Chantal Boudreau's Blog, page 31

Edit Fest – Clunk!

That’s the sound my head made when it hit the wall after I realized my edit review issue was all my fault. I blundered, and I’m thoroughly grateful that I have a publisher who is both understanding and forgiving. I’m still not sure how I managed to screw up the way I did, but it means setting aside Prisoners of Fate until my error can be rectified. I’m going to work on reviewing the edits for Providence instead, and tackling illustrations. It actually helps to draw when I’m stressed, so this is a good time to get a few pictures done.

That’s also the sound my head made when it hit the pro-rate glass ceiling once again – another lovely rejection letter saying that while my story made it to the final round of selections, and they enjoyed it very much, it didn’t make the final cut (this being my Japanese mythology submission to Penumbra.) They also encouraged me to submit to them again in future. I know I should be happy to make it as far as I did in the selection process, that it suggests I do have a chance of getting past that glass ceiling someday, but I’ll probably remain frustrated with my near misses until one of those “maybes” turns into a “yes”. It’s one of those things I want for a sense of validation. Silly, maybe, but there it is.

I’ll skip my blitz update, because that rejection was the only news on my blitz submissions. More tomorrow.

Edit Fest – Day of Gray

Pardon my gloominess, but this has been a terrible day for me and it has nothing to do with the two rejections that came my way (one was quite nice, actually). I’m generally a non-confrontational person and I had to say a few things to someone today that I really wasn’t comfortable saying. But they were things I couldn’t avoid saying. To make matters worse, it has been a month since we lost Barb and I found her loss suffocating today. I spent most of the day struggling to hold back tears and it hurt to breathe. I’m not typically an emotional person so this was all very unsettling for me.

I honestly don’t know which way is up right now. I have to keep reminding myself that it may feel like the end of the world, but it’s not, and that eventually things will resolve themselves one way or another. It still doesn’t shake that sense of a dark cloud hovering over my head and a heavy weight sitting atop my shoulders.

As a result of all this, my editing/reviews have come to an abrupt stand-still. I’m going to have to take a step back, reorient myself and maybe take on a new project for a while until I know where things are going from here. For now I think that means going back to The Blood Flows True and seeing what I can do with that in the anticipation of its eventual release. This is really disappointing because I have a four-day weekend coming up and I had other plans for that “free” time.

Submission blitz update: As I mentioned above, two rejections came in – a form rejection for “A Shovel and a Bag of Lime too”, but no surprise coming from a pro-rate market, and a very nice rejection letter for “Velveteen” with lots of positive feedback.

The Blurb on Other People’s Words – MMCF 2

Midnight Movie Creature Feature 2 edited by T. W. Brown

I was looking forward to digging into this anthology because the first Midnight Movie Creature Feature was such a treat. While this anthology didn’t quite reach the high bar set by its predecessor, it was still an entertaining medley of mostly creature features. I say mostly, because a couple of the stories had no real creature to speak of, as another reviewer pointed out. Despite the fact that they didn’t quite fit with the theme, they were still thoroughly enjoyable stories – they just seemed a little out of place.

Aside from the odd editing issue and a couple of stories that were a little too over the top for my tastes, this was a great read and the illustrations were exceptional. Most of the stories had a very “spooky” quality – the fear generated less based on shock and gore (not that they weren’t there, they just were a predominant feature) and more on suspense and an overall eerie factor. I actually prefer this type of horror – stories offering a good scare more so than a sense of revulsion (or in some instances, providing a combination of the two.) Here are my favourite picks:

Dark Waters by Lillian Csernica – This one presented a good dose of spooky and suspense. I like the phobic element and the mysterious air associated with the ocean and Bill. I also found the ending appealing – great twist there.

Piggy back by Matt Kurtz and Palmetto by Suzi M– More ooky than spooky, these ones captured the true flavour of a late night horror flick. I think because I’m a parent, I found Piggyback particularly disturbing.

How Do You Do It, Mr. Sullivan by Jill Behe – This was one of the stories that didn’t quite fit with the theme, but on its own merits, it was a pretty fabulous story. Its Dexter-esque storyline had me hooked from the start.

While I wouldn’t rate this the same sure-fire five as the first MMCF, I’d like to give it a 4.5, which I guess I’ll round up for star-rating purposes to a marginal five.

Edit Fest – Happy Mother’s Day

Before I talk about my progress, I’m sending out a big “Happy Mother’s Day” to my own mother and all the mothers I know. I spent my mother’s day editing and received some beautiful jewelry (Dianne’s wonderful work,) some chocolate almonds and a decorative paperweight my son made at school.

I’m almost finished with the edits on Victims of Circumstance. I got to edit my favourite chapter ever – Chapter 17 of this particular novel. It’s not my favourite novel overall, but that chapter, which follows an extended battle scene (including the immediate aftermath), definitely merits my personal preference.

I expect to finish up the edits tonight, which is good timing as the galleys I was waiting on came in today, for both Prisoners of Fate and Providence. I’m really excited to review them (PoF first.) By the time I’m done with all this editing, I’m going to be desperate to get back to writing. I think I’ll be able to finish Sifting the Ashes in record time. Then I take a short break before I start in on Endeavor.

Blitz report : I received a new rejection today, for “Stitches in Time” but it was nice. They did say they enjoyed the story but they had too many strong submissions and had to pass on some they liked. It goes back up as available for submission.

Edit Fest – Lost

I got so lost in my edits today I almost forgot about this blog post. Nia is one of my favourite characters (although most find her somewhat distasteful) so I’m really enjoying revisiting her. That’s one of the few perks of editing, intermingled with the frustration of fixing the obvious mistakes and digging out the not so obvious ones. She’s going to be at the centre of the ninth book in my series, but I don’t get to come back to her in my writing until the fifth book in the series is published, per the hubby’s demands. I’m still waiting for book three to make its appearance, and Victims of Circumstance, the one I’m editing now, is book four…so I have to continue to work on other things. Meanwhile Nia and friends sit in limbo.

From the weather reports, I’ll be facing a lot of rain for the weekend. My soon-to-be-very-soggy hubby took the car and went off camping for the weekend, which means I’m stuck home with the kids and likely stuck inside too. This means some painting and lots of editing between bouts of housework, but probably no gardening. So far the kids have been good – but we’ll see how frazzled I am by the end of Sunday. If I’m too stressed by the time the hubby returns, I may get lost in a different way and celebrate Mother’s Day with a goodly amount of red wine.

Until then, more editing.

Edit Fest – Doubt Revisited

Editing older work is definitely a tougher job. I can see the way my writing has changed with time and it is irritating in a way. Just being able to recognize the improvements since first edit makes me wonder what more I have to do to make things better…I mean, I thought that was fine when I wrote it and went through it originally, but I know otherwise now. Will I feel the same way about my current work in a couple of years? Will perceived quality ever be enduring, or will I always be looking back with doubt and frustration?

That dissatisfaction leaches through to what I just reviewed – so much so that I went back to the beginning of Victims of Circumstance a second time after getting only a short ways in, and redid things. I know there’s no such thing as perfect, but it would be nice to get to a point where I’m not always questioning what I’ve written, or just edited. About the only thing I have any confidence in are the stories proper. I put a lot of heart and soul into those. I know not everyone will like them, but I think they are stories worth telling if I could just get the words right.

Ugh.

No new responses to my blitz submissions so it’s just a matter of more waiting. The waiting – that’s the worst part of submitting. I even dislike it more than the rejections, to some degree.

Maybe I’ll hear something by the end of the weekend.

Edit Fest – Taking a Break

I needed a pause from editing today, so since I was actually in the mood for formatting, something I dislike more than editing, I figured I had better jump on it. I set up the last novel in my Snowy Barrens Trilogy so that I just need to add illustrations and do my final edits. I still have to work on cover art, but this was a good start. Once I get this one out I’m going to attack marketing for the trilogy with gusto. I wanted to wait until all three books were out before throwing myself in whole-heartedly to any serious promotion.

Today also served as an opportunity for some impromptu research for Sifting the Ashes. I’ve delved deep into the world of crows and discovered they will recognize and distinguish one human from another. They will also label people as “bad” or “good” and actively warn others of their kind about the “bad” humans. I’ve been trying to get on the good side of local crows to get a better first-hand look at them and hopefully shoot some photos for the book cover at a later date. I’ve been feeding them breadcrumbs while out waiting for the bus and one of them, who I nicknamed “Divot” because he has a gap in his wing, was waiting for me at the bus stop this morning.

I don’t know if I’ll get him comfortable enough to get the photos I want, but just getting to watch him this morning I think will add to the book. We’ll see when I get back to it later this month.

Formatting is done now, so back to editing.

Edit Fest – Not Enough Hours

I have always loved to read. When I was younger I was a voracious reader and I would be now if I could set my own hours as I please. As an adult with adult responsibilities, it’s not that simple. My accounting job takes up the better part of my week, spending time with family is a welcome requirement, I tackle as little housework as I can get away with, and I do some gardening and other chores – like walking the dog. My “spare” time is consumed by writing and writing associated endeavours (editing, marketing, submissions, networking, research, etc.) So if I want to read, I usually have to sacrifice something else, usually the non-work-or-family activities.

I still do read, regularly, but not the way I used to. I ran into an old friend on the bus; my commute is currently my reading time, and I gave it up to be social. We discussed books, and I was disappointed that he talked about books he has read lately that I want to read, but doubt I’ll be likely to get to them (until I retire, perhaps.) I already have enough books on my Kindle to last me a couple of years at the pace I’ve been reading, as well as several print copies waiting in the queue, and I’m sure to accumulate more as time passes.

Anyway, I am making a point to read more this month, since I’m not working toward any deadline at the moment and I tend to approach editing with a more casual attitude than I do writing. I’m hoping to finish reading one anthology tomorrow and start right on into another. I’m also itching to get back into working on Sifting the Ashes again. I may plunge into Chapter 7 this weekend.

Until then, it’s back to working on edits for Victims of Circumstance…

The Blurb on Other People’s Words – Ren Once Again

Against the Druries: The Belmont Saga (Volume 2) by Ren Garcia

If Ren Garcia writes it, I’ll be reviewing it. He never fails to impress me with his world-building skills, original plotlines and interesting characters. Despite the fact that his writing ventures into genres I don’t usually enjoy reading, like steampunk and science fiction, his work always manages to entertain me.

Against the Druries is the second in The Belmont Saga – Seventh in his League of Elder series – and I found it as equally satisfying as the book preceding it. I’m not going to go into any great plot detail as a lot of what happens in this book would be considered spoilers for the first book, but I will touch on some of the highlights.

One of the first things I liked about this saga was that aside from the protagonist, who is the larger-than-life classic hero typical to Ren’s stories, the majority of the other characters in the book are the type of flawed individuals who appeal to my sensibilities. I was especially drawn to A-Ram, the true underdog sort with something to prove, not just for himself but on behalf of his family. The rough-edged Tarra also made for some necessary comic-relief during very tense times.

While Ren’s not afraid to offer up the darker side of things, this book seemed particularly dark. I prefer my reads grim and messy (not the writing, but the storyline,) so this aspect made me happy. It also leaves us with some rather frightening prospects for stories to come.

The most surprising part of the book was the villains and the revelation of their true nature. They certainly aren’t what they seem to be at first, providing an even greater threat to our heroes and their objectives than first anticipated.

In all, this was an intense, shadowy adventure, filled with intrigue, excitement and extreme ups and down – an edgy joyride. Definitely five stars from me.

Edit Fest – Query This

When I edit a novel, I find it’s a great time to work on the query letter for the manuscript in question. The material is fresh in my mind, and because I run from cover to cover until I have the full novel reviewed, it’s a good opportunity to come up with a brief summary of the story as a whole. I try to pick out the specific elements that really catch me as I go through the manuscript and incorporate them into the query – the highlights of the tale that strike me as being the most important.

This is what I came up with for The Trading of Skin:

The Trading of Skin, is what I would describe as a fantasy tale with a foundation in Sami mythology and in particular the shapeshifter myth of the traders of skin. The story is one that explores the divide between basic animal instinct and man’s connection with nature in contrast with self-awareness and the higher reasoning and emotions that accompany it. The novel also touches on the concepts of spiritualism, freedom, community and the importance of family.

When Oaván, the younger son of the late noaidi (or shaman) Anár, accidently shoots Lieđđi, a young woman he mistakes for a lucky white reindeer, he sets into motion a series of events that will change his life drastically. His return with her to Anár unlocks secrets about his heritage that have been kept hidden from him and his brother, Dáidu, all their lives. This propels them onto a dangerous path that will decide their fates along with Lieđđi’s.

From the very beginning, Lieđđi’s presence in Anár loosens peoples’ tongues and awakens feelings in Oaván and Dáidu that surprise and confuse them. Trouble ensues, and when Lieđđi flees in an attempt to rejoin her family, Oaván, Dáidu and their mother, Jaská, follow. Lieđđi’s family meets with tragedy, leaving the three from Anár to accompany her on a life-altering trip to the River of Blood, hoping to keep the trader of skin safe from the supernatural hunters who stalk her. In the end, the journey demands from them great strength and even greater sacrifice.  The tale delves into the idea of the importance of self-identity and recognizing one’s worth, no matter what prejudice you might face.  The main focus of the tale, however, is the idea that it is our choices that make us what we are, more than anything else.

I finished my edits today, and no matter how unpleasant editing seems to be, I’m always a little reluctant to let the story go when I’m done, even though I know it’s time to move on.

Submission Blitz Update: I received an acceptance today fo “It Was Askin’ for a Whackin’.” Another score for the blitz J