bookstores was the Employee Recommendations section. You remember, the shelves that had employees' names on them and the books they thought you'd like? There was usually an employee whose taste matched mine, and whose rec's I always devoured.

I wonder if we'll see something like that appear in the world of self-pubbed ebooks.

There will definitely be a need for this. Something to help us navigate the sea... What do you guys think? Any suggestions for the entrepreneurs out there who might be reading?

In the meantime, I'm back in the revisions chair. And I'm looking for a little freelance work, so let me know if you come across anything.

Have a great week, reader- and writer-friends! Til Thursday~ <3

Game change

2011-08-04T09:13:00.013-04:00

JRM and I started watching The Social Network last night. Being the parents of small children, we didn't get to finish (yet), but we made it a good three-fourths of the way through.

I'm not familiar with the real Mark Zukerberg, but I remember being on MySpace for about six months, and I remember when Facebook hit the scene in late 2006 (early 07?) in south Alabama.

At first I didn't care for it, but soon it replaced MySpace. It was simpler and much easier to use.

Then in early 2009-ish, it seemed everyone found FB. I went from about 150 friends to 500 in one month. (Not bragging--just noting the speed at which it progressed.)

I closed my MySpace account and focused solely on FB for sharing family pictures and ultimately reconnecting with people I hadn't seen in approaching 20 years (or more!).

Friend requests came out of the woodwork (ghosts everywhere!), and it was fun.

Back to the movie. Justin Timberlake plays the role of Sean Parker (Napster founder), who is described at one point as paranoid, and who it seems is following the Zukerberg character. Z is fascinated by Parker and repeatedly seeks his advice.

What stood out to me was (movie) Parker's claims of what he did to the music industry. In the movie, he insists that he changed music forever, at which the Eduardo Saverin character scoffs. Parker quickly replies, "Want to buy a Tower Records?"

Ouch.

This morning, that scripted exchange got me thinking about the publishing game. Napster did change the music industry--you could also throw in iTunes and the rise of the 99-cent single. But wasn't that a response to Napster?

More might happen in the movie, but right now I'm focusing on that small nugget--the conversation where Parker tells Zuckerberg, "We're changing the game. It's our game now." (var.)

My angsty post last week led to some interesting conversations with several very thoughtful bloggie buddies--BBs who are not inclined to be rash or impulsive.
And they're seriously considering taking the game into their own hands. One emailed me this weekend that she's doing it, and asked if I'd help with getting the word out. (To which I said, "Yes. Of course!")

These friends have agents--some are on their second. They've gone on submissions, been dissatisfied with the results, and now they've decided to take the power back.

We've read about big-name authors doing the same thing. Then yesterday on the Today show, Kathie Lee quoted Dolly Parton's line, "Don't sell your babies." (She was talking to Pitbull--I'm not kidding--about not selling the rights to your work.)

I'm still on the "wait and see" fence. I'm still committed to the traditional route, and I still think it's the cleanest, most quality-controlled way to go.

I still want an editor, a gorgeous cover, the works.

But I'm watching.

And to those of you who are trying it, I'm wishing you the best of luck. And I'm here to help.

Have a great weekend reader- and writer-friends. Til Monday~ <3

What's in a Name?

2011-08-01T08:25:00.009-04:00

It's Monday! Time for some True Confessions: I stink at titles.

I'm also not so great at naming characters either, but that's a different post. I was able to name my two daughters, but that's where my naming abilities took a powder. I didn't even name the cat.

Some of you guys, however, are just the opposite. You pop out creative, snappy titles... just like that!

I'd share one a bloggy friend off-handedly told me over the weekend, but I don't know if she's keeping it a secret for now. But it's fantastic. I want to steal it and write my own book around it!

A writer-friend from way back who lived in New York and worked with Hollywood types told me how he'd written a screenplay about a pedophile stalking a kid using the Internet.

It was a thriller in which the villain set up a fake email account and was slowly closing in on his victim. The title? You've Got Mail. And he envisioned that old voice-greeting becoming the sound of intense, paralyzing, scream-smothering fear...

He later sold it to Warner Bros. for something like $20,000 so they could use it for a Tom Hanks/Meg Ryan joint. Isn't that fun?

The point: Titles matter.

Some of you are so good, you even title all your chapters! That thought makes me shudder.

Remember the game about finding your stripper name? Take the name of your childhood pet and combine it with the street you grew up on...

Mine's Rusty Amerest.

And that's about how I feel about titles--Rusty.

Last year, when I was shopping my YA romcom, I can't tell you how many times I was told, "You should fix that title. It sounds paranormal."

What was it? Shadow Falls. (It was the town where the story occurred!)

I started going through titles of very popular books or stories. Romeo & Juliet is just the name of the two main characters. And Twilight? It's just a time of day. Even Carrie. Again, main character's name. Harry Potter?

OK, "The Deathly Hallows" is pretty good. Even "The Order of the Phoenix." But hey--those are just places in the story. (Like Shadow Falls!)

Can anybody help a sistah out? Any title games you play or exercises to get you in a titular kind of mood? Spill! I'm in need of assistance.

Have a great week, reader- and writer-friends! Til Thursday~ <3

The Writers' Circle redefined

2011-07-28T06:55:00.001-04:00

In my last post, I lamented how I didn't feel comfortable sharing my self-doubts on my blog for whatever reason, and then in the following hours and days, well, all I can say is Wow.

First, there is SO much going on behind the scenes with my bloggie friends, taking control of their destinies, wrestling with similar fears as mine, holding back... I really didn't know about it all because none of us are posting about this stuff.

Can I just say I'm glad I was having my moment? And just for the record, the moment has passed, my problem has been resolved, my fears quelled... Yay! Suddenly I can see blue skies again.

Anyway, several of you sent me emails urging me to elaborate on what was troubling me, and as we shared, I started thinking about the old writers circles of ... oh, 1910.

Back in the day, you had to either migrate (emigrate?) to New York or Paris to find other writers with whom to talk shop. (And wear silly hats.)

You also didn't have representatives (agents), and manuscripts were typed on paper and mailed in boxes to one of four large publishing houses on a wish and a prayer. (The wish/prayer part hasn't changed.)

It's been years since I was in Paris. Ditto New York.

I'm also a mamma now, which would make it tough to hang out at the Algonquin every day at lunch, blowing off steam or whatever.

So Janet Reid declared we all had to start blogging, and I reluctantly did so. Then this thing happened.

I found all these other people doing what I was doing, having similar experiences as me, having different experiences or finding information about different things from me and sharing it... It was amazing, cool, and really great--especially on days like Monday.

I've said over and over how I probably would've given up on this novelist dream a year ago if it weren't for you guys--my bloggie buddies. It's amazing that I can hint that I'm feeling alone and self-doubty, and support comes surging through the ether.

I appreciate you all so much. Once this is all over, I look forward to coming back and sharing with everyone how this journey has gone. Giving back or something. I'll let you know as soon as I can.

And since some of you asked, I've posted an "after" shot of my new writer's cave.

I'll be in here working once school's back in (in a week!), and I'm currently in here as much as I can checking emails, reading blogs, and making these posts.

Have a super weekend, reader- and writer-friends! Remember those lemonade guys? (Was it lemonade?) Thank you for your support.

Til Monday~ <3

To post or not to post

2011-07-25T06:55:00.028-04:00

So I had this whole post ready to go for today, and at the last minute, I pulled it.

It's about where I am in the submissions process and my thoughts and concerns--mostly my feelings of self-doubt and second-guessing. But then I got to thinking about all the things we're advised not to put "out there." How we might hurt our prospects through a careless online post.

That makes me sad.

All through this process, you guys have been my support network. Through development, writing, querying, revisions... It's difficult for nonwriters to understand what this path is like--the ups and downs--and it can be very isolating.

It's hard for me to believe that what I put in this little space can truly harm my career. First, I don't write inflammatory posts. Second, even when I do write posts that are borderline rants (have I ever done that?), I temper them with enough rhetoric to make them palatable to any reader.

So I'm frustrated.

We have such a great little writer-friend support circle, one that would be difficult (impossible?) to create were it not for this medium, and now I can't use it.

True confession: It's also hard for me to believe anyone is out there searching for me right now or interested in what I'm posting online at this point. My ego is not that inflated.

One of our bloggie buddies at times will email her posts to some of us to get our responses before she puts them up. As in, "Is this offensive?" or "Am I going to lose all my followers if I put this out there?" I always err on the side of caution. She always posts them anyway.

Then we joke that if this were American Idol (which I don't watch), she'd be Simon and I'd be Paula... I don't think she's lost a follower yet.

What do you guys think? Should we self-censor our posts? Should we put whatever we're feeling out there or hold back the borderline stuff? Is censoring defeating the purpose of what we're even doing here?

I don't know. I'm not naming names. I'm not even saying anything bad about where I am--I'm not in a bad place! I'm just feeling self-doubtish. And I'm sure it's provoked by this move...

So. Terrible about what happened in Norway, yes?

Til Thursday, I'm just over here playing Hamlet. <3

Chicken or egg?

2011-07-21T07:01:00.005-04:00

My parents arrived Saturday (as you know from my last post). They brought my babies, my dad's drill, and a readiness to help me complete the final phase of hanging pictures, making repairs, and sorting. They really are incredible helpers.

And though we butt heads at times, and my mom and I cross swords occasionally, you wouldn't believe what all we've done to this old house. I should've taken "before" pictures. But it's the reason I've been the absentee blogging buddy this week. Huge apologies.

The good news is all this hard work means I'm that close to being done and able to get to my new normal. I cannot wait.

I've learned what a cat person I am through this. I've watched Flower struggling with all the change, and I swear, I can feel her pain. Moving is possibly the worst thing on the planet. (The process; not necessarily the location change.)

To lighten the mood, JRM took me to see the final Harry Potter film. He's a huge fan of the series, and has read all the books. Possibly twice.

I've red-facedly confessed to some of you that I've only read the first book of the series. I liked it very much, but then the movies started coming out, and I had two little babies back to back, and I started seeing the films before reading the books... and that just kills it for me.

I hate knowing what's going to happen when I read.

Regardless, I like to think I'm a good movie watcher! I try to catch the foreshadowing and the hints directors drop along the way. For example, who all caught that image of Dumbledore in the triangle of mirror right at the very beginning before Harry saw himself in it? (When he was at Dobby's grave? Yes?)

Anyway, so I've seen all eight films without reading the books, and watching this final installment, I wondered how much of what went before did JKR know she was going to use later, and how much sort of happened?

As in, when she wrote, did she ever have a moment like this: "I really need a place to hide this diadem. Oh! The Chamber of Secrets! Of course!"

I know when I'm writing, many times I'll be following my storyline, not really paying attention, and I'll discover I've set up this perfect scene without really planning it. So I follow it through, and presto! Good stuff.

I'm never the only one experiencing these types of things. So confess. How many of you have these chicken and egg moments? Tell me about it!

In the meantime, I'm still unpacking, and we've entered birthday season at my house. Sunday is Laura's, and then Aug. 8 is Catherine's. I'll be thinking of you and doing my best to get around, and I'll be back in the saddle before we know it.

Have a great weekend, reader-friends. Til Monday~ <3

In the Transition

2011-07-18T06:05:00.010-04:00

So we moved into our new home last Friday, July 8, and in the proceeding week, we moved stacks and furniture from room to room as we painted and refinished floors, connected services, unpacked boxes. It was tiring and intense. But Saturday was the test.

My parents drove with my two daughters from south Louisiana to Indianapolis to see their new home for the first time.

I was so worried about them. We've dragged them away from friends and familiarity, and I wanted them to like their new house. I wanted them to be happy with their rooms, and I wanted them to feel like this was a good thing.

All Saturday, we arranged their rooms, hung pictures, unloaded boxes, assembled little stuffed-animal clusters in welcoming configurations.

The clock was ticking because my "conquer the road" dad had started their journey in the night--they had a good four hours on us. We had to forget sneaking off to see the new Harry Potter, and focus on nesting.

And when my mom called to say they were eleven miles away, we switched into high gear. It was like in those old Captain Kangaroo sketches where they'd speed up the film and play that funny music... remember?

Nothing prepared me for seeing my two little girls' faces for the first time after a three-week separation. We all screamed--! Then we hugged each other and jumped up and down and kissed each other and hugged each other again.

Then we all grabbed hands and ran into the house, first to my room on the downstairs floor, then up the stairs to see their rooms (more squealing), then downstairs again (and again) to the basement to see where we'd set up a television and play area...

After killing myself all day, I was instantly adrenalized. And we kept it going until after 10 p.m., when it was still vaguely daylight but definitely bedtime.

Last night, as I lay in bed reading Carrie for the first time (*snort*), my mind wandered and I began to reflect on the day and all the spontaneous emotions we experienced. Then I thought about a few characters in books I've written, and I thought about the reality of scenes and how important it is to imbue them with true emotions the reader can feel.

While I can't wait to get back to writing again, and I've dubbed this summer "the summer I missed" (it's already mid-July?), these moments of intense, true emotion have made it worthwhile. They're worth savoring and then remembering for later use.

I hope you all had a super weekend and are enjoying your summer days. I'm over here unpacking, but trying to remember the stuff that's flying past as we transition.

Til Thursday~ <3

I'm back! ... sort of

2011-07-14T07:30:00.012-04:00

The move is done! We're successfully relocated, albeit still in boxes, and I've JUST gotten Internet service again. But I promised to be back today, so here I am.

our living room

I have to confess, I have very little interesting to say simply because I don't have time to collect my thoughts before July 14 begins... in less than two hours!

We've been keeping insane hours since moving to the Eastern time zone, unpacking around the clock (while the girls are visiting g'rents) and around work and job-hunting and workmen... and catching up with old friends who don't have children (i.e., keep crazy hours).

I do have many thoughts to share, but you know how it is when you start to say everything you've been thinking about at the same time and... nothing comes out?

I promise to get my act together for Monday and give us something good to talk about. In the meantime, I'll bore you with pictures of our new home, which I love. As you can see above, our living room is full of boxes. As is my future office-slash-entertainment area.

future office

I can say I've been thinking of you all during the last month. Some of you I can keep up with on Facebook, and I tried to pop in on Twitter as time permitted.

Of course, I've also been thinking about this whole "trying to become a published author" process, and how it meshes with my #1 job of being Mom. And that's the purpose of this blog, right? At least that's what I say is the purpose up there in the header...

The few times I was able to check in, I picked up on the chatter about emerging social media--Google+... --? What is this? I've also noticed more folks trying out Tumblr. Technology moves so fast. (OK--we all know that, but being unplugged for a month enhanced it for me.)

What are you guys thinking about this? Should we even be trying to keep up with technology? Or should we be focusing on our writing?

I've said a million times that blogging has made me more writer-friends and helped me grow in my craft through critique groups and beta partners. It even helped me find my agent.

I'll never be sorry I started this blog. But I honestly can't keep up with all social media and still maintain my writing, my family, and my other jobs and responsibilities.

And I think that's OK.

the kitchen... ahhh...

So there. Something to think about. Have a great weekend, reader-friends! And I leave you a shot of the one near-finished room in the house. Our lovely kitchen.

Til Monday~ <3

On Hiatus!

2011-06-03T07:59:00.005-04:00

The longer version is in Monday's post (link), basically I've got to unplug for June. I'm in the process of a major relocation, but I will be back July 14!

Until then, enjoy your summer!

I'm thinking of you guys~ <3

Tag, Announcement, & Book Reviews - If I Stay/Where She Went

2011-05-30T06:05:00.073-04:00

Happy Memorial Day!

First the book reviews. When I found the cover image for Gayle Forman's awesome debut If I Stay (link) I remembered why it took me so long to read the book.

I saw an ad for it in Entertainment Weekly that said, "Will appeal to fans of Stephenie Meyer's Twilight." And I thought, Yik!

The last thing I wanted to read was another poorly executed, paranormal, Stephenie-Meyer-Twilight-wannabe.

Let me say right now, If I Stay is not paranormal or poorly executed, and the only resemblance I see to Twilight (apart from being YA) is that both books are set in the Pacific Northwest--Twilight in Forks, Washington; If I Stay in Portland, Oregon.

Different places and vastly different stories.

I'm not kidding when I say this is the best book I've read since The Hunger Games trio, which would make it the best book I've read this year. Wait--then I read Where She Went, the sequel!

I read the second installment in one day, and I confess, it took me a few hours to recover once I finished. In a good way!

These books are intense and powerful. If I Stay starts out with broody, cello player and classical music lover Mia and her quirky family--ex-punk rocker parents and precocious little brother Teddy--all heading out for a visit to friends on a snowy morning.

Eleven pages later, her parents are dead and Mia's watching her body being transported to the ICU in a coma and on the brink of death.

The family is in a horrible car wreck that kills both parents instantly, and the remaining 200 pages follow the next 24 hours as Mia remembers her family, her friends, her boyfriend Adam, her feelings of never really belonging, and ultimately decides whether she wants to stay and continue living or let go and be with her family in the next life.

It's a moving, positive and ultimately hopeful story.

The sequel Where She Went (link) picks up three years later and is told from the point of view Mia's boyfriend Adam, whose life has fallen apart after the accident and Mia's subsequent choices. But at the same time, his music career has soared as he's poured all his heartbreak into his songwriting.

I didn't think I was going to enjoy the second book as much for those two reasons, but I was so wrong. Adam's story is just as captivating, and the ending is very satisfying...

Forman's descriptions of Mia's parents were so authentic. Her tough, protective mom, her father evolving from punk to bow-tie wearing "responsible" dad. I even dug her theory on coma victims.

And wow. The depiction of Mia as band girlfriend was unexpected. I spent Age 19-23 in almost that exact spot, and I never expected my feelings to be depicted ... well, anywhere. I felt like my response to that position was so goofy and hard to explain. And then Forman went and nailed it. How predictable am I? (OK, except for the licking Adam's sweaty face part. I never had that urge... ew. *snort*)

Good stuff.

Anyway, I'm afraid saying more will spoil the story, so I'll just say these books are amazing. I never laughed--too intense!--but I cried twice and was so touched. Super A+ to both, and hats off to Forman.

Heads up to moms, unlike Twilight, there are several F-bombs in both books, Mia and Adam have a sexual relationship that is only alluded to (no graphic details here), and there is substance use and abuse. Poor Adam's pretty messed up in Book 2.

So the books are adult at times, but still I highly recommend both for older teens and adults. They're fantastic and will stay with you for a while.

Now, for that Tag!

I was tagged by RaShelle (link) and then "Bambi" (*snort*) Johnson (link) and someone else (?) with this next bit, so I'm feeling the pressure to play. But I'll keep it short.

Do you think you're hot? It hit 92 degrees here yesterday and a zillion percent humidity. I know I'm hot.

Upload a picture or wall paper that you are using at the moment. This is my youngest enjoying some quiet time at my favorite place on earth, Seaside, Fla.

When was the last time you ate chicken? Hmm... Oh! Mom and Dad were visiting last week and we had chicken for dinner Tuesday.

The song/songs you listened to recently. My iPod is a musical mushpot of songs ranging from Broadway to pop, rap, classical, country, kids' stuff... Lately, I've been on a Ryan Adams kick, though. Very much diggin "Everybody Knows," "16 Days," "Dear John," "La Cienega Just Smiled" ...

What were you thinking while doing this? Who cares when I ate chicken last? (*snort*)

Do you have a nickname? What are they? I always despised nicknames. But my uncle went through a spell of calling me "Leigh-Roy" in high school until my mom made him stop. Then a coworker called me "Leighbert" for a while. (Leigh + Talbert). College boyfriend, who was 6'2" called me "sweet petite" and then "punkin," which unfortunately stuck for the duration of our five-year relationship... These days I'm just Mom.

I'm going to skip the tagging portion of the show, because I can't think of anyone who hasn't done this... And it's time for my Big Announcement.

I hate to do it... I've been resisting... but the truth is, I'm in over my head now. And I'm about to go off the radar for a bit, guys.

Most of you know we're moving 800 miles due north. Well, the time has come, our house has sold, and Zoikes! We have not found a house in our new location yet.

June is going to be the month to survive for me. New Owners take possession 6/23, so I'm going to be house-hunting, packing, moving, possibly homeless...

You guys are the one constant in my life right now, and I enjoy chatting with you all so much, but the truth is, I'm not going to be able to keep up the blog through all this.

So I'm on hiatus until July. My goal is to be back July 12. In the meatime, I'll be missing you guys! And I'll be trying to keep it together over here.

Have a great June, reader- and writer-friends! Til July~ <3

HS Rereading & Review - The Scarlet Letter

2011-05-26T06:32:00.124-04:00

I reread The Scarlet Letter last week. I've been working on two historical MSs, so it was part-research, part-curiosity.

TSL was first assigned to me in tenth-grade English, and I remembered thinking it was the most laborious book I'd ever been forced to read.

The language was so archaic and dense--Who writes like this? And the descriptions of all the minutiae--Oh, God! Why?

But I slogged through it.

I went to a magnet school, and we were drilled that we were "college prep." We were selling ourselves short if we didn't do our best. And as one of my friends said in horror, "If you don't do the assignment, how will you ever get those points back?"

Yeah. That was my high school experience. But it was good for me. No complaints.

So anyway, going in I anticipated something like this: Boring, boring, boring. Sudden intensity! The End.

Rereading it as a married mother with a few adult relationships under my belt, I had a very different response than I did at 15.

I can now appreciate the story of the pretty young bride, the disfigured, neglectful older husband, the smart, charismatic young minister.

I empathized with the whole single mother situation, and could imagine the added pain of being alone, a social outcast. I also could understand better why Hester wouldn't reveal her illigetimate child's father.

The scene in the woods when she bares her soul to her baby-daddy (I won't spoil it in case anyone on the planet hasn't read this book) was particularly poignant.

Hester was a young girl in love. And she glamorizes her otherwise mundane life with her protection of her co-conspirator.

At the same time BD still irritates me. He's ambitious and allows Hester to hide his guilt so he can go on pursuing his career goals.

Yet he's so weak, his hypocricy literally kills him. He can't muster the strength to leave it all behind and take Hester and Pearl away. Even after confessing his love for her.

Wow. Hats off to Hawthorne. I think I've met that male protagonist. And I know I've been guilty of playing Hester before in at least one relationship. Forget my needs, I love him!

*snort*

So no wonder it's a classic. Now here's my question: Is this book wasted on a 15-year-old audience?

I taught 15 year-olds, and I guess my answer would be, "Not if it's done right." And alternatively, if they're not made to read it then, will they ever? And then will books like these be lost?

Doubtful about the lost part. It's a good book. I recommend picking it up sometime, and feel free to skim the lengthy, dense descriptions of minutiae. I did.

Have a great week-end, reader-friends! Til Monday~ <3

(Hey, P.S. Read, or reread, any good classics lately?)

Are You a Teacher?

2011-05-23T06:58:00.065-04:00

I get asked that a lot.

When I was younger, I'd get all offended because I thought the speaker was implying that I was frumpy and unfashionable. Basically, uncool.

I was still set on becoming the next Anna Wintour. So I was all black, severe diet, severe hair (Ha!), very focused on my career as an editor.

Sigh... kids.

Now when I'm asked that question, I have a very different response.

I actually did teach my first year out of college. I was 23, and I taught tenth grade non-honors English at my alma mater, Scotlandville Magnet High School in Baton Rouge.

My sophomore English students were the absolute best--we had a blast. But I also had to teach one class of seniors, and it was hard for me. I was too close to their age, and discipline was a problem.

And I'm not very tall. That does matter when you're scolding an 18 year-old boy who's looking down at you, grinning.

Anyway, so last weekend at our yard sale, a poor black lady walked up with her son. He looked about middle-school aged, but he was as big as me. And he was constantly humming under his breath as he shoved through the stacks of books, toys, movies, whatnot. Very bull in the china closet.

The lady tried to direct his attention, but he was focused.

I've shared with you guys about my first boss as an editor Susan and her autistic son Seamus. This boy reminded me very much of how Seamus acted. (If you're interested in that post, here's the link).

This boy could speak, so I called to him, "Here, look at this."

I had one of those fridge-phonics toys where you put the letter in the little square box and press it down. A song plays that teaches the child the letter sounds.

Some of you probably have it: "E says E, and E says eh. Every letter makes a sound..."

The boy was ecstatic! He grabbed the toy out of my hands, and I felt his strength. I glanced at his mom and remembered Susan's biggest fear was that one day she'd have to put Seamus in a home.

She had tears in her eyes when she told me that.

You see, autistic boys grow just like every other boy, and for a single mom, their tantrums can turn into inadvertant physical injury.

Anyway, he was smiling, so excited. He wanted to press it and press it and press it. I took his hand and said, "Here. Watch."

Then I took another letter out of the bag, showed it to him, then showed him how to fit it in the slot. The toy was made for preschoolers, so it wasn't hard. Then I pressed it. "O says O, and O says ooo..."

He yelped with glee and then grabbed me in the biggest, hardest hug. He almost knocked me down. I laughed. His mother was so apologetic. It was Okay, I said.

Then she said it: "You must be a teacher."

I smiled and shook my head. I wasn't, I said, although I had taught one year a long time ago.

It was an interesting moment, and it made me think about several things. First, how stupid I was in my 20+-year-old estimation of teachers. But also how every relationship in your life leaves you with a particular understanding of other people and their individual fears.

My writer-brain kicked in, and I had so many potential character ideas. The poor mother. The big, strong mentally challenged son who responds to the smallest kindness. Her patience. The response they're probably expecting or used to getting. How my reaction could've changed the scene.

In closing, it's the last week of school here, so I'd like to say a big THANK YOU to the teachers we've had at Spanish Fort Elementary School.

Not only are they some of the most fashion-forward teachers I've ever seen, they love their students, and they're the best I've encountered.

I'm honored to be mistaken for one.

Have a great week, reader-friends. Til Thursday~ <3

This One Bites

2011-05-19T06:43:00.003-04:00

Wow. First, THANKS to everyone who participated in the LITBM fest. It was a laughing great time, but it would've been nothing without you all.

I'm still recovering from this week. So I'll present you with another funny, but it's also something of a problem. A funny problem.

Most of you know we have a cat, Flower.

Well, Flower's not the greatest cat in the world. She was found by my dad in the back woods of Mississippi. We've had her since she was about four weeks old, and she's regularly fed, etc.

You'd think that would make a difference to her, right? It doesn't.

We (somewhat) affectionately call her our "booger cat." Flower doesn't like to play, she doesn't like to be petted. Occasionally, I'll find a half-eaten lizard carcass in some odd place in the house, and some days, out of the blue, she'll bite one of us.

And homey don't play with those bites, either. She draws blood.

Flower is affectionate on two occasions 1-When it's cold; and 2-When I take the white clothes out of the dryer and start folding them.

Just the whites. Here's a shot of her in them purring. Loudly.

She's a black and white cat, and I don't want her on the white towels because she leaves black hairs on them.

Somehow I think she knows this.

And when I try to shoo her off them, guess what she does? Yep. She bites me. Here's a shot of her getting ready to bite me.

I'm about to go for that sock under her foot, and I took this picture because I've gotten to where I can read her actions. See those eyes?

Many of you are cat owners. What do you do with such a cantankerous feline?

I'm considering donating her to the new homeowners. No, that wouldn't be right. I know her, and I'll put up with her quirks.

I'd just like to make her cut it out. If possible...

Have a great weekend, reader-friends! I'm behind on awards to distribute, but I'll do that Monday~ <3

LITBM Blogfest - Some Quickies

2011-05-16T06:55:00.006-04:00

Woo! It's HERE! And I think we can ALL use a good laugh after the Blogger meltdown recently. So since we had such an amazing turnout for the fest, I'm keeping this to a few short bursts.

Five quickies, if you will.

And I can't wait to get around and read all the hilarity. So here goes.

(And for the record, we could think of zero writer jokes. I can't wait to see if any of you found one.):

Q. What do yo get when you cross an elephant with a rinocerous?
A. HellifIknow.

*Pah dum-pum*

#2-A horse walks into a bar.
Bartender says, "Why the long face?"

#3-A hamburger walks into a bar.
Bartender says, "We don't serve food here."

#4-A skeleton walks into a bar.
He orders a beer and a mop.

BAH!!!

And finally, specially for my UK friends,

What do you get when you pour hot water down a rabbit hole?
Hot, cross bunnies.

drum-roll... crash!

(Gah! And two bonus blonde jokes. I forgot my blonde jokes. Because I'm blonde, of course.)

What's the definition of eternity?
Four blondes at a four-way stop.

Why did the blonde stare at the orange juice can?
Because it said concentrate.

*snorggle*

Now, off to read the rest of yours. And here are the links to all our hilariously humorous participants. Be sure to run around and overdose on some funnies!

Have a great week, reader-friends. Til Thursday~ <3

Keep It Simple

2011-05-12T06:55:00.078-04:00

It might not show in pictures, but I've always been sort of a laid-back personality. Sure, I'm super Type-A, but that's mostly when it comes to things like accomplishing my own, personal goals.

I think that's what attracted me to my husband. We're both extremely driven. But we don't expect others to be that way. In fact, we're both almost apologetic for not being more cool and laid back--Zen--about things like careers and fitness and personal goals...

Okay, so that's a long buildup for what I'm about to say: I got no beef with that little Rebecca Black song.

"Friday" is all about pure joy, man, and I just don't understand the hate. Now get over yourself, and listen to me.

Yes, the words are inane and the the vocoder on her voice makes her sound like a tree frog, but when you get right down to it, "Everybody's lookin forward to the weekend."

That's something we can all understand. Right? It's so simple, it's corny.

My preferred version is the Stephen Colbert/Jimmy Fallon production (link). But you all know I'm a fan of dancing girls and glitter guns (and feather boas). The Glee cast also did a pretty good rendition. (link)

Anyway, I got to thinking about writing and the book I've currently got on submission. When I started writing that one, I had one thing in my head: Keep it Simple.

I'd recently re-heard that This American Life broadcast where Starlee Kine wanted to write a break-up song, so she enlisted the help of Phil Collins. I don't know if you've heard it, but it's gut-wrenching. Here's the (link).

Anyway, I always thought Phil Collins was a tool and his music was oppressive. But after listening to that TAL, I decided he was among the first people I was inviting to The Party.

After Shatner and Bill Murray and Kirstie Ally. And Wes Anderson. And my little sister, Reese Witherspoon.

Yes, this is a fictitious party in my head. So?

Here's my point: Last week (or so) I posted about writing a classic, and we all weighed in. The comments basically added up to the fact that a classic presents relatable characters going through situations we all face in an engaging, timeless way.

I'm not saying "Friday" by Rebecca Black is a classic. But I think it deserves examination. It doesn't over-think the situation. It boils it all down to the basics. I'm snorting as I say this, but it's primal. And it's damn catchy.

The lesson I got: Do that logline exercise described by Nathan, Rachel and now Natalie. Then start writing. Keep It Simple, Sweetheart (KISS).

And see what happens.

Okay, I'm just throwing it out there. What do you guys think? Have I lost it this time?

Remember, LITBM blogfest is Monday! Here's the (link).

Have a great weekend, reader-friends. Til Monday~ <3

Twenty-to-One Shots

2011-05-09T06:00:00.211-04:00

So I started watching the Derby with my Dad when I was a kid. My mom'd had a horse when she was young, and she'd always spoken of it as being this sort of magical playmate.

I was scared of horses back then, but I liked looking at them. Then at camp one summer I was assigned to the stables, and ultimately got over my fear.

In my 20s, I fell in with this group of guys about 15 to 20 years older than me. They were old bachelor curmudgeons who I met because I worked with one of them. I was his boss. He was my senior editor.

That arrangement was ridiculous, but he was very cool about it and a huge help to me in that difficult workplace.

One afternoon I met up with them at a local LSU hangout The Chimes (link). They were smoking stogies and arguing the best performance by Orson Welles. The Mars radio show was tossed out as was Citizen Kane. I weighed in with The Stranger and instantly upped my cred.

They started tolerating my presence, and before long they were including me in their rituals, one of which was juleps and the Derby on race day.

Before it was all over they'd even invited me to their annual Christmas Eve day-long "dinner" at Galatoire's in New Orleans (link). I never could go because my mom's birthday is Christmas Eve, but it was nice to be invited.

I miss those guys.

Anyway, my daughters are finally old enough to care, and on Saturday, we sat down about ten minutes before race time and I explained it all to them. It was fun. They were into it, and as we talked, I realized how much like anything involving hard work, skill, persistence, and a little bit of luck it was.

Like getting a book published, for instance.

We work hard, train, hone our skills, then we pass our horse off to an agent and hope for the best. We're advised to put our heads down, not obsess, write while you wait (or as I like to say, "just keep swimming").

Keep putting one foot in front of the other, and before long (the hope is), you'll look up and you're there. You've made it.

Right?

Who knows. You might even be the 20-1 shot, and on your 13th try, on a horse you weren't even supposed to ride, you win.

Have a great week, reader-friends!

Quick reminder: Our "Laughter is the Best Medicine" blogfest is next Monday (link). I'll post another reminder Thursday--should be a laughing good time.

Til Thursday~ <3

Historic Times and Personal Media

2011-05-05T06:55:00.044-04:00

So the last seven days, right? First we have the worst tornadoes in recorded history sweep through my state, followed by a Royal Wedding, followed by the killing of the (arguably) worst terrorist leader in U.S. history.

If that weren't enough, I finally found my sea legs and got my writing mojo back. And I ventured more actively into the world of Twitter.

All these historic events got me to thinking... What next? Locusts?

Seriously, it got me to thinking about two things in particular. First the international events. I was impressed by the solemnity of the Royal Wedding. It seems the era of Paris Hilton-style heirs and heiresses has ended and a restrained elegance has returned.

I'm all for that. I mean, you all know I love a party, but can we keep our panties on? Or at least while the cameras are out? (And while we're entering or exiting the vehicle or climbing stairs...)

Have I officially become Grandma? Do you agree or disagree? Are these Royal Fuddy-Duddies too young to be acting so old?

Next is the killing of Osama bin Laden. I had friends who figuratively threw a parade over his death. My response was more sedate and solemn, sadness remembering the evil this one person wrought on the lives of so many.

But on the third hand, I have friends who've confided in me they don't believe it really happened. Or, they believe it happened a long time ago and for whatever reason, it's just now being announced. Very Wag the Dog.

Interesting.

I love listening to conspiracy theories, although I rarely believe them. I do agree it seemed out of the blue, and following all the garbage about Obama's birth certificate, you'd think our President would want to bombard us with proof of death.

But we are not barbarians. We do not videotape the slaying of our enemies or place severed heads on pikes. C'mon, people. I think we're going to have to go with our military on this one and take their word for it.

Do you agree or disagree? Am I the naieve one here?

As for Twitter, I'm learning to be loose and float randomness into the ether. My first few weeks, I decided the whole system was weird. I'm more of a relational social-media user, and Twitter seemed very isolating to me.

I never knew when friends were there, I tweeted at folks never to hear back from them, I tweeted and wondered why.

I was about to throw in the towel when suddenly it opened up for me, and I started finding people.

I was online at the same time as friends. I downloaded an app to my phone that plays a little tune whenever I get an @ message. I might disable that one soon...

There's been some discussion about types of social media and what's going out or staying or dying. I think it depends on your personality and your goal.

For quick networking with others doing what I do, it seems Twitter is good. For really getting to know people who do what I do (Writers), sharing and supporting, blogger seems ideal. And then for keeping up with family and friends, Facebook has been great.

What do you guys think?

That's it for me. I'm just over 7K words in the new MS, and it's very exciting. I wish I could do nothing but write (#amwriting), but I can't. I'll be around.

Have a great weekend, reader-friends! Til Monday~ <3

P.S.
BIG HUGS to you all for the outpouring of encouragement and support on Monday. It really got me out of my funk, and demonstrated my point up there about blogging. What would I do without you, my long-distance, international support group? Love you guys~

9 months ago

2011-05-02T06:33:00.028-04:00

Warning, over-sharing ahead: I was sitting on the toilet looking at the ceramic tile floor in my bathroom when it hit me. Everything in my life is upside right down, and nine months ago it wasn't.

Why the ceramic tile? Well, I'll tell ya.

My dad and I put that tile down. The two of us. By ourselves. And it looks pretty darn good.

Before that I had carpet in my bathroom. Carpet. In the bathroom. Yuck.

But at the door leading from my bathroom to my bedroom, we couldn't find the right strip to put there. So we left it with just the tile meeting the carpet. No overlay, no nothing.

It was fine for me, but now that I'm trying to sell my house, I realize potential buyers won't know this story.

They won't know that my little girls were six months old and 17 months old when we moved here, which explains why there are chocolate milk spatters in various odd locations throughout the house. (Sippy cups leak when thrown.)

I've tried to wipe them all up, but I still find stray ones hidden in corners.

They won't know that nine months ago, I decided this less than two-thousand square-foot home was too small for us and started looking around Spanish Fort for a new one.

They won't know that I gave up after a week.

Because there aren't any other homes on corner lots that end in cul-de-sacs where I know all my neighbors and we all like each other.

Where the youngest had daughters old enough to babysit when we moved in, and where the oldest brought me an Easter lily and told me what all the flowers were in my yard.

And then she groused because the previous owner "didn't know when to stop" when it came to buying new flowering plants.

That neighbor and I had the same birthday. She died four years ago, and when we put the For Sale sign out in front of my house, I went for a run. When I got back, I went straight into the front yard of her now-empty house and held onto her satsuma tree and cried.

Some mornings when I'm in the kitchen making coffee, I can still see her 87 year-old self puttering around her over-planted yard. The people who buy this house won't remember her.

Nine months ago, I was active in the PTA. I volunteered in the cafeteria when budget cuts meant we lost a lunch lady, and I never missed a field trip.

Nine months ago I belonged here.

And now I don't. Now my friends talk about the kids joining soccer teams and school functions I won't be around to attend.

Wow. I'm sorry!

It's Monday, and I've turned into a depressing ninny-baby on you all! I've even picked up some new followers. Hello, new followers! I'm typically not such a dismal hostess...

Here's an incredible story:

We moved here in Feb. 2004. In March 2004, a couple came to the house and asked if it was still for sale. I told them that it wasn't anymore, we'd bought it. They asked if they could see the place anyway, and it was so odd, I said sure.

They were from south Louisiana, too. They'd been off living on a yacht--people do that around here--and had seen the house online and wanted to buy it. I apologized and said I guessed I'd beaten them to it.

They were very kind, and we shared some laughs. And I never heard from them again.

Yesterday, they drove past the house, stopped and got out. They've been wanting to move back to this area and had been driving around looking at houses. None of us could believe it. I wonder if they'll make an offer.

Finally, True Confession: I buried the lede. My MS is on submission right now. It has been for two weeks, and so far I haven't heard anything. I really thought I'd be cool during this part of the process...

I am so not cool during this part of the process.

I'm freaking out. This is so much worse than querying because this is IT. The last layer where I find out if I'm in or I'm out. I feel jumpy and sweaty and nauseous all at the same time if I think about it too much.

Nothing like everything happening at once.

Have any of you experienced any of these things? Any words of advice for me? I could sure use a bit of encouragement. Thanks, my reader- and writer-friends.

Have a great week, don't forget to sign up for the "Laughter is the Best Medicine" blogfest (link) to be held May 16. (I could use it today!)

Til Thursday~ <3

Blogfest Bloopers and Special Guests

2011-04-28T06:11:00.028-04:00

Tomorrow I'm being interviewed on the lovely Michelle Merrill's blog "Perfecting the Craft." (link) So I won't waste your time reading about me here today, when you can be reading about me there tomorrow! (Just remember to check back--LOL!)

Michelle is very cool, and she has great posts about writing and craft. If you're not already following, I'd recommend doing so.

In other news, I announced Dr. K's and my "Laughter is the Best Medicine" blogfest in my last post, and it was a total disaster.

First, my Mr. Linkey wouldn't appear. Then it did appear. Then I deleted it... AND everyone who'd signed up to play. Then I fixed it, and emailed everyone to apologize... I think everyone who signed up before re-signed up.

And that wasn't even the funny part!

Our graphic said "Monday, May 15" when everyone can clearly see Monday is May 16.

le sigh.

Below is the CORRECTED announcement for our blogfest, with Mr. Linkey below it. And it's my first blogfest (can you tell?), so I do hope you all forgive my technological ineptitude and inability to read a calendar and join the fun! (Here's the link to my lovely and much more talented partner, Lydia Kang.)

Here's how it works. Sign up with Mr. Linky below, then on May 16, do the following:

Post your favorite writer joke.
If you don't have a writer joke (are there any?), post your favorite job-related joke.
And if you don't have one of those (either writer- or work-related joke), post your favorite joke (or funny story).

See? We're making it super-easy, and we hope it will brighten everyone's day. Maybe help those of you recover from your A-Z challenge.

And help us spread the fun! Grab the graphic, post it on your blog, and link it back here (or to Lydia). Your prize is a better heart--because of the laughter. (Get it?)

Have a great weekend, reader-friends! Til Monday~ <3

Writing a Classic

2011-04-25T06:31:00.094-04:00

Writing is hard, solitary work. It's painful and emotional and yes, sometimes it's like giving birth without painkillers or lamaze classes.

Nothing's worse than struggling to find the exact right words or phrases, the right combination of syllables, the perfect sensory description of a mood or a setting, and for whatever reason, it just isn't happening.

But it's also tons of fun.

When all the forces come together and the storyline's flowing, hours can go by in seconds.

And the rush of capturing that moment--that emotion, that interaction between two individuals, that meaning or realization. It's very cool.

If it weren't, we wouldn't be doing it.

When I started, I just wanted to write anything.

I was learning how to put it all together, to pace it right, to incorporate just enough description without wearing out my reader, and learning to wait just long enough to allow what just happened to sink in before moving to the next thing...

Then somewhere along the way I started thinking about writers like Shakespeare and Dickens and Kafka. And books like Little Women and Jane Eyre and Pride & Prejudice. Even Gone With the Wind.

How do these books continue to touch readers centuries after they're written? What makes them classics?

Is it the storyline? The way they're written? The themes? The timing of when the book's published?

I don't know.

Maybe there's no answer. Not every book that becomes a classic is the best-written or the most polished, or fits into what everyone's saying your writing should look like.

But readers cherish them. They laugh, cry, write in the margins, give them to their children, complain when the movies are made...

It's bugging me. I want to make one of those. But how?

Do classics just happen? Is there a common trait? Is it something I can learn or study? Or is it just serendipity? What do you guys think?

* * *

In the meantime, Dr. Lydia K (link) and I are having our first "Laughter is the Best Medicine" blogfest on May 16!

Here's how it works. Sign up with Mr. Linky below, then on May 16, do the following:

Post your favorite writer joke.
If you don't have a writer joke (are there any?), post your favorite job-related joke.
And if you don't have one of those (either writer- or work-related joke), post your favorite joke (or funny story).

See? We're making it super-easy, and we hope it will brighten everyone's day. Maybe help those of you recover from your A-Z challenge.

And help us spread the fun! Grab the graphic, post it on your blog, and link it back here (or to Lydia). Your prize is a better heart--because of the laughter. (Get it?)

In the meantime, have a great week reader-friends! Til Thursday~ <3

Spring Break!

2011-04-21T06:08:00.034-04:00

In the last week, I've gone from freezing rain and 40s in Indianapolis to almost 90 degrees, hot and humid back home. I'm not complaining--I love spring break at the beach!

The girls and I've made the drive from our house to Orange Beach or Gulf Shores or Pensacola more times than I can count in the last seven years. So for this vacation post, I'll share some of my favorite landmarks and send warm thoughts to you guys still dealing with winter.

Here's my two little ladies loving the Gulf.

It's all over the news that it's been a year since the oil spill. That made me realize it's been more than a year since I started blogging. One of my first conversations with Matt was about the oil spill.

This next shot is amazing.

An ancient shack on Alabama 181--on the road to the beach. The house appears a million years old and abandoned, but the roses are growing over the roof to this day.

That's the nice thing about this area. Everything grows forever here. Except tulips. My grandmother always wanted to grow tulips, but no dice.

I threw in one of the farmlands between my house and the beach next. Baldwin County used to be predominantly farms. I interview natives all the time who talk about working in the fields as teens, picking vegetables, working at the produce stands, etc., for summer jobs.

In the 1990s it became more profitable to sell the land to developers, and it looked like the farms were on the way out. Then in 2009, all the developers went belly-up, and now it's more profitable to farm.

I have to confess. I'm glad the farms are back.

These next two are waterways. Wolf Bay Watershed, Fish River, Weeks Bay Watershed, the Magnolia River, and more crisscross the drive to the beach.

First is the Magnolia River. There's this old pirate-type sailboat (right) always docked there. You have to look closely. Next is the overpass at Weeks Bay. It looks out to the Gulf.

But for me, it's all about the beach. So I'll leave you with two more beach shots.

One's a beautiful house right on the Gulf wedged between the high rises.

The other's just one of Orange Beach. One of my favorite places in the world.

Wish you were here!

Have a great spring break, reader-friends! Happy Easter! Til Monday~ <3

That's Write

Francis Ford Coppola Does It

Bloghop & Book Review - Your Path to Publication

MLK, Joan Rivers, and Yoda

OPEN MINDS Book Review & Author Interview

Mission: Imperfection

You are here

I Second that Emotion

Blogfest Special: Deja Vu

Hard Times, Good Times (for Writers)

Catchup and Cool Blogfest Envy

Be Right Back!

Blogfest & NaNo Writers, Need an Editor?

The Countdown

Thanksgiving Break

Book Review - Daughter of Smoke & Bone

I Quit Blogging

Score Some Books, Win Some Prizes!

When it's in Your Power, Just Do It

Research: How I Cheat by Susan Kaye Quinn

STRING BRIDGE - the Interview

STRING BRIDGE - Book review

Who's Gazumping whom?

A SCARY GOOD BOOK Review by a Special Guest

Another reason to tell your story

Don't argue with Yosemite Sam

Mother Superior Pays it Forward

When the Revolution Starts

Life and Luck

Aging and Growing Up

CLOCKWISE Book Review & Author Interview

Patience & What I Did This Summer

Blog What You Want

Somebody Need an Editor?

If I Could Be Anybody Else...

I Happen to Like New York

Creative Teams

Pay the Beta Forward

More of an Idea Rat

It Takes a Crazy Person

In my head, zombie

What we think we know

The Revision Cave - What I've Learned

Good Book Alert - Bastard Blue

What's it all about?

And as the game changes...

Game change

What's in a Name?

The Writers' Circle redefined

To post or not to post

Chicken or egg?

In the Transition

I'm back! ... sort of

On Hiatus!

Tag, Announcement, & Book Reviews - If I Stay/Where She Went

HS Rereading & Review - The Scarlet Letter

Are You a Teacher?

This One Bites

LITBM Blogfest - Some Quickies

Keep It Simple

Twenty-to-One Shots

Historic Times and Personal Media

9 months ago

Blogfest Bloopers and Special Guests

Writing a Classic

Spring Break!