Wednesday News

Late post today. Why? Oh, I don't know. I guess I was busy getting ready to submit my materials to Carlie Webber because

I WAS A WINNER OF MISS SNARK'S MARCH CONTEST!!!

Whew! There was some pretty stiff competition. And from the comments Ms. Webber left on other entries, I thought there was no way I'd be a winner. I'm so excited because the prize is a 30 page critique. That's such a valuable prize. That means no matter what happens, I'll get something out of it. You know?

And this was a boost for me because I've been wallowing. At the end of last week I received the dreaded R. Yep, that's right. An R on my R&R. I was devastated. Heart broken. Embarrassed. Ashamed. The list goes on. My crit partner told me she read somewhere that an R&R is called "the slow no".  Slow and painful as they crush that knife into your vulnerable chest.

The upside is that I have a better manuscript. I also had two other agents who knew I was revising. One has asked for the revision and has it now (fingers crossed!) and the other asked for a synopsis to view the changes. I hope the synopsis is strong enough. It's hard to really make your writing show through a synopsis, but I suppose she already knows my writing - she's trying to make sure she likes how I changed the story.

Well, that's my Wednesday post for you. Not very informative for all of you, but it's been good for me to share. It's good for me to say to myself, and to all of you, that I believe I am a Winner.

What's your Wednesday news?

While You Wait and I've Been Tagged

I, as I have mentioned, am in this horrible period of waiting while the agent who requested my revisions reviews my newly revised manuscript. It's much like the query waiting, it seems, but it also feels a little more intense.

Of course, the advice from everyone while you wait is to write (which I am doing). But I have some advice of my own: Prepare your marketing.

Here's the deal. If you have faith in your book, or even if it's not this book, there are things you can do now, before you are agented. If you get signed - when you get signed - you will be busy with edits and other marketing then, why not give yourself a leg up and get some of it done now?

Last month, Lynette Labelle had an EXCELLENT post about this very topic: Before THE call: Ten Tasks to Complete Before an Agent Calls. Go read it now. Seriously.

I've been working on #6, Grow Your Marketing List, in case you were interested.

On another note, I was tagged. Twice. So you get to find out about me and my manuscript whether you want to or not.

First, from Freya Morris, I was tagged in Jaycee's Lucky 7 Meme.

The rules:
1. Go to page 77 of your current MS
2. Go to line 7
3. Copy down the next 7 lines - sentences or paragraphs - and post them as they're written. No cheating
4. Tag 7 authors
5. Let them know

Here's mine: 

“Memory Transportation?” Mina scoffed. “You can’t do that!”
“Thanks for the vote of confidence,” Porter said.
“I just mean you’re only a marvel,” Mina said. “A marvel can’t do Memory Transportation. Can they?”
“I think I can. With the wand.” He held his right hand out to Mina, still clutching the wand. “Porter, we can’t use that! There’s a SCUM in the building. Don’t you think she’s going to notice?”
“That’s why we’re going to have to do it quickly. Now shut up and hold our hands.”
Mina obeyed, the wand held firmly between her and Porter’s clasped hands.

Then Krista from I Take the Pen tagged me. Here's my answers to the tag questions:

1. What is your dream vacation?

I want to take a cruise with my husband that starts in Spain and ends in Venice. It was our goal to do it when we'd been married 10 years, but I think it's going to have to wait until another big anniversary.

2. Are you spontaneous or do you like to plan ahead?
I'm pretty laid back about things that I know will just happen and be fine. But if I'm at all worried about something, I'll plan.

3. Tell us one thing you want to do but don’t dare to do.
Skydive.

4. What's your biggest phobia?
Hmm. I'm not sure. I guess spiders. I really don't like spiders.

5. If you were stranded on a desert island – what 3 things would you want with you (not including laptop, or family).
A pen, a notebook, and lots of diet A&W rootbeer.

6. Name three blessings in your life.
My husband. My daughters. My talents.

7. What was your nickname in High School?
Fuji was one. Larla was another. You could call me Larla now and I'd still answer. Don't call me Fuji, though, because it brings back some pretty crappy memories.

8. If you could meet the President of the United States, what would you say to him?
Probably not much. I'm a bit of an introvert.

9. If you could be any literary character for a day, who would you be?
Ooh, I don't know. Most of the books I like, the characters are in some pretty dire straights. So maybe someone who's got cool things going on. Like Anna from Anna and the French Kiss.

10. What is your favorite quote?
I have many that I love and can never remember them. But I love this line from an Ingrid Michaelson song called Keep Breathing that really seems to sum up my wants for the world versus what I actually do, "I want to change the world, instead, I sleep."

I am tagging the first 7 people in my reader. You can choose if you do the Lucky 7 or answer the questions. Or both! Or neither. :)

1. Shannon O'Donnell

2. Sher A. Hart

3. The Golden Eagle

4. Miranda Hardy

5. Jaye Robin Brown

6. Krista

7. Melissa Sugar

What are you doing while you wait?

Where I've Been

A while ago I posted about a semi-blogging hiatus and mentioned writerly things afoot.  I also said that when I returned I hoped to have news.  Well, I don't really have the news I wanted to have (yet!) but I have some things I'd like to share.  Wanna hear?

Okay, so here's where I've been.  Some of it's been writerly, some has not.  But all of it has kept me very busy:

1. My MBA class was a bit more demanding than I would like.  I have one more week though (and just one more paper!) before I am done with it and have my MBA with a marketing emphasis. W00T!!! It's been a long time coming, I'm telling you.
2. Lent began last Wednesday.  I work in a Catholic Church (one of my many jobs) and Easter is the busiest time of year - worse than Christmas.  Lent is the time that musicians prepare for Easter.  There's only a handful of days in the next 40 days, in fact, that I am not at some type of music rehearsal. As the music director of eight choirs for Easter, I had to be totally prepared for Lent.  Organizing music, ordering it, making sure I had the right binders for everyone, etc. really took a chunk of time this year.  But now rehearsals have started and I am getting into the routine of it all. I only mention these first two things because they impact how difficult it was to deal with the next items:
3. Now here's what you want to know: On February 1st, I received a request to revise from a MAJOR AGENT.  I mean, like, DREAM AGENT.  I was floored.  And the revision notes totally resonated with me.  I immediately embraced them and saw how much better my story would be with those changes.  I started working on them right away. But then...
4. The very next day, I got an offer from a small press for a 3 book deal.  I was floored.  I hadn't even submitted to them originally.  They requested my manuscript via an online contest I had entered.  And then, really??  A 3 book deal???  WOWSERS!!!  

All of this put me in a crazy position.  I still had four fulls out with agents and I really connected with MAJOR AGENT's notes.  By the time I got the 3 book deal, I no longer liked my book as it was.  But here I was stuck between a sure thing and a not-so-sure but potentially better thing.  The small press is new, but it has had some buzz and one of the agents with my full said she believed it is real up and coming. (That same agent offered me an R&R as well, by the way.)  And after my revisions were completed, I knew that MAJOR AGENT might not take me.  But she has sent me quite a few emails in the last few weeks and has always been very open and honest and wonderful and how could I not want to work with her????

So I did the hardest thing I've ever done in my writer life.  I turned down the publishing contract.  And I have spent the last few weeks pounding out the revisions.  If MAJOR AGENT doesn't sign me on, I still have the other R&R.  And I only started querying in January.  I feel confident I made the right choice and my story is only stronger for it.  

Now my revisions are done and I am returning to you, my bloggey buddies.  I've missed being part of the blogger world and am so glad to be back. 

What's been going on with you?

I'm going MIA

I am officially going MIA for the next few weeks. I will still be back with Saturday Savvy Sensations and my blog critiques, but the rest of the time I'm going to be busy elsewhere.

What am I busy with, you ask? All I can say right now is that I am in the middle of HUGE writerly things that I can't really go into yet. But I'm hoping that when I return, I will have NEWS!

See you then :)

I'm Being Interviewed!

Do you want to read about my thoughts on social media and writers? Then head on over to Gennifer Albin's site where I'm being interviewed today.

If you haven't had an opportunity to meet Gen yet, I'm telling you, you'll know her name before the year is out. Her debut novel, Crewel, is the first part in a trilogy that comes out in November of this year.  The book landed her an agent and publishing deal in record time -  like, a month - that's how good it is. Go to her Facebook page to check out her prologue. Makes me super excited for the book, how about you?

Oh, and right now, Gen is running an AWESOME blog contest - one that will get you artistic types excited. So make sure you check it out too.

Facebook Friday: Just for fun

This picture is going around on Facebook, but I think it's funny and awfully accurate:

And I also have to correct myself:  At one point and time, the little search box at the top of Blogger blogs searched ALL blogger blogs and not just the current blog. Well, guess I haven't attempted to use that search box in awhile because I have no idea when it changed, but apparently it now only searches the blog you are on. So for all of you that I told to get a search box when you already had the one up top - I'M SORRY! I have been set straight now :)

Finally, I have been given two blog awards this week! Stay tuned next week where I will do my part of the blog award requirements, but for now I just wanted to thank Savannah Rose for the Versatile Blogger award and Jamie Ayers  for the Kreativ Blogger award.  Wow! I'm truly honored by the support and kind words. I really appreciate the award!


So now that I've made you laugh, shared my humiliation and thanked two very lovely bloggers, what are you doing with your Friday?  Do you have a Just for Fun to share?

My Life is Insane

AAAHHH!!!!

That's me screaming over the insanity of my week thus far:

• My MBA class is intense and time consuming. So much more than I was intending...
• I'm still getting my house caught up after being sick (Yikes!)
• I have two funerals and a wedding (I'm the Director of Music at church) and that's a lot for us in one week
• We are breaking the baby of her bottle (well, most of them)
• I have a marketing deadline that I haven't started on due, um, like in half an hour
• My husband is working doubles all week because he has someone on vacation (he's a manager for a Blockbuster)
• and I just got my 5th request for a full on my manuscript!!!! Now I have 5 rejections and 5 requests. Super happy :)

So here's my marketing question for you today: What do you do to keep yourself present in the literary world when you are bogged down with real life? And go...

Flu Friday

I had planned on actually writing a Facebook Friday post (can you believe it?) but yesterday I came down with the flu. Whoa, is me. Now I have to actually stay in bed and read books all day.  Sucks, doesn't it?

No, really, I am sick. My daughter had the flu all week and our household is big on sharing. So next week for the Facebook Friday, okay?  But do come back tomorrow for a Savvy Sensation. It's going to be great!

I'm Finished!!!

If you haven't heard already - which would be amazing because I'm shouting it everywhere I get a chance - I am done with the first draft of my MG novel!

I can't really call it a first draft, though, because I edit while I go. I know, they tell you not to, but I can't fight my style. IT'S WHO I AM. And I'm not apologizing. I even sent it chapter by chapter to my crit partner - LOVE YOU, KIMMY!! - and have already incorporated her suggestions as she sent them back to me.

The good news is that although it took me almost six months to write (except I didn't touch it for two of those months), it will not take long at all to polish it. That means that shortly, like in a couple of weeks, I will start the querying/waiting game.  Then I will have tons of time to dedicate to you beautiful people in the blog world.

Okay, okay, you caught me withholding information.  I'm embarrassed to tell you this, but I knee-jerked and sent out four queries already. Two came back as full requests. (Squee!!!!!) Yes, I may have blown my chances by querying before the dust settled. I'm telling you: I KNOW THIS! But did I mention that I can't help myself? Because I can't. Again, it's who I am.

So tonight is going to be an all-nighter while I reread the whole book from beginning to end. Then off it will go to my two full requests. Pray that I will stop the querying madness until I have a few more betas read. Really, you'll have to pray hard. Because I'm psychotic about this kind of stuff.

Anyone else out there a knee-jerk queryer? Do you think less of me now? Sigh. I need to join Alex's Insecure Writer's Support Group...

Where Am I?

I just wanted to drop a quick post explaining why I might not be blogging, commenting, and blog hopping as much as I usually do.  See, I am half a chapter away from finishing a readable draft of my Upper MG Light Fantasy.  I'm so excited!! I'm also starting a class next week - my final class in my MBA degree - so I have been spending every spare second behind my laptop so I can finish my book by Sunday. Something always suffers.  Right now it's the blogging world.

Please do come by tomorrow for my Saturday Savvy Sensation Series. I also have some blog crits next week and hope to be back to being a full blogger participant by Monday.

How's your writing going? I'd love to hear!

Face Myself Friday: Another win!

I suppose Face Myself Friday may be a recurring series because here it is again.

First, as always, housekeeping: I had an overwhelming amount of requests for blog critiques early in the series. Truthfully, I think most of them came from Matt McNish followers who followed on over when I critiqued his awesome blog (Love you all!). Speaking of whom, come back tomorrow to see some more Matt. Oh, now I'm off topic. Let me try again:

Next week, in order to kick out a bunch of those critiques, I will be featuring a critique everyday. That's right: FIVE DAYS of BLOG CRITIQUING AWESOMENESS! So get your blog critique thinking caps on a be ready for Monday. You won't want to miss some of the awesome blogs on the chopping block  line up.

Next little bit of housekeeping: You may have noticed (or not) that my blog is a little wider than it was previously. I added 80 pixels of width because every time I tried to make a picture extra large, it wandered over into my sidebar. After Wednesday's blog critique when Joe suggested to Gillian to make her pictures fill as much of the space as possible, I realized I needed to take that advice as well. I added the 80 pixels, and now the extra large pics fill the space without going over.

This is how winning makes me feel. (Even second place.)

And now, I have another win to share! I had completely forgotten that I entered Rachel McClellan's awesome Oktoberfest blog contest. Mostly I entered because I loved the idea of sharing my favorite scene from the novel that I am currently querying. After I sent Rachel my entry, I put the whole thing out of my mind because, duh, NaNo was upon me. In November, I completely abandoned blog visiting. I didn't even stop by Rachel's blog and leave comments on the other entries! Such a no no....

Anyway, Rachel emailed me this week to tell me I tied for second in a three way tie!!  Thank you so much, Rachel for the AMAZING OPPORTUNITY. The best part? Cedar Forts Acquisitions Editor, Angie Workman has requested a full manuscript from me!

I have dedicated myself to pursuing publication through an agent so an acquisitions editor requesting my book comes as a total surprise. How exciting to try another road. (And scary. I've been staring at the submissions form for over an hour now. I'm such a pussy...) Anyhoo, wish me luck!

Has your writing/querying taken an unexpected turn? Tell us about it in the comments.Le

Face Myself Friday

I'm telling you right off the bat that if you only visit me to read marketing tips, I don't have them today. Instead I'm doing a Face Myself Friday, or aka, What I've Learned From NaNo.

First, though, I have to share that last week I was given an award from the awesome, wonderful Kelly Louise, the Gene Pool Diva of Diminishing Gene Pool.  The rules of the award are to thank the person who gave it to you and link back to them (Hi, Kelly!), then list some of your favorite blogs.

I told Kelly I would post this last Sunday and I didn't because I can't seem to list my favorite blogs. I mean, I've told you before who they are, I ask many of them to be Savvy Sensations. And the others that I read - oh, it's so many. Hundreds. I'm mostly a lurker and comment very little - which goes totally against marketing advice - but it's me. Now to narrow down those blogs to a handful to pass this award on to? I'm having trouble. And I hate it when people say, "Just take the award if you want it." So here are simply the first ten in my Google Reader. They are lovely and deserve an award (as do all of you!) Check them out:

• Chandara Writes 
• Writer, Writer, Pants on Fire
• Paper Mountain
• Perfecting the Craft
• Amie Kaufman
• Robin Weeks
• The Submission Process
• Callie Kingston
• Life By Chocolate
• Michelle Dennis Evans

Now Face Myself Friday - Here's what I learned from NaNo:

• I'm not a fast writer.
• That's ok.
• I like to write in spurts - a week of focus, then a week or so off.
• That's ok, it's just my style.
• I edit while I write.
• That's ok, too. Isn't it?
• My first draft takes a while, but when it's done, it is closer to a second or third draft because I'm such an editor.
• I think that's better than ok.
• So, obviously, I failed NaNo. 
• But that's ok because I realized things about myself as a writer and I am happy with those things.

How about you? Did you finish? What did you learn about yourself through NaNo?

NaNoWriMo = MeNoHereNow (AsMuch)

I am participating in NaNoWriMo for the first time ever. I should, after all, since I claim to be a writer, actually write something. Now, usually I don't post about such writerly stuff - I stick to the marketing - but I wanted to let you know that I am making that my priority for November. Usually this blog comes before my writing, but I am going to put this on the back burner.  I am not exactly going on hiatus. I have blog crits and Savvy Sensation interviews already lined up. I just might not be as active on the comment front. Who knows? This is my first time, remember?

I expect many of you are also doing NaNo and you might not be around as much either. Here are a few reminders for anyone planning to step back from blogging now or anytime:

1. Numbers may go down: Whenever you post less, comment less, or are less interactive on your blog, expect that you may have less visits and comments from your readers. 
2. It may take time to rebuild: When you return to your regular schedule, your readers may not automatically return. You may have to rebuild a bit, but it shouldn't take as long as it did the first time.
3. Tell people what's up: Let people know you are taking a break from the blog world and, if possible, for how long so they know what's up with you.
4. But not every day: One post saying where you are is all you need. Don't post several updates about sorry I'm not here, I'll return, I promise. All that does is clog up our Google Readers. We want to read content from you. Chances are with all the blogs we follow that we didn't really notice you were gone until you reminded us.
5. Priorities show: If your blog is your priority, that's awesome. I bet we can tell. If your writing is your priority, that's more awesome. That's how you're going to get an agent or published or win you that book award. Take time for what you need. You can always change your priorities in the future.

Are you participating in NaNoWriMo? Good luck to all of you! I'll see you on the other side :)

I'm a Winner!

My undergrad degree was in musical theater and I have to tell you, no offense to you acting folk, the writing community is much more eager to share in your wins than the theater community was. At least for me. Of course, an author getting a book deal doesn't mean anything for her fellow authors but an actor getting a part means one less part for her fellow actor. Essentially you're always competing. Makes it harder to bond without undertones of jealousy.

So when I entered the world of writers I had no idea it was going to be so warm and welcoming. But, wow, it truly is.

And proof of that, on the heels of my last week's win, I am again a winner this week! Not once, not twice, but three times!

• First, the lovely author of four published books, Kathi Oram Peterson drew my name for her weekly book giveaway. Soon I will receive a copy of Ronda Gibb Hinrichsen's book Trapped.  Yay, me! It looks like just my type of story, too. Stop by her blog and check her out.
• Next, the awesome Gail Shepherd of the blog Paradoxy gave me TWO blog awards: The Irresistibly Sweet Blog Award and The Versatile Blogger (which I've won before from Michelle Fayard.) 
• AND I won the Versatile blogger award from Elizabeth Stillborn of elizabethannewrites.com. As a recipient of these awards I must:

1. Thank and link to the person who gave me the awards. Thank you so much, Gail!!
2. Share 7 random facts about you. I did that here.
3. Pass the award to 5 blogger friends. (Though Elizabeth says I need to pass to 15 blogger friends.) I will do that next Wednesday, so return and see who I pass them on to.
4. Contact and congratulate the nominated blogs.

Hmm, so many great blogs out there. Especially new ones I'm discovering through the campaign. Wonder who I'll choose...

Meanwhile, since I've previously shared my random facts, I'd like to hear from you. If you've stopped by, please leave a random fact about you in the comments. I can't wait to read!

I'm back!

...Because I'm a winner!!! I entered my finished middle grade manuscript, S.P.Y. Mission: Princess Protection into Gabriela Lessa's Get Your Foot in the Door one sentence pitch and I was an honorable mention!

Thank you so much, Gabriela. I'm really excited and honored!

Tooting and Passing

I'm tooting and passing again today.  Tooting my horn and passing on an award, that is.  I have been given an award from Kate Larkindale, an awesome fellow blogger I met during last month's blogfest.  Kate can be found at Fiction and Film and is a writer and a movie theater manager. I worked in a movie theater as a manager for years and loved it, just FYI.

Thank you, Kate! I'm truly honored.

The goal of this award is to spotlight up and coming bloggers who currently have less than 200 followers. The rules of the award are:

1. Thank the giver and link back to the blogger who gave it to you.
2. Reveal your top 5 picks and let them know by leaving a comment on their blog.
3. Copy and paste the award on your blog.
4. Have faith that your followers will spread the love to other bloggers.
5. And most of all - have bloggity-blog fun!

And here's my picks:

1. Michelle Fayard at Bird's Eye View Michelle is absolutely the best at building online relationships. Not only does she comment on what seems like every blog she follows, she also seems to be there first. She Tweets shout-outs and emails when she's left a response to a comment you wrote. I highly encourage y'all to take a look at what she's doing if you're trying to build your online image.
2. Christa at Christa Writes  First, I love the colors of Christa's blog. It has an immediate happy feel.  Next, she is a mom who blogs and avoids housework. My kinda mom.  Third, she has a series entitled "Inside the Author's Studio", a play on the Bravo Series "Inside the Actor's Studio", which is just brilliant. Christa's blog exudes with personality. Check her out.
3. Jaye Robin Brown JRo is another very supportive online community builder.  She also has a design template that I love, easy to look at and draws me to return.  She's a working writer mother and I admire her resolve to continue writing midst all the busyness.
4. Andrea Mack at That's Another Story Andrea's one of the few blogs I follow that's really dedicated to Middle Grade - my category of choice.  She has a great Alphabet series of Middle Grade writing.  It helps inspire me when I'm stuck on my own MG stuff.
5. Amber Plante at Suspending Disbelief  Another blog that's easy to look at.  Believe it or not, this is important.  I love Amber's personality.  Her posts are both relevant and personal, which isn't always an easy task. She's an editor and her tips are very helpful.  She's already received this award from someone else, but I had to give it myself.  

Congratulations everyone! Thanks for what you give the blogging world!

Blog Awards

Last week I was honored to receive the Versatile Blogger award from Michelle Fayard of The Bird's Eye View. It's taken a week but I'm now ready to complete the rules.


Here are the rules for accepting this award:

1. Thank and link to the person who nominated you.
2. Pass the award on to five newfound blogging buddies. 
3. Share seven random facts about yourself.
4. Contact the winners to congratulate them.


I've met so many new amazing bloggers this past month and it was so very hard to pick five to pass this award on to, but here's who I finally settled on.

1. Sarah Pinneo I met Sarah at Querytracker (one of my obsessions) and always appreciated her comments there. Then her awesome blog's name Blurb is a Verb immediately drew me. Sarah's blog is a great companion to mine as she addresses publicizing of books, sharing tales from those who are already doing it.
2. Emily R. King Emily's blog is beautifully designed and easy to read.  I particularly like her Mentor Mondays where Emily highlights other bloggers. Speaking of which, I will be featured there myself on August 8th. You know you want to go check it out. It's a great one stop source of blogging and querying info. 
3. Madeline Bartos First, Madeline's teenage viewpoint is an asset to all of us old folk.  But more importantly, I adore Madeline's complete rants about everything she comes in contact with. At a young age, she does more right than a lot of more experienced bloggers.
4. The East Coaster I so admire the goal of the East Coaster to be published in a year. This blog spotlights the real inside journey of a year in the life of a querying and self-publishing author.  
5. Gennifer Albin Gen is another I met through Querytracker.  She's an experienced Mom-Blogger and it shows.  Her story from query to agent is AWESOME; ask her to tell it sometime.  Most exciting though is her blog's support to mommy writers through WraHM - Write at Home Moms.  See the badge over there to your right? I'm pretty sure her upcoming book is going to Rock the World. And she's cute and humble, too.  

Whew. That was hard.  Now for the seven random facts about myself:

1. I originally started out in acting and singing.  I got my BA in Musical Theater and had been accepted into the Master's program at the New School (you know, where they film Inside the Actor's Studio), but I got distracted by a boy. Who I later married. So it's all good. 
2. I'm an only child.  
3. I can't tell time on a digital clock.  True story.  I find it easier to judge how much time I have before something else by looking at the amount of pie that's left on the clock.  Like if I have to be somewhere at 10 and it's now 9:30, I see I have half a pie before I have to be wherever.  When I have a digital clock, I translate the time to pie amounts before I really grasp the time.
4. I also tell "time until" in tv show lengths.  So if I have a full day in the office, that's 8 hours of Lost.  Or my husband will be home in half an hour, that's 1 episode of How I Met Your Mother.  Or I only got 4 hours of sleep, that's 1 Breaking Bad, 1 Mad Men, 1 Walking Dead, and 1 Project Runway. Yeah, I might have a tv watching problem.
5. I'm always late. For everything. I wonder why.
6. I have three daughters, one dog, and a husband. My baby just turned two yesterday! Happy Birthday Emmalyn :) 
7. I am the music director for a church.  I oversee 6 choirs, and direct 5 of them: 2 adult choirs, a youth choir, a children's choir, and a bell choir.

So now you know more about me and the blogs I love lately.  Go check them out.