Come join me at my new home on Blogger!
Onward and upward.
As the end of my medical leave approaches I find that, even though my skin isn’t at 100%, I’m looking forward to going back to work. Sort of.
I had thought that while I was off the hours I spent stuck at home would be productive ones.
I mean, what else could I do while zoned out on painkillers, antibiotics and whatever else the doctors threw at me.
Sure, I could sit on the couch and give my impression of a potato my best shot but, how much fun is that?
Not being one to laze about for very long, I pulled out my nearly half done manuscript and decided to work on it. That was as far as I got.
I think I may have put in 1000 new words in the two months since then. On the other hand, I have written over 7000 words for the blog that I am a partner in with 12 other writers.
That counts for something, right?
On September 1, 2010, Everything Erotic went live on Amazon Blogs for Kindle and it’s been a fantastic experience. I’ve posted two instalments of The Erotic Adventures of Sidony Tassen, one short story titled Hooked and collaborated on two posts in a series titled Tempted by Fate with Heather Hughes. So far we’re sitting in 17th position out of ten THOUSAND blogs and we’ve released an anthology of all the posts from September in eBook format on Amazon as well. Another one is due out at the beginning of November for the October posts. Finally, my writing has turned into a profitable endeavour. The profits are minimal right now, but it’s something!
In case anyone has missed it because they haven’t been following me on Twitter or Facebook… The artwork for Possession is Nine Tenths – Ardeur came
in and it’s frickin’ awesome! Isn’t she pretty? I love it. The magnificent Mel Gannon put it together for me and I can’t ever thank her enough. Anyone needing cover art.. go find this amazing Aussie.
As for where you can find Possession is Nine Tenths – Ardeur, the entire book is available for purchase on Smashwords, Amazon, Barnes & Noble, Sony eReader, Apple iBooks and Diesel eBook Store.
I’ve spent the last few days doing one last edit to fix a few flaws. I’ve promised myself this is the last one because the other projects I have started have fallen to the wayside and are in need of attention. PiNT- Ardeur has had 10 months of my attention and needs to step aside (in terms of edits and whatnot) so that I can focus on other things like writing more and promotion/marketing.
The wonderful Renee Vincent has offered to interview me on her blog in March 2011 and I’m excited for the opportunity. Now, to find other individuals who are willing to give an indie author the same chance as Renee has given me. Cross your fingers.
Until next time!
Keeping busy
Since my last post big changes have been afoot. How so, you ask?
Weeeeeeeeeeeell… I self-published my book on August 22, 2010. Possession is Nine Tenths – Ardeur is available for download, ebook purchase or in trade paperback (6″ x 9″) format on Lulu.com, trade paperback on offthebookshelf.com, Kindle ebook (and soon paperback) on Amazon.com.
I’ve also signed on to be one of a group of authors that have put together a Kindle Blog on Amazon. Three times per month, twice alone and once with a co-author, content that I’ve written or helped to write goes up for the masses to read. It’s been fun and the positive feedback on the two pieces that have gone up so far have been positive. I have one more short piece to go up later in the month and I’m anxious to see what sort of reaction it will get. The blog is called Everything Erotic and features all kinds of fun, sexy reads.
Work on the second book in the Possession is Nine Tenths series has been slow. My doctor and I have been trying to find a pain medication that will manage my levels without turning me into a drooling vegetable for a good part of the day. It looks like the last one may be the best option so far. Pain levels are tolerable, but I’m still a little too woozy to function at normal parameters. Getting anything intelligent or interesting out onto the page has been, um, interesting.
I have a meeting scheduled with a surgeon on the sixteenth of September and we’ll see what she says. If she can offer a solution that won’t maim or disfigure me, we may go the surgery route. If not, it’s back to the drawing board. *sigh*
On the home front, the kids are back to school. Yay! Son #1 started grade two last Tuesday at his new school and things seem to be going along swimmingly so far. Switching him to a Core English school may have been the best decision for him. Time will tell.
Son 2 start Junior Kindergarden on Monday. He’ll go Mondays, Wednesday and alternate Fridays for the full day. Three full days of blissful quiet. Ahhh. Can’t wait.
Now…if I could get the man to find a job things would be perfect. Mostly.
Catching up
I realized over the weekend that it’s been a while since I posted last. Suffice to say, the last six weeks have been…ugh.
On July 5th I started a new job. Some of you might be thinking “Good for you. Way to go. Congrats.” and those well wishes are very much appreciated. Along with the new job came a whole boatload of pain though.
Pain? What?
Yes. Pain. The kind of pain that is so bad it makes you want to throw up. All of it courtesy of a lovely disease called Hidradenitis Suppurativa. (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hidradenitis_suppurativa) To truly understand how bad it is for me, there is a chart on the link provided. Hurley’s Staging System would put me on a level three.
Despite all that, I try to function on as normal a level as I can so that my family and I can enjoy a somewhat “normal” life. Some days it means I need to be driven to work, helped to dress and yes, even have my hair blown dry for me. This was the lot I was dealt, and damn it all if I’m going to let it stop me from doing the things I want to do.
And so, I’ve been pursing my dreams despite the rivers of pain meds flowing through my veins and blurring my vision. The words I’ve put on the page might be complete, utter crap but I don’t care. They’re words and, damn it, I’ve written them. I’ll sort it out when I hit the revision/editing stage.
Possession is Nine Tenths – Ardeur has been pitched to agents/editors and requested partials have been requested each time. The jury is still out on whether anything will come of those requests. One day, very soon, I will find an agent/editor who will love this book as much as I do. Someone will love Ardy enough to fight for her and see that she gets a life on bookshelves across the world…or on virtual bookshelves all over the internet. I’m equal opportunity here people.
Possession is Nine Tenths – Cassiela is in production. See note above about complete/utter crap on pages. lol Actually, what I’ve written so far isn’t half bad. My beta reader (LeeAnne – whom we love to bits) has read the first twenty chapters and -while pointing out a few massive, bleeding holes in the book – claims to love it. Good thing I’ve got a lot of tape and miles of gauze. We’re going to patch that sucker up as good as I patch myself up and that book is going to rock!
In other interesting news, I’ve volunteered myself into a frenzy. Modding over at Savvy for a few workshops, Editing for Joyfully Reviewed and, as of this weekend I’ve dropped myself into the deep end. I’ll be blogging over at Everything Erotic ( http://everythingerotic.wordpress.com ) once per month with a sexy serial story. We’ve got a good group of writers in the lineup and I can’t wait to get started. Come on over! The blog launches on September 1, 2010 and should be a lot of fun.
I’m sure there’s more I could go on about but, it’s 12:30 AM and I have to work tomorrow.
Progress is a good thing.
I finally broke the 30K mark on Possession is Nine Tenths: Cassiela today. Yay!
That puts me at the 1/3 done point and I’m happy to be there. With a bit of discipline and determination, I’ll have this puppy done before the new book is slated for liftoff in September.
I’ve already got the back cover blurb for Possession is Nine Tenths: Ariel done and waiting. Will it pass muster? We’ll find out in two months.
As for Ardeur.. she’s been submitted to an agent who requested the first 30 pages, synopsis and query. Landing this would be a major coup for me. I’ve read a bit about this agent and I think we could be a good fit.
That said, I’m not putting all my eggs in the same proverbial basket. I’ve been spending a bit of time each day researching the agents of those authors that write what I read/write. I’m still working up the courage to actually approach them with a query, but the information is stored for when I do bust out the titanium plated balls and go for it. For now, I’ve got them polished and waiting in their pretty glass case staring at me from the shelf. They taunt me daily, but I am becoming immune to their prodding. Good or bad? Hm…when I figure it out the queries will be a flying.
I’ve also embarked on a few side ventures in the writing world. One being my new status as a reviewer for Night Owl Reviews. The other, editor for Joyfully Reviewed. Both are strictly volunteer but the experience will come in handy. I hope. As soon as I get a moment where I’m not about to pass out on my keyboard I’ll post links to both websites.
On a more personal note. *sigh* Son 1 decided it would be a good idea to sleep with gum in his mouth last night. Black gum.
Despite repeated admonishments to not take the gum to bed with him, I discovered my 7 year old not only took it to bed with him.. he got it caught in his hair and tried to hide the evidence by cutting it out. Face? Meet desk. Genius? My child is not a candidate for Mensa, but it doesn’t take one to realize that Mommy’s going to notice the LARGE chunk of hair missing from the front of your head.
A half dozen angry glares, and the entire Harry Potter and the Half Blood Prince movie later…the clippers came out and Mister got himself a buzz cut. There were tears and bits of hair flying everywhere. Neither were mine. The score? Clippers 2 – Son 0. (Round one came courtesy of Mister deciding to play hairdresser with his little brother a few years ago.)
When pictures are downloaded from the camera – I’ll share. Evil mommy will post mid-buzz shots so you may all sit and chuckle along with me.
Before I forget to mention…I start my new job on Monday, July 5th, 2010. Thrilled about the new placement? Not really. Will it pay the bills and allow me to indulge my other career. Absolutely! For this.. I’ am happy and will willingly park my backside in whichever desk they assign to me for eight long hours a day. Never fear, the laptop will come with me and I will be writing on break and lunch. That’s the plan anyway. Discipline. Yes, must find some when out shopping next.
Anywho.. look for a post on Wednesday. It’s my 35th birthday and I’m sooooooooo not looking forward to that.
Rejection
I’ve probably mentioned this before, but I submitted my manuscript earlier this month. This, in itself, was a major accomplishment for me pursuant to finishing the actual book.
After several weeks of waiting, the response came in today. The editor enjoyed the book but doesn’t think she could sell it because it’s written in first person point of view. Apparently these are hard to sell?
The door was left open for me to submit future projects, and I plan to once my co-writer and I get that particular project underway. That series will be in third person POV. Here’s hoping it goes well.
On another note, I was accepted as a participant in Lori Wilde’s Book in a Year Mentoring Program. Yay for me! It’s going to be a lot of work but, in the end I’ll come out with a shiny new book and hopefully get it published. I have to get the one before it written first though, lol. I’ve got two months, the program starts in September and book two is about 1/4 written. Eep! Can you hear the mad clicking of my fingers on the keyboard?
I can’t forget to mention this as well. I was approved for Pro status with RWA. Now that my book is finished and has been submitted I qualify. Yay! I get access to a few more tools, workshops and other things that the organization offers. Oh, and I get a shiny new pin to put on my bag.
All in all, things are moving along swimmingly. I’m still not quitting my day job to write full-time but I can dream.
Meet the cast and crew.
Since I’ve talked so much about Possession is Nine Tenths, I thought you might like to meet the actors/models who provided inspiration for the people living in my overcrowded head.
So here they are…
Ardeur, my feisty blonde necromancer.
Sweet. Innocent. Doll-like.
On the surface, blond-haired and blue eyed necromancer
Ardeur Lisle looks just like all of those things,
with one small caveat; a demon lurks behind the smoke screen
of her appearance.
A demon that has been fighting for possession – and will win,
unless Ardy can rid herself of her co-pilot from hell.
Brody, my favorite werewolf.
Charming. Loyal. Alpha to the core.
Werewolf Brody Callaghan wants two things in life – find the woman
he knew as a child and have a family of his own.
Fate will give him what he wants - but he’ll have to fight an
Angel of Death to get it, and the angel is playing dirty.
Azrael, the sexiest Angel of Death.. ever.
By default, this is also the inspiration for Metatron aka.
Tate since he’s Azrael’s identical twin. Rae (Azrael) is the next
on the block for a book, which is already underway.
He’s loonier than a box full of ..well, loonies.
Hmm.. maybe this one works better. He’s one Crayola short of a box.
Poor Cassiela doesn’t know what she’s gotten herself into,
but she’ll find out soon enough.
Last, but certainly never least.. the Angel of Healing, Ariel.
She’ll be on the block once Rae has gotten his HEA.
So, those are my kids.. in so much as they were born from me
onto the page and their lives have been mine to shape and
mold. They’re quite the crew and I’m happy to have them
keep me busy.
- my read shelf:
