Well, I knew it was coming. I saved the form until the very last. Now, I have nothing else to fill out except for the dreaded "blurb" form. You know the one.
Describe the major conflict in 2-3 sentences. Okay, this one isn't so hard. But it's the next one that makes me cry. Condense a 7,000 (14,000, 32,000 or 100,000)-word novel into 300 words or less. Oh, and if that isn't good enough, it has to have spark, sizzle and sex appeal!
Sigh...I think writing the blurb is almost harder than writing the book!
Monday, July 30, 2007
Thursday, July 26, 2007
Opportunity Knocks...
And if it doesn't, you just go right on ahead and bust the door down!
I just got notification that Dark Eden Press wants to contract Opportunity Knocks!
Yippeee, yahoo....now, back to your regularly scheduled writing!
I just got notification that Dark Eden Press wants to contract Opportunity Knocks!
Yippeee, yahoo....now, back to your regularly scheduled writing!
Saturday, July 21, 2007
Happy Harry Potter Day! (or the sacrifices we make for our kids)
Well, for all of you who picked up your copy of the last and final Harry Potter book, I say "happy reading".
I'm jealous.
I stood in line for hours last night (but I was smart and took my Alphasmart and worked on my WIP sitting on the sidewalk outside the bookstore) and purchased a copy.
It was oh-so-tempting to stay up all night and read it. But, I didn't.
Why? Well, because I had a 2-hour drive to get my daughter to the airport this morning. She had an 11:30 plane to catch to Florida to visit her bio dad for 3 weeks.
The kicker is...she took the book with her!!!
My daughter had better know how much I love her. Wah!
I'm jealous.
I stood in line for hours last night (but I was smart and took my Alphasmart and worked on my WIP sitting on the sidewalk outside the bookstore) and purchased a copy.
It was oh-so-tempting to stay up all night and read it. But, I didn't.
Why? Well, because I had a 2-hour drive to get my daughter to the airport this morning. She had an 11:30 plane to catch to Florida to visit her bio dad for 3 weeks.
The kicker is...she took the book with her!!!
My daughter had better know how much I love her. Wah!
Wednesday, July 18, 2007
When life intervenes...
It's been a fruitless day for writing and life in general. I have two preschoolers and am in the throes of potty-training the youngest. He was doing sooooo well, only an accident every few days and really taking it on stride. Until two weeks ago...he fell off the wagon. Didn't want to go potty, didn't want to tell me when he had to go. We had to put him back in pull-ups and he was quite happy using them as a diaper.
So, this morning, we went back to remedial training. Every 15 minutes on the potty. Well...he pee'd through 4 pairs of undies and then proceeded to pee on the floor when I left him naked hoping that would help....
It also doesn't help that my 4-year old has only pooped on the potty twice in over a year. He waits until nap and then does his business in his pull-up. So...no pull-up for him today...and wet sheets and boyo after nap.
So, I'm very discouraged. .. my daughter was such a breeze to train that I don't even remember training her! I think she caught on and wore pull-ups for a few weeks, graduated to big girl panties and never looked back. I remember a couple of wet beds...but nothing like this!
Yeah, I know, this doesn't have a thing to do with writing...just life...
So, finding this quiz on the Divas of the Dark blog, I took it. I have to agree, fall is my favorite time of year. It's when the kids go back to school!!!!
So, this morning, we went back to remedial training. Every 15 minutes on the potty. Well...he pee'd through 4 pairs of undies and then proceeded to pee on the floor when I left him naked hoping that would help....
It also doesn't help that my 4-year old has only pooped on the potty twice in over a year. He waits until nap and then does his business in his pull-up. So...no pull-up for him today...and wet sheets and boyo after nap.
So, I'm very discouraged. .. my daughter was such a breeze to train that I don't even remember training her! I think she caught on and wore pull-ups for a few weeks, graduated to big girl panties and never looked back. I remember a couple of wet beds...but nothing like this!
Yeah, I know, this doesn't have a thing to do with writing...just life...
So, finding this quiz on the Divas of the Dark blog, I took it. I have to agree, fall is my favorite time of year. It's when the kids go back to school!!!!
| You Belong in Fall |
 Intelligent, introspective, and quite expressive at times... You appreciate the changes in color, climate, and mood that fall brings Whether you're carving wacky pumpkins or taking long drives, autumn is a favorite time of year for you |
Monday, July 16, 2007
The Inheritance
This is just a quick cross-promo for my other self.
I have a little story out in the summer issue of Spinetingler Magazine
It's called The Inheritance by .....Pam Skochinski
I have a little story out in the summer issue of Spinetingler Magazine
It's called The Inheritance by .....Pam Skochinski
Friday, July 13, 2007
Fool's Gold Blurb
I snagged this from Yolanda's blog...she got it from glitter graphics. But it was a perfect bit of inspiration for the book I'm working on.
Fool's Gold
All her life, Rae Morgan tried to escape from Stallion Springs, a little town nestled in the shadows of the Superstition Mountains. She joined the Army and came back a changed woman. After losing her hand, all she wants to do is find a little peace while she puts her life back together. But peace is the last thing she finds while guiding tourists into the mountains. And along the way, she finds the treasure of the Superstitions isn't only gold.
Mica Hawke is only half-Apache. But when it comes to keeping a Native American treasure hidden deep within the mountains, he's all warrior. On the lookout a treasure map stolen fifty years ago, the last thing he expected to find was love.
Sunday, July 8, 2007
I'm over at The Novelty Girls today talking about anticipation...waiting...and enjoying the journey!
(and not liking that I couldn't add a title to this post! What's up with that?)
Oh...and I may be very, very quiet this week as I'm participating in a book-in-a-week challenge...25K in one week. I did 12K....can I double it??? I'm gonna try!
(and not liking that I couldn't add a title to this post! What's up with that?)
Oh...and I may be very, very quiet this week as I'm participating in a book-in-a-week challenge...25K in one week. I did 12K....can I double it??? I'm gonna try!
Thursday, July 5, 2007
Tinsel Time Blurb
Well -- my "final" reader (i.e., Mr. Scott) is reading and marking up Tinsel Time. I plan on hitting the submit button as soon as I've incorporated his changes.
So...here's a sneak peek. Enjoy!
How can an out-of work cop solve a cold case and keep the only living witness alive when he isn’t even sure she’s real?
Eighteen years ago, Tina “Tinsel” Christmas, escaped the clutches of a serial killer and was adopted by a most unlikely hero, Santa Claus. After Santa receives a death threat, Tinsel travels to New York to hire a sexy out-of-work cop as a body guard. Is it just a coincidence he is obsessed with the case? Or, can she learn to love and trust him…before it’s too late.
Noel Holiday’s been seeing things. Skeletons and witches on Halloween, werewolves at the full moon, pilgrims and Indians in Central Park on Thanksgiving. And now, a beautiful redhead driving a sleigh hires him to solve the notorious Santa Slayer killings. He’s on a collision course of love with this beautiful stranger while death lurks ever closer.
So...here's a sneak peek. Enjoy!
How can an out-of work cop solve a cold case and keep the only living witness alive when he isn’t even sure she’s real?
Eighteen years ago, Tina “Tinsel” Christmas, escaped the clutches of a serial killer and was adopted by a most unlikely hero, Santa Claus. After Santa receives a death threat, Tinsel travels to New York to hire a sexy out-of-work cop as a body guard. Is it just a coincidence he is obsessed with the case? Or, can she learn to love and trust him…before it’s too late.
Noel Holiday’s been seeing things. Skeletons and witches on Halloween, werewolves at the full moon, pilgrims and Indians in Central Park on Thanksgiving. And now, a beautiful redhead driving a sleigh hires him to solve the notorious Santa Slayer killings. He’s on a collision course of love with this beautiful stranger while death lurks ever closer.
Sunday, July 1, 2007
I've been Tagged
I was originally going to give you a sneak preview of my current WIP, Tinsel Time. But, instead, I get to bore you with eight things about me (bleh) ...
This weekend, I've also been thinking alot about story ideas for the BIAW challenge coming up July 9th. It's to be about "Ships that Pass in the Night". . . which then led to me thoughts of the Rascall Flatts song, Bless the Broken Road, which then led me to thoughts of how I got "here". Amazingly, I've had eight jobs (well, actually nine, but I dont' know if being a Kelly Girl counts) that led up to writing romantic suspense...
1) As soon as I was sixteen, I got a job working nights and weekends at Taco Gringo. It was an expanding chain in Illinois back in the late 70's and early 80's, but I think the only stores left are a few scattered around Southern Illinois. I'll just say I can roll a really mean burrito! The only writing-related duties I had was to replace the little push letters on the menu board!
2) While I was in college, I worked spring breaks and summer vacations at a warehouse place that assembled sandwiches to sell at 7/11 stores. I stood on an assembly line (kid you not) and plonked lunch meat, frozen patties, etc. onto bread for 8-9 hours a day in 55-degree temperatures while my classmates splashed at the pool and sunbathed. . .Nothing writing related here. . .except to note that there were LOTS of typos on those sandwich labels!
3) After college, I got a really glamourous job working for Frito-Lay. I examined corn kernels and tested grain for pesticides at a grain elevator out in the middle of nowhere. No free chips for us! However, I began writing up procedures for a test manual. Kind-of like cookbook chemistry. Take 1 cup corn...
4) After I got married, we needed money. But, I was in a new city and didn't know where to apply. So. . .I did the next best thing, I was a Kelly girl! I worked temporary jobs all over the city. I didn't make much money, but I learned my way around...fast! Now here, I got to type, enter data, and even worked for a paint company.
5) My next job gets really spicy. I worked at the University of Louisville KY Eye Research Lab. . .I was a lab tech in charge of doing vile things to bunnies' eyeballs. I did just a tiny bit of writing here. Mostly documenting all the vile things I'd done to the bunnies' eyeballs!
6) Still at the UofL, but at the Brown Cancer Center, I did cancer research trial data gathering. Still no dedicated writing, but I did learn more than I ever wanted to know about cancer, cancer treatments, and medical billing. Bleh.
7)Still at the Brown Cancer Center, my next job was in a laboratory working with rats. Step one, induce tumors. Step two, treat tumors. Step three, write up results. Yep, here I got my first REAL writing credit on a technical paper along with my boss and all the lab employees. I wrote the background and introduction!
8)I moved with my then-husband to California where I worked for a local Air Force contractor as a technical editor. I learned lots about the history of the area, how airplanes work, and learned to run a Docutech. If I needed to, I could work at Kinkos!
9) My last job before I decided to take up fiction writing full-time was as a technical writer. Now, I don't have an engineering degree. . . so, I would write a up template for the engineers to fill in. I'd use their test plans to write up everything except the results. Then. . .once they were done, I got to turn it over to the technical editor to polish.
So....that's the story of MY broken road that led me to where I am today.
What's yours?
Oh. . . and I'm tagging Lacey, Jacqueline, TJ, Debra, Lady Leigh, Lenora Bell, and Maggie, and CM.
This weekend, I've also been thinking alot about story ideas for the BIAW challenge coming up July 9th. It's to be about "Ships that Pass in the Night". . . which then led to me thoughts of the Rascall Flatts song, Bless the Broken Road, which then led me to thoughts of how I got "here". Amazingly, I've had eight jobs (well, actually nine, but I dont' know if being a Kelly Girl counts) that led up to writing romantic suspense...
1) As soon as I was sixteen, I got a job working nights and weekends at Taco Gringo. It was an expanding chain in Illinois back in the late 70's and early 80's, but I think the only stores left are a few scattered around Southern Illinois. I'll just say I can roll a really mean burrito! The only writing-related duties I had was to replace the little push letters on the menu board!
2) While I was in college, I worked spring breaks and summer vacations at a warehouse place that assembled sandwiches to sell at 7/11 stores. I stood on an assembly line (kid you not) and plonked lunch meat, frozen patties, etc. onto bread for 8-9 hours a day in 55-degree temperatures while my classmates splashed at the pool and sunbathed. . .Nothing writing related here. . .except to note that there were LOTS of typos on those sandwich labels!
3) After college, I got a really glamourous job working for Frito-Lay. I examined corn kernels and tested grain for pesticides at a grain elevator out in the middle of nowhere. No free chips for us! However, I began writing up procedures for a test manual. Kind-of like cookbook chemistry. Take 1 cup corn...
4) After I got married, we needed money. But, I was in a new city and didn't know where to apply. So. . .I did the next best thing, I was a Kelly girl! I worked temporary jobs all over the city. I didn't make much money, but I learned my way around...fast! Now here, I got to type, enter data, and even worked for a paint company.
5) My next job gets really spicy. I worked at the University of Louisville KY Eye Research Lab. . .I was a lab tech in charge of doing vile things to bunnies' eyeballs. I did just a tiny bit of writing here. Mostly documenting all the vile things I'd done to the bunnies' eyeballs!
6) Still at the UofL, but at the Brown Cancer Center, I did cancer research trial data gathering. Still no dedicated writing, but I did learn more than I ever wanted to know about cancer, cancer treatments, and medical billing. Bleh.
7)Still at the Brown Cancer Center, my next job was in a laboratory working with rats. Step one, induce tumors. Step two, treat tumors. Step three, write up results. Yep, here I got my first REAL writing credit on a technical paper along with my boss and all the lab employees. I wrote the background and introduction!
8)I moved with my then-husband to California where I worked for a local Air Force contractor as a technical editor. I learned lots about the history of the area, how airplanes work, and learned to run a Docutech. If I needed to, I could work at Kinkos!
9) My last job before I decided to take up fiction writing full-time was as a technical writer. Now, I don't have an engineering degree. . . so, I would write a up template for the engineers to fill in. I'd use their test plans to write up everything except the results. Then. . .once they were done, I got to turn it over to the technical editor to polish.
So....that's the story of MY broken road that led me to where I am today.
What's yours?
Oh. . . and I'm tagging Lacey, Jacqueline, TJ, Debra, Lady Leigh, Lenora Bell, and Maggie, and CM.
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