Jiminy Crickets-- I'm about to be PUBLISHED!

SOOOOOOOOooooo  Okay! Seriously, my book THE LAST STORED will be available through Anaiah Press! So stoked about this.

I would do a backflip but my spine probably wouldn't survive. Someone, other than my family and friends, read my work and actually liked it. My characters, Amber and Cree, will live in the minds of others not just in my own bizarre brain. That alone is pretty incredible.

When might you ask will my young adult fantasy novel be available?  So glad you asked, 

January 2015!

But there is still so much to do. I am blessed beyond measure to be working with the talented people of Anaiah Press. They are walking me through each step of the process, from edits, book covers, to blog tours. My little book is in good hands, even though it is hard to let go of my baby.


Currently I am knee deep in edits. I've turned in my first round of developmental edits. Woohoo! Next content edits. So many man hours and people to get a book ready for 'print'. I am both overwhelmed and excited. Who would have thought when I first started my journey that I would make it this far.

Next week a little taste of what my book is about until then here is a nibble:

The Light stored three children on Earth to save their dying land.  Only one child survived, Amber. She alone holds the power to save this world. Now with the help of Cree, her protector, they must destroy the evil Lorthis before his wickedness bleeds to Earth.

Wanderlust -- getting lost in my forest

I will admit it, since the age of six when I decided to run away from home, I have been bitten by the little bug called Wanderlust.  It seeped into my bones and to this day lives, constantly whispering in my ear, 'see what's over the horizon.'

My husband puts up with my constant dreaming, encouraging it in fact.  He always tries to make me happy, (for that I am truly blessed), but I am sure he gets tired of it. If I had my way we would become vagabonds traveling in a gypsy caravan, but alas, he is a realist, not to mention that we have teens, needless to say they wouldn't enjoy it.

I ran away at the age of six, we had just moved into the deep woods of Kentucky. Even then Wanderlust had me! I set out  on a glorious day taking the gravel road in front of my home. It twisted and turned through the forest as I crossed cattle guards, splashed through creeks until I became utterly lost. Then it wasn't so much fun any more.

The sun clouded over, the wind blew against my face disorienting me all the more.  This trip did not go at all how I had planned. I wandered for for what I thought was hours, then my name echoed in the distance. A familiar voice calling to me.  It was my mom.  She appeared over the rise, head tied up in her usual black scarf, yelling my name.  I raced to her, landing softly in her warm embrace.  She never once scolded me or made fun. She simply took my hand and led me home.

After that day, I took it upon myself to learn my forest, every fallen log plotted and memorized, every tree became a lasting memory until I couldn't get lost if I tried. That is when the forest became my home, and to this day I can recreate it with such clarity that I merely have to close my eyes and I am there.

Writing is the same for me. Wanderlust still calls to me, but now, I merely go inside my mind, traveling to distant lands, experiencing imaginary worlds, getting lost in my own thoughts.  I thank God for my parents allowing me to dream, and get lost in the woods.

 

Sound Track to your life

I go through music phases with my writing. Take for instance my work in progress, a speculative fiction about a hanging tree.  Dark, brooding, with an underlying sense of hope. You might think that I would listen to some sort of classical music, such as Mozart Requiem, Inception. They all worked fine, but then quite by accident, I turned on my shuffle on my Pandora channel, and wouldn't you know the B-52's Rock Lobster came on. Seriously!

Suddenly my writing took on a beat all on its own. Who would have thunk it?!?! 80's music? Well, for me it worked. Now, constantly I'm mixing it up. Coldplay, Avett Brothers, Hans Zimmer, The Choir (who wrote one of the best songs ever called Circle Slide), Gungor, with a dash of Murray Head singing One night in Bangkok.
 
Music triggers so much emotion that I find it a natural addition to my writing process, pushing me along, driving me forward.

What do you listen to, to help your writing?

Will my manuscript ever be finished?

Will my manuscript ever be finished?  I have labored over it, tweaked it, edited it (myself), cried because it stinks, and embraced it because it is wonderful.

A few weeks ago I sent it off to have it edited, and it made a world of difference. My editor (Tara Creel) made mechanical changes, and flushed out plot holes, and really challenged me to tighten up my writing.  Apparently, fresh eyes were what I needed. It took me a while to get the edits going, but  I dove in head first fixing, moving, cutting, and adding. New life was pumped into my book, and I enjoyed splashing around in all of her suggestions.  I learned from it, and that is exactly what I wanted.

For if you don't know your mistakes, how will you know what to fix.

There must be a limit to the mistakes one person can make, and when I get to the end of them, then I'll be through with them. That's a very comforting thought. ~L. M. Montgomery

I have come to the realization that I don't think my manuscript will ever really be done and that's okay just striving is what's important.

Will I ever let another book out the doors without editing? NO! Will I continue to make blunders and mistakes? A resounding YES! But that is part of life and since I am older I embrace my mistakes, warts and all!

Oh, and by the way, if you are in need of an excellent editor check out mine. She totally rocks! For The Love of All Things Wordy

Pitch Madness

The Excitements of Pitch Madness

I took a chance and participated in my first 'real' writing/pitch contest.  WOW, what fun, I am thoroughly caught up in the excitement of it all. Other's on twitter have put their pitches up, I thought I would do the same. Would I change something, probably my pitch, but I am constantly tweaking things. Well, here it is, my pitch and first 250 words:

THE LAST STORED

YA Fantasy

93,000

Amber was stored on our world to save another, but death changed the plans. Cree was sent to bring her home. Together they must find out if their love is stronger than one man’s hate.

Amber-

Unwilling tears stream down my face and I want nothing but to say goodbye to them. I am forever destined to be isolated and alone. Death bares one's soul to the elements and it has left me starved. If only my parents would have shared the secret they hid behind their every word, behind their every smile, their every touch. If only I would have asked.

A mere six months ago I didn’t pay attention to the riddles, but they existed nonetheless. Today, those haunting whispers gnaw at my bones, clouding my mind. Why didn’t they let me in on the mysteries? Why did they keep everything from me? But now it is too late to ask.

Everywhere I look I see them and today is no different. The vinyl kitchen chair squeaks under my weight as I sit down to sip my cup of sweet tea; a habit my father and I used to share. Dust floats on the June morning rays, casting what should be a rosy glow about the room. The yellow two-bedroom bungalow is warm, but quiet. It is always quiet now. My hand stretches across my parent’s red table, and I lower my head into the crook of my elbow, staring out the window at my mom’s flower garden; daydreaming. Remembering.

 “Hold your breath and make a wish when you see the dust float by Amber,” father had said the morning they died.

So that's it. March 18th can't come soon enough, my twitter account can't take all the Madness. Also, THANK YOU to all those involved with this Pitch Madness. You Rock!!

Brenda Drake - making connections

Rejection

REJECTION!

So I have been shopping my YA fantasy novel for a brief five months, short compared to many. I still receive my fair share of rejections peppered in with some requests for more. 

Each rejection I log on to my tracking program. Watching as the percentages dwindle down with each entry. Needless to say it can run havoc with your self esteem. But since I waited in line several times for self esteem, mine is still in fine shape.  I think this might be the key:

DON'T GIVE UP AND DON'T TAKE IT PERSONALLY! 

Anything worth doing takes time and energy and just because one person says no doesn't mean I am a failure, it just means it wasn't right for them.  RIGHT?!? 

I used to be in sales where rejection was common, but I have to say, I have never 'sold' a piece of me. And that's what my writing is, a piece of me. My white knuckles clenched upon my manuscript, not letting go, but the more you release, the easier it becomes.  

So here is a list of what I am doing while waiting:

• Take criticism, with a grain of salt, of course using it to improve my novel. Remove the 'oh poor me' glasses, and put on reality eye wear.  
• Don't take rejection as a failure. We can all recount stories of other authors who struggled for many years. 
• Begin a new work, each book you write should be better than your last. So I take this to heart! (Plus my new WIP is rocking right now, or at least I think so.)
• Read. Reading makes one a better writer! I don't worry if I will be influenced, I just read!
• Learn/Study - investigate industry terms, and agencies. Ready with a set of questions for when I do get an agent/publisher. 
• I Praise God for allowing me the opportunity to write! I am so blessed to have a husband and family who support what I do and gives me the space to do it.

So what do you do while waiting for good news?  I want to hear it!

Luke1:37 ~ For nothing will be impossible with God.

How do you fit your writing into your life?

How do you fit in your writing?

Come on we are all busy, let's face it, we over schedule and then we like to use our being busy as an excuse to do things that are really important.  I know I have been guilty of just such a thing.  Seriously, even me.

I remember a friend and I were talking about how we are so busy and this other woman, with seven kids mind you, seemed to be able to do so much. I mean, how on earth could she possibly fit it all in?  We  finally figured out how she did it. ---- She didn't have a TV. Well, duh I could conquer the world if I didn't have a TV.

We both decided that we were not going that far. No Way. I mean TV is important for my brain function, right.  So we scrapped that idea and I decided I would come up with a different plan. Then it hit me.  A little word, simple really and all my problems were solved. You know what that word is already. NO.

The world did not come to an end, my kids lives went on. The sun shone brightly in my life. Angels sang. Okay, not all that but it did improve.
But I still need to carve out time for my writing so I set to work. Below is what I did. It might not work for you, but for me it is golden.

1. Moved my office into my closet, (yeah, I have a big walk-in closet, and while I don't have any windows) I am off the beaten path, I can't hear hardly anything, not even my kids yelling for me to find something.
2. Turn off social media when you are working. (Like Kryptonite twitter zaps my time) Twitter and Facebook are great ways to stay in touch, just turn them off when you are writing.
3. Don't answer your phone, let your voice mail get it. Seriously, does anyone call any more, just text me. Please!
4. Don't answer your door, of course, if they are carrying a big check then fine answer it.
5. Set up a writing schedule, then I stick to it. (It doesn't always happen but there is at least a plan)
6. Lastly ---- Write. Just let it flow, let it flow. Oh wait, that's a Disney song. 
   

What works for you? Do you have any tips then please share!