Samantha Combs's Blog
October 29, 2014
Changes...and why October is Now Known as Sucktober
As the title of this post would imply, October has not been the most fun month in recent memory. No kicky meme or graphic will grace this post. I have a full plate and don't feel like animating it.
My father's family took two devastating hits this month. My beloved Uncle Buddy passed away from an untimely heart attack. He was taken at only 64, less than two years after retiring and fulfilling his dream to live the rest of his years in Mexico. Sucktober.
Less than two weeks later, my father's wife passed, also as untimely, she from a seizure in a parking lot of a store. Daddy is reeling from the one-two punch from Life and fighting a losing battle with his memory. Hard days are ahead for us facing this life-changing eventuality. Sucktober.
I am also contemplating moving. We have never been as happy where we are as we could be, and I yearn for a backyard for the kids. I keep looking, and hoping to find soon. Sucktober.
Okay, so the biggest sucky thing about October, about THIS October in particular, is that with Life bitch-slapping me around, I haven't wanted to write. Like, at all. I'm sure this will change as recent events are just taking all my emotional juice, juice I usually reserve for writing times. But still, as much as I miss it and have over-crowded my mind with words not typed, I just can't do it yet. Even writing this post is like pulling teeth. Like if I say any of the bad things going on out loud, I give them power. I just can't do that willingly.
Authorly speaking, i do have things going on. Here's whats on deck: I have a completed book in a just-begun series, and about 30K words on a second one. A slew of appearances and signings will begin in just a few couple months and they could be great for my writing brand. Bits and pieces of short stories are swirling around in the valuable real estate in my head (valuable only because it's scarce right now), and I have a great idea for an all-female authored anthology of creepy stories. I even have a great name for it, and no, i will not tell you. A girl's gotta have some secrets.
Through all this turmoil and change, I am reminded of one thing. I am resolute. I am positive. And I am a survivor. The funniest thing was that even as I thought of this, I realized these are the same traits that make me a good author.
I am resolute because I can take the bad reviews, bad blog posts, and crappy writer's block.
I am positive because being positive is sometimes all I have. That, and an insanely blank screen with a bitch of a cursor blinking at me.
And I am a survivor because I'll be goddamned if death, taxes or bad reviews is going to stop me from spilling my every little thought, freaky, sick, or otherwise, on the laptop of my choice.
I hope you feel the same way.
Hey. Look at that. I wrote something.
See?
I'm a positively resolute survivor. Ha!
My father's family took two devastating hits this month. My beloved Uncle Buddy passed away from an untimely heart attack. He was taken at only 64, less than two years after retiring and fulfilling his dream to live the rest of his years in Mexico. Sucktober.
Less than two weeks later, my father's wife passed, also as untimely, she from a seizure in a parking lot of a store. Daddy is reeling from the one-two punch from Life and fighting a losing battle with his memory. Hard days are ahead for us facing this life-changing eventuality. Sucktober.
I am also contemplating moving. We have never been as happy where we are as we could be, and I yearn for a backyard for the kids. I keep looking, and hoping to find soon. Sucktober.
Okay, so the biggest sucky thing about October, about THIS October in particular, is that with Life bitch-slapping me around, I haven't wanted to write. Like, at all. I'm sure this will change as recent events are just taking all my emotional juice, juice I usually reserve for writing times. But still, as much as I miss it and have over-crowded my mind with words not typed, I just can't do it yet. Even writing this post is like pulling teeth. Like if I say any of the bad things going on out loud, I give them power. I just can't do that willingly.
Authorly speaking, i do have things going on. Here's whats on deck: I have a completed book in a just-begun series, and about 30K words on a second one. A slew of appearances and signings will begin in just a few couple months and they could be great for my writing brand. Bits and pieces of short stories are swirling around in the valuable real estate in my head (valuable only because it's scarce right now), and I have a great idea for an all-female authored anthology of creepy stories. I even have a great name for it, and no, i will not tell you. A girl's gotta have some secrets.
Through all this turmoil and change, I am reminded of one thing. I am resolute. I am positive. And I am a survivor. The funniest thing was that even as I thought of this, I realized these are the same traits that make me a good author.
I am resolute because I can take the bad reviews, bad blog posts, and crappy writer's block.
I am positive because being positive is sometimes all I have. That, and an insanely blank screen with a bitch of a cursor blinking at me.
And I am a survivor because I'll be goddamned if death, taxes or bad reviews is going to stop me from spilling my every little thought, freaky, sick, or otherwise, on the laptop of my choice.
I hope you feel the same way.
Hey. Look at that. I wrote something.
See?
I'm a positively resolute survivor. Ha!
September 4, 2014
New Author Alert.....Introducing Geoffrey Saign
Continuing this blog's tradition of highlighting and introducing the readers to new authors, it is my pleasure to invite Geoffrey Saign to the bloggy. His post tells us about his writing journey and accomplishments far better than I could, so I'll let him do all the talking. (P.S. He has an uncanny knack for using amazing and enchanting names in his stories) Enjoy!
MY JOURNEY
Mrs. Stifter, my high school creative writing teacher, stood in front of our class and said, “I’m going to read someone’s writing, and a writer like this comes along about once in seventeen years.”I was shocked she read my piece, but it gave me confidence to write, and started me along a journey that would take me through six NY agents, some of the biggest, and through failed contracts from publishers, contracts I blew based on bad advice I followed when younger, three published non-fiction books, and many magazine articles and write-for-hire projects for children’s publishers.
Still, I never sold fiction. I think I was always a little bit behind the curve, too little, too late. My biggest agent expected to get a minimum of $50k in 30 days for an adult thriller. When it didn’t happen, and I asked him what he thought was the reason, he said, “They’re all stupid.” I laugh at that now.
After that I wrote a screenplay that an ex-Hollywood producer friend liked, and wanted a short rewrite on. I had been suffering from years of terrible allergies and pain, and decided instead to quit writing for ten years. I just didn’t have it in me to continue.
In 2006, when I found a solution out of my health issues, I flew back into writing and revamped a lot of my adult material into young adult and middle grade; this time I was in line with the publishing industry, where Potter was just beginning to make his mark. Also, the age range fit better with the stories, and I had spent decades working with children of all ages, 4-21, in educational settings, so I knew my target audience.
Still, no agents took me on and no publishers bought anything.
I have a great love of nature and water (sailing, swimming, etc.), and understanding myself and the world. In 2008, my health was finally good enough to be back in the sun again, back in water, and back in nature. I had lived for almost 15 years in a ‘boy in a bubble’ existence. I have no regrets and I learned a lot, and all of this prepared me to begin writing WhipEye in 2008.
In WhipEye, Samantha is grieving her mother and she’s an animal nerd in love with wildlife. I loved writing this character, and I gave her a friend, Jake, who is missing his absentee father, and gave them both a mentor, a thousand-year-old parrot, who imparts his wisdom with wisecracks. The parrot allows the ‘teacher’ in me to put some wisdom into the book without being preachy.
The publishing industry is like the Wild Wild West, and anything and everything is going on now to get books published. However, I didn’t want to self-publish. Still, no agent, no publisher wanted WhipEye. (BTW my sister commented two weeks before I sold it, that the working title was boring and dull and needed to be one word. I thought she was right, and for two weeks thought on this. While watching a movie, the word, WhipEye, came to me. I had no clue what it related to, and no idea where it came from. But I liked it. I had to write backstory into the novel to fit the new title.)
In 2013 a small publisher picked up the book. In spring of 2014, a month before the book was to come out, they informed me I’d get 4 pennies, yes, 4 cents/book royalty. I said goodbye, and since I’d already been doing most of the heavy lifting for the book, I self-published, happily! My cover artist in Poland disappeared a few days before the final cover was due, and I had to scramble to find another, and he improved on the color in the staff, so everything worked out for the best, as usual.
WhipEye is garnering great reviews on Lit Pick, Amazon, Middle Shelf, and in print, and I’m proud of it. The second book, Gorgon, is due out in spring of 2015, with two other series either self-published or with small online publishers starting in between. A few singles will go out too.
It’s great to feel that finally my writing will have a voice, get out there, and be recognized positively. One of the greatest joys as a writer is hearing from strangers, adults and kids, that they loved your book. One young
WHIPEYE BLURB:
Can a girl grieving her mother, a boy missing his father, and a thousand-year-old parrot save two worlds with the supernatural staff, WhipEye?
Samantha and her neighbor, Jake, have no idea that Samantha’s best friend, a parrot named Charlie, is a thousand years old. Charlie is also at the center of a secret battle between magical creatures and an ancient, evil man. When Charlie asks Samantha and Jake to protect him, they are chased by monsters from both sides. To save Charlie, and two worlds, Samantha and Jake have twenty-four hours to figure out how to use the supernatural staff, WhipEye, and find the courage to confront what they fear most…
Geoffrey SaignWatch the WhipEye book Trailerhttps://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MQQt4_0PIO0
http://www.geoffreysaign.net
MY JOURNEYMrs. Stifter, my high school creative writing teacher, stood in front of our class and said, “I’m going to read someone’s writing, and a writer like this comes along about once in seventeen years.”I was shocked she read my piece, but it gave me confidence to write, and started me along a journey that would take me through six NY agents, some of the biggest, and through failed contracts from publishers, contracts I blew based on bad advice I followed when younger, three published non-fiction books, and many magazine articles and write-for-hire projects for children’s publishers.
Still, I never sold fiction. I think I was always a little bit behind the curve, too little, too late. My biggest agent expected to get a minimum of $50k in 30 days for an adult thriller. When it didn’t happen, and I asked him what he thought was the reason, he said, “They’re all stupid.” I laugh at that now.
After that I wrote a screenplay that an ex-Hollywood producer friend liked, and wanted a short rewrite on. I had been suffering from years of terrible allergies and pain, and decided instead to quit writing for ten years. I just didn’t have it in me to continue.
In 2006, when I found a solution out of my health issues, I flew back into writing and revamped a lot of my adult material into young adult and middle grade; this time I was in line with the publishing industry, where Potter was just beginning to make his mark. Also, the age range fit better with the stories, and I had spent decades working with children of all ages, 4-21, in educational settings, so I knew my target audience.
Still, no agents took me on and no publishers bought anything.
I have a great love of nature and water (sailing, swimming, etc.), and understanding myself and the world. In 2008, my health was finally good enough to be back in the sun again, back in water, and back in nature. I had lived for almost 15 years in a ‘boy in a bubble’ existence. I have no regrets and I learned a lot, and all of this prepared me to begin writing WhipEye in 2008.
In WhipEye, Samantha is grieving her mother and she’s an animal nerd in love with wildlife. I loved writing this character, and I gave her a friend, Jake, who is missing his absentee father, and gave them both a mentor, a thousand-year-old parrot, who imparts his wisdom with wisecracks. The parrot allows the ‘teacher’ in me to put some wisdom into the book without being preachy.The publishing industry is like the Wild Wild West, and anything and everything is going on now to get books published. However, I didn’t want to self-publish. Still, no agent, no publisher wanted WhipEye. (BTW my sister commented two weeks before I sold it, that the working title was boring and dull and needed to be one word. I thought she was right, and for two weeks thought on this. While watching a movie, the word, WhipEye, came to me. I had no clue what it related to, and no idea where it came from. But I liked it. I had to write backstory into the novel to fit the new title.)
In 2013 a small publisher picked up the book. In spring of 2014, a month before the book was to come out, they informed me I’d get 4 pennies, yes, 4 cents/book royalty. I said goodbye, and since I’d already been doing most of the heavy lifting for the book, I self-published, happily! My cover artist in Poland disappeared a few days before the final cover was due, and I had to scramble to find another, and he improved on the color in the staff, so everything worked out for the best, as usual.
WhipEye is garnering great reviews on Lit Pick, Amazon, Middle Shelf, and in print, and I’m proud of it. The second book, Gorgon, is due out in spring of 2015, with two other series either self-published or with small online publishers starting in between. A few singles will go out too.
It’s great to feel that finally my writing will have a voice, get out there, and be recognized positively. One of the greatest joys as a writer is hearing from strangers, adults and kids, that they loved your book. One young
WHIPEYE BLURB:
Can a girl grieving her mother, a boy missing his father, and a thousand-year-old parrot save two worlds with the supernatural staff, WhipEye?
Samantha and her neighbor, Jake, have no idea that Samantha’s best friend, a parrot named Charlie, is a thousand years old. Charlie is also at the center of a secret battle between magical creatures and an ancient, evil man. When Charlie asks Samantha and Jake to protect him, they are chased by monsters from both sides. To save Charlie, and two worlds, Samantha and Jake have twenty-four hours to figure out how to use the supernatural staff, WhipEye, and find the courage to confront what they fear most…
Geoffrey SaignWatch the WhipEye book Trailerhttps://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MQQt4_0PIO0
http://www.geoffreysaign.net
September 1, 2014
Baby Steps
No, that is not the name of a new book of mine. While I do have a recently finished contemporary New Adult (SPARK, first in a series!), it's the writing baby steps that weigh in my mind at the moment.
So, I am sitting here watching the US Open. Now, watching tennis is one of my favorite things. Most holidays, and especially Labor Day, I look forward to doing it. I played the game a lot when I was younger and I really enjoy the elegant, classy sport. Plus, I loved the cute outfits. The only cuter ones were on ice skaters and ice and I don't get along well. But, I digress.
Anyway, as I am watching I am also appreciating the intelligent and interesting commentary from McEnroe and Carrillo, a seasoned duo of callers from the USTA roster of personalities. They always find something to say that provokes my thoughts, something new, even though they have been calling this game forever. They did again today.
They spoke of one of the US Open hopefuls working hard to get into the quarterfinals. The statement struck me. Why wasn't she working hard to win? The answer came with an almost revelatory epiphany.
Because she can't win at the finals unless she gets there first.
Perseverance.
Endurance.
Baby steps.
Writers, don't forget that the baby steps you take are the only way to get there. Write, and write some more. Read, and read some more. Hone your craft before you unleash it on the world. One step at a time, not skipping stones, no hopscotching.
How does that compare to tennis, you ask? Here's an example: I finished a book. Before I can even dream of selling or publishing it, there are many steps to be taken. I need to read the book. Out loud. To myself. Grammar will certainly need to be addressed, as well as the spell-check. Then editing will begin in earnest. Paragraphs, whole chapters may end up on the cutting room floor. I don't need to tell you that step; as writers we fear, dread and respect it.
I'll write a blurb. Then I'll write it again. And again. I'll consider a log line. I'll croak out a query and struggle to create a synopsis. Throw it all away and start over. These are the baby steps I'll take as I conduct my own Open, work my own brackets. My Round of 16, Round of 8. My quarterfinals to the semis. Each step I take gets me closer to the final. The finished book.
Many people have said it many ways, but the essence in all remains. A journey of a thousand miles begins with but one step. They just forgot to mention it was a baby step.
So, I am sitting here watching the US Open. Now, watching tennis is one of my favorite things. Most holidays, and especially Labor Day, I look forward to doing it. I played the game a lot when I was younger and I really enjoy the elegant, classy sport. Plus, I loved the cute outfits. The only cuter ones were on ice skaters and ice and I don't get along well. But, I digress.Anyway, as I am watching I am also appreciating the intelligent and interesting commentary from McEnroe and Carrillo, a seasoned duo of callers from the USTA roster of personalities. They always find something to say that provokes my thoughts, something new, even though they have been calling this game forever. They did again today.
They spoke of one of the US Open hopefuls working hard to get into the quarterfinals. The statement struck me. Why wasn't she working hard to win? The answer came with an almost revelatory epiphany.
Because she can't win at the finals unless she gets there first.
Perseverance.
Endurance.
Baby steps.
Writers, don't forget that the baby steps you take are the only way to get there. Write, and write some more. Read, and read some more. Hone your craft before you unleash it on the world. One step at a time, not skipping stones, no hopscotching.
How does that compare to tennis, you ask? Here's an example: I finished a book. Before I can even dream of selling or publishing it, there are many steps to be taken. I need to read the book. Out loud. To myself. Grammar will certainly need to be addressed, as well as the spell-check. Then editing will begin in earnest. Paragraphs, whole chapters may end up on the cutting room floor. I don't need to tell you that step; as writers we fear, dread and respect it.
I'll write a blurb. Then I'll write it again. And again. I'll consider a log line. I'll croak out a query and struggle to create a synopsis. Throw it all away and start over. These are the baby steps I'll take as I conduct my own Open, work my own brackets. My Round of 16, Round of 8. My quarterfinals to the semis. Each step I take gets me closer to the final. The finished book.
Many people have said it many ways, but the essence in all remains. A journey of a thousand miles begins with but one step. They just forgot to mention it was a baby step.
August 4, 2014
Top Ten Spelling Mistakes
I am guilty of four of these. Like, constantly. Like, even though I KNOW they are wrong. *sigh*
(Borrowed from a meme on Facebook Sorry there is nothing concrete to credit)
"Your" and "you're" are two completely different words.The contraction of "could have" is NOT "could of""Then" is a sequence of events. "Than" is used for comparison.Most of the time, "affect" is a verb; "effect" is a noun."They're", "Their" and "There" are completely different words."To", "Two", and "Too" are completely different words."Definitely" has no "a" in it - it definitely doesn't.Pants are "loose"; you "lose" your keys.You "bear" weight with your "bare" hands."A lot" is always two words.How about you? What constant misspellings make you crazy??
(Borrowed from a meme on Facebook Sorry there is nothing concrete to credit)
"Your" and "you're" are two completely different words.The contraction of "could have" is NOT "could of""Then" is a sequence of events. "Than" is used for comparison.Most of the time, "affect" is a verb; "effect" is a noun."They're", "Their" and "There" are completely different words."To", "Two", and "Too" are completely different words."Definitely" has no "a" in it - it definitely doesn't.Pants are "loose"; you "lose" your keys.You "bear" weight with your "bare" hands."A lot" is always two words.How about you? What constant misspellings make you crazy??July 30, 2014
Submission Tip/Checklist - 16 Things to Check Before Sending Your Submission!
Back to the literary doin's! I troll the web looking for tips for my aspiring author-friends and boy, did I find a winner today. Courtesy of one of my favorite sites for the first-timer, the established author, even the published-and-weary-of-it-all writer, I got this gem from Chuck Sambuchino's blog Writers In the Storm (http://writersinthestormblog.com/) and can't wait to share it with you all.
Here are Chuck's 16 tips for your submission.
And as always, please feel free to add your own.
Submission Tip Checklist
Be formal. Although you’ll be sending most queries electronically and there is a tendency to be less formal over e-mail, address the agent as you would in a paper letter. Remember that elements like sarcasm and self-deprecating humor do not necessarily come across well in unsolicited correspondence.Personalize your query to each agent or market. (No mass submissions to multiple people at the same time.) Make sure that you have the agent’s name spelled correctly. If their name is “Sam Johnson” and you are not positive of their gender, use neither “Mr. Johnson” nor “Mrs. Johnson,” but rather just address them using “Dear Sam Johnson.”Double-check the agency or publisher guidelines to make sure you’re submitting the correct materials to the correct contact. This, obviously, is a huge point—so take your time with it.Make the e-mail’s subject line specific if the market requests it. If not, simply writing “Query: (TITLE)” is a safe bet. If you’re sending your e-mail to a specific agent at an agency, but the agency only provides a generic e-mail address (e.g., query@xyzagency.com), then use the subject line “Query for (Agent Name): (TITLE).”Keep your emotions in check: Submission e-mails should be professional and businesslike, so resist the temptation to say something off-putting like “Although you inexplicably did not respond to my last query, I am trying you again with a new project and hope you will at least get back to me on this one.”Do not say “I welcome your feedback or comments on my work/pitch.” It’s not an agent’s job to critique the work for you, and they will see such a comment as a red flag.Don’t type in all caps or all lowercase. Use proper punctuation and pay attention to grammar and spelling always. (You can write your book’s title in all caps in the query letter, but not anything else.)Double check the mailing address or e-mail inbox you’re sending to. One wrong letter in an e-mail address is enough for your query to be lost in cyberspace forever.Respect the importance of the query. A good query will open doors, so make sure others have seen and critiqued your letter before you send it out to dozens of markets. The same goes for your synopsis or nonfiction book proposal. Don’t go into battle with questionable weapons.If querying by e-mail, make sure all your font and type size is the same.Since you will be cutting and pasting into e-mail, different sentences can appear different sizes. Send yourself or a friend a test e-mail to check for such an issue.Make no demands. Anything that seems like a demand (“Respond to my letter within three weeks to respect my time”) is a major turn-off.Act with humility when talking about yourself. No matter your current accomplishments, and no matter how much you think your novel is the best thing since “Breaking Bad,” you need to simply discuss the story. Even if your writing history is impressive, be sure to state your accomplishments quickly and humbly.Unless you have a serious health concern that prevents you from using a computer, submit your own book yourself. In other words, don’t have a friend or relative submit your book for you. This kind of communication gets confusing and the agent may not know whom to address in correspondence. Plus, it can give an agent pause to wonder why the writer is not confident enough to submit his or her own work.If you do use snail mail, don’t try to set yourself apart by using fancy stationery. Standard letterhead and envelopes are preferable. Don’t include any extraneous materials that were not requested.Do a final check to make sure the agent (or market) in question is still open to submissions. For example, if an agent suddenly closed herself off to unsolicited queries this morning, she will usually say so on Twitter first, and also make a note of it on her official agency website. Those two online locations are good places to visit right before you hit “Send” to double-check that communication lines are still open.And after you do send off the work, ensure that you noted the e-mail on your submissions spreadsheet, so you can effectively keep track of each agent you’ve submitted to and when.
Here are Chuck's 16 tips for your submission.
And as always, please feel free to add your own.
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Submission Tip ChecklistBe formal. Although you’ll be sending most queries electronically and there is a tendency to be less formal over e-mail, address the agent as you would in a paper letter. Remember that elements like sarcasm and self-deprecating humor do not necessarily come across well in unsolicited correspondence.Personalize your query to each agent or market. (No mass submissions to multiple people at the same time.) Make sure that you have the agent’s name spelled correctly. If their name is “Sam Johnson” and you are not positive of their gender, use neither “Mr. Johnson” nor “Mrs. Johnson,” but rather just address them using “Dear Sam Johnson.”Double-check the agency or publisher guidelines to make sure you’re submitting the correct materials to the correct contact. This, obviously, is a huge point—so take your time with it.Make the e-mail’s subject line specific if the market requests it. If not, simply writing “Query: (TITLE)” is a safe bet. If you’re sending your e-mail to a specific agent at an agency, but the agency only provides a generic e-mail address (e.g., query@xyzagency.com), then use the subject line “Query for (Agent Name): (TITLE).”Keep your emotions in check: Submission e-mails should be professional and businesslike, so resist the temptation to say something off-putting like “Although you inexplicably did not respond to my last query, I am trying you again with a new project and hope you will at least get back to me on this one.”Do not say “I welcome your feedback or comments on my work/pitch.” It’s not an agent’s job to critique the work for you, and they will see such a comment as a red flag.Don’t type in all caps or all lowercase. Use proper punctuation and pay attention to grammar and spelling always. (You can write your book’s title in all caps in the query letter, but not anything else.)Double check the mailing address or e-mail inbox you’re sending to. One wrong letter in an e-mail address is enough for your query to be lost in cyberspace forever.Respect the importance of the query. A good query will open doors, so make sure others have seen and critiqued your letter before you send it out to dozens of markets. The same goes for your synopsis or nonfiction book proposal. Don’t go into battle with questionable weapons.If querying by e-mail, make sure all your font and type size is the same.Since you will be cutting and pasting into e-mail, different sentences can appear different sizes. Send yourself or a friend a test e-mail to check for such an issue.Make no demands. Anything that seems like a demand (“Respond to my letter within three weeks to respect my time”) is a major turn-off.Act with humility when talking about yourself. No matter your current accomplishments, and no matter how much you think your novel is the best thing since “Breaking Bad,” you need to simply discuss the story. Even if your writing history is impressive, be sure to state your accomplishments quickly and humbly.Unless you have a serious health concern that prevents you from using a computer, submit your own book yourself. In other words, don’t have a friend or relative submit your book for you. This kind of communication gets confusing and the agent may not know whom to address in correspondence. Plus, it can give an agent pause to wonder why the writer is not confident enough to submit his or her own work.If you do use snail mail, don’t try to set yourself apart by using fancy stationery. Standard letterhead and envelopes are preferable. Don’t include any extraneous materials that were not requested.Do a final check to make sure the agent (or market) in question is still open to submissions. For example, if an agent suddenly closed herself off to unsolicited queries this morning, she will usually say so on Twitter first, and also make a note of it on her official agency website. Those two online locations are good places to visit right before you hit “Send” to double-check that communication lines are still open.And after you do send off the work, ensure that you noted the e-mail on your submissions spreadsheet, so you can effectively keep track of each agent you’ve submitted to and when.
July 24, 2014
And Now For Something Completely Different
We depart from the literary world of tips and tricks for this. Because I have been to Target way too many times in my life and, sadly, I have done all of these things, and, quite frequently, all on the same day. It's not pretty and I apologize to no one. *sigh* Borrowed from @Dynamom with thanks and slack-jawed awe.
10 Things Moms Do At Target
10. Circle the lot 4 times looking for a better parking spot. Feel misplaced sense of pride when finding a spot 2 spaces closer than the one you spied when you arrived 12 minutes ago.9. Upon entrance, make a beeline directly to the in-store Starbucks. Do not pass go, do not collect $200. Instead, *spend* $200 buying a tall latte for yourself and a milk box and bag of Cheddar Bunnies for the kidlette.
8. Head to clothing section. Consider a cute peplum top in slimming black, while kid complains in cart about how long it's taking to get to the toy section. Put peplum top into cart and hope it achieves its purpose in your wardrobe: to stylishly camouflage belly flab.7. Set latte down in cart while contemplating new workout gear that will be worn for sitting on the couch. Sigh when kid spills latte with leg. Search for paper towels to no avail. 'Mop' up latte with Old Navy receipt found in handbag.6. Arrive at toy section. Child wants 3 new Hot Wheels trucks. Enter into lengthy in-aisle discussion with child about how they need to appreciate the things they have and enjoy what they already own. Revel in glory from respected glances via other Hot Wheels Aisle Moms clearly struggling with same issue. Settle on one new truck for child, feel accomplished and await Good Mom Award or sash of some stripe.5. Feel very frugal buying dog food on sale, even though it's only $.15 cheaper than normal. Put another bag into cart. Contemplate emailing TLC to be featured on Extreme Couponers because obviously this is talent, people.4. Find food section. Add the following: fruit chews, potato chips, Cheez-its, granola bars, peanut butter, frozen waffles, giant bag of mandarin oranges. Every. Time.3. Browse housewares section for no apparent reason. Realize you really need an owl candle. And a citrus scented home fragrance diffuser. And that white lacquered tray.2. Look at contents of cart. Experience momentary guilt about home décor purchases. Remove peplum shirt and set next to stackable crates. Consider buying a stackable crate.1. Check out at the register. Feel simultaneously proud and horrified that you're spending $148. Realize your kid is still holding the Hot Wheels truck. Make that $152.
10 Things Moms Do At Target
10. Circle the lot 4 times looking for a better parking spot. Feel misplaced sense of pride when finding a spot 2 spaces closer than the one you spied when you arrived 12 minutes ago.9. Upon entrance, make a beeline directly to the in-store Starbucks. Do not pass go, do not collect $200. Instead, *spend* $200 buying a tall latte for yourself and a milk box and bag of Cheddar Bunnies for the kidlette.
8. Head to clothing section. Consider a cute peplum top in slimming black, while kid complains in cart about how long it's taking to get to the toy section. Put peplum top into cart and hope it achieves its purpose in your wardrobe: to stylishly camouflage belly flab.7. Set latte down in cart while contemplating new workout gear that will be worn for sitting on the couch. Sigh when kid spills latte with leg. Search for paper towels to no avail. 'Mop' up latte with Old Navy receipt found in handbag.6. Arrive at toy section. Child wants 3 new Hot Wheels trucks. Enter into lengthy in-aisle discussion with child about how they need to appreciate the things they have and enjoy what they already own. Revel in glory from respected glances via other Hot Wheels Aisle Moms clearly struggling with same issue. Settle on one new truck for child, feel accomplished and await Good Mom Award or sash of some stripe.5. Feel very frugal buying dog food on sale, even though it's only $.15 cheaper than normal. Put another bag into cart. Contemplate emailing TLC to be featured on Extreme Couponers because obviously this is talent, people.4. Find food section. Add the following: fruit chews, potato chips, Cheez-its, granola bars, peanut butter, frozen waffles, giant bag of mandarin oranges. Every. Time.3. Browse housewares section for no apparent reason. Realize you really need an owl candle. And a citrus scented home fragrance diffuser. And that white lacquered tray.2. Look at contents of cart. Experience momentary guilt about home décor purchases. Remove peplum shirt and set next to stackable crates. Consider buying a stackable crate.1. Check out at the register. Feel simultaneously proud and horrified that you're spending $148. Realize your kid is still holding the Hot Wheels truck. Make that $152.July 14, 2014
Hate Writing the Synopsis? Tips and Tricks For You
As an avid reader of Chuck Sambuchino's blog, Writer Unboxed, I often find topics that simply must be shared. Today I am reposting one written about the dreaded synopsis. I hate writing one of these almost as much as I fear writing the query.
Many agents and editors will request one as part of your pitch. They want to see where the story leads, and how it gets there. The story arc is important to them. Writing a synopsis doesn't have to be scary. These tips will help. This article has helped me numerous times. Okay, more times that I care to mention.
Check it out.
1. Reveal everything major that happens in your book, including the ending. Heck, revealing the story’s ending is a synopsis’s defining unique characteristic. You shouldn’t find a story’s ending in a query or in-person pitch, but it does leak out in a synopsis. On this note, know that a synopsis is designed to explain everything major that happens, not to tease — so avoid language such as “Krista walks around a corner into a big surprise.” Don’t say “surprise,” but rather just tell us what happens.
2. Make your synopsis two pages, double-spaced. There is always some disagreement on length. This stems from the fact that synopses used to trend longer (six, eight, or even 12 pages!). But over the last five years, agents have requested shorter and shorter synopses — with most agents finally settling on 1-2 pages, total. If you write yours as one page, single-spaced, it’s the same length as two pages, double-spaced — and either are acceptable. There will be the occasional agent who requests something strange, such as a “5-page synopsis on beige paper that smells of cinnamon!” But trust me, if you turn in a solid 1-2 page work, you’ll be just fine across the board.3. Take more care and time if you’re writing genre fiction. Synopses are especially difficult to compose if you’re writing character-driven (i.e., literary) fiction, because they may not be a whole lot of plot in the book. Agents and editors understand this, and put little (or no) weight into a synopsis for literary or character-driven stories. However, if you’re writing genre fiction — specifically categories like romance, fantasy, thriller, mystery, horror or science fiction — agents will quickly want to look over your characters and plot points to make sure your book has a clear beginning, middle and end, as well as some unique aspects they haven’t seen before in a story. So if you’re getting ready to submit a genre story, don’t blow through your synopsis; it’s important.4. Feel free to be dry, but don’t step out of the narrative. When you write your prose (and even the pitch in your query letter), there is importance in using style and voice in the writing. A synopsis, thankfully, not only can be dry, but probably should be dry. The synopsis has to explain everything that happens in a very small amount of space. So if you find yourself using short, dry sentences like “John shoots Bill and then sits down to contemplate suicide,” don’t worry. This is normal. Lean, clean language is great. And lastly, do not step out of the narrative. Agents do not want to read things such as “And at the climax of the story,” “In a rousing scene,” or “In a flashback.”5. Capitalize character names when characters are introduced. Whenever a new character is introduced, make sure to CAPITALIZE them in the first mention and then use normal text throughout. This helps a literaragent immediately recognize each important name. On this subject, avoid naming too many characters (confusing) and try to set a limit of five, with no more than six total. I know this may sound tough, but it’s doable. It forces you to excise smaller characters and subplots from your summary — actually strengthening your novel synopsis along the way.
If you enjoyed this reprint article. make sure an visit his blog: Writerunboxed.com
Many agents and editors will request one as part of your pitch. They want to see where the story leads, and how it gets there. The story arc is important to them. Writing a synopsis doesn't have to be scary. These tips will help. This article has helped me numerous times. Okay, more times that I care to mention.
Check it out.
1. Reveal everything major that happens in your book, including the ending. Heck, revealing the story’s ending is a synopsis’s defining unique characteristic. You shouldn’t find a story’s ending in a query or in-person pitch, but it does leak out in a synopsis. On this note, know that a synopsis is designed to explain everything major that happens, not to tease — so avoid language such as “Krista walks around a corner into a big surprise.” Don’t say “surprise,” but rather just tell us what happens.
2. Make your synopsis two pages, double-spaced. There is always some disagreement on length. This stems from the fact that synopses used to trend longer (six, eight, or even 12 pages!). But over the last five years, agents have requested shorter and shorter synopses — with most agents finally settling on 1-2 pages, total. If you write yours as one page, single-spaced, it’s the same length as two pages, double-spaced — and either are acceptable. There will be the occasional agent who requests something strange, such as a “5-page synopsis on beige paper that smells of cinnamon!” But trust me, if you turn in a solid 1-2 page work, you’ll be just fine across the board.3. Take more care and time if you’re writing genre fiction. Synopses are especially difficult to compose if you’re writing character-driven (i.e., literary) fiction, because they may not be a whole lot of plot in the book. Agents and editors understand this, and put little (or no) weight into a synopsis for literary or character-driven stories. However, if you’re writing genre fiction — specifically categories like romance, fantasy, thriller, mystery, horror or science fiction — agents will quickly want to look over your characters and plot points to make sure your book has a clear beginning, middle and end, as well as some unique aspects they haven’t seen before in a story. So if you’re getting ready to submit a genre story, don’t blow through your synopsis; it’s important.4. Feel free to be dry, but don’t step out of the narrative. When you write your prose (and even the pitch in your query letter), there is importance in using style and voice in the writing. A synopsis, thankfully, not only can be dry, but probably should be dry. The synopsis has to explain everything that happens in a very small amount of space. So if you find yourself using short, dry sentences like “John shoots Bill and then sits down to contemplate suicide,” don’t worry. This is normal. Lean, clean language is great. And lastly, do not step out of the narrative. Agents do not want to read things such as “And at the climax of the story,” “In a rousing scene,” or “In a flashback.”5. Capitalize character names when characters are introduced. Whenever a new character is introduced, make sure to CAPITALIZE them in the first mention and then use normal text throughout. This helps a literaragent immediately recognize each important name. On this subject, avoid naming too many characters (confusing) and try to set a limit of five, with no more than six total. I know this may sound tough, but it’s doable. It forces you to excise smaller characters and subplots from your summary — actually strengthening your novel synopsis along the way.
If you enjoyed this reprint article. make sure an visit his blog: Writerunboxed.com
April 28, 2014
Welcome L.M.Randem!
A facebook friend of mine is releasing a new book and I am happy to present it to you here. Please enjoy meeting and reading my friend, the author L.M. Randem!
Hey, folks! L.M. Randem here. :)
I’ve just self-pubbed my first Kindle book under my new pen name, which is a contemporary—and somewhat steamy—romance. No shifters, no vamps, no paranormal anything, just a good old-fashioned love story where a man and a woman fall for each other at first sight.
How was it for me to write this story? Well, let me begin by explaining that the story itself is being told in a trilogy of shorter-style e-books—estimated print length ninety to one-hundred pages each—titled #1 UnDone, #2 UnHinged, and #3 UnStoppable. UnDone was published on April 9, 2014, UnHinged is in the final stages of editing and will be released within the next couple of weeks, and UnStoppable is at about the halfway point of being written and is scheduled to be released within the next month.
As for the content, I’m one of those people who always said I’d never write anything too steamy, because it just wasn’t my thing. I know how it works and all, lol, but it’s like being in someone’s bedroom with them when they should be alone. After much internal and external debate (with friends and family), however, I decided to change my mind. I’ve seen a huge influx of stories from sorta sexy to straight-up erotica, and they all seem to be selling like hotcakes. What’s that saying? I believe it goes like so, ’If you can’t beat ‘em, join ‘em,’and that’s exactly what I’m attempting to do with this trilogy. There’s at least one long sex scene in each book, and I don’t mind saying that I feel I’ve done a great job writing them with as much class as possible. Each scene gets a little easier to write, too, so perhaps one of these days I’ll become much more comfortable writing in this genre.
In this trilogy, you’ll follow Sam and Billy (short for Belinda), as they are brought together by a strange twist of fate, and fall head-over-heals in love. There are also hurdles they both must overcome, tragedies from the past that come back to haunt them, and unexpected dreams that come true. I hope you’ll give it a chance, and that you enjoy my debut into the world of writing romance and drama.
Thank you,
LM RandemFacebook: https://www.facebook.com/LM.Randem
Amazon:
http://tinyurl.com/mhxlzdy
Hey, folks! L.M. Randem here. :)
I’ve just self-pubbed my first Kindle book under my new pen name, which is a contemporary—and somewhat steamy—romance. No shifters, no vamps, no paranormal anything, just a good old-fashioned love story where a man and a woman fall for each other at first sight.
How was it for me to write this story? Well, let me begin by explaining that the story itself is being told in a trilogy of shorter-style e-books—estimated print length ninety to one-hundred pages each—titled #1 UnDone, #2 UnHinged, and #3 UnStoppable. UnDone was published on April 9, 2014, UnHinged is in the final stages of editing and will be released within the next couple of weeks, and UnStoppable is at about the halfway point of being written and is scheduled to be released within the next month.As for the content, I’m one of those people who always said I’d never write anything too steamy, because it just wasn’t my thing. I know how it works and all, lol, but it’s like being in someone’s bedroom with them when they should be alone. After much internal and external debate (with friends and family), however, I decided to change my mind. I’ve seen a huge influx of stories from sorta sexy to straight-up erotica, and they all seem to be selling like hotcakes. What’s that saying? I believe it goes like so, ’If you can’t beat ‘em, join ‘em,’and that’s exactly what I’m attempting to do with this trilogy. There’s at least one long sex scene in each book, and I don’t mind saying that I feel I’ve done a great job writing them with as much class as possible. Each scene gets a little easier to write, too, so perhaps one of these days I’ll become much more comfortable writing in this genre.
In this trilogy, you’ll follow Sam and Billy (short for Belinda), as they are brought together by a strange twist of fate, and fall head-over-heals in love. There are also hurdles they both must overcome, tragedies from the past that come back to haunt them, and unexpected dreams that come true. I hope you’ll give it a chance, and that you enjoy my debut into the world of writing romance and drama.
Thank you,LM RandemFacebook: https://www.facebook.com/LM.Randem
Amazon:
http://tinyurl.com/mhxlzdy
April 20, 2014
Being Stuck
Every time I open my computer, several pages have been defaulted to open immediately. You know, the usual. Facebook, MSN.com, Google, etc. Another one that opens is my blog post. So, every time it opens I am reminded that it has been a hella-long time since I wrote a post. And I wonder why that is. Except, I already know why. I'm stuck.
In fact, being stuck is a relatively normal thing for me right now. I feel stuck at work. I adore my job and absolutely love what I do, but I know changes need to be made, involving me and my department, and if they are to be made, I will have to do something about them. But, I don't want to. So I am stuck.
I'm also stuck with my home life. Actually, to be more specific, with my home. My family and I want to buy a house, make it a home, have a backyard, fret over paint colors and bald patches in the rug, and which tea towels bring out the color scheme of the kitchen. Except, we can't. Not yet anyway, and we are working to make "not yet" go far the hell away, but for right now, it is here, prevalent. So I am stuck.
I am stuck on the page as well. The written page. Or, in my current case, the UN-written page. I have ten published books and I am writing the eleventh. You know what? It's really friggin' good. The whole genre itself actually represents another departure for me, another veer from course, another challenge accepted. Can I write a book for a young to new adult that doesn't have one single solitary paranormal element? YIKES! A contemporary story? So, as I am writing it, it turns out I can. I have a great premise, bitchin', fleshed-out characters and one bears a striking resemblance to the girl i wanted to be when i was younger. See? Exciting stuff. Except, I am stuck.
I know the story I want to write. I want to write the story others want to read. But, being stuck is really getting in the way lately. To an annoying degree. I've come to understand that while I am, indeed stuck, and this is now a level of normalcy for me, I am not at all comfortable here. It's like when I went to Magic Mountain when I was a young adult with friends. There were five of us and a Pinto. (This now will age me, I'm sure.) I was skinny and cute back then, so I was put in the middle of the back seat. Remember the middle of the back seat? The one with the hump on it? Yep. Rode that bastard all the way from San Diego to Ventura goddamn county. It was bearable, sure, but verrry uncomfortable. That's what being stuck feels like.
The good news is I have been here before and the territory is familiar. The bad news is that I have never been here in so many areas of my life at one time. I'm not depressed; far from it. I am....considered. Thoughtful. Anticipatory. And pissed. Very definitely pissed. I need to buckle down and kick this whatever-it-is in the ass. How I have decided to do that is to make a list. I have been making lists my whole life. In fact, I come from a long line of list-makers and we excel at our task. So, here is my list. It's called Things That Will Happen In 2014 Because I Want Them To Happen.
1. My Hubs and I will buy the home I love for my family.
2. I will finish Book #11, start and finish Book #12 and start Book #13.
3. I will come to the attention of an influential literary giant. (agent , publisher, editor, I don't care)
4. I will blog more often, willingly, because there will be many joyful events on which to report.
5. I will have a greater presence everywhere: in my children's lives, in my book-babies, in my marriage, and in my profession.
In short, I will be kicking some ass and I will be starting with my own. It may be April, and very nearly May, but for me, 2014 just started. And it better look the hell out.
In fact, being stuck is a relatively normal thing for me right now. I feel stuck at work. I adore my job and absolutely love what I do, but I know changes need to be made, involving me and my department, and if they are to be made, I will have to do something about them. But, I don't want to. So I am stuck.
I'm also stuck with my home life. Actually, to be more specific, with my home. My family and I want to buy a house, make it a home, have a backyard, fret over paint colors and bald patches in the rug, and which tea towels bring out the color scheme of the kitchen. Except, we can't. Not yet anyway, and we are working to make "not yet" go far the hell away, but for right now, it is here, prevalent. So I am stuck.
I am stuck on the page as well. The written page. Or, in my current case, the UN-written page. I have ten published books and I am writing the eleventh. You know what? It's really friggin' good. The whole genre itself actually represents another departure for me, another veer from course, another challenge accepted. Can I write a book for a young to new adult that doesn't have one single solitary paranormal element? YIKES! A contemporary story? So, as I am writing it, it turns out I can. I have a great premise, bitchin', fleshed-out characters and one bears a striking resemblance to the girl i wanted to be when i was younger. See? Exciting stuff. Except, I am stuck.
I know the story I want to write. I want to write the story others want to read. But, being stuck is really getting in the way lately. To an annoying degree. I've come to understand that while I am, indeed stuck, and this is now a level of normalcy for me, I am not at all comfortable here. It's like when I went to Magic Mountain when I was a young adult with friends. There were five of us and a Pinto. (This now will age me, I'm sure.) I was skinny and cute back then, so I was put in the middle of the back seat. Remember the middle of the back seat? The one with the hump on it? Yep. Rode that bastard all the way from San Diego to Ventura goddamn county. It was bearable, sure, but verrry uncomfortable. That's what being stuck feels like.The good news is I have been here before and the territory is familiar. The bad news is that I have never been here in so many areas of my life at one time. I'm not depressed; far from it. I am....considered. Thoughtful. Anticipatory. And pissed. Very definitely pissed. I need to buckle down and kick this whatever-it-is in the ass. How I have decided to do that is to make a list. I have been making lists my whole life. In fact, I come from a long line of list-makers and we excel at our task. So, here is my list. It's called Things That Will Happen In 2014 Because I Want Them To Happen.
1. My Hubs and I will buy the home I love for my family.
2. I will finish Book #11, start and finish Book #12 and start Book #13.3. I will come to the attention of an influential literary giant. (agent , publisher, editor, I don't care)
4. I will blog more often, willingly, because there will be many joyful events on which to report.
5. I will have a greater presence everywhere: in my children's lives, in my book-babies, in my marriage, and in my profession.
In short, I will be kicking some ass and I will be starting with my own. It may be April, and very nearly May, but for me, 2014 just started. And it better look the hell out.
March 24, 2014
Cover Reveal from Annamaria Bazzi!
And here is another wonderful new release from a talented independent author previously featured here on the bloggy! Enjoy! The day has finally arrived. I would like to present to all of annamaria's readers the wonderful cover for: 
Hello, my name is Dolores and I'm a forty-something mother of two high school girls, Ella and Chloe. On my way to their recital, I was in a car accident that changed my life forever. We all desire to be young again, but never in someone else's body. If you think magic doesn't exist, think again. There truly are people in the world who can wield magic, and I'm not talking the illusion kind we see on stage, I'm talking real magic, the magic you read in books with wizards and sorceresses. You don't have to take my word, read my story and find out for yourself the ordeal I had to go through to find my way back home. Author Bio:
Although born in the United States, annamaria bazzi spent a great deal of her childhood in Sicily, Italy, in a town called Sciacca. Italian was the language spoken at home. Therefore, she had no problems when she found herself growing up in a strange country. Upon returning to the states, she promised herself she would speak without an accent. She attended Wayne State University in Detroit Michigan, where she obtained her Bachelor of Science in Computers with a minor in Spanish. annamaria spent twenty years programming systems for large corporations, creating innovative solution, and addressing customer problems. During those years, she raised four daughters and one husband. annamaria lives in Richmond Virginia with her small family where she now dedicates a good part of her day writing. You can visit annamaria at:
Book: Incantation Paradox
Author: annamaria bazzi
Cover Designer: Natasha Brown
Genre: Urban Fantasy
Release Date: Undetermined
Blurb:
A car accident cuts Dolores Reynard’s life short, leaving her with a long list of unfulfilled dreams. When she awakens in a strange bed, inside a much younger body, and living with a new family—she can’t worry she might be going insane. How can she be a teenager again?
Jason Richmond understands the danger awaiting his new houseguest. Wanting to ease her concerns, he works to earn Dolores’ trust. But attraction flares in the most unexpected way, and he finds himself caught between setting the situation right and following his heart.
An enduring evil threatens not only the blossoming love but their lives as well. As Dolores and Jason struggle to unravel the truth behind her resurrection, they find themselves tangled in a web of murder, intrigue and magic. Only together can they hope to overcome the incantation paradox holding them captive.
Dolores:
Hello, my name is Dolores and I'm a forty-something mother of two high school girls, Ella and Chloe. On my way to their recital, I was in a car accident that changed my life forever. We all desire to be young again, but never in someone else's body. If you think magic doesn't exist, think again. There truly are people in the world who can wield magic, and I'm not talking the illusion kind we see on stage, I'm talking real magic, the magic you read in books with wizards and sorceresses. You don't have to take my word, read my story and find out for yourself the ordeal I had to go through to find my way back home. Author Bio:
Although born in the United States, annamaria bazzi spent a great deal of her childhood in Sicily, Italy, in a town called Sciacca. Italian was the language spoken at home. Therefore, she had no problems when she found herself growing up in a strange country. Upon returning to the states, she promised herself she would speak without an accent. She attended Wayne State University in Detroit Michigan, where she obtained her Bachelor of Science in Computers with a minor in Spanish. annamaria spent twenty years programming systems for large corporations, creating innovative solution, and addressing customer problems. During those years, she raised four daughters and one husband. annamaria lives in Richmond Virginia with her small family where she now dedicates a good part of her day writing. You can visit annamaria at: Blog - website - Facebook page - twitter - Amazon - email
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