Self pub? The times they are a-changin?

Visited J.A.Konrath's blog and he has up an interesting post about the evolving world of self publishing. I know for years self publishing has been a big no-no and thought to be only a thing to stroke the ego of a writer who has yet to be able to go the conventional route. But now?
I think it's a new world for publishing. Like everything else evolves so has book publishing. There's been many a time I laid down my good bucks for a book that should have been used to line the bird cage. As a yet unpublished (except for the Trues, ehow and Livestrong) writer I knew I could do better. I'm sure others have had the same experience. There were times I wondered if getting your book published was 50% talent and 50% luck. Hit the right agent on the right day when your words would hit the right ear at the right time.
So now we have Amazon's epublishing stuff where anyone can put their book up for sale. This means some books are going to be not so good. Wait, I've already paid good money for one (or ten) of those and they were from traditionally published authors.
So now I think about ebooking it and my biggest worry is the polishing. I want it to be perfect. I want perfect grammar, flow, execution and everything a good agent and editor would catch.
What about you? Do you ebook? Do you want to? What's holding you back?

Crayons is Back!

I'm in a lot of pain the last few days. I had rotator cuff surgery three years ago and the pain still comes back. Sometimes its very bad. Like yesterday. And last night. And right about now. No one can explain why this pain comes back or why it won't go away.
Blah.
But today I found a reason to smile. Crayons is back! Crayons tells a story with her drawings. A while a go she closed up shop and said she ran out of things to say. But I would still go by her old site just to see if she had dropped by and today I found Crayons Encore.
Today, inspite of the pain, is a good day.
Thank you, Crayons. Your site gives me smiles.

Under the Dome by Stephen King

Just finished Under the Dome by Stephen King and I still haven't caught my breath. In this story a mysterious force field-like dome covers a small New England town trapping the people inside. Maybe that wouldn't have been too bad at first, but one of the town selectmen, Jim Rennie, has dictator issues and quickly works behind the scenes to create havoc. He fills the town police force with incompetent bullies, murders those who threaten to expose his crimes and manipulates the towns people to his own benefit. When the president sets up an ex-military man, Dale Barbara (Barr-beee), as the person in charge Big Jim pins him with a multiple murder rap and has him thrown in jail. Suddenly all the chaos created by Jim Rennie is blamed on Barrr-beee. What happens next will keep you on the edge of your seat.
My one problem with this book is the size...no it's not the length of the book...it's the physical size. This book is 4 inches thick in hardback. I guess I should have waited for the paperback because this book was hard to fit in my purse. And to make matters worse I couldn't put it down! lol So after going through the first few chapters I went out and got the audio version so I could listen during my 40 minute drive to work. Raul Esparza read this book and he is excellent. His ability to do voices was amazing and really took me into Chester's Mill and it's characters. I think he's the best reader I've ever had the pleasure of listening to.
The characters in this book will stay with me for a long time. When the book ended I felt like I was losing some old friends. Isn't that the best feeling in the world? Well done, Mr. King. Now...will you sign my copy?
Five stars. I loved this book!
Go to Amazon to see a video of Stephen King talking about this book.

Hacked!

My web based email was hacked and someone sent out a weird email saying I was stranded in the UK and needed money. What kind of sicko does this? Then it wiped out all my contacts so I don't even know who it went out to. I'm fuming! I contacted yahoo and asked what they could do about it but haven't heard from them yet. Has this ever happened to you? What do you do about it?
I'm deleting my yahoo accounts which will also delete my flicker account but what else can I do?
Blah. Some people are so mean.

So You Want to be a Writer

Work is really slow this time of year. In fact, it's dead. We sit around and watch movies, read, draw or paint, play computer games or surf. (I hate this job...I don't do well with boredom) And now the powers that be told us to stay off the internet.
REally? What the hell am I supposed to do now?
I want them to give me work...something...anything to do...but there is none for now. Even when there is work it's easy stuff so that's not that entertaining either.
I try writing and sometimes when the office is quiet I can get some done, but usually the chatter is too distracting.
I need a new job. Something busy and active. Blah, the job market isn't that great right now so I don't see anything that would fit me. . . yet. Being a full time writer isn't there for me. At least not yet. (I'm hoping!)
So, I'm looking.
While I'm looking, check this out -->

Cross Country, Oy! Mr. Patterson!

Normally, I love James Patterson. Yes, I've heard the rumors that he doesn't write his own books and yes, sometimes those short chapters annoy the hell out of me, but generally I like his books. And I love the Alex Cross series.
Then I read Cross Country and prayed for it to be over. This was the worst book I've read in a long! long! long! time!
It broke all the rules! There were so many exclamation marks I thought I should be jumping up off my chair for every other sentence!
There there were the rhetorical sentences. They came in groups of three (always three!) in every chapter.
If you've ever read any of the Alex Cross books you know he's this big, tough detective. He's too smart to take unnecessary chances and always puts his family first.
He's the perfect man.
Well, whoever took over the Alex Cross in this book was none of those things. He came across dumb as a doornail, took stupid chances and was a really feminine. Yes, big tough Alex Cross came across in this book as a girl. Jacqueline Daniels had a bigger pair than this guy.
Now lets move on to the plot....Alex goes to Africa to try and track a murderer. However he goes without a clue as to where to look for this man. Africa is a big continent so....what's the plan Alex? Wander here and there and hope for the best to bump into this guy?
But lets back up, Alex has no proof that this guy is in Africa. He only has some rumors that the guy originally came from there. The Alex Cross in previous books was much smarter than this guy.
Weak plot and out-of-character characters make for a really bad book. And I think this book was written by a woman. The feminine voice comes through so loud and clear
I can picture big, tough Alex Cross running in high heels.
Sorry James, whoever wrote this book needs to go back to writing 101.

More Sales!

Two more sales to the Confessions for January!
Yippy!

When is it Okay?

I've read a couple of books lately where there are info dumps in the first two chapters. One, a very popular book, had so much back story in the first two chapters I was wondering when the story would start.
In my critique groups this was one of the biggest no-no's, but I see this happening in books all the time.
So when is it okay?
This is a picture of Trixie. She came up from West Virginia on the day she was supposed to be euthanized. This week she got a new family to love. Yay Trixie!

I. Have. To. Share.

Freelancing...

I've been doing a little freelance writing and having a lot of fun with it. I'm nervous every time I turn something in. I sweat out the rewrites and rejoice when I get an acceptance.
The amazing Mark Terry posted a whole freelance course on his blog a while ago and over these months I keep going back and rereading it. I wanted to do it, but was so scared to start. Fiction was easy. Fiction can take many roads and as long as you know the basic guidelines/rules you can make it into anything. But freelance?
DemandStudios.com lists jobs and you grab them up. Most are short, quick things that can be written in a couple hours (if that) and they pay between seven and fifteen. I heard they pay more but haven't seen it yet. These are getting easier and easier to write.
Constant-content.com lets you write whatever you want and put it up for sale. That's easier because I can write what I want and not what I have to. And you put your own prices on the article. So far, I've made nothing there, but I only have one article up. I'm working on a few more ideas and should have more up soon.
My daughter is working for odesk.com. They post jobs from private peeps and you do whatever job they want. This can include articles, ebooks, brochures, etc. Right now I don't have time to do odesk. Work is soul-crushingly busy and I don't want to commit to something I can't give my all to.
Anyway, I'm excited about this new endeavor and just wanted to share.
This is a picture of Trixie. She came up from West Virginia the day she was supposed to be euthanized. Now she's looking for a home.
:)

A New Blog...

Since I've fostered a number of dogs already I've decided to start a new blog; Foster Dog Stories.
I hope it helps get the word out that there are millions of dogs our there that need our help. When I first started fostering I'll admit I was scared. What was I getting myself into? All kinds of questions ran through my head: Would I be able to handle a dog with "baggage"? What if they were mean? What if they pee on my furniture? What if I have to go somewhere? Who pays for the food and crates and stuff?
So that's why I started the blog. I'm hoping my experience will help others see that it's not so scary and you get a lot in return.
I may cry when I get a pancake dog or when I see the scars and neglect, but a few tears are nothing compared to the love you get in return.
So now that stuff will be on the Foster Dog blog and I'll keep the writing stuff here.
You don't have to save them all. Just start with one.

Do you Ebook?

I read Konrath's take on the new self-published ebooks and I'm curious, a little afraid of it, but curious just the same.
I have one story about a woman reincarnated as a dog and it's told from the dog's perspective...how would I ever sell this to an agent??? I don't know how to put a positive marketing spin on it so I was thinking of Amazon. (Actually it's a lot more complicated than a reincarnated dog, but it's hard to blurb)
I really like this story. It's based on the fact that a soul mate doesn't have to be a romantic interest but just a higher connection.
However what holds me back is the fact that to go up as an ebook it would have to be perfect...beyond perfect. Every word, punctuation mark, paragraph would have to be absolutely perfect.
I'm not sure if I'm up to that much perfection.
Anyone got any ebooks they did themselves? Where did you publish? How did it work out?

Which would you buy???

Kindle? Sony Reader? Nook?
I'm thinking of purchasing one of these, but I'm not sure which is better and why?
I want light weight. I want to be able to read in sunlight. I want a lot of books.
Anyone have one of these toys? Why did you choose it and how do you like it?

Courage and Freelancing...

I've finally bitten the bullet and decided to give Freelancing a go. I'm nervously waiting for my reviews on two sites, Demand Studios and Constant Content.
Demand offers topics for you to write and has strict guidelines as to how each article should be written. I see this as a learning experience. Constant Content is more open. You post what you want and someone can buy it. They also have fairly strict copy editors who will review your work before it is accepted.

This is something I've always wanted to do but never had the courage to try. Even after the amazing Mark Terry put up a wonderful online course in freelancing I still worried that what I wrote wouldn't be good enough. Courage is a funny thing. We don't always have it when we need it. Some days its there and we feel like lions, but then it disappears like a whisper fading into the wind and we're left cowering under the desk.

I once read that courage was just fear holding out a moment longer. Do you think that's true? Where is your courage? Does it come from your convictions or your fears?

Let there be Peace on Earth and...

I live across the bay from New York City. September 11th was a nightmare here. My little town is full of commuters. Most people I know train, bus or ferry across the Hudson (East River) every day to work in Manhattan. I like the Sea Streak the best. That's the ferry going from the Highlands to the city. It's a beautiful ride.
When the towers went down we could stand on our shore and see the flames from where the planes hit. Within hours our view of the New York skyline was blocked by a huge cloud of smoke. We could see the Statue but everything beyond that was just one big cloud of billowing smoke. Frantic, we all grabbed out cell phones to call our family and friends who we knew were in the city. Almost immediately cell phone service in to the city shut down and we realize how many cell phone antennas are/were on top of the twin towers. When we turned to the TV we caught images of people running from the smoke clouds chasing them down the street. I thought of my cousins, neighbors and friends who worked in the towers. It was days before we knew who made it out and who didn't. Family members went into the city each day searching through hospitals where many lay unidentified. The stink from the smoke hung in our air for days afterward. You couldn't go anywhere to escape it. That smell was in our yards, our cars and our homes. I still remember exactly how it smelled. I don't think I can ever forget.
I went into the city a few weeks later. We took the train and were met with armed soldiers who patroled the streets. They made us feel safe and horrified. The city wasn't the bustling explosion of life we knew, it was subdued. Shock still clouded the faces of those who walked the streets. Coming out of the tunnel from the train the walls were decorated with pictures and posters of the missing. Women in wedding dresses, mothers and fathers with children, graduation photos. "Have you seen this woman? this man? my wife?" We cried.
We went to see the Allergist Wife and at the end Valerie Bertinelli came out to thank everyone for not giving up on our city. She said we can't let terrorism take away our way of life. If we do, they win.
Now I see this preacher in Florida wanting to burn the Quran. Why? What purpose does that serve? Would burning the Bible avenge the Inquisition? As a man of God shouldn't he be using his powers for good instead of hate?
Somethings I don't understand.
Muslims didn't attack America, terrorists did. Just because they use God/Allah as an excuse that doesn't mean every Muslim in the world wanted it to happen. I have friends who are Muslim and they were horrified by 9/11. Muslims died in the towers along with everyone else.
So here's our memorial to 9/11. If anything let it be a day we should remember the importance of peace and respect.
Let there be peace on earth and let it begin with me. And you. And him. And her. And them.

Wordiness...

I'm going back over a story that's been on the shelf for a while and I'm trying to cut the useless words. Not an easy thing in fiction because we need to describe things. Hoping that when someone reads our stuff they can visualize the scenes. We need to put pictures into their heads, but how much is too much?
If I see too much description in a book I start skimming. Too little and I find myself going back to see if I missed something.
When writing sometimes I take things out only to put them back on the next rewrite. Sometimes I waffle back and forth---should I or shouldn't I?
I wish there was a black and white rule. Then I would know for sure.
Do you think Harlen Coben worries about these things?
This is my new foster dog. Her name is Riley and she's 3 months old.

The Trues...

My story, Never Give UP, is in September's issue of True Romance.
:)
And they put in a cute pic of a dog there that totally matched the dog in my story. Yay!
Woof!

California Judge OVERTURNS Gay Marriage Ban

Cheering here in New Jersey! Finally, we found one brain in California! This judge actually agrees that gay people should have the same rights as everyone else. Wow, what a concept!
This never should have gone to a vote in the first place. If our country is based on equal rights for each and every person then that should include everyone regardless of their personal choices. If the Emancipation Proclamation went to a vote of the general population slavery would still exist. Would women have the right to vote today if that went to a vote back then?
Of course not.
The human race grows and matures when they learn to accept each and every person is equal in every way. Today's decision is another step toward the maturity of mankind.
Yay Judge Vaughn Walker!

Shark!

This little guy came ashore for a snack and closed our beaches.
I need to go watch that movie JAWS now....

To E or not to E...

I've been reading a lot about authors who are now publishing their work as ebooks on Amazon and other places and it has me thinking that the face of publishing is changing.
Is this new round of self-publishing a good thing or bad?
Mr. Konrath has some very interesting thoughts on the subject. I've been reading his books since he published the first one and think he's an awesome writer. When you're looking over your shoulder at night as you read one of his books you know he has sufficiently creeped you out. And he's making money on his ebooks. We already know he's a good writer but his marketing and sales tactics continue to amaze.
We write because we love to tell the story, but for all those books that are sitting in a drawer right now, clean and ready to go, but without an agent who will take a chance on them maybe they belong as a ebook?
I have a book I love, I've written and rewritten and rewritten and now it sits there collecting dust. I'm not sure what genre it would fit in. What genre is the Marley and Me book in? It's kind of like that but from a dogs point of view. And it's more a novella size.
See?
It was a fun book to write and I love my characters, but under what label do you sell something like that?
I'm thinking .... maybe....ebook?
Do you publish your own ebooks? Would you? Where? How?
Have you reaped more problems or rewards from it?
This little pup is my new foster dog. He was found in the yard of an abandoned house. His hair was so matted they named him Marley.

Harlan Coben - CAUGHT

When 17 year old Haley McWaid goes missing the community assumes the worst. Reporter, Wendy Tynes is on a mission to bring down sexual predators with her news program, Caught in the Act. When she publicly humiliates Dan Mercer and ruins his life things happen that make Wendy believe she may have been wrong. The story escalates and brings us into suburban America where more than a few secrets are hiding.
Nothing is as it seems in Harlan Coben's new thriller, CAUGHT. This book is a page turner that will make you believe one thing is true then twist everything around till you know nothing is as it seems.
In true Coben style this book will keep you up at night. I actually misplaced it at one point and tore my house apart to find it because I just had to find out how it ended.
Great read= 5 Aimless Stars

Getting the Groove back...

I've been slacking for a while now and can't seem to get back in the saddle. I've been writing shorts and actually sold one but just can't seem to find my groove.
The health issues I've been dealing with since my car accident in 07 are still there to haunt me. My family dynamics are changing as my kids are grown up now and building their own lives and I think it's this combination that is dragging me down.
Taking in the foster dogs help. They often come from cruel and stressful situations and need extra TLC. The house still has some life in it, but I miss having the kids around.
I've been slacking off on all my writing groups which help me immensely. I just can't find the urge to go anymore. It's not like writer's block...its more like writer's don't care anymore. But I do, care that is, but still there's something missing. Perhaps my muse has fled the scene? Maybe it's all worn out and I have to go find a new one to push around? Did I work him to the bone and overload him so now he needs his rest? Ahhhh, Muse, where are you now?
Blah.
So HELP!
Where does the groove go and how can I hunt it down to drag it back?

Techie Help needed...

I work in a place that is very slow this time of year. There is NOTHING to do there. I mean...no work at all. We're busy like 7 random months out of the year and I hate it. It drives me crazy to sit there and do nothing all day. I keep thinking of all the things I could get done if I were anywhere but there.
Today I surfed the net, read a book, played spider solitaire, read some more. I tried writing a little but there are too many people yapping and I forgot my ipod.
The one thing I used to enjoy was AOL's Instant messenger. My daughter lives in Florida and it was wonderful to chat with her while I sit there and do nothing.
Then the company blocked it!
Grrrrr....
So any techie's out there tell me how I can get around this blocked chat?
Gmail chat-blocked
MSN-blocked
Yahoo chat-blocked
Help!
The IT department is pretty good...I'll need some real geek help to beat this.
Either that or anyone know of a job that will keep me busy? I can't stand this down time! Why don't they put us on a four day work week for the summer? Why don't they lend us out to other departments? Something? Anything!

Taking a Break and Guilt

I usually have several book length projects going at a time. (And I think this is my problem-I'm toooo ambidextrous.) But lately I've taken a break from working on this sort of stuff and moved to short stories. It's like having more room to breathe. Books are a commitment. They go on for hours, days, months, but a short can be cranked out in hours (not counting the rewrite). I'm having some issues finding homes for them all, but at least they're keeping my writer's muscle flexing.
So? Do you ever need a break? What do you do?

Head Hopping....I just can't let go of this...

I'm listening to a book on CD in my car for my drive to work and...I have to go look up the author's name...she's head hopping. Not blatantly and if I wasn't a writer would I even notice? It's subtle but it's there.
We're in a room with four sets of parents of kids who have been kidnapped together. Our main head is Lena's (mother of one of the victims) and we're hearing her husband's thoughts at one part and then SNAP' we're back in Lena's.
It was just like one sentence, but it was there. We weren't Lena watching the husband or listening to him, we were in his thoughts. It was so well done I'm not sure it would have bothered me except for the fact I knew it was a head hop.
I was like ...wait a minute...flip the CD back a few paces...listen...again... Yep! that was a head hop.
So now my radar is up and I'm watching for more.
Like I said, this was very well done. It kept with the flow of the story and characters.
So when is head hopping okay? Is there some kind of rule?
Or, and I've seen this before, could this be an older, more established writer who is allowed to take liberties the rest of us poor folks don't get?

Finding Old Friends

I met an old friend today. Someone I haven't seen in over twenty years. Someone I used to love. He is one of those people with a great sense of humor and all round good nature. His soul was pure. And seeing him today made me realize how much I missed him. He was there with is wife and told me about his sons and his pets. I could see by the way he talked about his life ...its been good and that made me happy.
I think seeing him today was a gift. A smile from God.

What Joy is

When Coco came to our house she was very shy. That first night she whined constantly as she paced back and forth from the front door to the back. When I'd go to pet her she'd cower, head to the ground, eyes closed-like she was waiting for the smack. When it was time to eat she'd inch up and if I turned to quick she'd brace for the blow. My heart broke each time she cringed back against the floor.
She's been with me a little over two weeks now and her personality is coming out more and more.
She comes running to get her food and prances and wags her tail when she hears me get out the treat bag. She lays out on the deck in the sun and surveys the yard instead of cowering by my side. I see a bit of independence in her today that was missing when she first came.
And today I saw pure Joy. She ran to me, put her paws up then raced away, daring me to give chase. This repeated over and over as she would run into the bushes, peek out, then come racing back. She was playing! A first for Coco since she arrived hungry, scared and shaking. I raced her around the yard a few times just to see her joy.
This one has stolen my heart. She is going to be hard to give up.
Happy Independence Day!

Good News!

I made a sale! I made a sale! I made a sale!
It's a short story but ...I made a sale!
:)
Smiling now.

The Oil Spill

I GOT AN ARC!!!

I came home the other day to find an Advanced Reading Copy of a book from Dorchester in my mail box. I'm so excited! There was a single sheet of paper in it telling me where to send my review. It also had someone's name, phone and email printed on the front of the book. Inside the author thanks her agent...one of my fav-wish-she'd-pick-me- agents...Jessica Faust from Bookends.
I don't know what I signed up for or how this book came to me, but I can't wait to review it.
It's a fantasy which is not really my kind of read but so far it's very well written. The use of language is absolutely .... beautiful. It almost reminds me of Koontz who I have long admired because of the way he weaves his words. If the rest of this book is as good as the first few chapters it's going to be a very good read.

I'm so excited!!!

Breakfast with Ginger

For the Love of Books...

My co-worker cleaned out her garage the other day and brought a bunch of books in. I pounced! it was like Christmas. I'd read the jacket- put it in my pile, pick up next book...repeat. Then I realized the stack of my keeps had grown quite large so I put some back. Then as they went to take the box away I reached in and grabbed one I had put back.
It's an addiction.
Now I have a nice little stack on my desk that I can plow through. Nothing makes me happier then having a pile of books nearby. This is reflected in my home, too. My nightstand has about five or six books on it. If open the top drawer of the nightstand and I can use that to house a few, too. Some I've read, some are waiting. The shoe rack at the end of the bed doubles as a book shelf also. (shoes kicked under the bed)
I used to have a dining room that got like Zero use so I took out the table and make it into a library. :) Bookshelves, comfy chair and a good light...it's like heaven.
The end tables in the family room has a book or two on it also. The bag I take to work a couple more and of course I usually have a car book. Just in case I go somewhere that I have to wait.
Every once and a while I have to clear out the books to make room for more books and I do this with mixed emotions. Sad to say goodbye, but happy to see the new ones.
Any other book addicts out there?

Dublyn

Dublyn is a 3 year old shepard jindo mix. She loves people but needs a home where she would be the only animal. She is very faithful to her owners and is fully trained in basic commands both on and off leash. Dublyn's new owners will receive free training from Shelly's school for dogs in Freehold to learn and reinforce the commands she has been taught. Dublyn would make a perfect watchdog and companion for an active family or single owner. She is completely housebroken and is fine with being alone.

Last night Elliot found his fur-ever family. He even has a little doggie brother to play with.
We packed up his toys and his food bowl, gave him some hugs and kisses for his journey and waved goodbye. Then as I watched them drive away Elliot's little face popped up in the car window and I saw a big smile. I think he'll be happy. His new mama was very dog-oriented and I could see she really loved her other dog.
Sometimes I think dogs know when good things are happening. Elliot loves car rides so he jumped right in and ran from window to window, but I didn't see him hesitate at all. Other dogs that have come through here always hesitated at the door like they didn't want to go. They'd pull back and look at me as if to say, "What are you doing? Don't let them take me!"
But not Elliot. He's a dog always ready for adventure and he bounced right out the door. It wasn't until I saw his little face in the car window that I teared up.
As much as it hurts to let go....we'll do it again because until there are none...we foster one.
Happy Mother's Day

Elliot's looking...

This is Elliot. He's five and looking for a new home.
This weekend he'll be at the Blue Claws Stadium in Lakewood looking all cute and handsome for his new family.
Could this be you?
www.castle-of-dreams.com

Grammar Check...

SOMETIMES THINGS JUST DON'T GO RIGHT....
It pays to watch your use of language. Since Tuesday was my 66th, this hit home.

On his 66th birthday, a man received a gift certificate from his wife. The certificate paid for a visit to a medicine man living on a nearby reservation who was rumored to have a wonderful cure for Er**tile Dysfunction. After being persuaded, he drove to the reservation, handed his ticket to the Medicine Man and wondered
what would happen next.
The old man slowly, methodically produced a potion, handed it to him, and with a grip
on his shoulder, warned, "This is powerful medicine and it must be respected. You take only
a teaspoonful and then say
'1-2-3.
"When you do that, you will become more manly than you have ever been in your life, and you can perform as long as
you want."
The husband was
encouraged.

As he walked away, he turned to the old Medicine Man and asked, "How do I stop the medicine
from working?"
"Your partner must say '1-2-3-4,' he responded. "But when she does, the medicine will not
work again until the next
full moon."

The husband was very eager to see if it worked, so he went home, showered, shaved, took a
spoonful of the medicine, and then invited his wife to join him in the bedroom.
When she came in, he took off his clothes and said, "1-2-3!" Immediately, he was the manliest of men.
His wife was so excited that she began preparing herself for the reception, and then she asked, "What was the 1-2-3 for?"
And that, boys and girls, is
why we should never end our sentences with a
preposition! One could end up with a ''dangling pariciple.''

Life Theories

It's Saturday morning and for some reason I'm thinking about the world. I was reading Erica Orloff's blog about not being able to find a non-white doll in Walmart. Okay, the post was about a lot more than that but that's what triggered this train of thought. Incomprehensible how the mind works sometimes.
So that brings me to my theory on world peace.
Most of the bad feelings that initiate hate crimes, wars and other attacks on people or countries come from one side thinking the other side is wrong or different for some reason.
I believe world peace will come when all of the nationalities and races of the world are totally mixed.
A person who is half white and half black wouldn't hate either of those races. Now what if the person was black, Hispanic and Caucasian? Would they feel animosity towards any one in those groups?
I think when the world is truly mixed then we will find peace.
And that's my thoughts for today...

The Last Five Years....

Five years is a long time. In some ways it can be a life time. And in Elliot's case it was...his lifetime.
He was adopted as a puppy and spent five years with a family. Then one day the family woke up and decided they had no time for him and sent this eight pound little fluff ball out into the world to find his own way.
So, he was taken into rescue and that's how Elliot ended up at my house. He's only been here a few hours, but so far he seems to be house trained, likes Halston and thinks the cat needs to be chased. But that's okay, we're explaining Gizzmo's right to pursue happiness and not to be pursued by dogs.
Right now he's pacing back and forth between rooms. A lot of the foster dogs that come through here do that. It's as if they're looking for their family and for those familiar things that used to be home. When we had Frieda the Basset Hound she would pace and whine for hours. I'd offer her food, water, a walk, but she wouldn't want anything but to pace and cry.
It breaks my heart but all we can give them is space and time.
After a day or so the dogs usually come around and start looking for some affection. A little rub behind the ears or a warm place to lay down near you.
It's kind of hard to watch them go through this process and then know that they're going to have to do it again when they go to their for-ever family. When Frieda went to her for-ever family she had some adjustment issues, but she's doing better now. She's starting to trust and her little personality is coming out more and more every day.
And now it's Elliot's turn to find a for-ever. Please wish him luck!


Five years....

When to hop heads...tell me how you do it???

Since my writing has been lagging lately I've been reading a lot. Right now I'm reading Under the Dome by Stephen King, Sins of the Flesh by Caridad Pinero (interesting romance about genetic testing) and something by Jennifer Cruise about a basset hound. (someone who knew we were hosting Frieda the Basset gave me that book the other day.)
So since I was once called a head hopper by a wonderful editor I've been worrying about this issue a lot. Some writers do this so smoothly you don't even feel it. The shift of POV is barely felt by the reader. Then there's others that I can see it clearly but for some reason it seems to work. Then there are writers who hop heads so often I have to back up and say...where was I?
So my question is how do you change POV's in a story? Do you have any rules on how you hop heads? Have you ever written a book totally in one POV?
Help!
I'm obsessing and I can't stop!

Write on...

One of the most popular pieces of advice that writer's get is to write everyday. Something I haven't been doing. Something I've felt that I can't do.
Usually when I have ...gulp!...writer's block I just keep writing stories. Some bad, some terrible, occasionally a diamond in the rough surfaces, but I could always keep writing.
Now?
eh

I've even failed my blogs. It's like I've crawled into a dark hole with no desire to come out.
I spend my time trying to fix everything around me. Even things I have no control over. Maybe it's the Virgo in me. Maybe it's a place to hide.
So now I'm ready to write every day again. It's going to be hard. I'm not sure there's anything in my head to write about.
Ideas used to be easy. I always believed ideas were everywhere. Wherever you go there's something there to build a story on.
Grocery store? Hmmm, see the lady in the black coat? What if she has a gun in her pocket? What is she going to do with it? And what would bring her to the grocery store before going on a mission to kill?
Doctor's office? ...What if that person sitting across from you in the waiting room is being poisoned? Who's trying to get rid of her and why? Will the doc figure it out and then be a target also?
Walking the dog? ...As you walk through the wooded area next to your house your dog goes crazy barking at a clump of bushes and flushes out a creature you've never seen before. Do you take it home and make it a pet? Do you discover a new species? Or is it not of this world?
Work? ...If the next person who walks through that door brings a check for 10 million dollars and you've suddenly won the big lottery how does your life change? Who becomes your friend? Who becomes an enemy?
Ideas flow...
Wait! I think I'm starting to get the spark back...

Mud Dogs

Had a bit of an issue this morning. I went to call the dogs in and Frieda (the basset hound) was missing. After searching the whole house and yard I couldn't find her and started to worry. She's my foster dog and I couldn't lose her!
Then I'm standing out on the back deck I hear crying coming from under it
so I go to the spot near the middle stairs where the dogs had been digging and call her. She cries louder and starts to howl. Our deck is very low to the ground and my husband nailed lattice to all the sides to keep the dogs from going under it.
I get down off the deck, high heels sinking in the mud and peer into the hole. All I can see is her nose.
She's behind the other big piece of wood and can't get out.
I walk all around the deck trying to call her out. Not an easy feat in high heels and mud… it's been raining in New Jersey for like---ever! Our backyard is a swamp and I'm dressed for work trying hard not to mess up my good clothes.
Finally I got a hammer and had to remove part of the lattice to get her out.
However after I got the lattice off Halston tried to go in (no way is the hole big enough for her so she just kind of laid in the mud with her head under there harrassing Frieda who was howling again. I finally get Halston out and Frieda crawls out covered in mud.


So How did your day start?

It means Freedom

This little girl came up from North Carolina a few weeks ago. She went straight to a forever home. Unfortunately, she didn't get along with the two year old in the house and now she's here.
Frieda (I'm told her name means Freedom in German) is about 3 years old and very nervous. She was dumped in a shelter heart worm positive. They treated the heart worm and now she is doing good. A very sweet dog who needs a calm family. Maybe with older children. I've only had her a few hours now so I don't know anything else about her yet. She's trying to be the alpha dog here and Halston isn't allowing it. We've had a few skirmishes. Nothing big but I'm definitely going to have to crate her when I go to work. I absolutely hate to do it but until I know she's going to get along with Halston and Gizmo it's for the best.
Adopt don't shop.

Shelf life...

Since I haven't been writing much lately - which I attribute to stress - I've been bringing some of my dinosaurs down off the shelf. These are dino's I love, poured my heart into and bled on.
And now I can see they need more blood. It's time to tap a vein for them.
This led me to see how valuable that shelf time is. If I hadn't let this go and stuck it in that dark corner of my office I don't think I'd see what I see now.

One is a story I love and I basically tried tried to write from two heads. The heroine and the hero. And now, rereading it, I can see the error of my ways. I think this would definitely be better from the hero's head since it's really not a romance. (Although we do have a sexual interlude.) I can see hero being the driving force in what happens here, but there are times when we have to see the heroine's point of view because she's the only one in the room. So do I write as the omni presence in the room or do I go into her head?
Dilemma.
Help!
Any advice?
Do you shelve it for awhile before going back for the final draft? Does it help?

Waiting for her new life to begin...

This is Sally. She's a one and a half year old Feist mix. I think she might have some chihuahua in her too. She's about 10 lbs and pretty solid. She came up from North Carolina shelter yesterday with her five puppies in a truck that had about 50 big barking dogs. The truck stops at a designated meeting place and all the rescue groups show up to claim the dogs they agreed to take. For a little dog this can be a very scary situation. Sally was absolutely terrified. Even now her tail is tucked between her legs and she stays right by my side. At first she growled at Halston but now seems to accept that Halston is just a big goof who only wants food and attention. She spent most of the afternoon exploring the house and back yard then jumped up on the couch with me to nap. She slept for about two hours. I think she was exhausted.
The puppies were 10 weeks old and have gone to different foster families. Sally is staying with us until her forever family shows up.

Bad books, Good plot

I'm reading a book by a very popular author. Same one who's audio book I finished last month and I have the same issues.
Head hopping. I've counted up to four heads on the same page and it's driving me crazy. But I keep reading because the plot is good. Sometimes it's hard to concentrate. I'll be reading along and then suddenly it's like hitting a pot hole...bam! Where am I? Wasn't I just in Claire's brain? Why am I remember things his sister said when they were four and Claire wasn't even a thought then? Okay, back track...yes, I was reading in her head and flip! now I'm in his.
And through all this I still want to know what happens next.
Good writer? Bad writer?
Now I want to go back and find the first book this author ever wrote to see if she was actually published with this rhythm or was it something now overlooked because she is more popular then Obama.
I write, I study writing, I read about writing so now I'm wondering if someone who really doesn't know that much about writing dynamics would pick up on this stuff.
What happens when good writers go bad?

Failure is not an Option...

I was wandering around over at Mark Terry's blog where he said something about NASA and that their code is "Failure is not an Option".
The post was mostly about Stephen Parrish and his new book The Tavernier Stones. (Quick! Everyone needs to order a copy right now!) and how he helped nudge Stephen to the place he needed to be to find success.
This toggled me over to Stephen's blog and how he got published. He's done more rewrites then I ever thought possible. But more than that...he never gave up.
Failure was not an option.
It was the push I needed.
It's time to get back on the horse and if I can't find the old horse. Maybe I'll just have to write me a new one. I think I'm going to take back my 20 minute rule (every time I have 20 minutes I write--something) and just write. Good or bad I'm just going to write.
I think when real life throws us curves it's easy to forget our motivation and what moves us forward toward our own successes. Imagine if Stephen Parrish had given up at one of his many rewrites?
I think sometimes we need to remember that Failure is not an option we're going to accept.
The dream you hold could change the world.

Why I can't write...

So I've been struggling with not being able to write for a couple of months now. This situation is new to me. I've been writing since I was...maybe 5 or 6? When I first discovered the joy of putting pen to paper all I wanted to do was write down stories. Things would come into my head and I'd just start putting them down. I remember when I was 8 or 9 my mom asked me what I wanted for Christmas I answered a pen and a new pad of paper. She laughed and said, "No, really, what do you want?"
But I spoke the truth. It was my idea of a perfect gift. Give me something to tell my stories with and I'll be in heaven.
So you get why this idea of not writing is like someone put the brakes on my soul. It's in there, I know it, I can still feel it but there's something blocking it, keeping it inside. Like a trapped tiger I can feel it pacing, frustration growing as it looks for an opening.
So not being able to write has led me to searching for why I'm not writing. I'm analyzing my world, my life and my relationships.
First: My daughter moved to Florida for school. She needs a job and has been looking for months. I'm worried. I know she's a smart girl, educated (BS in psychology), and a hard worker. She made the Dean's list last semester, Yay! There's no reason she can't find a job. The economy sucks, thousands upon thousands are unemployed. I have hope that the economy will turn around. There's a job for her, it will come and I try not to worry. But hey! I'm a mom, it's my vocation.
Second: I had shoulder surgery three years ago. I still have a lot of pain and some days its worse...really worse. So I'm thinking I have to go back to the orthopedist and I'm scared he's going to say surgery again. The first round was blindingly painful and I fear doing it again. So I've put off calling the orthopedist. Call me a coward, I am.
Third: I'm not in love with my job. It's easy and boring. I'd rather be challenged. The people I work with are really nice and I'd hate to leave them but...the boredom is...crushing.
Fourth: Saturn is still in Virgo and transiting my first house. The first house represents energy, vitality and deepest desires. It's also linked to your state of health. Hmmmm, I think we're on to something here...
Saturn is the planet that challenges us, makes up step up and be counted. Some fear this planet because it twists your reality around and throws curve balls. It's been in Virgo for the last ...three years, I think?

Is any of this the reason I can't write? Who knows. I still get ideas. Things pop into my head and I blurt them down onto my hard drive but can't get it to go any further.
Writer's block...I always thought it was a myth. Now I'm not so sure.
How do you deal with writer's block?

Sometimes I just can't write. This is something new. I've never not been able to write. In fact writing has been my safe harbor. Its the place I go to get away from everything else. But now...
It looks like we'll be snowed in this weekend. They are calling it a Snow-i-cane. A blizzard with hurricane like winds. Right now I'm at work watching the big flakes of snow cover my car outside my window. Some of the cars have their windshield wipers pulled out like bug antenna. I think they do this to keep them from freezing to the window. I've never done it. I'm New Jersey born and bread and fear someone will come along and snap it off. Not that this is a bad area but I imagine these things with such clarity that I can see them happening.
Love many, trust few...always paddle your own canoe. Words to live by.

So I pulled out an old manuscript from a few years ago and I've been going through it and scraping off the goo. You know that hazy combination of words that really take your story nowhere? Its a major clean up. As I look at these pages I wonder how I ever thought this stuff was ready for an agent? A good reason to step back and let a story peculate.
I think my writing group thinks I'm crazy. I bring different pieces of different stories every week. Sometime I just don't need/want feedback yet. I know it's not ...right...so I need to fix that before i show it to others. And there's always another story laying around I'm dabbling with that could use a tweak. That's what I bring. My secondary story. Like a secondary plot in a book, it's there but it isn't the main piece of work right now.
So tell me, how do you keep the juices flowing?
This is Rusty. We fostered him for about a week. He's a very loving and smart dog and I know he'll be a great addition to his fur-ever family. And I miss him.

Got no flow....

Most times writing is the easiest thing I do. When I need to escape or have something to say it just flows out of my fingertips without a moments hesitation.
But The Blue Diamond is a struggle. I have to wonder if this is because its like an assignment. Or maybe a cross between an assignment and a challenge.
I'm writing it from an announcement by The Wild Rose Press that asks people to write something for their new Jewels of the Night line. I figured I was such a slacker lately that I needed a challenge.
Things like this usually excite me. Make me step up and just get it done, but somehow I'm just not finding the flow.
Is it the depression that seems to shadow me these days? The disappointment I feel with my day job? Inability to find a publisher for my last work?
Who knows.
My birds are leaving the nest. My best friends are taking off and finding their own lives, their own space in time and it's taking my soul.
Usually I embrace change.
I love new and different things whether it's moving to a new place, changing around a room, or changing jobs. I'm usually a try-new-things, jump-straight-in kind of person.
So why am I floundering now? I knew this was coming, worked hard to make them as prepared as possible and I'm happy to say they have turned out to be very capable, mature, intelligent young women. I'm so proud of them.
So why can't I find my place in the world now? I always knew where it was before, every change made me happy. Why can't I embrace this?
Can I coin the teen phrase, "Whatever"?
I'm making myself push through the Diamond, blurting it all down on the hard drive and hoping for the best. It's an effort to finish and an effort to get my flow back.
Hopefully, that's one thing I can get back.

Foster dog....

Her name is Carmel but we've been calling her Peanut because she looks like one. This morning I received an email saying someone is interested in adopting her.
We receive this with mixed feelings. Although she's only been with us for 5 days she's fitting in real well.
She's loving and sweet and afraid of everything. This little scaredy cat is always ready for play and does laps around the house at top speed. She like a little furry bullet streaking through the rooms.
Today our dog, Halston actually started playing with her. Now Halston turns 14 in the spring so she doesn't play as much as she used to but it was good to see her giving chase to the little peanut.
I have to call the potential adopter tonight to set up a time to meet. Probably Sunday. My daughter is heartbroken. She fell in love with the little fuzzball and wanted to keep her. :(
Its hard to remember that this is the right thing to do. We can't keep every dog but we can help them find good homes. This home has one of Peanut's litter mates and the mom is a stay at home mom. In our house we work all day so the little girl is crated at this point (till she learns her toilet manners and stops chewing on every thing in site). She's going to a good home, we have to remember that.
The other foster mom's tell me that letting go of the first dog is always the hardest. She promises it will get easier...

Fame and writing rules

Once upon a time a very nice editor told me that I was a head-hopper. Although it sucks to hear something like that after she requested a full it was probably the nicest thing she could have done. Now I keep a sharp eye out for that head-hopping stuff. It's so easy to fall into another character's head when he's not looking. After all, I know what he's thinking...why shouldn't everyone else?
But that's not good writing, is it? I think it was like a major deal breaker on the road to publication.
Enter Famous writer...
I have a 40 minute ride to work and listen to books on tape/CD. Right now I'm listening to a book on tape by a very famous romance novelist. She's a household name. Even if you never read romance or wouldn't even consider one of her books..you know her. She's top of the heap in her genre.
This book is a major head-hopper. I've even backed the CD up a few times to listen again. You know, to make sure I was paying attention and didn't miss some important scene change or something that would let me move to the new POV but uh-uh, this book bounces back and forth so much my ears ache. I want to snatch up my red pen and start editing.
I know this is on CD and therefore I can't see what I could see in print and that could make a difference. Like when there is a double space to indicate time change or some other way to move POV. But there would have to be a lot of white space in this book to make up for all the shifts.
My question is; Does fame make you impervious to the rules? Does there come a time when the editor stops editing if you're too famous?
Anyone else see this happen?

The Foster Child

This is Carmel and she is our first foster dog. She was rescued from a high kill shelter in North Carolina. She was rescued and brought up here about a month ago and has had three foster homes so far. Mostly because of unforeseen life events that changed the foster families' dynamics. I told her she would stay with us till she found her forever home.
My daughter wants to keep her. She's easy to love. Half Dachshund, half Basset Hound. Her body is long, legs short and tail always wagging. Five pounds of love.
As soon as we got her home she put her nose to the ground and investigated every nook and cranny of the house. We took her outside so she'd get the idea from our other dog about what not to do in the house and she came back in and promptly peed in her crate.
At least it was in the crate.


It's been a long day and now she's sacked out on the big dog bed and snoozing.

Once upon a Query dreary....

I've been playing over at Slushpile and, of course, I love the Query Shark so I was wondering if there's a formula for this stuff?
I have my own idea on what makes a good query and it breaks down to three things. Conflict, motivation and goal.
The conflict would be the hook or whatever sparks the story. Motivation is why the character feels they have to take action. Life or death? Righting a wrong? Saving someone? something? The goal is where they want to get to, which outcome they are working for.
I usually start with three sentences that say these things and go from there. If more is needed then I start layering in more information. Then I go back and start cutting.
Did I really need this word? Is this fact necessary at this point?
And the biggest questions...Do I have everything the agent needs to get the gist of the story? Is my hook strong enough?
If I were an agent and looking at my 100th query before lunch would this grab me?
I get rejections and I get some reads. Some very nice agents and editors give me good comments along with the not-for-them salutation. It's okay, rejections don't bother me anymore. Some day I'm going to wallpaper my bathroom with them.

How's your query?

Ideas?

I've always believed that ideas are all around us. In John Irving's The World According to Garp the main character sees a red glove in the gutter and develops a whole story around it. From that we invented the game we call "Tell Me". I mostly did this to keep my kid's mind busy when we were in places where they could get unruly. (I figured diverting their attention was better than correcting it. Kind of the head-them-off-at-the-pass theory.) In the game someone picks an object somewhere in the room and challenges the person to tell a whole story behind the object. Amazingly we've found a spoon that dated back to the Civil War and once fed General Grant's horse!
So now I'm collecting ideas. I want to make a file of basic plot lines to have on hand for when I need a challenge or hit a block.
Anyone else do this? Does it help?

Thank God it's Friday!

Shame on the NJ Senate

Last week the NJ Senate voted NO to Gay Marriage. Here's a list of the Senators who feel that not everyone is created equal. They took a giant step back in the evolution of society.
Voting in opposition were:

* Sen. Michael Doherty (R-Warren)
* Sen. Tom Kean (R-Union)
* Sen. Fred H. Madden (D-Camden)
* Sen. Joe Pennacchio (R-Morris)
* Sen. Nicholas Sacco (D-Hudson)
* Sen. Robert Singer (R-Ocean)
* Sen. Jennifer Beck (R-Monmouth)
* Sen. Gerald Cardinale (R-Bergen)
* Sen. Christopher Connors (R-Ocean)
* Sen. Philip E. Haines (R-Burlington)
* Sen. Joseph Kyrillos (R-Monmouth)
* Sen. Kevin O'Toole (R-Passaic)
* Sen. Ron Rice (D-Essex)
* Sen. Shirley Turner (D-Mercer)
* Sen. Christopher Bateman (R-Somerset)
* Sen. Anthony Bucco (R-Morris)
* Sen. John Girgenti (D-Passaic)
* Sen. Sean Kean (R-Monmouth)
* Sen. Steven Oroho (R-Sussex)
* Sen. Jeff VanDrew (D-Cape May)

Thankfully, the fight is not over. Now it goes to court and hopefully a judge will know that all men are created equal and there's no provision in the Constitution that says "except if you're gay".
Some of the nay-sayers suggested it go on the ballot but really, would that be fair?
Would women have the right to vote if it went to a statewide vote?
Would slavery have been outlawed if it went to a country wide vote?
But hey, I'm sure that pesky no talking on the cell while driving law wouldn't have passed if we all had a say in that vote!
Sad to say I'm ashamed of my state. I thought they were more fair and forward thinking. I thought they could separate church and state. I thought they had a brain.

Hello January

Cold weather here in the north east brings pain from an old shoulder injury. The pain radiates from jaw to fingertips so everything seems like an effort. Even typing. I exist on Advil and heating pads while I try to pound out a few pages every day.
And my Blue Diamond seems to be a struggle right now. There are things I have to get settled within the story and it's freakin' boring. She's homeless but I need to have hero-man help her without her being too needy about it. So it's a battle between keeping her independent and letting him in enough to supply some help. I need her slightly indebted to him so she takes up the adventure he's offering.
Does any of this make sense?
How do you get over the abyss in your story? It's there, it tells us stuff we kind of need to know but I feel like I'm missing something here.