Camy Tang's Blog, page 133
April 30, 2012
Interested in writing for Love Inspired?
Speed Dating with Associate Editor Emily RodmellTired of searching and searching for the right match...for your manuscript? Ready for your characters to get the love and attention of a good editor they've been waiting for?
Well, Love Inspired, Love Inspired Suspense and Love Inspired Historical are looking for new authors, and Associate Editor Emily Rodmell will be listening to your ideas in a new pitch opportunity we like to call: Speed Dating with an Editor.
This opportunity is open to anyone not published with the Love Inspired lines and only requires that you have a synopsis ready and a desire to write for the inspirational (Christian) romance market. You'll have the chance to pitch her your idea in one paragraph, and she'll respond by filling out a comment card like the one below that shares her first impression of the idea.
Check one:
__I'll cry if you don't send me your manuscript (requested full)
__I'd like to get to know your manuscript better (requested proposal)
__I'm not sure if there's a spark between your manuscript and me, but I'm willing to give it a chance to convince me (requested synopsis)
__There's just no connection between your manuscript and me (no request, but isn't it great to know the idea won't work before you spend time writing it?)
Comments:
Just like with speed dating, polish your pitches and put your best foot forward. Start those manuscripts now, so that if you get a request, you can send it in. While full manuscripts aren't required for the pitch, just like real dating, the more you have to offer, then more interested she'll be. Please make sure to mention in your pitch how much of the manuscript is written.
How this will work:
--Sign up in this thread: http://community.harlequin.com/showthread.php/281-Speed-Dating-with-Associate-Editor-Emily-Rodmell stating your intent to speed date Emily by Friday, June 15th. (Camy here: Do not sign up on my blog, you must go to the link above. You will need to register for Community.Harlequin.com to post to the thread, and also I’ve noticed that if you’re already registered, you may need to click on the link TWICE because the first time will log you in and take you to the homepage, not the link.)
--On Tuesday, June 26th at Noon Eastern, we will gather in the chat room. Emily will go into a separate room, where she will hear individual speed dates.
--Pitchers will be called in the order they signed up to give Emily their pitch. Though we will try to make accommodations for people on break from work, we cannot guarantee a specific pitch time.
--Once Emily gives her feedback, the next pitcher will be called into the room.
--We will be quickly going through each pitch in order, so be prepared with your pitch.
You must register by Friday, June 15 in order to participate. The pitches will take place Tuesday, June 26th at noon Eastern time.
Emily's Speed Dating Profile:
Emily Rodmell is the Associate Editor for Love Inspired, Love Inspired Suspense and Love Inspired Historical. She's looking for heartwarming romance stories, fast-paced romantic suspense stories and historical romances that sweep her away.
Turn ons:
* Well-developed characters with intriguing romantic conflicts
* Well thought out plots that keep the reader turning the pages
* Good faith elements that are intrinsic to the plot
* Strong sense of community
Turn offs:
* Episodic writing
* Books without enough conflict
* Stories that are preachy or didactic
* Unlikable or unrelatable heroes and heroines
Guidelines: Take time to read the Love Inspired guidelines to make sure your story fits in with what Love Inspired is all about.
Love Inspired
Love Inspired Historical
Love Inspired Suspense
First strawberries of the season
Can you hear me squealing with glee???? Got a pint of strawberries in this week’s basket from my organic co-op. They were de-lish! The pint looks a little empty in the photo because I, er, ate one or two before taking a picture.
April 29, 2012
Back on SparkPeople.com
Warning: TMI post ahead!
I was dismayed to find I’d gained 7 pounds since January, which I know doesn’t sound like a lot, but for someone my height (5’2”) it translates into one pants size up, and so I only barely fit into ONE of my pants and ONE of my pair of shorts! Aargh!
I have been wearing sweatpants and occasionally a stretchy corduroy pair of pants ever since my Oklahoma/Texas trip because I was working on multiple deadlines and I got sick twice, so I was pretty much not going outside much. I didn’t notice my weight gain until I tried to squeeze into a pair of jeans for a lunch out with MaryLu Tyndall and I couldn’t button them.
So I got back onto SparkPeople.com (friend me!), which I hadn’t logged into because I had been on deadline and SP tends to be distracting for me (so many neat articles and forums). MaryLu also inspired me to start watching my eating more than I used to.
When I was training for the Honolulu Marathon, I didn’t put as much effort into my food choices because I trusted in my running to help me lose weight. So I never trained myself to know what a proper portion size was or to choose foods that would ensure I was within my ranges for fat, carbs, and protein intake per day.
I’m very slowly breaking into my Vibram FiveFinger running shoes, but that means I can only start out at 30 minutes each run and increase by only 10% each week, so my exercise minutes are not as long as they used to be (I used to run for about an hour 3-4 times a week). So I can’t rely on my exercise to help me lose weight. Instead I have to train myself to eat better.
I’m sticking to the calorie range calculated by SparkPeople.com for my age, weight, height, and amount of calories burned per week in exercise. I was really happy to lose 4 pounds the first 2 days, which was probably all water weight.
But now comes the harder part of changing my eating habits and, even harder, sticking to them in order to lose a pound or two a week. Self control is so hard for me because I realize I’ve become used to eating all day without thinking about calories or food choices.
So here’s hoping I can train myself in my food choices and stick to my calorie range!
I was dismayed to find I’d gained 7 pounds since January, which I know doesn’t sound like a lot, but for someone my height (5’2”) it translates into one pants size up, and so I only barely fit into ONE of my pants and ONE of my pair of shorts! Aargh!
I have been wearing sweatpants and occasionally a stretchy corduroy pair of pants ever since my Oklahoma/Texas trip because I was working on multiple deadlines and I got sick twice, so I was pretty much not going outside much. I didn’t notice my weight gain until I tried to squeeze into a pair of jeans for a lunch out with MaryLu Tyndall and I couldn’t button them.
So I got back onto SparkPeople.com (friend me!), which I hadn’t logged into because I had been on deadline and SP tends to be distracting for me (so many neat articles and forums). MaryLu also inspired me to start watching my eating more than I used to.
When I was training for the Honolulu Marathon, I didn’t put as much effort into my food choices because I trusted in my running to help me lose weight. So I never trained myself to know what a proper portion size was or to choose foods that would ensure I was within my ranges for fat, carbs, and protein intake per day.
I’m very slowly breaking into my Vibram FiveFinger running shoes, but that means I can only start out at 30 minutes each run and increase by only 10% each week, so my exercise minutes are not as long as they used to be (I used to run for about an hour 3-4 times a week). So I can’t rely on my exercise to help me lose weight. Instead I have to train myself to eat better.
I’m sticking to the calorie range calculated by SparkPeople.com for my age, weight, height, and amount of calories burned per week in exercise. I was really happy to lose 4 pounds the first 2 days, which was probably all water weight.
But now comes the harder part of changing my eating habits and, even harder, sticking to them in order to lose a pound or two a week. Self control is so hard for me because I realize I’ve become used to eating all day without thinking about calories or food choices.
So here’s hoping I can train myself in my food choices and stick to my calorie range!
April 27, 2012
Some surprising meat myths
I found this article by America’s Test Kitchen Cooking School about four myths when it comes to meat.
I totally did not know that about marinades and I had never even heard the myth about chicken. Although now that I think about it, Mom always rinsed her chicken.
What did you think? Anything surprising?
I totally did not know that about marinades and I had never even heard the myth about chicken. Although now that I think about it, Mom always rinsed her chicken.
What did you think? Anything surprising?
I made artichokes!
I was thrilled to find the first artichokes of the season in my organic co-op basket this week! I used this pressure cooker method to cook them. They were a tiny bit overcooked, so I might go for only 5 minutes next time.
I grew up eating them with mayonnaise (plain, aioli, and also sometimes with soy sauce mixed in) but Captain Caffeine can’t stand mayonnaise. Normally he eats them with melted butter, but last night we ate them with extra virgin olive oil and garlic salt.
How do you cook artichokes? Any favorite recipes? I’m looking for any good recipes since we’ll start getting more artichokes from the co-op in the coming weeks.
I’m taking voice lessons!
So, the backstory because I know you’re just dying to know: My aunt was classically trained in opera, and my father has a nice bass voice although I only occasionally heard him sing when I was growing up. I’ve always loved singing and I sang in an a cappella group in college, although I know that I’m nowhere near good enough for American Idol or Broadway.
Right now, I lead worship music for church 1-2 Sundays a month, and I lead worship for youth group meetings at church 2-4 times a month. Singing worship songs is not the same as opera or Broadway musicals, and I’ve lost some of my upper range, so I decided to take voice lessons. I wanted to not only regain some of my range, but also I wanted to sing better for my own enjoyment and for my worship leading.
I’m really fortunate because one of the staff leaders for youth group just graduated college and she majored in music, and she hooked me up with a friend of hers who’s a music major at one of our local universities who also teaches voice lessons. I had my first lesson yesterday and it was so fun!
It was a little weird, too, because she taught me things about breathing and about technique that I had never heard of before, so it felt strange to be doing them. It was kind of like learning a new sport.
But it was fun and I now have a new song to learn. I also discovered that I am a soprano, whereas I had thought I was mezzo-soprano for a long time. I don’t quite have the extended range of the top professional sopranos, but I can hit that high C without straining.
Do any of you sing? Any tips or advice for me?
Right now, I lead worship music for church 1-2 Sundays a month, and I lead worship for youth group meetings at church 2-4 times a month. Singing worship songs is not the same as opera or Broadway musicals, and I’ve lost some of my upper range, so I decided to take voice lessons. I wanted to not only regain some of my range, but also I wanted to sing better for my own enjoyment and for my worship leading.
I’m really fortunate because one of the staff leaders for youth group just graduated college and she majored in music, and she hooked me up with a friend of hers who’s a music major at one of our local universities who also teaches voice lessons. I had my first lesson yesterday and it was so fun!
It was a little weird, too, because she taught me things about breathing and about technique that I had never heard of before, so it felt strange to be doing them. It was kind of like learning a new sport.
But it was fun and I now have a new song to learn. I also discovered that I am a soprano, whereas I had thought I was mezzo-soprano for a long time. I don’t quite have the extended range of the top professional sopranos, but I can hit that high C without straining.
Do any of you sing? Any tips or advice for me?
April 26, 2012
I have seen the light
Flashlight, that is.
For years I’ve been teasing Captain Caffeine about how he likes to collect flashlights. And not the Maglights or anything so paltry as that. He likes the super expensive, heavy-duty, burn-your-eyesight-out flashlights.
I keep teasing him about how many he has, because really, you can only use two flashlights at a time, one in each hand.
But last night I dropped a glass and it shattered on our floor. No, no one was hurt, but we had to clean up the shards. The big ones were easy, but then we had to make sure all the tiny splinters were picked up so that our dog wouldn’t accidentally cut her feet on them.
So the Captain breaks out his newest acquisition, an LED flashlight the size of can of soup that’s as bright as an outdoor floodlight. And he started panning the floor and the carpets, CSI-style.
Needless to say, there’s a reason the CSI teams on TV use flashlights to find their evidence. The can of soup flashlight picked up several glass shards we hadn’t seen.
So now I really can’t complain about Captain Caffeine’s flashlight collection.
For years I’ve been teasing Captain Caffeine about how he likes to collect flashlights. And not the Maglights or anything so paltry as that. He likes the super expensive, heavy-duty, burn-your-eyesight-out flashlights.
I keep teasing him about how many he has, because really, you can only use two flashlights at a time, one in each hand.
But last night I dropped a glass and it shattered on our floor. No, no one was hurt, but we had to clean up the shards. The big ones were easy, but then we had to make sure all the tiny splinters were picked up so that our dog wouldn’t accidentally cut her feet on them.
So the Captain breaks out his newest acquisition, an LED flashlight the size of can of soup that’s as bright as an outdoor floodlight. And he started panning the floor and the carpets, CSI-style.
Needless to say, there’s a reason the CSI teams on TV use flashlights to find their evidence. The can of soup flashlight picked up several glass shards we hadn’t seen.
So now I really can’t complain about Captain Caffeine’s flashlight collection.
McVitie’s Digestive Biscuits
In reading about chocolate digestive biscuits in some Betty Neels books I read, I looked them up on Amazon and bought them to try it.
The chocolate biscuits are divine and need to be locked out of my reach or else I’ll snarf the entire package. Since I liked them so much, I also looked up the regular digestive biscuits on Amazon and bought them to try them.
I must admit I’m not a huge fan of the name of this biscuit. “Digestive” reminds me of intestines and that super-creepy kidney/spit monster from the X-Files.
But I absolutely LOVE these biscuits! I think because they’re both a little salty and a little sweet, but not too much of either. I also really like the texture--it’s like a more cookie-ish graham cracker, but not as sweet as a graham cracker. I really like good texture in my cookies and so I like the fiber-ish feel of these biscuits.
I have been eating them with my afternoon and evening tea time. I feel very British. :)
Anyone else tried these before?
April 25, 2012
This much work for McDonald’s French Fries?
Captain Caffeine sent me this link for how to make McDonalds’s French Fries at home. While I will be the first to admit I love their fries, my laziness is making me balk at this two-step process.
The soaking in water I understand, and I had heard before from Alton Brown that you should fry your potatoes twice, but that fry-twice thing (plus putting them in the fridge) is the deal-breaker for me. Too much work! When I want fries, I want them NOW!
I’d rather do fries In-N-Out style, just throw the fresh potatoes in the fryer until golden brown. Actually, I do soak my fries in water beforehand and then drain in a colander before frying in my Fry Daddy. I’ve only soaked them for an hour before, but maybe I’ll go for two hours like the article says just to try it.
Do you make fries at home? If you haven’t before, it’s totally worth it. I admit it’s easier for me now that I have a Fry Daddy because I just plug it in and wait 15 minutes before frying.
Of course, fries are not good for me since I tend to snarf the entire batch down in one sitting. :)
The soaking in water I understand, and I had heard before from Alton Brown that you should fry your potatoes twice, but that fry-twice thing (plus putting them in the fridge) is the deal-breaker for me. Too much work! When I want fries, I want them NOW!
I’d rather do fries In-N-Out style, just throw the fresh potatoes in the fryer until golden brown. Actually, I do soak my fries in water beforehand and then drain in a colander before frying in my Fry Daddy. I’ve only soaked them for an hour before, but maybe I’ll go for two hours like the article says just to try it.
Do you make fries at home? If you haven’t before, it’s totally worth it. I admit it’s easier for me now that I have a Fry Daddy because I just plug it in and wait 15 minutes before frying.
Of course, fries are not good for me since I tend to snarf the entire batch down in one sitting. :)
Book-friends and book-best-friends
This is going to sound weird, but if you’re a Reader, you’ll totally understand where I’m coming from.
When you read a good book, that book becomes your friend.
It’s totally strange and maybe even a bit psychologically deviant but it’s true. That book becomes like your closest friend, someone you’re spending time with and loving the conversation.
I will admit, I have sometimes loved a book so much I will hug it like I’m hugging a person. There, I have confessed my mental disturbance to all the blogosphere.
But those of you who are Readers will completely get me.
You devour books by favorite authors because you became good friends with one of her titles, and you hope to find new friends in her other titles. Your chances are good since you already loved one of her stories.
You’re always on the lookout for a new friend. Some books disappoint, but then suddenly you’ll stumble on a book (which might not even have that great a cover or back cover blurb) and you’re caught in an amazing story with amazing characters and you know you’ve found a friend.
Some of my books are book-friends, but some are book-best-friends. They’re the ones I’ll keep because I could see myself rereading them, they were that good.
I was thinking today about why some books are book-friends and why some are book-best-friends. My book-friends are still highly entertaining, enthralling reads. I just finished one yesterday. But it wasn’t a book-best-friend.
I think that for my book-best-friends, there is something about the characters that I especially love. I relate to them on a deeper level, or perhaps I admire them greatly. Their stories move me deep in my gut rather than just being an entertaining read.
I love my book-friends, but I am also constantly on the lookout for a new book-best-friend. I also do not limit the number of book-best-friends that I have, the more the merrier, in my opinion. But since my shelves are overflowing, I have gotten some book-best-friends as ebooks and given away my print copies so that my book-best-friends take up less real estate in my house.
So my blog friends, do you feel me? I know some of you non-Readers are going to tell me to hie to a psychologist, but you Readers know what I’m talking about. What are some book-best-friends you’ve got?
When you read a good book, that book becomes your friend.
It’s totally strange and maybe even a bit psychologically deviant but it’s true. That book becomes like your closest friend, someone you’re spending time with and loving the conversation.
I will admit, I have sometimes loved a book so much I will hug it like I’m hugging a person. There, I have confessed my mental disturbance to all the blogosphere.
But those of you who are Readers will completely get me.
You devour books by favorite authors because you became good friends with one of her titles, and you hope to find new friends in her other titles. Your chances are good since you already loved one of her stories.
You’re always on the lookout for a new friend. Some books disappoint, but then suddenly you’ll stumble on a book (which might not even have that great a cover or back cover blurb) and you’re caught in an amazing story with amazing characters and you know you’ve found a friend.
Some of my books are book-friends, but some are book-best-friends. They’re the ones I’ll keep because I could see myself rereading them, they were that good.
I was thinking today about why some books are book-friends and why some are book-best-friends. My book-friends are still highly entertaining, enthralling reads. I just finished one yesterday. But it wasn’t a book-best-friend.
I think that for my book-best-friends, there is something about the characters that I especially love. I relate to them on a deeper level, or perhaps I admire them greatly. Their stories move me deep in my gut rather than just being an entertaining read.
I love my book-friends, but I am also constantly on the lookout for a new book-best-friend. I also do not limit the number of book-best-friends that I have, the more the merrier, in my opinion. But since my shelves are overflowing, I have gotten some book-best-friends as ebooks and given away my print copies so that my book-best-friends take up less real estate in my house.
So my blog friends, do you feel me? I know some of you non-Readers are going to tell me to hie to a psychologist, but you Readers know what I’m talking about. What are some book-best-friends you’ve got?
