Nicole Zoltack's Blog, page 51

Following Your Dreams

Some years I follow American Idol, some years I don't. Hubby and I started watching this year's competition after the top 24 were picked.



What I like most about American Idol is watching the singers strive to become the next American Idol. Each week, they try to pick the right song, they practice, they sing and perform. They do whatever they can to ensure that they can sing for another week. They give their all each week, every week.



And I find that inspiring.



We all have hopes and dreams and goals and desires.



Right now, my goal is to secure an agent. Then to get a book deal. And on and on. I also want to have 2 more children. I have goals for every aspect of my life.



For those of you who are also writers, I'll take the American Idol analogy a little further. Instead of picking the right song, we have to pick the right genre, the right title, the right characters, the right story to tell in the first place. We have to practice our craft, and sometimes even trunk believed stories. We write and edit and revise and polish. And we read - to learn, to escape, to have fun.



What are some of your hopes and dreams in your life? How are you going about following your dreams?

Piss A Writer Off and You'll End Up in their Novel

My family means everything to me. My husband, my sons. Do anything to hurt them, and I will not take to it kindly.



Son #2 has rather severe eczema. The eczema first started after we visited a friend with a cat but since the eczema has never gone away completely despite using medicine and creams, we figure he is most likely also allergic to something I'm eating as well.



So we scheduled an appointment with an allergist. A week before the appointment, we would have to stop his creams so it wouldn't affect the testing results. Just before this magic week, the doctor's office called and said we had to reschedule the appointment. Unfortunately, we had to wait over a month for the next available slot, which we took.



Finally, the day of son #2's appointment arrived. I was about to drop off son #1 at his cousin's so he could be babysat (since the appointment was going to last 2-3 hours) when the doctor's office called and said we had to reschedule again.



Two hours before his appointment.



And why did the appointment have to be rescheduled? Because the doctor called to say he wasn't coming in today.





Remember, we had to stop his creams and medicine so son #2's eczema is really bad, worst it's ever been bad, and he is miserable and all he wants to do is scratch and itch. Son #2 also just turned 8 months yesterday.



To say I was livid is an understatement. It's not even as if the receptionist said that the doctor called out sick that day. No, just that he called out that day. And the next available appointment? May 31.



No way. Not gonna happen. We told them we would find another allergist, and we did. Son #2 is going to see the new allergist on the 18th.



So now I am thinking about writing a horror story about a doctor. Dr Wyne. Dr. Wyne is going to die. Maybe come back as a vampire. Die again. Come back as a zombie. And die again.



Mess with my kids and you'll end up in my novel. Trust me, you don't always want to be in my novels, they aren't always romances and they don't always have happy endings.



Have you ever wanted to rip your hair out over someone doing something unfair or unjust to your kids? Have you ever written someone you know into a story?



Now I will say that sometimes my writing someone I know into a story is a good thing. I always include at least one trait from my husband into my heroes, so I'm not completely evil.

Depth of Character

In addition to a pre-conference session, Donald Maass also did a worshop called Creating Depth of Character. I was only able to stay for about half of this session until I had to leave to get ready for my pitch session with Sarah LaPolla.



What makes for deeply engaging chracters?

Their jurney, their arc, their transformation.



What makes people interesting?

What they think

What they feel

     emotionally unexpected

Something new to us, a fresh perspective



How can this be accomplished?

Through opinions, especially the strength of those opinions



Try to provoke the reader through the character's strong opinion so as to connect and engage the reader.



Consider you protagonist and his/her sidekick or best friend. Think of someone that the protagonist hates about the other person. At the end of the story, turn around the opinion through acceptance and tolerance.



And that's all the notes I have on creating depth of character. What do you think best creates depth of character?

Creature Mondays and Winner

Credit for picture
Today's creature is Kobald.



From German folklore, the Kobald are household spirits. Kobalds look like a little old man. "Kobe" means "house" and "hode" means "beautiful" or "good."



A Koblad helps to make a house beautiful. As long as he is givin food to it, a Koblad will complete any household task that has been left unfinished one the family goes to sleep.



One legend tells of the Kobalds in the city of Cologne. They did so much hard work at night that the citizens grew lazy. A tailor's wife became so curious to see the Kobalds at work that she scattered peas onto the floor  to make them slip and fall. Infuriated (and rightly so!) the Kobalds disappeared, leaving the people of Cologne to do their tasks and chores themselves, without magical help.



I wish I had a Kobald to help me clean my house!



Ok, I made you all wait long enough. It's time to announce the winner of my Fool for Books contest.





Nightly Cafe!





BK, I'll be emailing you shortly.



For those of you who didn't win, don't worry. The Fools for Books giveaways pushed my follower count to over 400, and you know what that means!



Another contest!



I'll post the details of the contest on Friday, so be sure to stop on by.



And congrats to Nightly Cafe!

Fool For Books Giveaway Hop!

Welcome to the Fool for Book Giveaway Hop hosted by I Am a Reader, Not a Writer and The Bookish Snob!

The Hop is a 2 day event from April 1 – April 2.

There are 200+ Blogs Participating! Please visit I Am a Reader, Not a Writer for the entire blog list!

So what am I giving away?

An ecopy of Woman of Honor, Knight of Glory, or an ARC of Champion of Valor! Also some signed postcards and magnets.



Woman of Honor - Aislinn of Bairbhe dreams of becoming a lady knight to honor the death of her fallen brother. To her mother's horror, King Patrick grants Aislinn's wish and she begins her long years of training.



Despite the mockery of the other pages, and the disdain of Prince Caelan who also trains to be a knight, Aislinn commits herself to her dreams and embarks on a journey of self-discovery and bravery. Through the years, Aislinn and Caelan grow from sparring classmates to good friends. They both know that someday Caelan will marry for the sake of the kingdom, but even that cannot keep them from falling in love.



The threat of war with the Speicans is a constant threat, and one that grows more frightening as she and Caelan train toward their eventual knighthood. Aislinn has committed herself to serving Arnhem, and has promised herself as King's Champion when Caelan claims the throne. She is willing to give up everything... her childhood, her life, even her heart for Arnhem. No matter the pain it brings.





Knight of Glory - Sir Geoffrey, along with some companions, has been sent away from Arnhem, entrusted by Queen Aislinn for a special mission, and has to leave behind the mysterious lady Celestia. On his journey, he uncovers seeds of a sinister plot, learns a horrible secret, and makes a new friend in exile Jenanna.



Their mission completed, Geoffrey and his companions rush to two different kingdoms to ask for aid. Danger and betrayal lurks around every corner, and even allies have secrets that could prove deadly. Geoffrey's feelings for Celestia grow and wane. After learning some of Celestia's secrets, he begins to have second thoughts about his love for her and is even drawn to Jenanna.

Rumors abound that the Speicans have enlisted a mage of their own, to work unspeakable, forbidden magic. The war between Speica and Arnhem has just begun. Will Geoffrey survive the battle to live another day and discover which woman he truly loves?

Champion of Valor is the thrilling conclusion to the Kingdom of Arnhem series and will be published May 1st.



To enter, you must be a follower and leave a comment. (+1)

For additional entries:follow me on twitter (+1)spread the word (through your blog, FB, or twitter) (+1 for each, leave a link in a comment) like me on facebook (+1) sign up for my newsletter (+5)

Easy, huh? Now check out the other great prizes on the Fool for Books Hop!

More Notes on Pitching

Things to include in your pitch:



1. Who - as in the protagonist and their personality at the beginning of the story to serve as a baseline such as quiet, tomboy, etc)

2. When/Where - the setting, background

3. Why - inciting incident, the call to action

4. What - the stakes. What drives the story?

5. Hook - end with the promise of more action



Research market, category, genre, age group

Mention similar titles based on tone (not comparisons like my book is the next Harry Potter, instead my book will appeal to the readers of... or something along those lines)



For an elevator pitch, you need the MC + call to action + the challenge they face. (so the Who, Why, and What)



I've pitched several times face-to-face. With 3 agents and 1 editor. All of them requested pages. I've also gone to the Long Island Romance Writers Luncheon twice and pitched to agents there, although that pitching is more of the elevator kind instead of a sit down. The nice part about that is that all of the agents I spoke to said to send the project so I did (according to their guidelines) and was able to mention meeting them in the query letter. Each one then gave me a personal response (no form rejections).



I think the biggest keys are being calm but enthusiastic about your book, and using the time wisely. Have a dialogue with the agent instead of giving a long speech. It will take the pressure off of you. Trust me.

Fun Interview with Jen Wylie

Bio:

Jennifer Wylie was born and raised in Ontario, Canada. In a cosmic twist of fate she dislikes the snow and cold.

Before settling down to raise a family, she attained a BA from Queens University and worked in retail and sales.

Thanks to her mother she acquired a love of books at an early age and began writing in public school. She constantly has stories floating around in her head, and finds it amazing most people don't. Jennifer writes various forms of fantasy, both novels and short stories. Sweet light is her debut novel to be published in 2011.

Jennifer resides in rural Ontario, Canada with her husband, two boys, Australian shepherd a flock of birds and a disagreeable amount of wildlife.

Jennifer's websiteJennifer's blog

Onto the interview!

What would you do if you didn't have to work?Write of course :) I'd also read a lot more, edits, writing and marketing have me so busy I don't have as much time for it as I'd like. :)

There's never enough time in the day! What did you want to be when you were 10 years old?Hmm.. I think at that age I wanted to be a vet. I changed my mind quite often though LOL

So did I! What makes you laugh?Most things :) Though I do have my grumpy moments, I usually try to find the humor in any situation. I've a rather twisted/warp of sense of it too, so I find some things funny maybe other people wouldn't. My boys make me laugh a lot, just being cute, or when they have their silly moments. :)

Aw, sons are the best! If you could be a superhero, what would you want your superpowers to be?Oooh this is hard one! There are soo many cool powers out there :D I've thought of this before, and honestly it depends on my mood I guess. I'll like to be able to teleport. That would be very cool, I'd love to travel and distance wouldn't matter. I think that would be the most useful one for me. Just for fun, I think it would be cool to fly, or control the elements or or or... :D

The power to teleport would be awesome! If someone wrote a biography about you, what do you think the title should be?The Not-So-Boring Mom :D

LOL Great title! If you had six months with no obligations or financial constraints, what would you do with the time? I'd love to travel (to warm places!) and just relax. I hear people do that so think it would be fun to try. Though I might die of boredom. I'm rather a go go go person. My mother is always telling me to sit down and relax when I visit :) I think this would be a perfect time to visit a lot of my friends too, I have so many great ones I've met online and would love to meet!

That would be great, I know I love to travel. If you won $20 million in the lottery, what would you do with the money?Pay off debts, maybe buy myself a few things, like an awesome computer :D, and a new house, because I HATE my kitchen. Most of it I would save. I'm very frugal and like to hoard.

I'd love to use some in promoting my writing, and attending conventions etc. That would be a fun treat!

Conventions are awesome!! You can never go to enough. What kind of people do you dislike? Mean people. I don't understand why some people are cruel for no reason. I also can't stand bad manners. My parents raised me to respect others and mind my manners. So many people don't even bother with please and thank you any more. Drives me nuts!

Oh, I know! I'm trying to teach son #1 manners. He says thank you all the time. Still working on please, though. :) What makes you angry?I don't get angry a lot. I'm a rather happy toss rainbows and sunbeams girl :) People taking advantage of that does piss me off. As does mean or rude people, and of course the general unfairness of life. I also get angry when driving (though I wouldn't exactly call it road RAGE) I hate when people don't signal when turning, and when they drive 20 under the speed limit. Grrr.

And now for a little about Jen's latest work.

Series: Tales of Ever#1 Banished

Short StoryPublished March 1 2011 by Echelon Press

About the Series:

Tales of Ever is part of a new short story program being put out by Echelon Press. 

Electric Shorts is a pilot program for reluctant readers. Each series contains six short stories presented once per month as electronic downloads (eBooks), much the same as a television series. Geared for kids between the ages of seven and seventeen, each short story will include relevant material to attract and captivate the young and reluctant reader. From historical settings to future fantasy, across all genres, Electric Shorts will strive to satisfy all interests. Electric Shorts will be released every Tuesday, with a new installment of each series appearing once a month. At only $.99 each, the short stories are affordable for all walks of life. 

Tales of Ever is a fantasy series written for  young adults (13-17 year olds).

For advance review copies and requests for interviews and author events for any of the participating authors, contact Karen L. Syed at Echelon Press echelonpress@gmail.com.

Series Blurb:

Welcome to Ever.

Ever, a deadly realm where feared, powerful and dangerous magical beings are banished. Though very large, it is not a world but a magically created prison. You can't break through its circular boundary. Who, or what, made Ever? I've no idea. They were powerful, and cruel. That is all I can tell you.

Ever is like and unlike every other world. Nothing is safe. Safety is a dream. Ever is a nightmare. Few survive their first day. Nothing is what it seems. If something appears safe, it isn't. If something appears dangerous, well it is, but probably more so than you think.

Ever has no sun, no moon, no stars at night. Time is told by the ever changing color of the sky where portals open, dropping new inhabitants, or new terrors. Time does pass. Don't worry, you won't get old. You won't live that long.

The landscape changes without reason form dessert to jungles. The flora isn't safe at any time. There is food, if you can find it without getting eaten yourself. Most plants and animals are poisonous. So is the water.

Are you afraid? You should be. This is the end. It gets worse of course. Remember the portals? Do think angels come through? Rarely the innocent do. Mostly, it is people of evil, people too powerful to kill. Their magic works here. The creature's are worse.

Do you understand? Well you will eventually, or you'll die. There is no escaping Ever. Ever.

Banished Blurb:

My life was normal. It sucked, but it was normal. At least until I got this new power. I can control fire. It would be cool if it wasn't so dangerous and if I knew how to use it. Pretty much my sucky life took a nose dive once I got it. Yup, everything gone. I suppose I should be thankful some uncle I never heard of took me in. Turns out the whole family isn't normal and my power is a lot more dangerous than I thought. I thought things couldn't get any worse. I was wrong. They banished me to Ever.If I'm lucky, I might survive my first day.

Excerpt:

Fire.



I see it everywhere.



When did it start? I don't remember. A year ago? Maybe more. I see it more now than before.



Flames dance just out of sight. They flicker on school lockers, in windows, anywhere.



Now they hover over the road as I run.



I glare at my watch as I round the block. School sucked today. I've run farther and faster than I usually do, trying to push all my stupid problems away. I wonder if Mom waited for me.



Probably not.



The last year I've been unsettled. Sometimes I get these hot flashes. I don't understand why. Mom gets them sometimes, too. She says not to worry about it.



I can't tell her about seeing the fire, or about the dreams.



We do Yoga and that helps. So does running. I've done a lot of both over the last year.



It hasn't been the best year. Mom lost one of her jobs. She found another, but it doesn't pay as much. Lack of money really stresses her out.



I hope she'll let me get a decent job soon. Something other than yard work and babysitting. I want to help. Mom looks so tired lately. She is really starting to worry me.



In a few months I'll be sixteen. I haven't asked about getting my driver's license. I'm sure Mom won't bring it up either. We don't have money for a car, anyways. We don't even have money for lessons or the stupid license test.



What will I do if something happens to Mom?



I have no idea. We don't have any really close friends. A few people we sort of talk to, like our old neighbor Mrs. Green. No family either, at least not that Mom ever talks about.



I don't have any friends at school. Even though I go to a public school, most of the kids there have money. We don't, and it shows. People can be so fickle. Of course, I don't really try to make friends. I fall into the quiet and shy group. Years ago I gave up trying. Too many times I thought I'd found a friend and then got stabbed in the back.



Seeing fire sets me apart too. I know other people don't see it, not like I do. Some are obsessed with it. I watch them play with matches and lighters outside at school.



I'm not obsessed. What I see scares me.



I slow when I reach our falling down house. Flames dance on the metal mailbox. I look away and dash into the broken porch.



"I'm back!"



Mom doesn't answer, but I didn't expect her to.



She had started without me. Sitting on a mat, her body is twisted into a Yoga position.



I started Yoga when I was little because it was fun. Later, I did it to spend time with Mom. That was after Dad disappeared and Mom took a second job. The only thing Mom ever makes time for is her Yoga.



Tucking away how much that hurt, I join in quietly.



My thoughts don't want to calm. All I can think about is how unfair everything is. If Dad hadn't disappeared, we wouldn't be living like this.



I glance over at Mom, wondering if anyone knew the truth. The police listed him as a missing person.



Dad left work to come home one night and never arrived. They found his car in the next county. Someone had set it on fire too. At least Dad hadn't been in it. We still don't know what happened to him. Would Mom move on if she knew?



I feel another hot flash coming on and grimace. Breaking my stance, I pull at my T-shirt.



"Misha," Mom says quietly. "Find your center."



Mom never speaks during Yoga. Weird. "I'm fine."



Starting another position, I pull something in my side. Today so isn't a good day.



Last night the dreams had been bad. Fire roared through them, burning everything. Everyone.



Turning and flopping onto my butt, I fan my face. I don't want to remember. Heat spreads through me. Maybe water would help. Water puts out fire.



Mom stands and walks over before I can get up. "This is important," she says firmly.



"I said I'm fine."



Mom tosses her red hair over her shoulder and reaches out to me.



I don't want to be touched and push her hand away.



Mom shrieks in pain.



I stare in shock as the welts form on her hand. They look like fingerprints. They quickly blister into burns.



I jump to my feet. Reaching out again, I quickly stop myself. I panic. The heat within me grows worse. "What did I do? I'm sorry!"



Mom sucks in a deep breath. "It's alright, honey. Let me deal with this." She pauses at the door. "We'll talk in a minute."



I nod dumbly, having no idea what's going on. Had I done that? How?



Flames flicker out of the corner of my eye. Fire.



I run to the kitchen and get a glass of water. I drink two cups before Mom comes back. Her hand is bandaged. "What's going on?"



She sits at the table and puts her face in her hands. Her hair falls around her.



My hair is the same shade of red as my moms. It looks like pale fire. Ours is like wild fire, curls and waves going off in every direction. Mom keeps hers really long. I cut mine shoulder length a few months ago. Dad's hair was red too, but darker and straight.



Mom has flecks of gold in her green eyes like me. I don't remember Dads eyes.



She looks up at me. The gold flecks remind me of tiny flames. "I was hoping you'd be free of this."



"Free of what?"



She lowers one hand and holds it out, palm up.



I stare at her hand, confused. "What?"



Mom doesn't say anything.



A moment later a flame is dancing over her palm. She curls her fingers in and out, playing with it.



I do nothing but stare at the fire she created. It's impossible to look away from the flame.



Fear runs through me. Mom made this fire. I see fire, dream of fire. I just burned Mom.



"The current term for it is pyrokinesis," she says after a while. "The ability to start fire from nothing, to control it, has been around forever."



"So what, you're like a firestarter?" I've seen the Stephen King movie. I've even read the book. Perhaps that's what freaked me out. It wasn't a very happy story.



Mom nods. She isn't happy either.



"How..." I don't even know where to begin.



Mom sighs as she curls her fingers over the flames. They disappear. She leans back in her chair. "In science class, you've learned how everything is made up of atoms?"



I nod.



"We can manipulate atoms to an excited state until they burst into flame. We can create fire from nothing by doing the same with atoms in the air."



I don't know what to say. Is she serious?



"Like a microwave," she adds.



"And you're saying I can do this too?"



She grimaces. "Yes. The first signs are heat changes in your body." She shakes her head. "It's a very dangerous gift, Misha. More like a curse. It's not easy to control."



I think of Dad. Of his burned out car. "Dad?"



She nods. "He was like me. Like us."



"But did it kill him?" I can't stop thinking of that movie. Of the girl who could kill with her fire. I remember my dreams of fire out of control. At least I know his death hadn't been my fault. I just got this darn power. Hadn't I?



Mom looks away. "I don't know."



I sit down at the table. My feet just don't want to hold me anymore. "Okay. So what now? How the heck do I control this?"



She smiles a little. "You're growing up so fast."



I stick my tongue out at her.



"You've got to learn to control it. Keep practicing. Stay calm and steady."



It's fun when you suddenly understand something. "The Yoga!"



She nods. "It helps. I'll help you, now that I know..." her voice trails off and she looks away. She looks tired again.



I wonder if she's worried I'll burn the house down. If I'll hurt her.



Looking at her hand, I wince. I already had.



Mom smiles a little. "You won't need to worry about doing that again, honey. I just wasn't prepared. Our gift can't fully be explained by science. We can control fire as well, move it, strengthen it, put it out. We can protect ourselves from it."



"Maybe I should learn that first?"



She chuckles. "A good plan."



So began my lessons as a firestarter.

Buy Links:Omnilit: http://www.omnilit.com/product-banished-519511-234.htmlSmashwords: http://www.smashwords.com/books/view/44865Amazon: http://www.amazon.com/Banished-Tales-of-Ever-ebook/dp/B004Q9TX4AAmazon UK: http://www.amazon.co.uk/Banished-Tales-of-Ever/dp/B004Q9TX4AB&N: http://search.barnesandnoble.com/Banished/Jen-Wylie/e/2940012206961/?itm=1

Tuning Your Pitch

At The Write Stuff conference, literary agents, Blair Hewes (Durnham Literary) and Katie Grimm (Don Congdon Associates) did a wonderful session on pitches. They gave a handout and here it is for you all to learn from:



Tuning Your Pitch: The Essential Notes



1. Create a Pitch



DO: Fiction - use WHO, WHERE/WHEN, WHY, and WHAT to brainstorm and the Main Character, Call to Action, Challenge they Face to focus. Non-fiction - tell us WHAT need your book is fulfilling, WHY we need to know now, and WHO you are. Practice your pitch to anyone who will listen.



DON'T: Try to summarize all of the plot points or use generaic sweeping statements that could apply to many projects. Don't dwell on personal details that aren't pertinent to your qualifications as a writer.



2. Come Prepared



DO: Practice some more. Bring a cheat sheet with key words in case you lose your place, some research on the agents you're about to meet, and any uestions you may have. Also, bring a pen and paper for taking notes.



DON'T: Bring material for the agent to take home like business cards o sample material - they'll tell you how to send your projects to them later.



3. Relax



DO: If you need a moment to settle in, ask a simple question to break the ice. As soon as you're ready, give your pitch, and speak slowly enough for the agent to be able to process it.



DON'T: Read your pitch word-for-word for the agent - it's okay if you need to refer to your notes, but simply reciting your pitch or giving the agent something to read is a waste of a great opportunity to have a fun and informative conversation about your work.



4. Listen



DO: Be ready for the agent to ask you some questions and give feedback - take notes if you need to. Someimes agents will give advice that might require revisions, so be open to this sort of dialogue.



DON'T: Dismiss their feedback outright. While you might not agree with their assessment, take the time to understand their points.



5. Ask



DO: Ask if the agent wants to see your material. If you discussed specific revisions, ask if they want you to revise first. Find out exactly how many pages they want, and how it should be delivered. Keep things professional regardless of the answer.



DON'T: Feel rejected if the project is not for the agent. There are hundreds of reasons that agents don't request projects, and their decisions is more about how they do business than your skill as a writer. You've just had the opportunity to practice your pitch and get some feedback.



6. Discuss



If there's time left, you can ask any other questions you haveL about your next book idea, publishing industry terminology, blogs to follow, or favorite books read latetly.



7. Have fun!



This was a great learning experience, and with so much helpful information, I thought you all would enjoy it. I'll post more information about the conference throughout the rest of the week, although tomorrow Jen Wylie visits my blog for a fun interview.

Creature Mondays

Credit for picture
Today's creature is the Manticore.



The Manticore is a hybrid creature whose name means "man-slayer." The beast comes from Ethiopia. It has the body of a lion, the face and ears of a man, a ferocious mouth with triple rows of teeth, and a tail that ends with poisonous spines. Definitely not a creature that sounds timid, although it sounds lyrical - its call sounds like a trumpet and a flute.



The Manticore is a fierce hunter and kills its prey by shooting quills from its tail. I'm surprised it doesn't use all of its teeth more often. *shudders*



Today, the Manticore is rumored to roam the jungles of Indonesia. There, the Manticore sometimes kills its prey with a bite or a scratch and likes to eat its victims, bones and all.



A particularly nasty creature, I think the Manticore would be a fearsome beast for an fantasy hero to face!



Be sure to check out my blog posts the rest of the week - I'm going to be sharing information and notes from The Write Stuff conference this past weekend. Also, be sure to check out my post from yesterday!

Please vote!

You all know about the wonderful blog called Adventures in Children's Publishing, right? Well, the ladies there started an awesome new monthly feature - a five page workshop for authors. Five of us lucky authors posted our first five pages, and Martina and Lisa (and others) helped us wipe our 5 pages into shape!



Now now our polished pages are up and that's where you all come in. Read of the excerpts and vote for your favorite. The winner wins a book!



Please swing by the site and check out my pages and then read the other entries. Don't forget to vote! The poll is at the top, on the right sidebar. Thank you!