Panic, No Exhilaration...No, Definitely Panic

Woke up this morning to a Yahoo calendar reminder, Duty and Devotion releases in exactly one week. I think my heart's going to explode. I think I'm going to faint. I think...I think I'm going to flee to a nice, warm Mexico beach.

No, no. I won't do that. I've waited too long for this.

I'm ready. I know I'm ready. Easy-peasy. This isn't panic...this is what exhilaration feels like. Like...like you're in the back part of a roller coaster. You're slowly moving up towards the top of the first big hill and you're giggling with your friend next to you.

Oh, wait...

Then you look forward and the cars in front of you start dropping off. Disappearing as they reach the down slope. Your hands tighten on the grips, fingers actually ache and knuckles turn white from the super grip. You know you're ready. You're safety harness is locked in and you've made several notes to scream so you don't pass out.

More cars drop in front of you. Now you're on the verge of tears, but fight them off. You don't want that to show on the stupid punk camera they have set up on these stinking rides. What made you think you could do this? It's insanity. How many accidents happen every year? Hundreds...okay, maybe only a hand few, but still. This one could be the accident in waiting.

It's absurd. Must get off. You look over the side, wondering if it's worth the broken leg. Two cars in front of you drop off and you know it's too late.

You go over.

The next few minutes you're caught in the midst of chaos. With your heart pounding there's screaming and losing your breath. Zipping through the twists and turns you're not sure where's up and down.

Then you reach the last bit where things slow down and come to a rest. You're laughing like a loon and can't wait to do it again.

That, my friends, is the crazy world of publishing.

It's both panic and exhilaration. I guess if something is worth it, you can't have one without the other.

To The Meadow's Edge Now Up

Hi all!

My inspirational short, To the Meadow's Edge, is now up at Bewildering Stories. Come check it out along with all the other great stories in issue 401.

To the Meadow's Edge was created initially over a lunch hour for a writing contest. After the contest was over I tucked it away, frustrated with the overall comments I received. When my ego and pride de-ruffled enough, I pulled it back out and looked it over...

...It was awful. Okay, not too awful, but enough I understood why the story hadn't worked. I put on my writer's mechanic suit, dived under the plot hood, and got to work. Over several weeks and many rewrites I had the story I originally visioned.

With a virtual hug, I tossed it into the submission ring and let it take its course. Bewildering Stories picked it up, gave some further mentoring on the story...and then picked it up. The result is something I'm very proud of.

Just goes to shows, not all stories (rarely any) are ready right off the gate. Most take work and rework.

Good writing all!

I Did It!

OMG (yes...you can add the valley girl accent 'cuss I'm geeking out THAT much).

I just got an offer on Duty and Devotion from a great epublisher. I don't want to give details until it's official and the contract is all signed, but I just wanted you all to know.

I'd banned myself from the Internet this evening to focus on Revelation of Tomorrow revisions. Yes, on my old laptop, which was making some weird noise...sounded just like a cough. (It was totally weirding me out ya'll.)

In walks my Hubby like a knight and shining armor, carrying my fixed laptop. Not only fixed but he surprised me with an operating system upgrade to the new Windows 7. I had to explore and check it all out....soak it all in.

I open up my email and there is the new message glaring on the screen. I was so happy I almost didn't open it tonight. As a writer you get a little jaded, hoping for the best but expecting the worst. It makes the process easier. I didn't want to ruin my good mood with a rejection.

But, I was happy enough to throw caution to the wind. There it was, an extended offer.

*WARNING: Cliche about to be written. Avert eyes if allergic.*

I had to read it a second time before I really believed it. Then a third before the delayed excitement smacked me in the face and tickled my eyeballs.

I'm a published novelist (or will be next summer)! I'll post details as soon as the contract process is completed.

Good writing all!

Four Horseman Now Available on Kindle

Great news!

The Four Horseman: An Anthology of Conquest, War, Famine, and Death is now available on Kindle: here.

My story, Judgment, is included in this awesome anthology. I hope you take a moment to pick up a copy (either hard, soft, or electronic). For the other formats, just check out my Published Works section up at the top.

And if you want to find other great anthologies and novels of the speculative fiction variety, check out Pill Hill Press.

365 Days of Fantastic Fiction Cover

Yay! Pill Hill Press just posted their cover for the anthology, Daily Flash: 365 Days of Fantastic Fiction. I must say it is very awesome and I'm excited to be included. (I know, total duh statement)

Isn't it beautiful, wonderful, creative...okay, okay, no more descriptors. Promise.

Night Visitor , my contributed story, is about Nora, who wakes to a very unwelcome guest. As you've probably guessed - if you haven't read my previous acceptance post - 365 Days of Fantastic Fiction will have 365 flash fiction stories. They ranges from creepy to scary to just plain weird. All the wonderful colors of that Speculative Fiction rainbow.

If you want to look into some of the other authors and stories to be contributed, check out Pill Hill Press' forum here: Call for Submissions. I'll let you all know when it's available at Amazon, which should be around November/December.

Good writing all!

Know Your Worth

Know your worth as an aspiring writer, my friends. Yesterday evening I received an email from a publisher...or so called publisher. Thank goodness for the resources and networks I've built up in preparation for my novel submissions.

In just two weeks they read through my whole manuscript (or so they say) and deemed it "worthy of publication". Imagine how grateful I felt. They'd attached an agreement, marketing plan, and publication schedule, along with a FAQs page.

I read through the contract and other attachments and let me tell you, it was the best fiction I've ever read. Here's some highlights:

• I purchase all copyrights, but give up all rights to my story for ten years
• A whopping $25 advance
• Mandatory 100 copies purchase that I have to make
• No advertisement, promotion, or marketing budget/plan or obligation by them (the marketing plan was what I should do with the 100 copies I have to purchased from them)
• A "No Sue" clause
• They have absolute control over changes and edits with no approval needed by me
• No out clause for me if they do not hold up their end of the bargain
• 3% royalty for hardback, 10% for paperback, 25% for ebooks, but they then take out the costs of production and manufacturing from that and I get what's left
• And no actual payment schedule for royalties I earn

I laughed reading through this and my hubby joined in. I then crafted a very clear response and reported them to two sites that are invaluable to all writers.

• Preditors and Editors
• Writer Beware

Before you start any submission, make sure to read up and know what you're getting into, because snakes like this company are everywhere in the business. Research, research, research. Knowledge in powerful and helps you maintain cool and calm in what will be a long and interesting journey into the world of publication and authorship.

She did get one thing right in her offer email...my story is worthy of publication. However, it's worthy to be published by a house who will treat it and me with worth.

The Business of Writing

Ugh...this last week as been more of a virtual cleaning house for me. I went through and tidied up my submission tracker, made status queries, replied to rejections (a thank-you is polite...even when they rip out your ego with a large steak fork), finished outlining brainstorm ideas, etc, etc, etc.

It's days like these I realize writing is no longer in my hobby column. Writing is my second business. A few sucky parts of this fact:

• I'm my own boss
• I'm a horrible employee (writers fits, blocks, and full-blown meltdowns)
• I have to actually track my work and make progress
• I have to look at my writing objectively and through the eyes of my..."buyers"

But, it's all worth it when I see those acceptance emails (does Indian chant and dance to ensure they keep coming).

Well, at least February's progress report will be a littler meatier.

Four Horseman Anthology Update

Yay! I'm so excited, as shown by previous exclamation point. Yesterday morning I received the first pass of edits by my - clears throat - editor (that felt really cool to write by the way..sorry, geek moment over).

Jessy Roberts, Pill Hill's editor, had some fantastic revision ideas that streamlined and focused the story in a way I couldn't imagine. I know that a lot of people get hurt feelings when someone critiques their writing. I don't. Mainly because when they critique it, it means they were paying attention. And, it means they aren't sugar coating you with brown-nosing or because they fear hurting your feelings.

This morning she sent me the cover art with permission to post it here. Now, just fair warning, this will be posted again when the book is on Amazon. I don't know if I'll be allowed to post the illustration for my actual story, but I'll let you know.

(enter drum roll)...

Eek! Okay, I lied. Another geek moment on its way. This cover is so awesome! I can't wait to have it in my book collection. I can't wait to read the other stories.

In general, I just can't wait!

I wrote my first story in 2nd grade. I remember, because I entered the story into McDonald's writing contest and won the kitchen toy. This kitchen toy was the first plastic version (whereas the previous were metal and would rust and wear down). Needless to say, I was the envy of the neighborhood until that richer, blond-ponytail girl's dad from down the street bought her one with an extra set of dishes.

From that first story came the seed of my passion for writing. After 2nd grade the traditional writer's inhibition kicked in and my work became personal and private. But, with that 2nd grade win another seed was planted. It didn't flourish until 2008. This was the need to have strangers read my work.

They don't have to like it. Heck they can hate it. But they'll have read words I strung together to create substance where there was once only thoughts and visions. I've been published online and it was exciting. But, I didn't realize the difference this would mean to me. This book will always be in existence, somewhere.

Even if just in someones attic.

Good writing all!

Second Story Finds A Home

Yay! One of my babies found a home today.

Judgment is not very big, complete at a little over 2200 words. The story is a work of speculative fiction following Nita's journey into the afterworld. This is another story that started out as a dream. Though the dream was triggered by research, so I'm not sure it fully counts as a purely dreamed concept. It did, however, trigger a whole life evaluation.

The story will be in Pill Hill Press' upcoming anthology The Four Horseman: An Anthology of Conquest, War, Famine, and Death. I just double-checked their website and the release date is June 2010.

I first came across Pill Hill Press through one of my online writer's resources, Editors Unleashed. I clicked on one of the forum links to the small press and after reading the open submission knew I had to get something into one of their anthologies.

This book is going to be great and has the added bonus of being illustrated. I can't wait to see what the artist envisions for Judgment. As an amateur (very, very amateur) artist my brain has thought of a dozen ideas. But, they have a professional, so I know he'll pick a perfect image for it.

Here's a link to the full list of contributors: The Four Horseman - Final Selection

I'll keep you all posted on the progress of this and let you know when the book comes out.

Good writing all!