M.L. Desir's Blog, page 2
March 27, 2021
March Agent of the Month – Ann Rose – First Page Results
Thank you, Ann Rose, for your feedback on the first page of my YA fantasy novel, Monster Rehab! Thank you, Kathy Temean, for hosting these resourceful posts!
Yay!
ANN ROSE AT PROSPECT AGENCY:
I am a California native who now resides in Texas after a stint in Florida. Each place has its pros and cons, but I can say that I left my heart in San Diego and dream of going back one day (although that will probably never happen). My degree is in Communication from San Diego ...
March 24, 2021
The Importance of Self-Care For Writers
We are all too aware of how tough times are right now, and self-care has never been more important. Not just for writers, of course, but for everybody. However, this is a writing blog, and so it is the importance of self-care for writers I am focusing on here today. Discussing burnout, relaxing, and getting started again, I hope this advice will help you take some time for yourself.
The impact of burnout
Burnout is a very real side effect of being overworked, over tire...
March 19, 2021
In Solidarity
I hate injustice. I abhor “whataboutisms”. Thankfully, Eleanor does, too, and calls out the absolute obtuse nonsense that some individuals have added to the ongoing conversation regarding racism and misogyny when they say, “Oh, he had a bad day”. WTF?! He murdered people! This irreverent narrative is not only abusive to the victims, their families, their friends, but also disgusting, and cannot stand.
I’m heartbroken for my Asian sisters and Asian-American Pacific Island...
March 16, 2021
‘Cancel Culture’ or Consequences?
Image by Gerd Altmann from PixabayThere has been a lot of discussion and a fair bit of outrage over recent months about different things being “cancelled”.
The term ‘cancel culture’ is thrown around quite liberally in response to a particular movie or TV show that will no longer be aired, a book that will no longer be published, or someone’s social media account being shut down. ‘Cancel culture’ is often used as a slur to denigrate those who stand by the principles of ...
March 9, 2021
How a Cuban Spy Sabotaged New York’s Thriving Illicit Slave Trade
John Harris (Smithsonian Magazine) writes about Cuban spy Emilio Sánchez and how, from 1859 to 1862, he helped the British government to fight “the lucrative business [the slave trade] as American authorities looked the other way.” [Many thanks to Odlanyer Hernández de Lara for sharing this item.]
The men of the “Portuguese Company,” about a dozen in total, arrived in 1850s Manhattan ready to bring the illegal slave trade to America’s mega-metropolis. Hailing from ...
March 7, 2021
That Penultimate-Minded, War-Inducing, Trendy Punctuation Mark, The Oxford Comma Begs the Question, “Why so serious?”
The Oxford comma has many names, such as serial comma, series comma and the terminal comma.
Terminal. Serial. These words conjure grave images in my mind and they are of the utmost serious kind.
And for both pro- or anti-Oxford comma camps, it is a serious matter, indeed.
You may have noticed that I deliberately left the Oxford comma out in the first sentence. Please, don’t be alarmed. Though I like using the Oxford comma, I don’t always use it, (oftentimes I may have forgotten to 
) ...
March 5, 2021
Silver Lining Rejection Letters
In a previous post, I discussed acceptance letters and some good news.
Today is not that day. 
Not all rejection letters are equal. Nor should they serve the same purpose for writers. It has been quipped that authors could wallpaper their homes with rejection letters. Let us instead utilize these often painful responses to help us pave the way to success. How?
We must focus on the letters that are edged with a silver lining.
What exactly is a silver lining?
Oh, hello there, Mer...
February 23, 2021
Third Time’s a Charm and Bondye Bon
The first time my worth as a writer truly, madly, deeply resonated within me was when FIYAH Literary Magazine published my ahistorical speculative fiction story, “Bondye Bon.”
FIYAH Acceptance LetterI was so surprised, shocked, delighted, and literally freaking out (in a positively good way) that I had to ask my mom and then my husband to read the submission acceptance letter.
Mind you, this was after I had already read it seven times. I didn’t pinch myself, but I did pat my dimpled ...
February 22, 2021
Marlene Daut: Why Did Bridgerton Erase Haiti?
Marlene Daut had me at: “In the world of fiction—whether on the page, stage, or screen—such ahistoricity does not necessarily have to be an issue. We should not evaluate a work of art by how well it matches reality, or how faithful it is to history. But a work of art can and should be judged by the inspiration behind its creator’s vision. And this is where Bridgerton has a Caribbean problem.” I can’t wait to finish reading this!!!
A review article by Marlene Daut for Avi...
Book Giveaway: BINDU’S BINDIS by Supriya Kelkar
Look! A new book is coming soon! Gorgeous illustrations! Beautiful plot!
Supriya Kelkar has written a new picture book, BINDU’S BINDIS illustrated by Parvati Pillai and published by Sterling Children’s Books. It hits the bookstores on March 2nd, but it is available for pre-order on Amazon, now. Rebecca has agreed to share a copy with one lucky winner living in the United States.
All you have to do to get in the running is leave a comment. Reblog, tweet, or talk about i...
