What's Up Wednesday

Have I got a treat for you. Want to play a game? It's actually a word quiz, but what makes this one special is that it's for real.

A friend of mine moved to Slovakia last year and it's a continuous struggle for her to learn the language. Slovak. Can you imagine? One day she and her husband went to a Slovakian restaurant where menu items were translated into English. Or attempted to, anyway. Check out the items on this menu! OMG! I have the correct answers to what these things are, but as a fun game, I'd like you all to try and guess. But you'll have to wait a couple days to get the right answers. I'm going to hold you in suspense until Friday.

I don't usually do contests, but I'm making an exception. Whoever answers the most correctly will receive one of my two books, PROJECT RESURRECTION or DESERT GUARDIAN. Your choice. Just make sure you leave me your email info (name at such-and-so dot com) so that I can contact you for your snail mail address.

Have fun!

1. Hen tea

2. Fried zander steak

3. Fritted Inkpot

4. Grilled slices of pork maiden slopped with Gipsy sauce

5. Wild boar on hip wine sauce

6. Baked smoked knee for two persons

7. Pickled Rams Horns

8. Home tray of chef for two persons

9. American potatoes

10. Fried champions

11. Fried ermine in beer batter

12. Cup of ice with cream (this isn't as obvious as it looks)

Marketing Monday

Another week's gone by, and more responses from agents have come in. It was a good week.

So today I want to talk about the post office. I know lots of writers have a love-hate relationship with their post office, but the guy at my little satellite USPS is wonderful! I had some full manuscripts to mail, and we know how that works when return postage is involved, so I walk up to the counter with my bundle of addressed packages, all ready to go.

"Do these all have the same zip code?" he asked.

"Uh, no, but they're all going to New York City."

He weighs one and looks at me over the top of his glasses. "Are you sure you wouldn't rather go media mail?"

Media mail? Yikes, that would take forever. "No, thank you. Priority, please."

He kind of smirks and checks the scale again. "This one, with the confirmation receipt, will be $18.00."

Holy crap! He must have noticed my shock as every ounce of color drained from my face because he quickly said, "You know, you can buy a flat rate box for just $8.95."

Oh, thank God! Why can't all editors request manuscripts electronically? I was lucky that at least one editor had, but not these. So I lugged my packages over to the counter in the back and took up the entire table as I assembled those flat rate boxes, addressed new mailing labels, and slipped my Priority tyvekked manuscripts inside. The very helpful postman even left his station to come ask me if I needed help. All together now: "Awwwwww." Yeah, my sentiments exactly. 8^)

He helped me decide that media mail would be fine for return postage since I wasn't especially eager to get them returned to me in a hurry. So I bought the correct amount of stamps ($3.95), put them in envelopes, and included them with my manuscripts.

Now, I wait. Tap, tap, tap, tap, tap…

Well, not really. My next project, MYSTIC TAXI, is underway so I've got plenty to occupy me in the mean time. And I'll still post short excerpts of KNIGHT'S CURSE every Tuesday, so come back tomorrow if you'd like to read more.

Freestyle Friday

How about some trivia? Random facts that are mildly interesting, or could be nice conversation starters at your next cocktail party.

1. Humans are the only species on earth that have face-to-face sex. (:-O)
   
2. People who drink coffee are less likely to commit suicide than people who don’t. (Now that's really good to know)
   
3. In San Francisco, California, persons classified as “ugly” may not walk down any street and it is also illegal to wipe one’s car with used underwear. (I wonder who's doing the classifying)
   
4. Your tongue is the only muscle in your body that is attached at only one end aside from being the strongest muscle. (Hmm... Now how would I exercise this particular muscle at the gym...)
   
5. In the UK, it is illegal to be drunk in a pub or bar. (I should say so!)
   
6. Theodore Roosevelt's favorite drink was a shot of cognac in a glass of milk. (Nothing like a booze milk shake to cap off the night)
   
7. In England, the Speaker of the House is not allowed to speak. (Mum's the word)
   

Thursday Thoughts

I don't read enough. My goal is to read a book a week, but I don't even come close. And I'm not one of those writers who can't read while I'm working on a book for fear my voice will pick up that of the book I'm reading. My voice is so constant I couldn't change it even if I wanted to. I've tried. It is what it is. And I'm really happy with that.

My point about reading books is that I feel it's really important for a writer to stay current on what's being published today, and not just in the genre he or she is writing. Especially since crossover fiction has become so popular. Different genres are good to explore for their own virtues, like plotting in a mystery, strong characterization in a good southern novel, the emotional power of a romance, the lyricism of a literary novel. Not to mention the tension that's so prevalent in thrillers, horror and suspense. Genre writers shouldn't discriminate against other genres. Diversify!

So what am I reading now? My TBR pile is half as tall as I am, but I'm just about finished with THE LOVELY BONES. I've had it on my shelf forever, and I've heard mixed reviews, so I wasn't sure if I even wanted to read it. I'm so glad I finally decided to crack it open. It's beautiful, and rich and sad and imaginative, all the things I love about compelling fiction. It's really interesting how Sebold bounces back and forth across her timeline. It confused me at first, but once I caught the rhythm it was easy to follow along.

I don't read a lot of literary fiction, but I enjoy it when I do. My only bias is against experimental fiction. I don't want to have to work hard to enjoy a book or short story. Alice Hoffman is my favorite literary author, though the distinction of that category might be debatable.

We have a little tabloid newspaper here in Bend called The Source that's very similar to The Westword that I was used to in Denver. Last week's Source featured four short stories from local writers. Three of them were wonderful; I didn't want them to end. But one, the first one, was... hm, well, it was well written for what it was, I suppose, but boring as hell. Why The Source decided to lead with the worst story confuses me because they risked discouraging readers from reading the other three. Anyway, I hope they publish more short stories in the future. More than anything I hope they decide to use genre fiction the next time.

What's Up Wednesday

TAG! You're It!

What's up today? It's tag day! Not that I've ever done this before, or ever been tagged myself, but Paty Jager made sure I wouldn't feel left out.

So now it's your turn, you lucky tagees, you. That is, if you want to play. 8^)

Here are the rules: 1) Link back to the person who tagged you (that would be moi). 2) Post the rules on your blog. 3) Write six things about yourself. 4) Tag six people at the end of your post by posting links to their blogsites. 5) Let them know they've been tagged by leaving a comment on their site. 6) And let your tagger know when your entry is up.

Now I have to write 6 things about myself. Yeesh. Okay, you guys, stop snoring! Not everyone's life is as exciting as yours.

1. I'm a vegetarian. Well, actually, I'm an aquatarian because I do eat fish. I used to say I don't eat anything with a face, but some people seem to think fish have faces so I don't argue with them.

2. I'm a unicyclist. I have a regular bicycle, too, but the uni is more fun. In fact I have a date today at 2 to ride with some folks over at the park. I started riding when I was ten and would ride my uni to school balancing my books in my arms.

3. I make my living as a graphic designer and most of my clients are out of state (I live in Central Oregon). Working at home provides me lots more time to write. Yes!

4. I have 3 cats and I'd have a hundred if I could. Yeah, I'd be one of those crazy cat ladies you hear stories about. But having that many would be cruel to the animals, so I just cuddle other people's cats to get my fix. I can even go to the local animal shelter and play with the kittens whenever I want!

5. About 2 minutes ago, I got a rejection from an agent I had high hopes for. Sigh. But I've still got four full manuscripts under consideration, so I'm not finished yet!

6. I'm a disorganized multi-tasker. Big woof, huh? I like having lots of balls in the air at the same time even when they're falling all around me. I guess I just get bored easily.

Phew. That was hard. Okay, my tagged pals, here you are:

Colby Marshall
Jeanne Stein and Mario Acevedo
Pike
Mark Henry
Jenna Black
C.E. Murphy

Marketing Monday

It was a very exciting week last week on the marketing front. Lots of interest in Knight's Curse, lots of requests for partials and fulls. So I'm feeling bouncy!

I found it interesting that no one asked for an exclusive. And some of the full requests came after the agents read the partials, and some were straight off the query.

So keep your fingers crossed for me! I'm getting closer. 8^)

Freestyle Friday

I just love this picture of my cat, Teddy. He weights 22 pounds and really struggles to curl into that sink, but he loves it in there. So I turned him into an LOL Cat.

Thursday Thoughts

I skipped What's Up Wednesday. My bad. Not much was up but a mammogram. Pretty boring, if you ask me.

My thoughts for today are: Fuel for the Story Engine

Do you keep notes? I don't mean like taking notes from lectures or research, but just every day stuff. In other words, do you carry around a notebook and jot things down, like a particular way you feel in single moment of time, or how the afternoon sun creates long shadows and takes you back to when you were a kid playing kick-the-can in the street, or the time your grandmother came riding up the driveway on her new bike and couldn't figure out how the brakes worked.

This is all day-to-day stuff, but some things strike us stronger than others and plant themselves in the memory centers of our brains. It's all grist for the story-mill.

I always delude myself into believing I'll remember stuff. Oh, yeah, who could ever forget the day … Uh, well, I forgot. Or how about the time my son was on his skateboard and, uh, oops. Another lost memory.

I'm not an organized person. Some people think in linear patterns, with neat little folders filed in alpha or numerical order inside their heads. Me? My thought process is more like a collage.

So I'm finally starting to write stuff down. Where I end up storing it is another question for another post. I think in colors and pictures, then translate them through words so that I can use them. My recall is mostly visual.

I was visiting with a writer friend yesterday, a morning coffee date (2 hours!) spent talking about everything writing-related, including her new book coming out this September. She's not a genre writer. She writes literary fiction, which I'm very curious about. Her stories aren't so much plot as they are character pastiches, so I asked her how she came up with her stories.

She bases them, in part, on people she's known and worked with, not one them a member of her family. She admits to not being a social person, but she's an observant one and everyone who's interesting stands to become fuel to drive her story engine. Though she doesn’t use her family in her fiction, her adult daughter claims her latest book has a lot of their family in it. This floored my friend because for one thing, there are no family units as such in her book. But elements here and there were subconsciously taken from her life and put in the story. I think that's very cool.

There's so much good stuff to take from real life. My husband is a good example. I could create a dozen different characters from him alone. One character based on just him would never be believable. You know what they say about truth and fiction.

Do you use bits of real life in your stories? Do you write them down in a log or journal? Are any of your characters fashioned out of people you know? Or parts of people you know?

Marketing Monday

I have verrrry little to report this week, even less than last week, and I've started sending follow-up inquiries to agents who haven't responded in more than 8 weeks. We'll see what a nudge turns up, or if I just end up annoying people.

Tony Hines, author of Waking Lazarus, has some inspiring things to say about queries and publication. We used to be in the same critique group, and I'm so pleased he's doing so well. click on the link below to see and hear Tony's story. I think you'll be impressed.

What's Up Wednesday

What's up with book titles? There are some real doozies out there, and some are fun while others just make you scratch your head.

The following are the titles of a few non fiction books. Pretty strange, huh? I thought they were odd enough to blog about.

How To Cook Husbands by Elizabeth Strong Worthington – 1899.
It's kind of like a really long essay about marriage that's written by an unmarried woman. People must have been very strange at the turn of the century. If you're curious, you can read the whole book here.

Do Snakes have Legs? by Bert Cunningham – 1934
We all know the answer to this one, so you'd think it would be a very short book, right? I hate to disappoint you, but the author is talking about axial bifurcations in serpents. You've seen pictures of two-headed snakes, haven't you? I know I have. According to the Antiquarian Booksellers Association, this book is an historical survey of serpent monsters. It's an expensive book, too. You might find a copy on eBay. I didn't bother to look.

Teach Yourself Alcoholism by Meier Glatt – 1975
What the hell? I couldn't find out anything about this book, but I imagine alcoholism wouldn't be too hard to learn if you put your mind to it. We've certainly seen enough made-for-TV movies that would make good how-to guides.

Sex Life Of The Foot And Shoe by William Rossi – 1977
The author takes us on a walking tour through history, from Chinese foot binding to the outrageous distortions of the foot suffered by women wanting to make themselves more sexy. Rossi gives us an "insightful psycho sexual guide to ourselves via our footwear." Sheesh. Carrie Bradshaw ought to read this book.

How to Make Love While Conscious by Guy Kettelhack – 1993
Dear lord! Well, it's a catchy title that's a bit misleading because the actual description of the book makes sense. "A supportive guide to sex for people in recovery who want to overcome their fears of intimacy and enter a deeper realm of authentic love." That's nice.

Grow Your Own Hair by Ron MacLaren - 1947
I wonder if this book comes with a package of hair seeds and a suggestion for what kind of fertilizer to use.

Bombproof Your Horse by Sgt Rick Pelicano – 2004
This book is written by a mounted policeman who trained his horse to remain calm and responsive no matter what the situation, including bomb threats. A valuable book for someone needing to ensure their horse won't go ballistic when the bullets fly.

Marketing Monday

I got a couple more partial requests, which is pretty great. The agent search is progressing, slowly but surely…

I'm happy to give a well-deserved plug for QueryTracker.net. This tool is awesome. Indispensable. A real asset to any serious author who wants to not only keep track of queries, but also view reports on the agents they've queried. It's a truly amazing service, and it's FREE!

One of the many things I love about QueryTracker is that the agents listed are approved by Preditors and Editors. Can't get much safer from scam artists than that.

The QueryTracker service is free, but the added features cost a minimal fee of just $25 a year. Premium features include things like customized folders for sorting your queries, rating your prospective agents, agent seasonal activity reports, creating custom reports using your own criteria, notification of agent watch alerts, and so much more. This is a service no author with the objective of agent representation can do without.

And not only can you track your queries, you also have access to informative articles about agents and writing, including interviews, the business side, and even motivation.

If you haven't tried QueryTracker.net, you need to start now. Sheesh, I sound like a commercial.

I now return you to your regular programming. Ha!

Silly Saturday

This wont' be a regular blog day, but I just had to post this picture of my youngest cat, Sammy. Isn't she lovely? LOL! I've turned her into an LOL Cat. This is in response to my friend Alice's blog post on Friday about rewarding yourself. She said dressing up your pet was fun, so I had to give it a try. She's right! Now I feel compelled to buy doll clothes to dress my cats in. Hmm… Look out, kittehs!

Freestyle Friday

I'm eager to announce that Rocky Mountain Fiction Writers' Colorado Gold Writing Contest is now open for entries!

This is a fabulous contest for unpublished writers of novel-length fiction. After twenty-five years of success, this contest is one of the best in the industry. I entered it years ago with my then unpublished novel, PROJECT RESURRECTION, and was a finalist. Many of your favorite urban fantasy authors have entered this contest at some point prior to being published, and the excellent feedback they received on their entries may have contributed to their success.

Here are some details:

For unpublished writers of commercial novel-length fiction. Two judges evaluate each entry; the SIX highest-scoring manuscripts in each of four categories WILL BE JUDGED BY AN ACQUIRING LITERARY AGENT OR EDITOR WHO WORKS IN THAT GENRE. There will be one winner in each category; the other five will be finalists. Winners will be recognized at the Colorado Gold Conference in September 2008. First prize is $100 & a framed certificate; finalists receive $25 & a framed certificate. PLEASE FOLLOW ALL RULES. FAILURE TO DO SO WILL COST YOU CRITICAL POINTS OR DISQUALIFICATION.

Deadline - Entries are limited to the first 200 received. Entries must be postmarked no later than June 2, 2008. DO NOT use certified mail.

Eligibility - You must not have had any novel-length fiction accepted for publication at the time you enter this contest. Manuscripts that have previously won this contest are ineligible. This contest focuses on COMMERCIAL novels; literary fiction is discouraged; short stories, experimental fiction, and non-fiction are ineligible. Entrants must sign a liability statement on the entry form.

Categories - Awards will be given in the following fiction genres:

GENERAL FICTION
MYSTERY
ROMANCE
SPECULATIVE FICTION (SF/Fantasy/Horror)

For an entry form and a complete list of rules, visit http://rmfw.org

Good luck!

Thursday Thoughts

My sentiments exactly.

What's Up Wednesday

It's taken me all day to get to blog today, and my only excuse is that I'm busy with the day job. Aargh. I'd much rather do this all day.

What's up today is a killer review of my romantic suspense novel DESERT GUARDIAN. The book's been out for over a year, and I'm on to other projects, but these delightful reviews do pop up now and then and I'm compelled to share:

Desert Guardian is a fast-paced story that kept me glued from the first page. Wow, what a ride! I loved this book so much. The dialogue is excellent, the banter between Kelly and Sam top-notch, and the roles they play are absolutely outstanding. I love the visualization of the whole setting and all the characters that come into play, along with Star Mother and her crew, all the way down to the bony fingers.

The review is here. And if you'd like to buy it, you can go here.