Followers of this blog-long time anyway-know my love for music is intense. I did another music blog at the Deadline Dames today. All songs that have inspired something in my writing. Have fun!
Category: My Writing Life
A Little Serendipity :)
Do you have hobbies that give you a sense of peace? One of mine is cooking and even more specifically, baking. I was without an oven for a time. We had these 30 inch double ovens that were big and perfect and I loved them like crazy because I could fit a huge turkey in one and have two or three large things cooking in the other. But this particular (expensive) model had a massive flaw. If you ran the self-cleaning option, it fried the whole appliance.
Now, I did my usual thing and researched, found this happened to a LOT of these models, found the usual culprits and ordered the parts. We didn’t call out a repairman because my husband can usually repair things and I’d researched the schematics. We changed out two thankfully inexpensive parts and though the oven came back on, it powered itself off when it reached a certain temp. We had priced main boards and knew we couldn’t yet afford to repair this oven, so we decided to do without for a time. I learned more about grilling than ever before and I’ve made countless skillet and crock pot dishes.
But I missed the oven. Never realized how much I used it. I make a lot of baked dishes. Then Fall arrived and the whole family got a little down about the missing oven. Fall for them has always arrived with the scents of baking. So Monday, we called out a repairman and it turned out the expense would be even worse than we thought. Even he thought it would be a bad investment and that the ovens would break down again. Bummed, the hubs and I drove to different stores to price new 30 inch double ovens and OMG, it’s been some time since we’d bought ovens. Disheartened, we were in the last store and considering cutting up the kitchen to make room for a stove/big oven combo (Gotta have big for that turkey, ya know?) when my sister sent me a Craigslist ad that had been placed the very day before. For 30 inch double ovens in excellent shape–the owners had to replace with stainless steel in order to sell their home.
I called, the owners were in my town, the ovens were still there and the price was unbelievable. They slid right into place and worked like a charm.
Nothing like a little serendipity to give you a wonderful boost, eh?
So, after hours and hours on this computer working on rewrites, I’ve spent the last two evenings making up for lost time. Cakes, cookies, casseroles… It feels like Fall in my house again and I’ve got my soothing hobby back to help me when the frustrations of the writing world get me down. 🙂
Dame for a Day-Gayle Ann Williams
Guest, Gayle Ann Williams, posts about the journey of Tsunami Blue over at The Deadline Dames. You can win a hard copy of the book by commenting.
I love the cover! You can click on it to buy a Kindle copy, too!
Never Ignore a Sore Tooth
So… I’ve been putting off getting a sore tooth repaired and it turns out that was probably causing a lot of my problems. So, after weeks of illness, then tons of antibiotics, then other antibiotics after being allergic to first… you get the drift. Life has kind of sucked a bit.
But tomorrow is root canal day and then no more abscessed tooth and maybe I can get this blog going a bit more.
I will be blogging tomorrow at The Deadline Dames–provided I get it written today. Doubt I’ll want to do anything after my dentist trip. <g>
Miss Me?
I’ve really been neglecting my blog and I want to apologize. I do check stats and see a lot of my regular visitors still hanging with me, so I wanted to be honest. I don’t normally talk about personal stuff, but I’ve been a little under the weather. That and trying to keep up with a few writing and family obligations. Hang with me. I will be back on point soon. 😉
Still Chuggin’ Along
As you have probably guessed, I no longer use this as a daily blog. I’m not getting rid of my website, but don’t see a reason to bore anyone with the humdrum stuff happening while I work on rewrites and other projects.
I had finished my dystopian YA, but I’m not happy with it and it will require a major overhaul. I know how to fix it, though, and that’s good. I’m still working on an R&R for FORETOLD, but I’m honestly doing that when I’m not working on some projects that have a little more of a chance. I’ve had some difficult luck in finding a job, so I’ve been focusing on doing what I can as a writer. But this takes time because there is still waiting involved. I may end up self-publishing a few things.
Oh, and it’s possible there may be a little interest in the very book that first caught my agent’s attention–DWELLER ON THE THRESHOLD. I can’t even begin to say how much I’m hoping on that one. Cross your fingers! 😉
So, I’ll still be updating when I have updates, still be sharing books I’m excited about and of course, plopping good music in here whenever the urge hits.
At The Dames
I blogged about my hobbies today at The Deadline Dames. We’re doing a series called Dames at Play, sharing what we do when we’re not writing. 😉 Follow the Dame!
Toddler Head Banging to College
My daughter is starting college classes today. The family walked the campus with her last Saturday and she was this cute, redheaded bundle of excitement and nerves. And at one point, when we were walking upstairs, I looked at her and had this flashback of her at two years-old; sitting in a car seat between us in the front of the pick-up we drove then. She liked the little, plastic dolls that came in McDonald’s Happy Meals—called them dawbies—and she’d have one clutched in each hand. (Her favorite had little hearts and stars in the feet that worked as hole punches.) When a rock song came on, her blonde curls bounced all over the place as she head banged in that car seat.
It’s hard to explain the feelings that come over you when you have that sort of vivid flashback at such a time. You’re watching this grown-up who just yesterday was a little girl who cuddled in your lap and sucked her thumb to calm herself down. Emotions tangle inside. Faint sadness for the baby years that are long gone, excitement for her and the life she’s getting ready to lead…pride and so much love, it replaces all the air in your lungs.
Life moves, shifts, and before you know it, the next part is here. Enjoy it. 🙂
Blog Slacker!
I am so guilty of slacking here. Sorry! Seriously, I have so much going on right now, blogging is sort of last on my list. With back to school and a few changes to the hubby’s business, I’ve been busy. But I’m also writing lots of new stuff and rearranging lots of old stuff. 😉
So… while I’m still playing catch up, here’s a glimpse of a CD I’m currently obssessively listening to because it makes great, moody background music for writing.
nearLY (solo project of former NIN drummer, Jerome Dillon)
[youtube=”http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kG-bT9F0RH0&feature=related”]
Here are two with the beautiful vocals of Claudia Sarne.
[youtube=”http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nbUTp010WQM&feature=related”]
[youtube=”http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Tiih-V0RmEg”]
R&Rs
R & Rs are Revise and Resubmit requests. Basically, if an editor sees something they like in your work, but feel it still needs tweaking, sometimes they put together a revision letter to see if an author would be interested in revising and submitting the manuscript back.
The other day, I asked on Twitter how many authors have received these and wow, there were so many! It’s not something we really talk about publicly because well, it is embarrassing when you do the revisions and you still don’t get the book deal.
But then, is it really?
There are so many reasons why a book deal isn’t offered. It’s possible one editor loves it and can’t get it through acquisitions. It’s possible the publisher just bought a similar premise through another editor. Many, many reasons.
But each time an author gets an R&R, he or she has to decide whether to take it on. Sometimes, the revisions can be pretty intense. If you have an agent, it’s best to talk it over with them because they can usually recommend a go if they believe it’s worth the time.
Have I received these? Yes. In fact, I did one that I was sure would end up a sale. It didn’t, but I did take the revised book back out. I’m currently doing an R&R for another publisher. Is there a guarantee this will get the book deal? No. But I honestly looked over the very detailed notes and agreed with most of her requests. To give you an idea, she wasn’t sure about the prologue. Honestly, neither was I. I added that in at another editor’s request. Now, maybe I didn’t carry it off as well as I’d hoped, but that particular part of the book never seemed to fit the rest. So, it was easy to cut.
So, I’ve been a busy, busy writer. I’m revising the book and it’s intense. Taking your manuscript apart, cutting, adding… sometimes it can make you feel like this…
I don’t know that this will work for the publisher, but hey, I’ll get a stronger book out of this if not. I also have other work under consideration and might possibly take on a few rewrites for those…
So, while this blog sometimes gets a little quiet, things are flying behind the scenes. 😉