The Meaning of a Word

Last night, rain beat incessantly on my bedroom window. I love rain because it makes you feel like curling up with a blanket and hot cocoa or running naked through the streets. It is nature’s gift that brings spring flowers and green grass.


For those of us who own a dog and don’t have any grass to appreciate said gifts, it means this…

Guess what I will be doing today? If you said mopping, you were right! But not because my floors are a disgrace—I will be mopping because it will keep me from having to write.

Ugh.

I guess six days wasn’t long enough to make everything roses again. I have decided to give INSIDIOUS a break while I finish the first 25 pages of my new book. I have a conference in June I need to prepare for so I figured it was a good way to get some distance. Maybe in a few weeks I will be ready.

I did receive two more rejections—one from the full manuscript and one from a query. So, I am still waiting to hear back on three plus the one agent that has my full manuscript.

I wish I had more to blog about today but I’m not in a jovial kind of mood. I received word this morning that last night a dear, sweet man died after a long battle with cancer. His story is one I have followed for years, watching the triumphs and setbacks, the happiness and the heartbreaks. He defied all odds and his family taught me so much about holding strong, being positive and never, never, never giving up.

Cancer is an insidious disease. My grandmother—who died of it thirteen years ago—taught me that. She taught me the meaning of the word and so, even though it’s a silly book about teenage boys and demons, I named it INSIDIOUS for her.

May God be with this man and his sweet family at this difficult time, we love them more than they will know.

Query Score Tied at 1!

First, the housekeeping issue of the day. The winner of the Easter Egg contest is…

Brenda Fisher!

Email me your book of choice and your address and I will have Amazon run it on over to you.

Now, onto today’s post. I am happy to update you on the 8 queries I sent out. As of today the score is tied at one rejection and one “Gee I didn’t run screaming in the other direction after Chapter 1 so please send me the entire book and then I’ll reject you.” That’s right ladies and gentlemen, I was asked for a full manuscript. Yippee!!! I was so shaky after the request that I went and ran 4 miles just to calm down. It’s a small step, but it’s a step. I only have 6 more to go…

On the reading front, this weekend I finished Veronica Roth’s DIVERGENT.

It was incredible. I highly recommend this one if you liked Hunger Games…or if you just like a good book. I really must stop falling in love with so many fictional characters. The least someone could do is name them all "Ben" so I don’t get so confused all the time. I feel like Cybil. You know…if Cybil were a chubby little accountant wannabe writer.

Well, I’m off to have lunch with fabulous writer/blogger Brodi Ashton to talk about the wonderful world of writing. SO much better than work! What is everyone else up to?

I Survived My First Rejection

My blog today comes to you from the heart of Zion, Illinois, where the gas stations have never heard of a “Big Gulp.” I am literally in hell—my dark, aspartame mother and I have been forced apart. I think I might die.

But, nevertheless, today is a glorious day! I am proud (honestly) to have received my first rejection. I am happy about this because I survived it, unscathed. When I told Ben, he said, “Gee, I would say I’m sorry but I’m sure it won’t be the last one you get.” Now, you in bloggerland might think that wasn’t a very nice response but it was exactly what I needed to hear. We are keeping it real, yo. However, when he asked if I was rejected because of the two errors in the first chapter that my mom found AFTER I sent the pages off…well, that was a little uncalled for.

**Said errors have since been fixed and will no longer be a factor in said rejections here forth **

I have 7 more to go with this round of submissions. But alas, I am disappointed that none of you have participated in my CONTEST from Friday. I will still accept entries!

I must go, I have a full day of boring meetings but leave me a note and let me know how you are doing, say hi, let me know what kind of contests you would like to see, what kind of blog topics interest you and I will try to accommodate. Share the love.

Rejection Contest…Let it Begin!

On Wednesday I submitted my first 8 agent queries. And then I threw up a little. And then I created a Pintrest account. Although I can sort of write a book and kind of figure out how to embark on the road to publication—I am NOT smart enough to figure out Pintrest. Would anyone care to elaborate and explain it to me?

I digress. I want to celebrate the next step I have taken. When trying to get published, you hear horror stories of the number of rejections you no doubt will receive before anyone takes your book seriously. How long did Stephanie Meyer’s TWILIGHT sit on someone’s desk? Or Stephen King?

It is depressing.

On the flip side, you hear about those lucky suckers that get picked up overnight. I have a feeling I will be in the category of those that sit on people’s desks and still never get published. I don’t have any delusions that my book is so wonderful that people are going to be pounding down my door for it. But, I am excited to take the journey and see if I can make it to the other side one day. That’s all I’m after.

So, I have decided to celebrate my rejections with book give-a-ways. Who’s with me? Leave a comment and place your bets:

1) How many of the 8 queries I sent out will reject me?

2) How many requests for full manuscripts will I get from the 8 I sent?

*hint—8 and 0*

The closest to the number on both questions without going over will win a signed copy of THE SAVAGE GRACE by Bree Despain. Spread the word to all your friends and relatives who love books as much as you do!