L.E. DeLano's Blog, page 32
July 18, 2017
I can hear his breathing, slow and even . . .
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When we were really young, we used to share a bed, and I fell asleep
to the sound of my brother’s breathing every night. I miss it sometimes.
#2bitTues
Topic: “Sleep”
From: DREAMER
July 17, 2017
I set the pen to the paper, and I begin . . .
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I let my mind wander through the remnants of a dream I once had with leafy memories and the smell of pinecones and fireplaces.
#LoveLines
Topic: “Dream”
From: TRAVELER
July 14, 2017
What A Thoroughly Awesome & Slightly Terrifying Day
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I spent the day yesterday in New York, meeting up with this fabulous squad of Swoon hooligans for lunch:
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From L-R, that’s Lydia Albano (Finding You), Shani Petroff (Romeo & What’s Her Name), Sandy Hall (Been Here All Along), Melinda Grace (Meet Me In Outer Space), Karole Cozzo (The Truth About Happily Ever After) and Devon Taylor (Soul Sweeper).
I wasn’t in the shot because I had to rush out of lunch early for a meeting with my editor, who wanted to discuss my next book now that DREAMER is in the can. My next book. There’s going to be a next book and she’s asking for it.
Sorry. It just still feels surreal sometimes. Anyway, I pitched her the two books I’ve been working on, and the conversation went kinda like this:
Editor: Tell me what you’re working on.
Me: I have 20,000+ words each on two different books and I’m going to let you pick. (Describes both books)
Editor: Hmmm. Book 1 has a fantastic premise, but the girl is part siren and we have a siren book coming out in six months. Book 2 sounds great except I don’t like some of it and I’m not sure how it’ll work. What else have you got?
Me: Ummm . . . there was a story idea I was kind of dabbling with but there’s no outline and I’m not sure about the plot. (Vaguely describes thread of an idea)
Editor: That’s the one! Write that book!
And then we agreed I’d have a first draft in her hands by August 31st. Six weeks. From vague idea and half-assed outline to completed draft in six weeks. *gulp*
Then another editor I adore joined us and she leaked the big news before my editor could do it: my 3rd book is going to be hardcover!
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Yeah, baby! So now it has to be extra awesome. And done in six weeks.
No pressure, right? Still, it’s great news and I am thrilled as well as terrified. After that meeting, I headed to a bar to hook up with my Swoon Squad for Happy Hour before heading home in the pouring rain with my feet aching and my head swirling. It was a good, good feeling.
Have a great weekend, you guys – guess you now what I’ll be doing!
July 11, 2017
“They want to learn his secret . . .”
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“He had a secret?”
“He did.” Her eyes showed her sorrow. “And it is a very hard thing to know.”
#2bitTues
Topic: “Hidden”
July 10, 2017
Are You A Budding Young Writer? Join Me On July 25th At Town Book Center!
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That’s right, I’ll be sitting in with The Young Creatives club at Town Book Center in Collegeville, PA on Tuesday, July 25th from 5 – 7pm, and we’ll be discussing the building of magical and fantastical worlds!
If you’ve got a taste for Fantasy or Sci-Fi, if your writing is rolling in faerie dust and your characters are bigger than the mundane world can hold, come join me at Town Book Center and let’s talk about all things fantastical!
The cost for the session is $5. Town Book Center will provide the space, attendees need to bring their own journal, laptop or chosen medium.
I’m putting my sparkly faerie wings and climbing aboard my spaceship – see you there!
July 7, 2017
Story Outlines, Story Outlines, Story Outlines . . .
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When typing is problematic, we do things the old-fashioned way. Got derailed on my current project, but post-it notes and a visual outline really got me back on track and sent my plot in a much stronger direction.
Then I got on a roll and had to outline two more projects that are traipsing through my head.
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Today, I am a one-woman writing MACHINE. BooYAH!!
Have a great weekend – see ya on Monday, hopefully with a completed first draft!
July 5, 2017
“You stood up for me . . .”
I stare at him in amazement. “I thought you hated my guts.”
“Really? Your guts are the thing I like most about you.”
#1linewed
#WIP
July 4, 2017
Just A Small Public Service Announcement
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HAPPY INDEPENDENCE DAY!
July 3, 2017
Clearly, I Am Not Meant To Write On Vacation . . .
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That, my lovelies, is an elbow. My elbow. Yeah.
And that’s just the inside view. The other side of my arm has bruising that goes down to my wrist.
It all happened on Wednesday. I was camping with my kids and I took my bike to the bathhouse that morning to get a shower. As I was leaving, a family pulled up in a golf cart. I had to crank my bike pedal around and fumbled a bit (c’mon, it was early) then I took off riding, completely forgetting that my towel was slung over the handlebars. It snagged in the wheel (of course) and I flew over the handlebars and hit the road hard. As I rolled painfully to my feet to detangle everything, golf cart Dad turned to his kids and said, “drunk.”
So that was awesome. Anyway, within an hour my left elbow was an enormous purple grapefruit, and my right wrist was badly sprained and I couldn’t make a fist. We had tickets for an amusement park 45 minutes down the road, and I drive a stick shift.
I soldiered through, bought a wrist brace and took some Advil and here it is Monday and the wrist is still sore (but a bit better) and the elbow looks horrific but feels much less so. And I lost a couple of days of writing to all this nonsense.
Last year on vacation, a kid cannonballed into the pool so hard it swamped my laptop from ten feet away, and killed my MacBook, losing me a ton of writing time (not to mention money). I am simply not fated to write while on vacation. It is not meant to be.
And now I’ll just cue up my Harry Potter marathon and chug some more Advil while I peck tentatively at my keyboard, wincing away. Hope your holiday week is going better!
June 27, 2017
See You Next Week – I’m On Vacation!
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That’s right – I’m outta here! Not going to the beach this time – I’m taking my kids camping! So no internet (well, not much anyway), no TV, just pool time, firelight, and lots and lots of writing. I am determined to finish my first draft of the next book by the end of the week, so while they’re funning and sunning I’ll be mashing my brainmeat. It’s all good.
See you after the 4th!
