Publishing and Networking

I need some chees and crackers to go with my wine please. I wasn't going to blog today, and now I'm doing it AGAIN the first one lost to the nether regions of cyber space! I so don't feel good and my allergies need to find a new home. Maybe in the same place as my last blog?

I have had a long row to hoe, so to speak, in becoming a writer and an author. What's the difference? Well, most people like to differentiate between published and non published. Of course, some snobbish types don't think you qualify as a writer if you're not making money. An opinion I would beg to differ, but I don't believe in begging to have an opinion -- I simply do.

In my mind, what you are doesn't change, whether the world recognizes it or not, or if you are getting paid or not. I liken it to being a parent. I am a mother. I don't get paid to do this. Even with child support and social security benefits for my disabled child, I don't get nearly enough to cover the cost of those children. In my state benefits max out at 674 and it goes down the more you make. So, yeah, not making money here. However, with or without that money, I am a mother. I'm not getting paid to be a mother. Child support is to support the child's physical needs. A small part of being a mother. So, if you are a writer, painter, or appliance repair man, be happy and proud and be what you are, regardless of the pay, status, etc.... Yeah, I'll get off that rabbit trail soap box now :D

Anyways, what induced me to write a blog even though I have to stop and blow my nose a hundred times? (Thank God for wipes for the keyboard, right?) This article ( http://www.huffingtonpost.com/jason-pinter/an-analog-industry-in-the_b_499817.html )that I found through the blogs I read. The blog is by Jessica Faust at Book Ends Literary Agency LLC. Side note, Jessica is an agent that gently led me to the path of what a query letter needs to be and how to find that information.

I recently sent her my query of awesomeness even though it didn't quite fit her house, and she responded as courtesly as ever. follow her blog if you have any intentions of ever getting published and READ IT ALL. She will also have links to other people, agents, etc., with more good information for the writer who wants to get published. It's called networking.

My first book, which is not done in the traditional manner, nor is it quite self-published. Go figure, when did I ever do anything the normal way? I went Joint Venture. What did that mean? I didn't put out thousands of dollars, and I got a professionally published book. It means its on Ingram and any book store can find it. What it doesn't mean, that I didn't understand, is that I don't get the press packets, review copies, networking options that usually happen withing a publishing house, nada. I have been doing it all on my own.

I didn't know how to blog, much less have one. I knew next to nothing about twitter, or how to really use the internet for social networking. Now, my best friends are cyber friends and I look to my blogs, like edittorrent and Janet Reid and others, to keep me informed and feel closer to the business I am aspiring to be a part of. Networking on the internet is a fairly new beast. Read the article to see what I mean. He's an aquisition editor and writer and really shows how the netwroking process in the business has changed, just since I began to do this with the intent of eventually making money.

Another Book Giveaway!

http://cjredwine.blogspot.com/2010/04/interview-with-annette-mccleave.html

CJ Redwine is not only a talented author and teacher (see my previous posts on Query of Awesomeness) she does entertaining interviews.

This particular interview is giving away two copies of said book and it sounds like a lot of paranormal fun.

Go visit her blog and tell her I sent you! You won't be sorry.

Interview

Not sure how this posted blank the first time, but it did. So sorry if you follow and got a blank post :D

My interview for my "day" job went well. It was for a temp agency that places people in all sorts of jobs. My office scores were high, despite, tiredness and trying to hurry and no meds.

In fact, they tried to place me for a "permanent temporary" position. One that if you work out, you are hired with benefits, etc. but you have to drive the car. I have an accident and speeding ticket on my record. No insurance yet, one of MANY reasons I need a day job. Insurance I can fix with a good job. Anyways, they were impressed with my scores and wanted to place me immediately. Good sign, but, sigh, on the loss of a city job before it even began.


Hope everyone's day is going well. Off to look at sending out more queries...

It's Saturday :D

I've applied for add staffing job. I have interview Tuesday, which should go okay as I'm sure my assessment tests came out well. I need to work because we need the money, and hopefully, between my husband and I, we will get a full weeks worth of work. It will be enough so we can buy the yard things we want and I can get ink. I told him I am writing and hitting it hard for the next year while I have child support still coming in (which will end soon enough!) and I'm not doing any job that will suck the life out of me like most of my previous jobs. Writing is my career choice.

We had a relatively good day today. A friend had a party and it was fun :D Got to see the in-laws as well. Now, trying to watch a movie with family but hubby and kids won't quit fighting. GRRRRRR hubby wants to watch movie (silly man, we have three children under 9) and a six year old who wants to ask questions through the whole movie, an 18 month old who throws a fit at the drop of a hat, and an 8 almost 9 yr old who thinks that listening to grown ups is a sin. Best movie time ever...

I'm trying to enjoy Indiana Jones anyway, but since I can't, I'm reading my blogs and ignoring the lot of them.

Maybe they'll all go to bed early.

Query of Awesmoness SCORES

I'm so excited. Everytime I think of the news I'm about to impart, my stomache gets butterflies. So what happened to make me feel like I'm in love for the first time?

My first request for partials from a reputable agency. *SQUEE Yeah, my new word LOL.

It happened earlier in the week, but I waited to post. I was barely on line yesterday, having stayed out until one in morning deconstructing the set of "HONK", which, incidently, went well. My husband can sure sing.

Anyway, they wanted 30 pages or so. I looked it over, double checking I hadn't missed anything and added a hundred words LOL and found some minor errors that I fixed. I sent it off. Yesterday, I looked over it again and found MORE minor errors. I swear that they only appear after I send things to someone who matters! Oh well, hubby's offered to go over the first fifty pages to see if their anything else. Hopefully this weekend will work for him...

In the meantime, I am following CJ Redwine's advice (see connections to her blog in earlier posts :) and keep on writing. I have to. I have too many stories in my head to stop now.

Lately

I've been writing. Obviously. Well, maybe not so obviously when you consider the rest of my life. Along with the writing, I've been promoting my book, Rebellion on Piza 7, my husband's play, which is almost over, and sending out queries on the fantasy I finished.

Plus, as my funds are limited like almost everyone I know, I've been trying to win books that are new releases or part of a series. For research, don't you know. Have to know what's on the market, it is a happy bonus that I like to read as well. ;)

So, although my word count is under 2k yesterday, and so far today, I have gotten things accomplished that are necessary.

And in case there is still any question, I do not have a PR manager, or any other type of manager or marketing person. It's just me. LOL I'm trying to get my husband to be the manager, you know, like Laurel K Hamilton's is hers, but so far, not happening. Maybe when I get a few more titles under my belt...

I'm a dunce

I think I am excited by my book signing, judging by how many posts I did on it :) on the sister blog, After the Beginning, two posts in a row were about the signing LOL

At home, hubby sick, daughter and son not felling great, although I think they have "spring fever" with a dash of "senioritis" thrown in for my daughter.

I'm fighting depression, not very well at this point, as the anniversary of my brother's death gets closer and closer. Since his (Timmy)birthday in February, I've been having unexpected crying fits and the whole he's left in my life has become more and more apparent.

I was adopted. Timmy was first baby born after that and he was my connection to the adopted family. Two of my sisters were adopted with me, but they were younger. I was ten. A hard age to be adopted at. I feel as if I've been severed from the family in a way that can't be fixed. Writing and painting has saved me from uncontrolled depression more than once these last few months.


Well, I best get to writing and hope I hit it big before graduation... All that senior stuff!

Finished!

Quest for Riverhand is polished and ready to match the Query of Awesomeness :D

It's about 20k short of what I wanted, but I like the story. There is another scene I'm contemplating adding. It would help the sub-plot and I could run a thread in that would help with the sequel, but I don't want to mess with it.

Yeah, I like the story the way it is and I know that agents/editors will peruse and say X and X and X and etcetera anyway. Might as well make the sweeping changes then and add to word count as they suggest.

Winds of Fire is very close as well. I have to revamp the beginning and wowsers the end :D Probably take a week of intense writing, but the story is very good and I'm sure I'll be able to sell it.

My paranormal is at 11k and needs at least 35k more words. A friend, Jami G. gave me a good idea how to get around the whole problem with being a pantster who already outlined the story :D Thanks, Jami!

My other paranormal is at 19k. It got the bulk of the details from the short the two paranormals are ripped from.

If you remember, (I think I posted it earlier) I sent in a short story into an editor at a publishing house that got rejected with words like make novels out of the premise, series, etc. etc. make sure it fits our house. Best rejection ever, LOL

Plus, I have Blood Traitors, the sequel to Rebellion on Piza seven to worry about now. I have to fix a couple of sequencing erros that I put into the second MS and add like 60k to it :) I have like 15-17k on it.

Here's Your Sign moment...

Okay, I got my internet card replaced, but it is S L O W and my baby wants my attention (who knew?) So, my husband being home today, I have again gone to Safeway to write, network, etc. AS their WiFi is incredible (coffe isn't bad either, if you like that sort of stuff. :D *Waves, Thanks Safeway!

Today, they have been incredibly busy, so no one to help watch my lap top or other stuff. So, I'm trucking everything into the ladies room in a cart (I know, I know,annoying as hell, but better than getting my stuff ripped off. I'll quit as soon as the theives do!)

I waited until last minute to go this time as I was in the middle of a chapter of edits. (Only like 150 more pages of editing and four new chapters to write. No prob, right?)I go in and the handicap stall is taken so I go to last stall (so cart is only a little bit in the way) and pull my pants down.

I hadn't even had my pants down before someone is in stall next to me. I hear a loud water hitting water sound and blink as I sit. Wait. That sounds like my husband... Am I in the right restroom? I think, naw, can't be a guy, probably someone who had held it as long as me... I have to look. I bend down and check out which way the shoes are pointing and, yep, you guessed it, they were pointing AT THE WALL! I didn't have to look far because these size 13's were spilling into my space. LOL

So, he's finished and so is the one in the other stall, a worker from Safeway. She comes out and he says, GET THIS, he says:

"Are you in the wrong place or am I?" (Now, I don't know how many men's rooms you've seen, but when you're the mother of four boys, you see more than your fair share. I promise you that Safeway's WOMEN'S bathrooms are nowhere near that bad. AND at this particular store you HAVE TO PASS THE MEN'S to reach the women's RR)

She says, "Noooo, you are?" "I am," he replies. "I wondered about all the nice trim?"

I KID YOU NOT!!!

So the worker looks at me increduously as he stands there, nonchalant and washes his hands. I am trying really hard not to laugh. I have to tell you, this guy handles embarrassment well.

He leaves the room and we bust up laughing. We go to wash our hands, and guess what?

He used the last of the paper towels.

Can you believe it?

LMAO

query of Awesomeness

Okay, I am not admitting to how many drafts this took, but after CJ's many patient (although she probably now has nightmares of my query!) comments and corrections, I got here:

Spectacular Agent/Writer’s Hopes Agency
555 Wishful Thinking
Port Fiction, PI 90009

4/10/2010

Dear Spectacular Agent of Writer’s Hopes,

Cerisa, trained as both mage and warrior, lives in exile with her family and best friend – a dragon named Lucifer. Her peaceful life is ripped apart when her father Jaren is murdered by Lord Kyle, the man who has claimed the throne of Riverhand in the name of the missing queen through bloodshed and terror. Cerisa’s plans for revenge, however, are stalled when her mother reveals two secrets that change the foundation of her life. One, her mother is the missing queen, and two, Lord Kyle is her father.
Stunned and shaken, Cerisa vows revenge, even though her strong emotion wreak havoc on her already chaotic magic. She still sets out with Lucifer to kill Lord Kyle, despite – or because of – the revelations of her mother.
After an attack that leaves her magically vulnerable, she meets Aron, her Dragonheart – a mate whose bonds strengthens the magical powers of their partners. When a simple broken wrist turns out to be infused with a dark curse, they realize that a powerful mage is helping Lord Kyle, defending him with a berserker to ensure the death of any who dare defy him. A berserker that has its sights set on Cerisa.
Lucifer and Aron help her see that in order to save herself and the rest of Riverhand, she has to turn her back on her own need for revenge as well as convince her mother to do her duty and claim the throne. Preferably before being killed by a berserker. The journey to Dublinum is full of deadly creatures and bandits. Can Cerisa get her mother there in time to save Riverhand from endless civil war?
The Quest for Riverhand is a fantasy, complete at 100,000 words. Thank you for your consideration.


Sincerely,
Leona Bushman

PS Formatting issues are a problem of internet, not actually how it is on document LOL

Query Workshop Original

Okay, folks. I took a workshop of awesomeness. I know, I know, I'm being redundant. But the workshop was awesome. http://queryworkshop.blogspot.com this is how you get there, be sure to mention me if you do it.

I'm posting the original here, with a sample comment. Then, I'll post the pretty one, LOL

Dear Spectacular Agent of Writer’s Hopes,
Cerisa sets out on a quest to kill the man who killed her father with her friend and dragon, Lucifer. When her mother reveals that she is the missing Queen, the whole land has been searching for and that the man, Lord Kyle, who has been pillaging and murdering in the name of the queen, is actually her father, she is torn between rage and the need to avenge the man she looked to as her father.
Cerisa is mage and a warrior. In order for all her powers to work at their greatest strength, she must have her heart and mind in alignment. She struggles with this as she wants to murder the man who murdered her father, and damn the consequences.

After an attack that leaves her magically vulnerable, she meets her Dragonheart, Aron. With the help of Lucifer and Aron, she convinces her mother to do her duty and claim the throne as she should have done years ago. They escort her on the perilous journey to the ruling of city of Dublinum.
They encounter both friends and foes as they race against time to beat Lord Kyle and his men to Dublinum and save not only their own lands, but Dragonland as well. They battle Lord Kyle and his men outside the Royal Court before Lord Kyle leaves with his men. The queen regains her throne and Cerisa becomes engaged to Aron, a Duke in Dragonland and saves the kingdoms of Riverhand and Dragonland. *******Suggest deleting this entire paragraph and instead giving us a one sentence statement or question delivering the stakes of the quest. i.e. "Can Carisa and her friends reach Dublinum in time to save the kingdom, or will the entire land be engulfed in war?" Or something along those lines. Feel free to use what works and toss the rest. :)


The Quest for Riverhand is a fantasy novel, complete at 100,000 words.

Sincerely,

Leona


******** Star is one of her many suggestions. Sometimes I felt like the V8 commercials (Duh, I could have had a V8)and other times like an old Calgon Commercial (Calgon, Take me AWAY) but mostly, I wanted chocolate and gin (but that was the fault of my fellow students. They kept talking about it!!)

I told my husband that I think I got the most out of my dollar compared to the rest of the class! LMAO I had to erase more than I wrote, but I didn't want to scare anyone off (or show you how bad it REALLY was if you don't know yourself :D)from taking her workshop.

So now that you've read LE Suck, read or re-read the shiny one :D

I'm so excited

**SQUEE I passed my queryworkshop!! Anyone looking to strengthen their query, from beginners to more advanced, should take this course. I'm going to ask her permission to post the first and final drafts and sample of her revision notes :) I'm sure I can post first and final as it's my query lol, but would like to give you some meat to entice you to the class. PS her twitter is @cjredwine and let her know @pizaseven or say leona bushman sent you PLEASE LOL

I used my fantasy that I'm currently bringing up to speed. It's the longest book, and I figured the hardest one, to put into a small 1 page (including the thank yous!) query. I was right. It took me four tries.

famous last words

So, it's 230 am her in the land of Oz and baby is going strong. Why, you may ask? Because I told someone. In logical terms, one might say it was the four hour nap he took fro 6-10 at the babysitters, but, one would be wrong.

All that lovely sleep and writing? still waiting for me. I had a computer Melt Down today. Watch out for something that's supposed to be windows vista security but isn't! I had a hell of a time, and shortly after last post, was unable to post at all!

Alls well here, for now. Will try and get back on the straight and narrow tomorrow, er, today. :P Script Frenzy will get made up tomorrow, at least some of it, even if I have to put off doing taxes! I have seven years, since I'm getting a return. :D Write write write

Contest @ CJ Redwine's blog

http://cjredwine.blogspot.com/2010/04/interview-with-lisa-mantchev.html

This is also the person I took recent query workshop from. I'm in love. The first check I get from any book that I use principals learned from her workshop to query, I am buying everysingle one of her books, and a few she's interviewed!

She is awesome :D

Please visit her blog and follow her as she is hilarious!

her twitter is @CJRedwine

Mom Excitement aka Mom Wins lol

It's been a week now, so I feel I can safely announce that I have shaved two hours off my baby's awake time at night. Instead of going to bed at 3 am to 5 am, he is now in bed between 1 am and 2 am. Hey, don't laugh. Major difference in sleep time for me :D And he's not getting up any earlier. Can we say SCORE??

That means I get more sleep and more writing time :) HALLELUJAH

I've already gotten a few hundred words in, despite the hour and half it took to load my new internet card. 2 hours total between shutting down and loading. At least I'm on the internet from home now. I know my hubby's relieved, lol.

It means more time for me to do housework as well and not worrying about who is going to watch my laptop when I go to the bathroom.

Now, I have to do taxes :(((((((

I hate doing taxes...

contest

Blog contest for all you writers http://sarahwithachance.blogspot.com/2010/04/something-fun-and-celebratory.html Enter to win fabulous prize :D

Script Frenzy day 14

I still haven't done my taxes GRR If I don't get my card today, I will have to do them tomorrow in a public place then go home and print them, then out to the post office!! What a pain in the -- er, ask your mother what it is... (line from play that openend last night!)

Working on so many things at once that I am driving hubby crazy. He wants me to get X done, but I want X done and we are both right, LOL I need to write like 10 hours a day is all! Maybe starting Thursday, I can manage for three days in a row to do this.

**Sigh** Maybe in between doing housework and taking hubby to work (at least he's working one day this week!) and taking care of 18 month old with Down Syndrome and **sigh** yeah, now we all know why ten hour days isn't feasible.

I'm working up to four! but that includes, research, networking and blogs so... Will end up at six eventually. Have to.

For script frenzy, I need to make up 35 pages or something unreal. I will do that, I swear. I am going to win it if I have to give up sleep all weekend. :D

I'm using it to help my novel that is the same basic story so I'm going back and forth, but both the script and the novel are better for the experience! It just takes time, is all. ALL??? Like I have a whole lot of that! :D

I'm really enjoying the query workshop and learning a lot! It was money well spent and I will use the lessons and explanations from everyone's work to help me with all future queries. I've sent my second draft off, so should hear back soon on the improvement (cross fingers) and the new problems I added by making the changes. LOL

Everyone have a good day and try to find what makes you happy.

BOOK SIGNING!

YEAH YEAH YEAH

Another book signing :) This time we are back in the good old US of A (just kidding as last one was in TX) in Yakima WA at the local Borders.

May 8th, the Saturday befor mother's day. I will be convincing them to try a unique gift LOL.

I am working on getting contact info for the Tri-cities Barnes and Nobles since there isn't a Borders there. That keeps it even anyways, since it was at Barnes and Nobles in San Antonio LOL

Stay tuned!

script frenzy

So script frenzy is not going as well as NaNoWriMO did, but I have faith I will finish! I only have 7 pages (2 more than the first day!) but I have found my niche and will be able to go quickly when my workshop is over.

I'm taking a query workshop, which has been interesting since I lost my internet card.
But I'm managing. I will catch up quickly on script frenzy next week. I did those 2 pages in like 15 minutes. At that rate it will only take me 12 hours to finish LOL. One long writing day ought to do it :)

I have been working hard and writing my but off in mornings and still trying to pay attention to baby and rest of fam. It seems to be working, although I'm way too stressed and need to find a way to calm down.

Oh, guess what? Nate bought me the 2010 Writer's Market! I'm so excited. It's a major step for him in ackowleding my career choice and in showing support.

Well, back to writing and reading my internet stuff, and most important for today, getting my on-line homework finished!

OMG LOL

Okay, I have to admit, some of the text lingo has come in handy. I have had an ... I was going to say aweful couple of weeks, but it seems to be the norm for us! The internet card has been taken/lost. Long story behind that. The SSI thing that was supposed to be fixed, is not. And I have been unable to write! I finally found time to write yesterday, but I left my glasses at the theatre and trying to focus on the words literally put me to sleep.

I'm currently taking a query workshop, which is going okay. It's on the yahoo groups. One minor problem: my phone refuses to recognise my yahoo id/password combo so I can't follow up with my phone and I have no internet. Funny thing is, my yahoo popped up so fast that my eyes crossed when using the same d*** password/id combo that I used all day yesterday!!! GRRRRRRR

Well, hubby home today, so I'm writing for awhile until he gets back to building waves for our set.

help!

So I spent my morning looking for shoes for son and I cuz it was snowing here. Then went to doctors. Son has ear infection both ears and bronchitis. So we're waiting for his meds (hour to hour and half) and I went to take him to lunch and found out that the SSI was not on the direct deposit card.

After forever on the phone, I find out that after the last forever on the phone, the person I talked to did not update my addy and so they suspended my benny's because of two different state addys. GRRRRRRR The biggest problem is that if they don't give Isaac at least $1 then he doesn't get his medical coupon either!!!!!!!!!!!!

I have a Down Syndrome kid with no medical now. Can we say ********** insert favorite cuss word(s) here.

It's frustrating dealing with all of this. I'm grateful for the help with medical and money so I can take care of him, but WTF what's the point of updating your file if they don't update it?????? RANT RANT RANT lol

Okay after we are able to get Patrick's meds, I'll be spending my afternoon at SSI office. Wish me luck, please. I will need it!!!!!!

Day 1 counts

I've tallied my total for today, although I may work on it more later. I've quite at 5 pages and I'm working strictly on new contact characters and word count for DAMIAN. That's the working title of the first book in the series, with Jolene's Desire being the second.

The script title is Demon Run. It's interesting trying to use someone's formatted script as a template (Windows XP users) but it's easier for me.

I've found the inspiration I need for Damian by doing this. New start to the story makes it more exciting and the paranormal aspects immediately evident. I' excited about the book again. I was always excited about publishing possibility, but was stalled on the story. Now, I'm on a roll. I've added another 800 words already (that's on top of doing the 5 pages of script!)

Thank you Script Frenzy!

Script Frenzy initial

Okay, first page done (title page) and I changed my mind on which story to write - again! but this one is going to have to stick since I've officially started.

wish me luck!