Angela Benson's Blog, page 6

N@50: Traveling while Married

I have done a lot of solo traveling in my time. I've also travelled a lot with girlfriends. I have to say that traveling with a husband or a fiance is quite different. Traveling with a husband is also different from traveling with a fiance.

George and I stayed with my mom several times while we were dating and during our engagement. It's nice that when we stay with her now we get to sleep together in the "big bed" in the "big room." I get the feeling my mom's glad we're married. Now she d...

Working with your editor

A few weeks ago, I posted about the revisions my editor and agent wanted for my upcoming book. I went back and read that post and was happy to see that I'd written this:

This time I'm going to take a deep breath and give the ideas from my editor and agent some serious consideration, remembering that they are on my side and want the best for me and this book. My challenge is to give my editor a book that she can sell that's also a book that I can call my own. I'm up for the challenge. I have...

N@50: Back from the Holidays

I hope you all had a blessed holiday season, enjoying your family and being thankful for what you have.

We spent Christmas with my mother in Atlanta. My cousin and her husband were also there. My mom wanted to prepare everything so nobody brought anything. And she prepared a feast. I would list everything she cooked but it would take the entire post. The preparation was her gift to us, she said, and you could tell how much she enjoyed doing it. My mom's a young 72 and I thank God everyday ...

Pimp My Novel

I know that's not a topic you expect to see on my blog. Actually, it's the name of another blog by a sales person at a major publishing house. It's an interesting blog with some good information. He recently did a post on promotion that I found helpful. What You Can Do: Twelve Easy Steps, HERE.

My vacation from blogging is about up. I'll be back next week with new posts.

Until then, take care of yourself.

A blog I enjoy

I'm taking a break from new blog posts until the new year so I don't have an original Newlywed at 50 post this week. For your reading pleasure, I point you to a blog that I enjoy reading, Life After 50. I really enjoyed (and could relate to) her post on Couple Dating so don't miss that one.

Enjoy the holidays and keep safe! I'll be back with new posts on January 4, 2010.

"Afro Picks" from Publishers Weekly

Those of you who read this blog regularly have probably noticed that I'm doing two blog posts a week: one in my Newlywed at 50 series and another about writing. Given my N@50 post about boundaries, I'm taking a break from blogging for the holidays. I'll be back with new posts after the first of the year.

Since I'm not writing an original writing post this week, I thought I'd point you to an "interesting" article about the state of African-American fiction. To be honest, the cover and...

N@50: I need boundaries!

When I started doing these Newlywed at 50 posts, I thought I'd end up with some cute stories about my new husband. Instead, I'm gaining a bit of insight into my own quirks.

When you're single, your schedule is pretty much your own. For me, there were few boundaries between work and personal life. When I worked in industry, I remember sending e-mail to my boss at 2am in the morning and getting a quick reply! You could say we were workaholics. Or you could say we had jobs with a lot of...

Writing as Ministry

I should have titled this post, Things that make you go hmm. What I'm going to do is share with you some of my incomplete thoughts on writing Christian fiction and ideas I've heard around the Christian fiction community. These really are incomplete ideas so feel free to help me think them through completely.

1. Some Christian fiction writers equate their novels to the parables that Jesus told. While I sorta understand what they mean, I've always found the connection a bit of a stretch. A p...

N@50: Merging Two Homes

This is the third post in my Newlywed at 50 series.

A close friend recommended that my dear hubby (DH) and I find a new home together rather than moving into his place or mine. We took that advice. My girlfriend's husband moved into her house and she said it always felt like she was making room for him as opposed to them sharing their space. Wise observation, I thought.

So DH and I found our place together. Interestingly, it's not a place I would have chosen as a single woman because it's ...

When Pride Gets in the Way

I'm now feeling the fallout of having a book with low sales. Everybody has an opinion on what the next book needs to make it a winner.

I just hung up from a long conversation with my editor about her suggestions on the proposal for my new book. The conversation left me a bit depressed so I quickly made a follow-up call to my sister friend, Jacquelin Thomas. After complaining about all the changes my editor wanted, I asked Jacqui if I had legitimate concerns or if my pride was getting in the ...