L.J. Singleton's Blog, page 4
December 22, 2011
Dog Names
When I was a kid, I was wild about everything dog. I collected photos, had a dog-cat club with my best friend, drew dog pictures, and made list of dog names. For a short time I even wanted to be a vet, until I realized needles and blood was involved. So I wrote animal stories instead, like the classic: Termite the Terrible Puppy.
So this morning I'm working on rewrites and watching the news (with my dog Lacey curled up beside me) and on the news they have a poll to name a dog. I never click over to news sites but I couldn't resist this. The puppy was so cute, too, all small and curly and white. Some of the names to choose from were Snowball, Bear, Coco, Tater, Dizzy, Sunny, Parker, Rocky, Miles, Cosmo, Coltrane, Oats, etc. I had to vote of course. I was leaning toward Coco until I read it again and saw it was a male puppy. So I picked Cosmo then checked the %'s and found that it wasn't the most popular name. Can you guess which name is leading with 17%?
It's up at www.gooddaysacramento.com
Linda...very skilled at procastinating instead of working on my book.
So this morning I'm working on rewrites and watching the news (with my dog Lacey curled up beside me) and on the news they have a poll to name a dog. I never click over to news sites but I couldn't resist this. The puppy was so cute, too, all small and curly and white. Some of the names to choose from were Snowball, Bear, Coco, Tater, Dizzy, Sunny, Parker, Rocky, Miles, Cosmo, Coltrane, Oats, etc. I had to vote of course. I was leaning toward Coco until I read it again and saw it was a male puppy. So I picked Cosmo then checked the %'s and found that it wasn't the most popular name. Can you guess which name is leading with 17%?
It's up at www.gooddaysacramento.com
Linda...very skilled at procastinating instead of working on my book.
December 20, 2011
POPULAR LIKES vs UNPOPULAR LIKES
Doesn't it feel great when you're talking about music-tv-movies-books to someone and find out you have the same taste. "I love it too" -- four words that connect us with each other. Having something common is a unversal Superglue that unites people.
Not having anything in common can be interesting, too, and sometimes you can convince a friend to try something new. Or by liking something unique, you feel unique, too.
So I thought I'd share my list of things I like that are POPULAR or SHOULD BE.
THINGS I LIKE THAT ARE TRENDING IN POPULARITY:
BOOKS MADE INTO MOVIES:
Girl with Dragon Tattoo (Swedish translated to English) plus upcoming movie
The Help
HUGO
TV SHOWS
Terra Nova (not sure if this is popular or not!)
Glee
Two Broke Girls
Survivor, Amazing Race, Project Runway
MEGA-STAR BOOKS
Harry Popular...I mean...Potter
Twilight -- yeah, I liked them which is less popular now than last year
Hunger Games-soon to be as popular as Twilight once the movie comes out
BOOKS THAT ARE GAINING POPULARITY AND IF THEY AREN'T THEY SHOULD BE:
Ruby Red
Emerald Atlas
Liesl and Po
Drizzle
The Future of Us
Terrier trilogy by Tamora Pierce
And a picture book called PIRATE NAP by Danna Smith which is so fun to read that kids will beg "Again!"
Under the topic of "chocolate"...I love chocolate which is always popular especially at holidays.
Cats. Writers and cats, we just understand each other.
Music -- I have an odd mx of popular (Katy & GaGa) & Coldplay) and vintage (Beach Boys, Abba) on my Pandora app.
And I love musicals -- already have tickets for my family to go to see WICKED in June -- with a great song called "Popular."
Not having anything in common can be interesting, too, and sometimes you can convince a friend to try something new. Or by liking something unique, you feel unique, too.
So I thought I'd share my list of things I like that are POPULAR or SHOULD BE.
THINGS I LIKE THAT ARE TRENDING IN POPULARITY:
BOOKS MADE INTO MOVIES:
Girl with Dragon Tattoo (Swedish translated to English) plus upcoming movie
The Help
HUGO
TV SHOWS
Terra Nova (not sure if this is popular or not!)
Glee
Two Broke Girls
Survivor, Amazing Race, Project Runway
MEGA-STAR BOOKS
Harry Popular...I mean...Potter
Twilight -- yeah, I liked them which is less popular now than last year
Hunger Games-soon to be as popular as Twilight once the movie comes out
BOOKS THAT ARE GAINING POPULARITY AND IF THEY AREN'T THEY SHOULD BE:
Ruby Red
Emerald Atlas
Liesl and Po
Drizzle
The Future of Us
Terrier trilogy by Tamora Pierce
And a picture book called PIRATE NAP by Danna Smith which is so fun to read that kids will beg "Again!"
Under the topic of "chocolate"...I love chocolate which is always popular especially at holidays.
Cats. Writers and cats, we just understand each other.
Music -- I have an odd mx of popular (Katy & GaGa) & Coldplay) and vintage (Beach Boys, Abba) on my Pandora app.
And I love musicals -- already have tickets for my family to go to see WICKED in June -- with a great song called "Popular."
December 4, 2011
THE CHRISTMAS GIFT THAT KEEPS GIVING....
A book, of course. But add a childhood story to the book and it becomes more than a book; it becomes a never-ending story (which was an amazing movie of the same title by the way...but I degress....)
The story of this Christmas-theme book begins when I was 13 years old. I was shy, unpopular, insecure and bursting with creativity that often came out in the inventive crafts and games my best friend and I created (but that's another story). When I couldn't hang out with my best friend Lori, I spent time with my other best friend: books. I loved reading so much and had discovered girl mystery books. My favorites were the Nancy Drew and Judy Bolton series (rivals in publishing, but best friends on my bookshelves). So I wrote two fan letters--the first went to Carolyn Keene care of Grosset & Dunlap. I never received a reply (ghosts can't write fan letters after all). So I wrote a letter to my other favorite author, Margaret Sutton, original creator and author of 38 Judy Bolton mystery novels. And Margaret wrote back.
I was SO thrilled to have a letter from my favorite author. I showed it off at school the next day and will never forget that thrill, especially when I get the opportunity to give the same thrill to a fan of my books. Well, my relationship with Margaret didn't end there. She recognized something in me, maybe passion for writing, and we kept sharing letters. I met her in person at my high school graduation party (just my family in the kitchen, with Margaret as the celebrity guest).
PHOTO: Linda (age 17) Margaret (age 71)
As adults Margaret and I kept in touch mostly through holiday cards but when she moved to Berkeley, just an hour away, I visited her. On one visit she gave me the address for a group of her fans who had started a newsletter, The Whispered Watchword. Meeting other Judy Bolton fans was amazing. Even more amazing, through serendipity, one of the other fans has been given the beginning chapters of a new Judy Bolton mystery by Margaret and told she could do whatever she wanted with it. She gave it to me.
Now to understand how HUGE this was, imagine your favorite series and how you felt when it ended. I'd read all 38 Judy Bolton mysteries many times and longed for more. Just one more mystery, I wished. And now I had the opportunity to make it happen. But I had no synopsis or outline to go by, only 3 chapters that ended dramatically with a ambulance siren. I knew these books so well, better than I knew my own writing style. And I was thrilled for the chance to finish this book. So I reread Judy's and studied the style. I typed like I was possessed, and in three weeks had finished the book which Margaret titled THE TALKING SNOWMAN.
Several months later, I met Margaret along with some of her fans in Pennsylvania at a Judy Bolton reunion. I showed Margaret the manuscript, and while she pointed out things that would need to be edited, she was very positive, even impressed that I came up with solutions to the mystery and also guessed much of what she had planned. Of course, I couldn't include her trademark "something that really happened to the author" so she took the manuscript from me and added this scene herself, making editing marks and returning it to me for completion. And years later, I self-published THE TALKING SNOWMAN, a new Judy Bolton mystery co-written by Margaret Sutton and me.
Fans were so thrilled to have this book that I didn't need to advertise. Word spread and they found me. It didn't feel right to profit from a work of love, so I priced the book low; enough to cover my expenses. The first 500 books sold out so next time I printed 1,000. And I continue to sell these books to fans who stumble upon the www.Judybolton.com website and are stunned to find there are more than 38 books.
I wrote an introduction to SNOWMAN which begins: THIS BOOK IS A GIFT.
THE TALKING SNOWMAN is a Christmas story that keeps on giving to readers who love Judy Bolton; the girl heroine who wasn't perfect like Nancy Drew which endeared her to readers like me who watched her age from 15 to mid-20's; a teen to a young married woman.
And the 38 books of the original series have all been reprinted by Applewood Books so new readers can fall in love with Judy, too. Go online and search for Applewood's reprint of the first Judy Bolton book: THE VANISHING SHADOW, based on a real flood.
WIN A BOOK!
Make a comment on this blog and I'll randomly pick a winner who can choose one of my books as a prize. I have copies of my SEER, DEAD GIRL, STRANGE ENCOUNTERS series, as well as TALKING SNOWMAN to choose from.
The story of this Christmas-theme book begins when I was 13 years old. I was shy, unpopular, insecure and bursting with creativity that often came out in the inventive crafts and games my best friend and I created (but that's another story). When I couldn't hang out with my best friend Lori, I spent time with my other best friend: books. I loved reading so much and had discovered girl mystery books. My favorites were the Nancy Drew and Judy Bolton series (rivals in publishing, but best friends on my bookshelves). So I wrote two fan letters--the first went to Carolyn Keene care of Grosset & Dunlap. I never received a reply (ghosts can't write fan letters after all). So I wrote a letter to my other favorite author, Margaret Sutton, original creator and author of 38 Judy Bolton mystery novels. And Margaret wrote back.
I was SO thrilled to have a letter from my favorite author. I showed it off at school the next day and will never forget that thrill, especially when I get the opportunity to give the same thrill to a fan of my books. Well, my relationship with Margaret didn't end there. She recognized something in me, maybe passion for writing, and we kept sharing letters. I met her in person at my high school graduation party (just my family in the kitchen, with Margaret as the celebrity guest).
PHOTO: Linda (age 17) Margaret (age 71)As adults Margaret and I kept in touch mostly through holiday cards but when she moved to Berkeley, just an hour away, I visited her. On one visit she gave me the address for a group of her fans who had started a newsletter, The Whispered Watchword. Meeting other Judy Bolton fans was amazing. Even more amazing, through serendipity, one of the other fans has been given the beginning chapters of a new Judy Bolton mystery by Margaret and told she could do whatever she wanted with it. She gave it to me.
Now to understand how HUGE this was, imagine your favorite series and how you felt when it ended. I'd read all 38 Judy Bolton mysteries many times and longed for more. Just one more mystery, I wished. And now I had the opportunity to make it happen. But I had no synopsis or outline to go by, only 3 chapters that ended dramatically with a ambulance siren. I knew these books so well, better than I knew my own writing style. And I was thrilled for the chance to finish this book. So I reread Judy's and studied the style. I typed like I was possessed, and in three weeks had finished the book which Margaret titled THE TALKING SNOWMAN.
Several months later, I met Margaret along with some of her fans in Pennsylvania at a Judy Bolton reunion. I showed Margaret the manuscript, and while she pointed out things that would need to be edited, she was very positive, even impressed that I came up with solutions to the mystery and also guessed much of what she had planned. Of course, I couldn't include her trademark "something that really happened to the author" so she took the manuscript from me and added this scene herself, making editing marks and returning it to me for completion. And years later, I self-published THE TALKING SNOWMAN, a new Judy Bolton mystery co-written by Margaret Sutton and me.
Fans were so thrilled to have this book that I didn't need to advertise. Word spread and they found me. It didn't feel right to profit from a work of love, so I priced the book low; enough to cover my expenses. The first 500 books sold out so next time I printed 1,000. And I continue to sell these books to fans who stumble upon the www.Judybolton.com website and are stunned to find there are more than 38 books.
I wrote an introduction to SNOWMAN which begins: THIS BOOK IS A GIFT.
THE TALKING SNOWMAN is a Christmas story that keeps on giving to readers who love Judy Bolton; the girl heroine who wasn't perfect like Nancy Drew which endeared her to readers like me who watched her age from 15 to mid-20's; a teen to a young married woman.And the 38 books of the original series have all been reprinted by Applewood Books so new readers can fall in love with Judy, too. Go online and search for Applewood's reprint of the first Judy Bolton book: THE VANISHING SHADOW, based on a real flood.
WIN A BOOK!
Make a comment on this blog and I'll randomly pick a winner who can choose one of my books as a prize. I have copies of my SEER, DEAD GIRL, STRANGE ENCOUNTERS series, as well as TALKING SNOWMAN to choose from.
November 28, 2011
A rank surprise
And I had a surprise when I checked my Amazon ranking today. For a few days, DEAD GIRL IN LOVE, has been discounted to .99 cents on Kindle. And my ranking is down to 4 digits.
Of course some authors might not like this because it means less royalties but I'm more eager for readers to discover my series, and there are 3 books in the DEAD GIRL series.
http://www.amazon.com/Dead-Girl-in-Love-ebook/dp/B003BNZIR8/ref=sr_1_1?s=digital-text&ie=UTF8&qid=1322502006&sr=1-1
So please spread the word to any Kindle readers you know and check out:
http://www.amazon.com/Dead-Girl-in-Love-ebook/dp/B003BNZIR8/ref=sr_1_1?s=digital-text&ie=UTF8&qid=1322502006&sr=1-1
And keep on reading and sharing a love for books in all formats (g).
November 25, 2011
Mystery Lovers list of kid-book recommendations
I have over 5,000 books in my (mostly girl mystery) series collection.You can see some on my YouTube page under my full name.
I love to find current books, aside from vintage titles like Anne of Green Gables, Nancy Drew, Trixie Belden and Judy Bolton. Of course, Judy just came back in print in affordable paperback editions for a new generation of readers (and book collectors).
So here are some you may want to check out.
1. The JUDY BOLTON mysteries (38+ extras) are back in print from Applewood.
These are the mysteries that inspired my childhood love of books and my ambition to write.
Begin with THE VANISHING SHADOW and HAUNTED ATTIC: http://www.amazon.com/Vanishing-Shadow-Judy-Bolton-Mysteries/dp/1429090219/ref=sr_1_12_title_0_main?s=books&ie=UTF8&qid=1322238698&sr=1-12
I probably should add that I co-wrote another Judy, TALKING SNOWMAN, with Margaret Sutton before she died a decade ago, which I self-published for fans. (No Kindle on this one -- paper books only).
2. Not a series but a gem of a middle grade which I loved:
FROZEN IN TIME by Ali Sparkes. Time travel & mystery
3. TOMORROW GIRLS by Eva Gray
Paperback series for those who liked Hunger Games but hunger for younger with a cast of girl characters.
In this series, US is at war with Canada and girls are shipped off to a secret boarding school.
4. BUDDY FILES by Dori H. Butler
Very young chapter book series for starting kids/grandkids off with mystery.
For a short book, these are surprisingly well-crafted with building mystery & animal fun.
5. SAMMY KEYES -- This (Trixie Belden-like) series has gone from midgrade to young YA
with about a dozen titles. I consider it a must-have for any girl series collection, and I
buy them new. Love the "clue-styled" dust jacket.
6. EMERALD ATLAS by John Stephens. Sort of Harry Potter-Narnia mix. One of my
favorite books of 2011, and I'm very eager for the next one.
7. RUBY RED by Kierstin Gier-- this one is my favorite of 2011. Time travel with a clever, interesting heroine.
8. WHITE CAT/RED GLOVE by Holly Black - mysterious, magical, intriguing. Feels like a detective novel in style.
9. POISON STUDY/MAGIC STUDY...everything by Maria V. Snyder
10. THE AGENCY, historical girl spy mystery by Y.S. Lee
Linda Joy Singleton www.LindaJoySingleton.com & www.facebook.com/lindajoysingleton
#1. DEAD GIRL WALKING/DEAD GIRL DANCING/DEAD GIRL IN LOVE (Flux/) YALSA Popular Paperback
Ghosts Whisper to Psychic Sabine in THE SEER series (Flux)
THE SEER #6 MAGICIAN'S MUSE (Flux)
BURIED - A Goth Girl Mystery March 2012 (Flux)
Follow me : www.twitter.com/LindaJoySinglet
I love to find current books, aside from vintage titles like Anne of Green Gables, Nancy Drew, Trixie Belden and Judy Bolton. Of course, Judy just came back in print in affordable paperback editions for a new generation of readers (and book collectors).
So here are some you may want to check out.
1. The JUDY BOLTON mysteries (38+ extras) are back in print from Applewood.
These are the mysteries that inspired my childhood love of books and my ambition to write.
Begin with THE VANISHING SHADOW and HAUNTED ATTIC: http://www.amazon.com/Vanishing-Shadow-Judy-Bolton-Mysteries/dp/1429090219/ref=sr_1_12_title_0_main?s=books&ie=UTF8&qid=1322238698&sr=1-12
I probably should add that I co-wrote another Judy, TALKING SNOWMAN, with Margaret Sutton before she died a decade ago, which I self-published for fans. (No Kindle on this one -- paper books only).
2. Not a series but a gem of a middle grade which I loved:
FROZEN IN TIME by Ali Sparkes. Time travel & mystery
3. TOMORROW GIRLS by Eva Gray
Paperback series for those who liked Hunger Games but hunger for younger with a cast of girl characters.
In this series, US is at war with Canada and girls are shipped off to a secret boarding school.
4. BUDDY FILES by Dori H. Butler
Very young chapter book series for starting kids/grandkids off with mystery.
For a short book, these are surprisingly well-crafted with building mystery & animal fun.
5. SAMMY KEYES -- This (Trixie Belden-like) series has gone from midgrade to young YA
with about a dozen titles. I consider it a must-have for any girl series collection, and I
buy them new. Love the "clue-styled" dust jacket.
6. EMERALD ATLAS by John Stephens. Sort of Harry Potter-Narnia mix. One of my
favorite books of 2011, and I'm very eager for the next one.
7. RUBY RED by Kierstin Gier-- this one is my favorite of 2011. Time travel with a clever, interesting heroine.
8. WHITE CAT/RED GLOVE by Holly Black - mysterious, magical, intriguing. Feels like a detective novel in style.
9. POISON STUDY/MAGIC STUDY...everything by Maria V. Snyder
10. THE AGENCY, historical girl spy mystery by Y.S. Lee
Linda Joy Singleton www.LindaJoySingleton.com & www.facebook.com/lindajoysingleton
#1. DEAD GIRL WALKING/DEAD GIRL DANCING/DEAD GIRL IN LOVE (Flux/) YALSA Popular Paperback
Ghosts Whisper to Psychic Sabine in THE SEER series (Flux)
THE SEER #6 MAGICIAN'S MUSE (Flux)
BURIED - A Goth Girl Mystery March 2012 (Flux)
Follow me : www.twitter.com/LindaJoySinglet
November 14, 2011
Importance of writing friends
Most days are very quiet for me since I live in a rural area and my husband works long hours. I'm lucky to have my daughter living close by and my weekends are usually busy. But most days it's me alone with the dogs and cats and computer. So I schedule in writer-friend time, usually every other week with my critique group and also lunches with two close writer friends. I keep in touch with most author friends via online but talking in person is fun and inspiring.
Last week I had lunch with Danna Smith and Linda Whalen to celebrate Danna's recent picture book sale. She had an agent in the past but is currently shopping for a brand new shiny agent who loves pic books. In the meantime, she sold this clever nonfiction book on her own. I'm really excited for her.
Sharing someone else's success is always so wonderful.
Every writer should surround themselves with supportive friends. Reach out from beyond the keyboard and invite some friends for lunch.
Last week I had lunch with Danna Smith and Linda Whalen to celebrate Danna's recent picture book sale. She had an agent in the past but is currently shopping for a brand new shiny agent who loves pic books. In the meantime, she sold this clever nonfiction book on her own. I'm really excited for her.
Sharing someone else's success is always so wonderful.
Every writer should surround themselves with supportive friends. Reach out from beyond the keyboard and invite some friends for lunch.
November 6, 2011
Price drop for DGW to $2.51
Linda Joy SingletonDEAD GIRL WAKLING is only $2.51 for Nook e-readers. I'm really glad the price dropped from $9 and hope more readers check out this quirky para-romance about body-swapping and Dark-Lifers. http://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/dead-girl-walking-linda-joy-singleton/1102302671?ean=9780738722085&itm=1&usri=linda%252bjoy%252bsingleton
Dead Girl Walking (Dead Girl Series #1) www.barnesandnoble.com
Available in:NOOK Book (eBook), Paperback. Linda Joy Singleton, author of the successful Seer books, returns with another hot paranormal series. Stars are waiting to be discovered, and high-school senior Amber Borden wants to be the talent ag (continued on website)
October 24, 2011
Blog tour reveals news of BURIED
http://bookswarm.blogspot.com/2011/10/crossroads-presents-linda-joy-singleton.html
I'm traveling along in cyberspace on a blog tour for Halloween with lots of giveaway prizes!!
I'm traveling along in cyberspace on a blog tour for Halloween with lots of giveaway prizes!!
October 15, 2011
BOOKS I'VE LOVED THIS YEAR....
Let's talk books!
I keep a list of every book I read with a rating so I can remember the ones I loved.
Picture books by friends who are really talented:
PIRATE NAP by Danna Smithhttp://www.amazon.com/Pirate-Nap-Colors-Danna-Smith/dp/0547575319/ref=sr_1_1?s=books&ie=UTF8&qid=1318636959&sr=1-1
HORNBOOKS AND INKWELLS by Verla Kayhttp://www.amazon.com/Hornbooks-Inkwells-Verla-Kay/dp/0399238700/ref=sr_1_1?s=books&ie=UTF8&qid=1318637053&sr=1-1
Books I've read that are amazing and earned 5 stars from me:
* MISS PEREGRINE'S HOME FOR PECULIAR CHILDREN by Ransom Riggs
* SEA GLASS by Maria V. Snyder (love all her magical books!)
* THE GHOST AND THE GOTH by Stacey Kade
* VESPER by Jeff Sampson (amazing kick-ass heroine)
* DRIZZLE by Kathleen Van Cleeve
* RUBY RED by Kerstin Gier (MY FAVORITE because I love time travel)
* EMERALD ATLAS by John Stephen (reminded me a little of Harry Potter)
* CLOSE TO FAMOUS by Joan Bauer (sweet, fun, yummy)
This is a start to some amazing reading ahead....check out these books NOW!
I keep a list of every book I read with a rating so I can remember the ones I loved.
Picture books by friends who are really talented:
PIRATE NAP by Danna Smithhttp://www.amazon.com/Pirate-Nap-Colors-Danna-Smith/dp/0547575319/ref=sr_1_1?s=books&ie=UTF8&qid=1318636959&sr=1-1
HORNBOOKS AND INKWELLS by Verla Kayhttp://www.amazon.com/Hornbooks-Inkwells-Verla-Kay/dp/0399238700/ref=sr_1_1?s=books&ie=UTF8&qid=1318637053&sr=1-1
Books I've read that are amazing and earned 5 stars from me:
* MISS PEREGRINE'S HOME FOR PECULIAR CHILDREN by Ransom Riggs
* SEA GLASS by Maria V. Snyder (love all her magical books!)
* THE GHOST AND THE GOTH by Stacey Kade
* VESPER by Jeff Sampson (amazing kick-ass heroine)
* DRIZZLE by Kathleen Van Cleeve
* RUBY RED by Kerstin Gier (MY FAVORITE because I love time travel)
* EMERALD ATLAS by John Stephen (reminded me a little of Harry Potter)
* CLOSE TO FAMOUS by Joan Bauer (sweet, fun, yummy)
This is a start to some amazing reading ahead....check out these books NOW!
September 30, 2011
My career is on the rise....Yeah!
For a year I've been working obsessively on a book that scared me to write. The idea came to me in Jan 09 when I wrote 4 pages. I kept thinking about this book-- science fiction YA trilogy. When I spoke of it to my friend Linda Whalen she told me that I sounded so excited like never before and she encouraged me to write this book. I felt in my heart I was meant to write this book.
Then my career slowed...after selling a SEER spinoff, Buried, Jan 09, I haven't sold anything else. Lots of hope just no actual contracts. I finished writing Buried then rewrote a middle grade mid-2010. Occasionally I'd pull out those 4 pages and fall in love with the SF YA idea all over again.
Finally nov. 2010 I decided to try nanowrimo challenge of writing a 200 page book in a month. For 2 weeks I wrote 8 pages a day and reached 100 pages on this SF YA. That's all I could do before stopping to go back and do what I've learned works for me - rewriting. I needed to figure out where the book was going before I could write any more. Slowly the book took shape. I finished Part 1 with a shocking murder. Part 2 was much harder since my heroine moved in with a new family and lots of drama. Part 3 sent my heroine somewhere exiting with more risks.
I had to stop writing for 2 weeks in April to write a story about Sabine from The Seer for an anthology called SPIRITED due out soon. But then I wrote like crazy and finished with 385 pages in July. My agent suggested cutting and the next 2 months were crazy editing that tightened the book to 352 pages.
So it's been over 2 1/2 years with no new sales but because of that dry spell I've had time and emotional energy to complete a book I'm proud of. My agent loves it, too. And editors are seeing it now.
Other things are happening.
* Buried comes out in March.
* Spirited anthology comes out soon in ebook form then in paperback in March.
* 9 out of print books (Regeneration and My Sister the Ghost) are being reprinted in French Canadian.
* I'm part of a blog tour called Crossroads in October.
And now I'm starting to plan the 2nd book in my trilogy.
Things are definitely looking up. And I can't wait to see what happens next!!
Then my career slowed...after selling a SEER spinoff, Buried, Jan 09, I haven't sold anything else. Lots of hope just no actual contracts. I finished writing Buried then rewrote a middle grade mid-2010. Occasionally I'd pull out those 4 pages and fall in love with the SF YA idea all over again.
Finally nov. 2010 I decided to try nanowrimo challenge of writing a 200 page book in a month. For 2 weeks I wrote 8 pages a day and reached 100 pages on this SF YA. That's all I could do before stopping to go back and do what I've learned works for me - rewriting. I needed to figure out where the book was going before I could write any more. Slowly the book took shape. I finished Part 1 with a shocking murder. Part 2 was much harder since my heroine moved in with a new family and lots of drama. Part 3 sent my heroine somewhere exiting with more risks.
I had to stop writing for 2 weeks in April to write a story about Sabine from The Seer for an anthology called SPIRITED due out soon. But then I wrote like crazy and finished with 385 pages in July. My agent suggested cutting and the next 2 months were crazy editing that tightened the book to 352 pages.
So it's been over 2 1/2 years with no new sales but because of that dry spell I've had time and emotional energy to complete a book I'm proud of. My agent loves it, too. And editors are seeing it now.
Other things are happening.
* Buried comes out in March.
* Spirited anthology comes out soon in ebook form then in paperback in March.
* 9 out of print books (Regeneration and My Sister the Ghost) are being reprinted in French Canadian.
* I'm part of a blog tour called Crossroads in October.
And now I'm starting to plan the 2nd book in my trilogy.
Things are definitely looking up. And I can't wait to see what happens next!!
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