Robin Antalek's Blog, page 4

Introducing Guest Blogger Heather Newton: Under The Mercy Trees

I had the pleasure of being introduced to Heather Newton when her editor sent me her lovely manuscript  Under The Mercy Trees .  I was thrilled to offer a blurb on this lyrical first novel that you can pre-order here:  Under The Mercy Trees 
When I asked Heather to guest blog she graciously accepted and I am thrilled to be able to introduce her to you here today.  
Sense Enough (Not) to Quit     by   Heather Newton 
When I was in the eleventh grade, with no idea how the publishing industry (or t...

Something New

I am a less than prolific blogger -- I start out with the best intentions and then, well, somehow it ends up far below my expectations.  And then an idea came to me as I was writing a guest post for someone else's blog (it's just like being on your best behavior in public) I thought -- why don't I do this as well?  Open my blog to other writers?  So I made a fast list of a dozen or so and shot them off a note asking if they'd be willing -- including the author's of several debuts that I have ...

Before the Crash

There is no doubt about it: I complicate my own life.  My old Mac laptop had been chugging along for some time in danger of totally crapping out, when my husband and younger daughter surprised me with a brand new shiny Mac a few months back.  There shouldn't be a problem with that -- as a matter of fact I should have hopped right on it and transferred all my files and got on with things.   Except I didn't.  You see the thing was I was deep into my new manuscript and was sort of leery about ju...

The Divining Wand

Larramie Fg of the wonderful blog: The Divining Wand asks me a few revealing questions today......

Check it out: http://thediviningwand.com/

Bits of News

 The official draft of the new manuscript "The Blooms of Ella Island" is on its way to my agent -- finally!  She is the most patient person ever -- there was something about this manuscript that I just couldn't let go and it took me writing to the end four times through to finally see it as a whole.  I'm sure there is more tweaking down the road -- but today -- and only for today-- the copy that says "final" means final.  Julie-- it's coming your way!

I signed a contract for the Turkish rights...

Let Me Give You A Book!!

I've been getting in a lot of car time again and so I've devoured some of my book piles.   Here's a partial list in no particular order... giveaway information at the end of the post!

The Red Thread by Ann Hood -- I've been reading Ann Hood since her debut novel Somewhere off the Coast of Maine.  Ten books later she tells the very personal story of adopting a girl from China.  While this is fiction the author has her own personal connection.  Her daughter Grace died when she was five and throu...

Today is the Day

I need to open up the windows and air out the blog -- sorry for such delayed and erratic posting! I have tried to stay off the Internet while I finish the first draft of the new manuscript and today, I can say, I'm finally there.  Yes -- there's tons of work to go back in and do -- especially since I find you don't really know the characters until you type that last sentence.  Suddenly it clears everything up as well as create fault lines in the early pages.  But that's okay. That's the fun p...

Here and There

I've been really, really trying to get to the end of the first draft of the new manuscript -- to that end I've been ignoring most of my usual Internet haunts.  But I just wanted to share with you a link to a site that I'm really excited about.  The wonderful Larramie Fg has asked me to join The Divining Wand.  Larramie acts as Fairy Godmother to a group of authors far more accomplished than I, spreading the "book Love" so to speak -- keeping readers updated on new books, new happenings, writi...

The BIG READ

In the past few days I logged a lot of hours in a train and in a car -- what better way than to pass the time with a pile of books?

What follows are the results of my "Big Read"....

Something Red -- Jennifer Gilmore:  it's 1979 -- (the year I graduated from high school) -- and Gilmore tells the tale of the Goldstein family in a most authentic and riveting way
Kitchen Chinese-- Ann Mah:  delightful culture clash with a twist- quick read
Americans in Space -- Mary E. Mitchell: grieving widow raises...

Gone Under

I am deep into writing book two-- submerged is a good word to describe it.  I am anti-social and short-tempered.  I am ignoring things (husband, children, dogs, friends) I shouldn't, for sitting in a chair or lying on the couch and staring off into space.  But I swear to you-- I am working.  A critical piece of the story just came to me and I am 90,000 words in -- so all in all -- the book is a book is a book.  I mean.  You need to know when to call The End what it is: The End. But it's not a...