IWSG September: Finding Time & A Few Good Things

Hi everyone! It's time for another group posting of the IWSG! A huge thanks to Alex Cavanaugh for creating this group, and to all the co-hosts for this month. If you'd like to join our little group, it's never too late, and you can find all the information about it here.

Before I get to the question this month, I'd like to share a few (good) things that have happened lately: 

1) Catalyst was nominated for a Whitney Award.

2) A publishing company in Turkey is interested in obtaining translation rights for Catalyst. Which, by the way, has anyone dealt with foreign rights, specifically those in Turkey? Just wondering if I should be wary...

3) I registered for the RT Atlanta Convention, which is May 2-7, and I made it into the Giant Book Fair! I'll be signing books with 600 other authors, many of them NYT Bestselling authors. I'm really excited about this opportunity to connect with so many readers!

Anyone else going to RT Atlanta this year??

September’s question of the month - How do you find the time to write in your busy day?

This is actually something I'm struggling with right now. My kids went back to school last week, and one might think I'd have MORE time to write and revise, but I actually have less. My schedule is so choppy with taking and picking up from preschool and then soon after dropping everything to pick up from middle school. And writing after the kids get home from school? No way, forget about it! Once they get home, there's homework and after school activities and piano and Scouts and soccer, etc.

It makes me tired just thinking about it! Lol.

I keep telling myself that once we settle into a routine, it will be better. Here's hoping that's true!

How do you find time to write? Are you a morning writer or a night writer? (Lol. Night writer reminds of that TV show back in the day. Night Rider. Hahaha!)

IWSG August: First Piece of Writing—Where Are You Now?

Hey everyone, it's that time again! It's time for another group posting of the IWSG. A huge thanks to Alex Cavanaugh for creating this group, and to all the co-hosts for this month ( Tamara Narayan,Tonja Drecker, Ellen @ The Cynical Sailor, Lauren @ Pensuasion, Stephen Tremp, and Julie Flanders!) If you'd like to join our little group, it's never too late, and you can find all the information about it here.

I've been away from the blogosphere for a while. With all my kids home for summer break, I find it much harder to spend time on social media. But with an end of the summer deadline for the sequel to CATALYST looming, I've been working hard on writing and now revising the sequel. And when I'm immersed in a project, I tend to ignore social media. I tell you all this as a very long, drawn-out excuse of why you haven't seen me around much. :)

So here's the IWSG question for the month:

What was your very first piece of writing as an aspiring writer? Where is it now? Collecting dust or has it been published?

This is a great question! I always tell people that the very first manuscript I wrote was an adult contemporary romance (a sweet romance.) But it's actually NOT the first. My first piece of writing was a YA contemporary novel about a girl and a boy living on two different continents. It was inspired by my husband's life as he lived for a while in South Africa and graduated from high school there. But I got three-fourths of the way through and never finished. Then I had the idea for the adult romance and started writing that one instead.

They are both collecting virtual dust on my laptop, with the hope that someday I can take those ideas and write a better story. I was a newbie when I wrote those stories. I had no idea how much I needed to learn and how much I would yet learn. And even now, I'm still learning and improving my craft. With each story I write, I can see the improvement.

In truth, I'm almost scared to go back and reread one of those first stories—I have a feeling I'll be cringing much of the way through!! Lol.

What was your first piece of writing? Is it published?

IWSG July: A Compliment Goes A Long Way

Hey everyone, it's that time again! It's time for another group posting of the IWSG. A huge thanks to Alex Cavanaugh for creating this group, and to all the co-hosts for this month ( Yolanda Renee, Tyrean Martinson, Madeline Mora-Summonte , LK Hill, Rachna Chhabria, and JA Scott! ) If you'd like to join our little group, it's never too late, and you can find all the information about it here.

The IWSG recently decided to include themes for the monthly blog hop (a concept I LOVE, by the way). No more wondering what I should post about the night before, because NOW, I have a question that I'll answer which will make this so much easier! :)

The question for July is: "What is the best thing someone has said about your writing?"

Writing can be a grueling process. You spend months crafting the perfect story, falling in love with the characters, and enduring sleepless nights. In the end, you want to love your story, but more so, you want someone else to love your story too. And when they do, it makes it all worthwhile and gives you that momentum to keep doing what you're doing.

I know I"m probably only supposed to pick one, but there are actually two things I'd like to share with you. The first was an email I received from an agent, right when I was at a low point with my writing. This agent is one I went on to do an R&R for. She said this concerning Middle of Knowhere, the YA contemporary manuscript I'd sent her:

"There is a lot to love here—you are a GREAT writer and I loved Ryker and Hailey's relationship."

Okay, so yes, I did love the fact that "great" was in all caps. Lol. And even though she ultimately decided to pass after the R&R, her words still gave me a boost.

The second was from my editor as she was editing Catalyst. Now let me preface this by saying that my editor doesn't just throw compliments around. She digs in, makes changes and suggestions, highlights parts that need to be revised, and leaves me comments and questions. When I got the manuscript back after first edits, I scrolled through the entire thing. It wasn't until the very end of the story that I saw what she thought of it. I'll paraphrase, but she basically said that she loved the story and loved the ending. Then she said this:

"One of my absolute favorites of CTP, ever. Can’t wait for the next!"

Wow. Just wow. CTP is my publisher, and I know she's edited probably hundreds of books. I think I was floating the rest of the day.

I think we all tend to doubt our writing from time to time, but it's little nuggets like these that help us continue on, plowing forward to that next deadline. I'm thankful for anyone who has ever said anything nice about my writing, for all those who've encouraged me through the years, and for wonderful critique partners and beta readers who are always there to help make my writing better.

Happy Wednesday!

IWSG June: Pressures of Writing a Sequel

Hey everyone! Thanks for stopping by for this latest installment of the IWSG blog post. A huge thank you is in order for the ninja captain himself, Alex Cavanaugh, who is the creator and director of this wonderfully supportive group. And it's never too late to join! For more info on the IWSG or to sign up on the nifty linky-link, you can go HERE.

I'm typically a fast drafter, which basically means I spend A LOT of time revising once I'm finished. A book I'm working on may go through several rounds of revisions before I feel comfortable enough sending it to critique partners. But now that my first novel is being published, I have to write the sequel. And I have a deadline for it.

First of all, I've never had a deadline before. I wrote when I wanted to write, and typically, once I was immersed in the story, I wanted to write all the time. But now, I'm finding it hard to have the desire to write. But I HAVE to. It's not an option. I have a publisher who is expecting the sequel by a certain time, and I need to make sure I can deliver the novel by then.

Can I just say how much pressure that is?!

Lately, I've been a little blocked. The words aren't coming, the storyline is falling apart, and it's frustrating. I took a couple weeks off and now I'm coming back to it with fresh eyes, and I can only hope that it's enough to pull me through. My goal is to finish the first draft before we go on our cruise in a couple weeks. Can I do it?

I don't know. But I'm certainly willing to try!

What are you insecure about this month?

Snow Day=Revising

Well, we survived Snowmageddon 2016 as it is now being called on Twitter. Here in NC, we aren't really equipped with all the snowplows and salt necessary for quickly getting the roads cleared and everyone back in school. Which means, that even though the roads are clear in my neighborhood, a lot of the rural areas aren't. So, it's another SNOW DAY!!! Woohoo!

After a morning of chores and forcing my kids to work on Scouts and piano and math facts and reading, etc. (nope, can't get out of school work around here!), they are now free to do what they want, and I get to do....

REVISING!

Yaayy. Not really.

So, I've just settled in for some #amrevising with a cup of cinnamon apple spice herbal tea (yum! It totally smells up the entire room!). And yep, this mug is one I got during my NYC trip a few weeks ago. I just had to have it.

I usually write here, but in an unmade bed and without all the pillows, of course.

But since I actually took the time to make my bed today, I will be writing here. It's a futon in our room and I love being able to prop my feet up on the ottoman. And it's a great place for my tea!

As you can see, I LOVE pillows! :)

So, with a little soft Classical Romance Radio in the background, compliments of Pandora, I will commence my revising and hope that inspiration hits me so that I can nail these revisions.

Where do you like to write?

I Got This!

Running a household of five boys—well, six including my husband—is like running a small business. 

There's scheduling (it's not easy to keep track of five boys' schedules) and accounting (you wouldn't believe how much money I pay to their schools and other organizations), meetings (we "meet" as a family once a week. We call it FHE—Family Home Evening) and debriefings (where I recount the details of an incident to my husband so he can take over discipline.) :)

Then there's hiring (babysitters, cleaning ladies, yard crews, bug and pest companies, locksmiths, plumbers, roofers, etc, etc.) and firing (okay, maybe not so much firing as just letting them go...quietly.) There's maintenance (the laundry doesn't wash and fold itself—man, I wish it did!) and, of course, training (too bad kids don't come with a built-in function where they automatically know how to use the toilet, tie their shoes, read, ride a bike, write their name, etc, etc.)

So basically, I'm an entrepreneur! Woot!

Photo info

My husband finances this operation, so I have to give him credit there.

When I think of all I'm doing, it's no wonder I'm not pumping out several novels a year. I think I need to cut myself some slack when it comes to the whole writing business. After all, I'm already running a small business! :)

On a side note, be sure to check out Unicorn Bell this week because I'm hosting over there. I have three fabulous authors who were kind enough to share their "How I Got My Agent" stories, and if you love those stories as much as I do, then you don't want to miss them! The lovely Tiana Smith shared her story on Monday, which you can read HERE, and the very sweet Gina Denny shared her story on Wednesday which you can read HERE, and J.A. Bellinger will share her story on Friday. So stop on by! 

January IWSG—Thoughts and Goals

Happy New Year, IWSG peeps! It's time for another group posting of the IWSG where we share our fears, failures, triumphs, and successes. As always, a big thank you to the amazing Alex Cavanaugh for creating this wonderful group. Be sure to stop by the IWSG website for an important announcement on the winners of the IWSG Anthology Contest! And be sure to stop by and thank our co-hosts for the month: L.G. Keltner, Denise Covey, Sheri Larsen, J.Q. Rose, Chemist Ken, Michelle Wallace.

I have to apologize because this post will probably be a bit longer than normal. I'm sorry!

With a new year upon us, it's given me some time to reflect. Here are some goals I've set for myself and some things I'm excited about.

 Thoughts and Goals for 2016

Things I'm Especially Excited About:

LDStorymakers Conference in May—I've wanted to go for the past couple years, ever since I heard it existed, and I finally get to go this year! It's a little far from me (I live in NC and it's held in Utah), but I'm so excited to go back to where I attended college and met my husband. And I'm super excited to meet some writing friends I've connected with online. Who's going to LDStorymakers?? You have to tell me so we can connect! :)

Book Smugglers Publishing Year of the Superhero—On December 31st I wasn't partying with friends or playing games with family, I was revising a short story to send to Book Smugglers Publishing before midnight in hopes of it being chosen for their Year of the Superhero Anthology. I squeaked in just under the deadline (which is pretty good considering I didn't decide to do this story until only a few days before!) Nothing like putting loads of pressure on yourself!

Anyways, I'm excited to hear back from them in February, but even if they don't choose my story, I'll still be excited. Why? Because I finally got my mojo back!!

Do you remember me whining and complaining about having no inspiration or the desire to write? Well, I took some time off (like an entire month and a half) and it's back! I finally feel inspired again, so much in fact, that if Book Smugglers doesn't want to use my short story, I've decided to turn it into a novel. And I'm SO excited about it!!! Fingers crossed that they don't, er, I mean do, want my story! :)

Goals for this Year:

Publish a Book: My biggest goal is to get published (well, I guess a book publishing contract is more realistic, but whatever.) Even though I'd love to be represented by an agent, I think I'll focus on getting the stories I've currently written published through a publisher. I figure there's always time in my future to try for an agent. Who knows? Maybe the experience of publishing and having my work out there will help me in the future with the agent scene. One can hope, right?

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Get in Shape: Yeah, yeah, yeah, I know this is probably on everyone's list of goals, but I mean it. My husband and I joined the gym a couple months ago, and I want to commit myself to going and working out and eating healthier. (which is really tough, by the way, because I kind of have a chocolate fetish...)

Spend More Quality Time with my Kids: I think the past couple of years I've let writing get in the way of me doing some fun things with my kids. Taking this time off from writing has really helped me see how much I'm missing and how much I want to make time for the simple things like playing games with my kids, going on school field trips, watching TV shows as a family, etc. I know it's all about finding that perfect balance, and lately for me, I feel as though the scales need to be tipped a little more towards the family side.

Be a Better Friend: I feel as though I've let some face-to-face friendships wane because I'm so busy writing or taking care of my family. I want to be a better friend. I want to be the person someone calls because they're sad or need advice. I used to be that person. Now? Not so much.

The same goes for all my writing friends. I want to reconnect with all of you. I've been a horrible blogger and while I can't promise that my blogging will improve, I at least want to make an effort to "check in" with many of you to see how things are going. And hopefully, everything is going great!

Well, that's a wrap for me. Did you set goals for 2016?

IWSG December: Holiday Crazies

It's that time again! Time for another group posting of the IWSG. Hosted by the amazing Alex Cavanaugh, this is a wonderful group to be a part of. It's never too late to join us, so if you're interested, you can check it out HERE. And as always, a big thank you to our co-hosts for this month.

I've decided to quit querying and quit submitting and start revising—not one, not two, but THREE different manuscripts. They all have potential but they all need tweaking. Based off suggestions from an editor who used to work at Simon and Schuster, I've decided to dig in and make some pretty drastic changes to the beginning of Middle of Knowhere. I need to cut another 5K from Catalyst and revise another MS for pacing.

But here's the thing, I'm not putting a whole bunch of pressure on myself to get it done by a certain time. With the holidays coming up, I've kind of taken a step back from writing. I want to enjoy my family. I want to be present for field trips and class parties, tree lighting ceremonies and Christmas programs. I don't want to miss a single moment, which is how I feel lately—that I've missed so much with nothing to show for it.

I know everyone says that if you're serious about writing then you should write every day. Well, I AM serious about writing, but I know that right now the best thing for me is to take a step back, enjoy my time with my family, and gear up to start back in January. I'm not sure what my course of action will be when January hits, whether I'll keep querying agents or submit to publishers, but right now, I like not having to think about it.

And if you're feeling guilty because you aren't writing everyday, DON'T! Enjoy your life. The writing will be there when you're ready.

IWSG November: You Don't Give Up

I can't believe it's already NOVEMBER! That means Christmas is right around the corner—yikes!

And since it's the first Wednesday of the month, that means it's time for another group posting of the IWSG! A big thank you to the creator of this wonderful group, Alex Cavanaugh. And for anyone who wants to join us, it's never too late. Go HERE to sign up or learn more about the group. And, as always, thank you to the co-hosts for the month!

So, there isn't much to report. The agent I did the R&R for decided to pass on that project, but good news—she invited me to send her anything I thought might be a good fit. I decided to send her a little blurb about one of my adult contemporary romances and she responded that she'd love to read it! I sent it off to her and now I'm waiting to hear back. In the meantime, I've decided to send out more queries for Middle of Knowhere, and when I've exhausted all my query options, I'll start submitting to any publishers who accept work from unagented authors. So, if you know of a publisher who accepts YA, let me know! :)

 I'm happy to have a game plan, but I'm still feeling a little overwhelmed. Inspiration for another book hasn't struck yet (or, I guess I should say, stuck yet), and I keep hoping there will be something that triggers that desire to write again. Oh well, I don't want to focus only on the negatives. And now that I've given you the update on what's going on, let's have some fun!

I figured this is appropriate since Thanksgiving is just around the corner...

This is how I feel about this awesome IWSG group:

This is what I tell myself when I start to feel overwhelmed with the whole querying/publishing process:

*I will BE so relaxed*

And this is what I keep telling myself in spite of it all (and this is what you should tell yourself too):

Even though things aren't necessarily falling into place the way I want them too, I'm still not giving up. And neither should you.

Has the Well Dried Up?

I love being in the writing mode. And when I say writing mode, I'm referring to being enmeshed in a story that makes everything else around you fall away. It's the moment when your characters are so much a part of your life that you miss them when you aren't with them. It's the time when you're driving around town and your head is filled with scenes and dialogue and you can't wait to get home so you can write it all down. It's when you stay up way too late writing and wake up early in the morning with your heart pounding because you can't wait to finish a scene or torture your characters a little more.

I miss those feelings.

Ever since I finished Middle of Knowhere I've started about four different novels. But nothing is sticking. I have ideas, yes, lots of them. But the most I've written on any of the novels is about 6K, which is nothing. Most are just a page, just an idea, a start, nothing more.

The inspiration isn't coming, and I'm not sure if it's because I'm focused on querying and my brain can't handle two things at once, or if none of those stories is the ONE I should write next. I love all the ideas though, but I'm not sure where to go from there.

So, how do you do it? When you're filled with multiple story ideas, how do you choose which story to write next?

Source

IWSG October: My Baby's Growing Up!

Hello everyone! It's time for another group posting of the IWSG. Hosted by the amazing Alex Cavanaugh, the IWSG is where we post our insecurities, doubts, triumphs, and offer encouragement and support to others. To join this group, go HERE. And as always, a big thank you to the co-hosts for this month!

Today is my little man's 4th birthday and while that doesn't really have anything to do with writing, it has everything to do with thoughts that have been going through my mind lately. I had one of those breakdown moments recently where I was ready to throw in the towel because I felt like I was lacking in so many areas as a mother. I felt like most of it was due to the time I've spent the past two and a half years writing and querying (which is over half the life of my little guy). And for a moment, I honestly thought to myself that I can't do both. Not anymore.

Obviously, it was in a moment of weakness, a moment of despair that I thought these thoughts, because I know that I've come so far, and I certainly can't quit now. But I guess I'm hoping for that silver lining. I guess I'm praying that this will be it, this will be my chance. I'm hoping this wonderful agent I sent the R&R to will love the changes I made and offer me representation (and thus begin my dream of working with one of the sweetest agents ever).

But I have to ask myself, what if she doesn't? Then what?

And the truth is, I don't know.

I still have agents with my old manuscript that I now need to contact and ask if they would like the revised copy. And, obviously, I need to do that sooner rather than later. But I'm tired. I'm tired of querying (not necessarily this book because I haven't sent that many queries yet, but I'm tired of querying in general.)

I suppose if I find myself still unagented after these revisions, then I guess I'll have to keep querying. I owe it to myself, and I owe it to the story. And I do know that my story is stronger, better than it was due to the suggestions of this fabulous agent who was willing to give me another chance to resubmit. I will always be grateful for that.

But for now, I'll keep hoping and praying.

Famous First Lines

Have you ever read the first few lines of a book and knew right away that you and the novel were about to have a beautiful relationship? One that would last at LEAST until the next day?

I'm a sucker for a good pick-up first line. If you can reel me in with your first line, chances are, I'll stick around and read the whole thing.

I've read some great first lines in YA novels lately, and here are a few I thought you might enjoy.




"The first time I died, I didn't see God. No light at the end of the tunnel. No haloed angels. No dead grandparents.

To be fair, I probably wasn't a solid shoo-in for heaven. But, honestly, I kind of assumed I'd make the cut."

~Fracture by Megan Miranda








"The early summer sky was the color of cat vomit.

Of course, Tally thought, you'd have to feed your cat only salmon-flavored cat food for a while, to get the pinks right."

~Uglies by Scott Westerfeld







"There's always that one guy who gets a hold on you. Not like your best friend's brother who gets you in a headlock kind of hold. Or the little kid you're babysitting who attaches himself to your leg kind of hold."

~The Catastrophic History of You and Me by Jess Rothenberg







"The name of the song is "This Lullaby." At this point, I've probably heard it, oh, about a million
times. Approximately.

All my life I've been told about how my father wrote it the day I was born. He was on the road somewhere in Texas, already split from my mom. The story goes that he got word of my birth, sat down with his guitar, and just came up with it, right there in a room at a Motel 6."

~This Lullaby by Sarah Dessen




"Welcome to the beautiful Sinclair family.

No one is a criminal.

No one is a liar.

No one is a failure."

~We Were Liars by E. Lockhart

Aren't those great? Do you have a favorite? Have you read a memorable first line lately?