Merry Christmas to all!

Ritual and writing

It's important to write every day if you are serious about writing. It doesn't matter what you write, only that you do. I have developed a ritual around that. I prefer doing my creative writing on my laptop on the living room sofa. I associate my office with work [my businesses] and my writing is not work - it's a love. So, I crave a different location for that.
So, I sit on the sofa, laptop on my lap [where else?]. From my sofa I can look out onto the patio and the hummingbird feeder. I can watch the birds and listen to the wind drift through the palm tree fronds on days when I can open the patio doors. And I burn my favorite candle. It's African Amber, a musky scent that I love and because of this daily ritual, just the scent of it makes me feel inspired.
BUT - I just found out today that the store that stocked it is no longer in business and I cannot buy the candle anywhere else. I immediately felt panic.
But do we need ritual to produce?
Can we be just as productive even if we have been conditioned to need certain talismans to trigger our creativity?
I admit I have a certain fear about what will happen when my reserve of African Amber is truly gone. I am sure I will go to every candle shop I can find in search of something similar.
But I am also going to try to wing it alone and see what happens. I know my talent [if I truly have any] does not need a candle to produce. But setting the mood is important. I just need to be a little flexible about it.
And if anyone knows where I can get African Amber candles, email me. :>)

So you think it's the ultimate goal to see your book in a bookstore

Read this for an eye opener on how it all works.

Second Chance

As of today, the rights to SECOND CHANCE, my first novel revert back to me. I am going to republish it with its original cover under my own imprint. I can't wait.

Books make wonderful Christmas presents

This year give the gift of romance, travel, adventure....give books!
Don't know what books to give?
Know a second wife? Give Second Chance, a story about a second marriage, a second wife, and a love tested.
Know someone who would love to read a romance set against the backdrop of exotic Rio de Janiero? Give COMING TOGETHER.
Want to give an historical novel - the story of Noah's Wife as told by her? NOAH'S WIFE is your answer.
How about a love story set in the exciting world of radio? Then you must read RED WINE FOR BREAKFAST.
And finally, if you know a child whose parent has been diagnosed with multiple sclerosis, or any serious illness, MOM'S STORY will help.
All are available and can be ordered to arrive in time for Christmas.
Enjoy!

The need to write

Do you ever feel like your day just isn't right unless you get some pages in? It's amazing to me how I can almost go for weeks without writing in my current work in progress and feel fine about it but then once I start up again, I feel wrong if I don't write every day. It's like getting reacquainted with some old friends and then letting them down if I don't visit with them every morning. So, off I go.

Happy Thanksgiving!

I am thankful to all my readers and I wish everyone a happy and blessed day!

Harlequin angers the esteemed RWA

I say this with tongue planted firmly in cheek because I think RWA is wrong. To sum up - Harlequin has teamed up with Author Solutions [who now owns many self-publishing companies like iUniverse] and they are offering a self-publishing service to authors who do not meet the criteria to be published by Harlequin but still want that imprint. Yes, it might be a tad misleading but at least they are recognizing that there might be some merit out there to many more authors than those few they are willing to offer contracts to.
Well, RWA, who has long refused to acknowledge self-published authors at all, has now rescinded Harlequin's admission into their esteemed fold. MWA and SFWA have also joined in.
In response, Harlequin has decided to remove the name Harlequin from this new company. It is not apparent yet if this will appease RWA. So far, it seems not, from what I have read.
Yes, there is some junk out there in the self-pubbed world. But there is also a lot of good. I'm sure the general public is not aware but many now well-known authors started out as self-published. If these books had not started out that way, we would have been deprived of some wonderful reading.
I wish Harlequin had not caved in like that. RWA needs to get over itself.

The play's the thing

Last night hubby and I went to see The Phantom of the Opera. We had seen it years ago on Broadway and now the touring company brought it to AZ. I have never been fond of this play in terms of characters or storyline but I love the music.
And I was not disappointed. The female lead's voice was beyond magnificent. Can't say as much for her character's mentality or that of most of the characters in the play but the house was packed as I'm sure it was every night.
So, then, this begs the question if the story line is silly [a deranged malformed man influences an impressionable young girl and throws an opera house into turmoil] what drives the audience to flock to it day after day, year after year?
Pathos, pageantry, beautiful, angelic voices singing haunting melodies.
Can anything be derived from this and applied to modern fiction?
I think so. Make your characters memorable, be they good or bad, smart or vapid. Make them real, make your audience have a gut reaction to them and them hive the audience something else besides.

Writing a book

I have been hearing more and more in the last week about a certain someone and her soon to be released book. She has a well known name. She got a huge advance. She had a ghost writer. She has a built-in following. Her book, while not for sale yet, is already a best seller.
This may sound like sour grapes but this really upsets me. Someone writing and selling a book in this manner makes it harder for the real writers of the world. You know, the ones who write their own books. The ones who don't have a sensationalistic platform and don't command the huge advances. The ones who get ignored by the traditional houses because the money is being spent on people like this author.
It's frustrating but we can work around this. We just have to work harder. If you can't attract the attention of a large house, court one of the many small independent presses that are out there. Of course, make sure your book is the best it can be. This goes without saying. And then market the heck out of that book.
Tell everyone you know. Speak. Send it away for reviews. It can be done.
The flash in the pans will always be there and the large houses will always go for the big names because they are driven by their bottom line but it doesn't mean your book won't see the light of day. You will just have to be more creative.

Smashwords

Smashwords is a great new site where you can publish e-versions of your books. If you haven't checked it out yet, I highly recommend it. Ebooks are the wave of the future. It's important to be able to offer your readers this great option. This site makes it easy to publish in all the possible formats.

Coming Together by Joyce Norman and Joy Collins

New book trailer for COMING TOGETHER

Our 4th book is in production

This lovely children's book by Mary Nickum helps parents explain MS. Not only is it a story that parets can share with their family but there are many helpful resources contained in it as well.

We're giving away free copies of COMING TOGETHER

Giveaway has ended.

Geat marketing

If you are an author, you must follow Seth Godin, marketing guru.

What a day

Yesterday was a lost day and I am trying to catch up. One of the fans in my computer has been breaking over the last few weeks. yesterday it went bonkers and was driving me crazy - which these days is really a short putt [work related]. but the noise was unbearable. I suspect it's one of the noises they use to torture prisoners at Guantanamo. anyway, I whined until John gave in and decided to fix it for me. Of course, Murphy's law kicked in and the local store in FH didn't have the part and then the computer store in Scottsdale didn't have the part but they recommended the store in Tempe. So off John went with the old fan to see if he could find a match. that meant I had no computer of course.

he came back over an hour later with a part that "might" fit. it didn't. but John being the electrical engineer [he really has a degree in electrical engineering, among others] decided he could "make it fit". that took over an hour. so then we booted up. the computer decided it didn't like someone messing with its innards so it decided to run check disk. that took 20 minutes. then everything came back - or did it? nope, the second monitor wouldn't come on. I played with it. I rebooted. I went into the software cave and looked around. nothing. so I called my computer guru Gus. he had no idea what it was but suspected something went awry when John put the new fan in because it was the video fan. I didn't even know the video card had its own fan. so he told me to reload the software for the video card and see if that worked. if not he would come out tomorrow. so I rummaged around and lo and behold I actually found the software disc. I figured I'd better restart the computer before loading the disk so I rebooted. GUESS WHAT! - both monitors were now working. I have no idea why but I'm not going to question it. But, as you probably already guessed, yesterday was all shot to heck in a handbasket. I had a splitting headache.

So I called it quits for the day.

Figured I'd go to bed early.

But then I started reading Homer's Odyssey [the story of a blind cat] and couldn't put it down. It's an excellent book. I recommend it.

Stayed up until 4 AM with that book.

And the boys woke me up at 7:30 this morning.

The coffee needs to kick in very soon.

Time for me

I just read a fellow writers blog and something she wrote clicked with me.
Writers write.
She's right.
I am a publisher but I am a writer first. My characters are calling me. I have neglected them long enough. It's time I made that second cup of coffee and sat with them a while. They have been busy while I was gone and have a lot to say.

NOAH'S WIFE

Our next book is ready for the printer.
Noah's Wife by TK Thorne is the story of Na-amah, a beautiful young girl with Asperger Syndrome who wishes only to be a shepherdess on her beloved hills in ancient Turkey, a desire shattered by the hatred of her powerful brother, the love of two men, and a looming disaster that threatens humanity’s survival.
The Biblical account of Noah's wife only gives us a nameless woman who bears Noah's children and is with him in the ark but T.K.Thorne, an award winning author, has filled in the story based on geological and archeological evidence of a culture that existed during a great flood in the Black Sea region 7,000 years ago.
Noah's Wife will be available for sale in a couple of weeks. Stay tuned.

Red Wine For Breakfast

Red Wine For Breakfast is now uploaded and ready for production on Ingram's service [Lightning Source].

Red Wine For Breakfast stars Jenny Reed, the star of the #1 morning radio show in Los Angeles.

Her career was all she needed. Success was all she ever wanted until Johnny King became her on-air partner and challenged her to play his own game.

Real life radio personalities and actual events bring realism to a fictional behind- the- scenes novel set in Los Angeles, where radio stations change formats like socks, and jobs are as secure as houses built on the San Andreas Fault.

In a business drowning in testosterone, Red Wine for Breakfast is the story of strong, determined ex-New Yorker who has to shake off the laid-back attitude of L.A. to overcome the challenges of an industry that threatens to turn her off, and a man who only wants to turn her on.

It will be available for order taking very soon.
Congratulations to Raven West on a great book!

Today

I'm sure all of us remember where we were on 09/11/01. It is a day that will forever be etched in our minds, a day that changed us as a nation.
As time moves us forward, I hope, too, that our thoughts can move us forward - away from fear, away from hate, away from all that will bring us down as a nation.
We need to remember that we are all citizens of this world, that the actions of a few can't define us as human beings and shouldn't dictate how we relate to our brothers and sisters on this planet.
It's good to remember but not to the point that it makes us cynical and bitter and hateful.
Let's take what happened on that day and use it to forge a new era of peace.
And God bless all the people who perished on that day and bring peace to their families.

New authors!

Our company Chalet Publishers will be publishing two books this month from authors we are happy to represent.
We are publishing the second edition of Red Wine For Breakfast a novel by Raven West.
We are also publishing the debut novel of T. K. Thorne titled Noah's Wife.
More very soon.

Guest blogging again today

I'm a guest today again on Nadine's blog First Draft.
Today we're talking about my book Coming Together and the art of writing with a co-author.
Drop by and leave a comment - you might win a copy of Coming Together.

Author, Editor, Computer wizard, Maharani of Details

Those are my titles in our company. I'm sure there are a few more but that's all I can think of right now.
This company has taken on a life of its own and I am enjoying every minute of it. If I had to compare it to anything I think I would say we have hit the toddler stage - trying out our independence, standing on wobbly legs, falling down, laughing, and getting right back up again.
A year from now, I'm sure everything will be running like the proverbial clockwork but for now we are enjoying the ride, complete with the occasional hiccup.

Blog party

I have been invited to participate in another writer's blog this week. She is celebrating her 100th post with a month long blog party, complete with guest bloggers and prizes [free autographed books!].
Stop by and join the fun: Nadine Laman's First Draft.

The writing life

You gotta love it! Making up whole worlds, controlling people's lives, killing off characters...it's so much fun. And addictive. And tempting to just live in that world and never come up for air, especially when the real world is so chaotic, sad, and some days seeming to be on the verge of falling off a cliff.
Those are the days when it's important to reach beyond Facebook and email for comfort and friendship. It's important to remember that you need real live people to fill your days as well. I make it a point to meet up with other writers several times a month, whether it's a writers group meeting or lunch with a friend who also writes books. It's important to connect. We are social beings and we need that grounding to survive, to recharge, and get back to those characters and cause more mayhem.

Amazon, Kindle, and E-Books - Oh My!

There is an interesting NY Times article today about Amazon and their Kindle system in the wake of the George Orwell 1984 episode. http://www.nytimes.com/2009/07/27/technology/companies/27amazon.html?_r=1&partner=rss&emc=rss
While Kindle is the only system we use for our books and our company for now because it is the safest system, it is obvious, as the article points out, that the control of the book still lies with Amazon, not the consumer who has paid for the book. One has to wonder how far this could go. I'm sure there are no answers right now as this type of technology is still evolving. But it is definitely food for thought. And a concern that we should all pay attention to.

Find your voice

A dear friend passed away this week and my husband and I have been involved with the family as he was mourned and eventually laid to rest yesterday. He was a dear man who touched many lives and truly made a difference. And he did it in his own particular way in his own inimitable style.
That inspires me. I want to be remembered in that way. My friend's tool was in his speech, his example, his counseling of friends. My tools are my written words. As I grow older, I am emboldened to speak out. I may never be an activist who stirs a crowd with an impassioned speech but I have a keyboard that has the power to reach many people. I intend to use it.
I encourage all of you who fancy yourselves writers to do the same thing. You never know who you may inspire to greatness. And what a legacy to leave behind. To leave this world better for having been in it is the greatest gift.

Motivation

An elusive thing at 6:15 AM when it's already 81 degrees! But I'm determined to get to work. My next book will not get written if I don't. Our current novels under contract won't get edited if I don't. I am thankful, nonetheless. I love what I do. I am lucky.

To edit

Definition: prepare for publication or presentation by correcting, revising, or adapting. Pretty hefty four-letter word.
And so it begins.
We have now signed on 2 authors [with more in the wings] and the process continues.
We are in the editing stage, getting these books ready for publication.
It's a huge responsibility and we are taking this work very seriously. To have the life of someone's book in your hands is a sobering thought.

No time like the present

I have several writer friends. Some author friends as well. What's the difference? To me, a writer is someone who writes or spends time attending to the craft but an author has gone the next step and become published by whatever means is available to them, whether it be indie, self, or traditional.
It takes courage to do that. Anyone can go around saying they are writing a book. I have one acquaintance who has been talking about the same book for as long as I have known her - going on 12 years now. She is "compiling", "researching", "organizing". But I don't see a lot of writing.
Time is short. We never know what we are going to be faced with from one day to the next. Seize today. It's the only one we've got.
If you want to be an author, write and take the steps necessary to get published. I can't tell you how good it feels to hold a completed published book in your hands. For a writer, I don't think there is anything better.

My first blog award!

Nadine Laman, blogging First Draft, shared the "Let's Be Friends" award she received. Thank you, Nadine, I accept your friendship and the award.

Blogs that receive the Let’s Be Friends Award are exceedingly charming. These kind bloggers aim to find and be friends. They are not interested in self-aggrandizement. Our hope is that when the ribbons of these prizes are cut, even more friendships are propagated. Please give more attention to these writers.

Now, it is my honor and privilege to pass on this award to other bloggers:

Bobby Ozuna, author, Internet talk radio host, blogging Ozuna Publications: http://inotauthor.blogspot.com/2009/06/bobby-ozuna-interviews-author-melissa.html

Shreve Stockton, author, blogging The Daily Coyote: http://www.dailycoyote.net/

Vickie Milazzo, nurse, entrepreneur, blogging Vickie's Legal Nurse Consulting Blog: http://www.legalnurse.com/vickiesblog/

Tara Reed, artist, blogging Artists Tara Reed's Blog: http://www.tarareed.wordpress.com/

Nadine M. Rosin, author, speaker, holistic pet care advocate, blogging The Healing Art of Pet Parenthood: http://petparenthood.blogspot.com/

Terry Whalin, writer, editor, publisher, blogging The Writing Life http://terrywhalin.blogspot.com/

Amazon

Amazon has asked for the first shipment of books.
This is getting exciting.
It's important to remember to enjoy the process and not get all caught up in the details so much that you forget to "smell the roses". We have so much to be thankful for.

Book launch date

We hit a small snag in production but problem solved and launch date is now set for July 1.
We will have Buy buttons up on the web site soon.

New book coming soon!

The book goes to the printer today and will be available for sale in two weeks!

Book update

So much is happening with the book now since we were freed to work on this ourselves. The cover is just about done and absolutely beautiful. The ISBN is assigned. The book is with a reader for final edits and corrections. The printer is all lined up and just waiting for the files to prepare them for the first book to come off the press. Once that's approved, we're all set to go. We're still aiming for a June 15 publication date.

Report from the agent

As I had expected, it was a thanks, your writing is very nice, etc, etc, etc, but your book is not what we are looking for right now.
That's OK. I was almost disappointed when it looked like we were not going to be able to do this ourselves.
Now, we can. We have found a printer. We are doing final edits and revisions because we want this to be the best book it can possibly be.
We are on track to have our book out sometime in the first part of June.

Twitter

Do you Twitter? Do you know how to retweet? Do you have tweeple?
If all of this sounds like gibberish to you, you have not been introduced to Twitter, a networking phenomenon.
I admit, when I first joined Twitter, I didn't get it. At all. Now, I have 460 followers and counting. I have found leads for writing and have made contacts that I would not have had the opportunity for without this vehicle.
Will it be useful? Who knows. It could and that is the intrigue. It's also lots of fun.
And while we are forming our marketing plan for Chalet Publishers, Facebook and Twitter are definitely going to be a big part of that.
You must check it out. If you join, follow me and we can tweet each other.

Facebook

Are you on Facebook? If you want to connect with the immediate world, you must join Facebook. It's free, easy, and fun. Before you know it, you will have friends and updates and you will be addicted. And if you are a writer, it's a great way to connect with other writers of like mind. Once you join, please add me as a friend. My Facebook page: http://www.facebook.com/people/Joy-Palastro-Collins/621938843 .

Chalet Publishers' writing contest

Chalet Publishers is up and running. And we are sponsoring a writing contest.
Go to http://www.chaletpublishers.com/ for all the information.

Wish us luck

Well, just when we thought we had everything all figured out, a NY agent asked to see our manuscript. So, we just sent it off to her. Sending prayers of acceptance along with it.

Overwhelmed but happy

Our novel was accepted by a POD publisher a few days ago. Cause for celebration, definitely. It's great to have validation that our book is worthy.
But in a bold move, we have decided to publish the book under our own imprint. We want total control of the process from start to finish. We will decide the cover, the formatting, the cost - everything. If it sinks or swims, it's on us.
A daunting task but we're up to it.
Chalet Publishers will have Coming Together available for purchase very soon. We are aiming for a June 1 publication date.

Big Announcement

Yesterday, my business partner and I formally formed our new company.
Chalet Publishers, LLC is now officially in business.
We are a new POD [print on demand] publishing company. We are not only going to publish our own books but we have decided to publish a small number of books by other authors as well as anthologies of stories written by other authors.
We are very excited about this new venture. More to come as it develops.

My publisher asked for the full manuscript

After waiting two weeks [which seemed like an eternity to us], my publisher asked to see the entire manuscript. So, off it went. But we know it's going to be a while before we hear the final verdict.

The waiting is over!

We have decided to take the bull by the horns, so to speak, and our new adventure is going to begin this week.
More to come after our plans are in place.

A Cure for The Waiting Game

The best cure for the waiting game [waiting for a publisher to pass judgment on your work] is to keep writing, getting back into the groove with novel #3 and getting excited. There really is nothing better than making life complicated for a character. When you have no control over one thing, seize control over the things that you do.
I think there is a lesson somewhere in there.

The Waiting Game

Book number two [written with my co-author] is with a publisher right now.
Now begins the time of waiting, hoping, wishing, dreaming, praying. All the while knowing that it could end in nought and the process will start all over again. But I have faith. The book is a good one, the characters are multi-dimensional and the story is timely.

Unstuck

My co-author and I have been going round and round with the plot to our new book and getting no where. Then I decided to think outside the box. I changed the locale of the book and all of a sudden things started to click. Plots emerged where they hadn't been before. Back stories started to make sense. It's amazing how by just looking at something from a different angle can make all the difference.

It never hurts to learn something new

In my never ending quest to write the perfect novel [is there really such a thing?], I am now taking an e-course to get me through both novels I am currently writing.
The course is going to focus on the first three chapters, and especially the first three pages, where it's a must to hook the reader - and an editor/agent/publisher.
Subsequent courses are going to focus on other aspects, such as subplots and pacing. While some of the information really isn't new, it never hurts to go over important aspects of the novel to fine tune. I find just the idea of discussing writing to be very motivating and energizing. I highly recommend taking a course like this whenever you feel stuck in your writing.

Sagging middle syndrome

No, I'm not talking about my weight and figure, although I sometimes feel that my middle could use some work.
I'm talking about the sagging middle of a novel.
It's a common dilemma. Many writers draft detailed outlines before commencing writing. Others write by the seat of their pants knowing their characters will see them through. My approach is a little of both.
I have found that if I spend the time developing my characters with an interesting back story so that their actions make sense and then come up with enough possible obstacles to throw at them at every turn, I can make myself at least the framework of an outline, enough to get me to feel confident when I sit down at the keyboard.
Of course, that doesn't mean I am not without fear. But at least I know I have something to hang my hat on should I run into a dry spell.
My current solo novel No Other Choice was suffering from sagging middle for the longest time and because of that I just couldn't get words on the page. I knew the story was there. I knew how I wanted it to end. I even had the big black moment all laid out. I just couldn't figure out what to put in the middle. What was going to keep my heroine from getting what she wanted and how was she going to arrive at the BBM [big black moment]. So the book laid fallow for a while which upset me. ThenI started brainstorming with what-if's. And it happened. The what-if's started flying off the page. If this happens, then that happens, which could cause that.
Aha! I had my middle.
Now, I can't wait to get to the computer every morning to put poor Charlotte through her paces. Writing is fun again.

Learning the craft

Just finished reading a couple of books by a duo that have become very successful. While I was reading them for pleasure, my real motivation was analyzing what they are doing that is right in the hopes of learning what makes a good book. It never hurts to learn what makes one book great and the other ho-hum. Of course, the goal is to join the ranks of the great.
As everyone says over and over, the key is characters and conflict - make a character or characters that the reader cares about and put conflict after conflict between them and their goals until the end.

Just accepted a new writing gig

Writing for a medical blog - in the UK! http://medicalstudentblog.co.uk/
And how did I find this opportunity? By being on Twitter.
I admit I was one of the skeptics when Twitter first came out. I just didn't "get it".
But the more I delved into it, the more it made sense. The power of connection is amazing if you use it properly. Sure it can be the biggest time waster there is but that's not the point. The point is to offer substance, to connect with like-minded individuals.
Network, network, network.

Going to Afternoon Tea today

It's important to mark the milestones, to acknowledge success.
Today my friend Shelley is taking me to Afternoon Tea at the Ritz-Carlton in Phoenix to acknowledge my book being printed in its second edition by All Things That Matter Press. It might seem like a small thing but it took me a long time to get to this point and I appreciate her celebrating this milestone with me.
It makes me want to go on and create even more.

Life is full of distractions

The trick is to turn the distractions into inspirations.
Take my office window, for instance. I could gaze out of it for hours. Right outside, mere feet from me, are beautiful plants, gorgeous shade trees, and a bird feeder that is busy most of the day. The quail especially catch my interest. Just a few minutes ago, I was staring at them, feeling guilty for wasting time.
Now, I think I will incoportate my inner dialogue into my current novel and get my heroine moving. She feels like me today, unmotivated and stuck in place.

A story that could inspire you for the rest of your life...
Several times my daughter had telephoned to say,"Mother, you must come to see the daffodils before they are over."
I wanted to go, but it was a two-hour drive from Laguna to Lake Arrowhead.
"I will come next Tuesday", I promised a little reluctantly on her third call.
Next Tuesday dawned cold and rainy.Still, I had promised, and reluctantly I drove there. When I finally walked into my daughter Carolyn'shouse I was welcomed by the joyful sounds of happy children. I delightedly hugged and greeted my grandchildren. I told my daughter, "Forget the daffodils, Carolyn! The road is invisible in these clouds and fog, and there is nothing in the world except you and my grandchildrenthat I want to see right now. I don't want to drive another inch!"
My daughter smiled calmly and said,"We drive in this weather all the time, mother."
"Well, you won't get me back on the road until it clears, and then I'm heading for home!" I assured her.
"But first we're going to see the daffodils. It's just a few blocks," Carolyn said. "I'll drive. I'm used to this."
"Carolyn," I said sternly.
"It's all right, Mother, I promise. You will never forgive yourself if you miss this experience."
So we went! After about twenty minutes, we turned onto a small gravel road and I saw a small church.
On the far side of the church, I saw a hand lettered sign with an arrow that read,"Daffodil Garden ---->"
We got out of the car, each of us took a child's hand, and I followed Carolyn down the path. Then, as we turned a corner, I looked up and gasped. Before me lay the most glorious sight.It looked as though someone had taken a great vat of gold and poured it over the mountain peak and its surrounding slopes. The flowers were planted in majestic, swirling patterns, great ribbons and swaths of deep orange, creamy white, lemon yellow, salmon pink, and saffron and butter yellow. Each different-colored variety was planted in large groups so that it swirled and flowed like its own river with its own unique hue.There were five acres of flowers!
"Who did this?" I asked Carolyn.
"Just one woman," Carolyn answered. "She lives on the property. That's her home." Carolyn pointed to a well-kept A-frame house, small and modestly sitting in the midst of all that glory. We walked up to the house.
On the patio, we saw a poster.
"Answers to the Questions I Know You Are Asking" was the headline.
The first answer was a simple one. "50,000 bulbs," it read.
The second answer was, "One at a time, by one woman. Two hands, two feet, and one brain."
The third answer was, "Began in 1958."
For me, that moment was a life-changing experience. I thought of this woman whom I had never met, who, more than forty years before, had begun, one bulb at a time, to bring her vision of beauty and joy to an obscure mountaintop. Planting one bulb at a time, year after year, this unknown woman had forever changed the world in which she lived. One day at a time, she had created something of extraordinary magnificence, beauty, and inspiration.The principle her daffodil garden taught meis one of the greatest principles of celebration.That is, learning to move toward our goals and desires one step at a time.
"It makes me sad in a way," I admitted to Carolyn.
"What might I have accomplished if I had thought of a wonderful goal thirty-five or forty years ago and had worked away at it 'one bulb at a time' through all those years? Just think what I might have been able to achieve!"
My daughter summed up the message of the day in her usual direct way.
"Start tomorrow," she said.
She was right. It's so pointless to think of the lost hours of yesterdays. The way to make learning a lesson of celebration instead of a cause for regret is to only ask, "How can I put this to use today?"The Daffodil Principle.
Stop waiting.....
Until your car or home is paid off
Until you get a new car or home
Until your kids leave the house
Until you go back to school
Until you finish school
Until you clean the house
Until you organize the garage
Until you clean off your desk
Until you lose 10 lbs.
Until you gain 10 lbs.
Until you get married
Until you get a divorce
Until you have kids
Until the kids go to school
Until you retire
Until summer
Until spring
Until winter
Until fall
Until you die...
There is no better time than right now to be happy.
Happiness is a journey, not a destination.
So work like you don't need money.
Love like you've never been hurt, and dance like no one's watching.
If you want to brighten someone's day, pass this on to someone special (like I did to you!)Wishing you a beautiful, daffodil day!
Don't be afraid that your life will end, be afraid that it will never begin.
- Author unknown

Writing picture books is hard work

My co-author and I are trying our hand at writing a picture book to get The Life of Riley project going.
Getting all your thoughts into 500- 1,000 words isn't easy.
Joyce [my co-author] seems to have a knack for this that I lack. I admire her abilities so much.
Good thing she is relying on me for the illustrations. Of course, I have possesion of the protagonist Riley.

You're Never Too Old

Betty X. Davis is a writer waiting for her big break. The fact that she's 93-years-old is not slowing her down one bit. She says, " I write because I can't stop writing" - something that all writers can relate to.
Davis is a retired speech pathologist and has some writing credits to her name. But she dreams of selling "the big one". She has almost made it several times. Her dogged determination and wonderful spirit lead me to believe she will do it, too.
Read more http://tinyurl.com/c5f9rx .

The art of the query letter

Now for the hard part - querying agents.
Not my strongest talent.
Doing lots of research and revising.
I found a good article on this. http://www.sfwa.org/writing/query.htm

iUniverse

While my personal experience with iUniverse Publishing was very good, I have been hearing some sad stories lately. They were recently bought out by AuthorHouse which has also just purchased XLibris. All that monopoly of the market spells trouble, if you ask me. Some people who are still using iUniverse are posting problems. Sales reports have been lost, response has been poor, staffing changes are causing problems. I once again am thankful I have moved on and am now being published by All Things That Matter Press.

The hard part

Sending queries to potential agents has got to be the hardest part of any novel process. I admire those writers who say they just wrote their book and sent it off to agents, one of whom snapped it up and then there was an auction to buy the rights and now they are millionaires, months later.
I also don't believe it happens that way. At least not for most of us.
So, today we start the process. Write the query letter.
Rewrite the query letter.
Worry about the query letter.
Rewrite it yet again.
Make a list of potential agents.
Worry some more.
Revise the query letter.
Send it off.
Pray.

My brain is going 70 mph. The days just aren't long enough.
Got our book back from our first beta reader and she loved it! I'm so happy - and so relieved. It's always scary when you send your baby out to be read for the first tine. She made some good suggestions that we're going to incoporate. I'm reading the book more slowly this time. This is the go-round where we layer and add the final touches, making the characters as real as possible and really checking for mistakes, etc. Hopefully, just one or two more read throughs and it will be ready to go to an agent.

I'm so excited about this year!
My brain is percolating with ideas and the days aren't long enough.
My book continues in its edit journey and today will go to a reader to look for inconsistencies, spelling errors, etc.
And I have another new project in the very early stages that has me very excited. I am starting an art line named after our kitten. It will be called The Life of Riley and will feature our little boy on various projects - calendars, bookmarks, notecards, magnets, mousepads, etc. I am in the process of learning all about licensing and getting our products in front of people who will care.
But so far, the response has been very positive.
Check here for updates.

Here's to 2009!
And not a moment too soon.
Don't get me wrong - 2008 had its moments that were good, some very good. But by and large, 2008 wasn't the best year for many people.
I look forward to better things to come and more books to publish. More words to write - to inspire, to help, to bring joy.
My new web site will be live in just a few days, I have a book signing this coming Saturday, my newest novel is in the next round of edits and will be ready to send to an agent very soon.
Life is good in my writing world.
We have a new President ready to take office in just a little over two weeks and the world is anxiously awaiting his arrival.
I predict a very very good year.