Just got an offer of a contract for my little historical romance tale from Breathless Press! I'm extremely excited because this one is royalty based, and it's definitely a change from all the horror tales I've been writing lately.
My dry period is still going, but I have the feeling this will change soon. The hardest part for me is trying to find story ideas. And some dry periods are a lot longer than others. And some are video game induced.
I'm going to take a writerly buddy's advice and just take one of the ideas I don't like so much and write it anyway. Something good may come of it. And it's better to write something bad than not write at all.
This marks the first of my stories to come with requests for additional scenes. So that will also get my little digits typing again.
My second anthology from Pill Hill Press, "How the West Was Wicked," will be hitting Amazon and Barnes and Noble soon, too. Bound editions will follow shortly after. I'll post the links in the sidebar as soon as I have them.
I have not ordered copies of my first anthology yet because I thought I'd wait until this next one came out. Help save on shipping to Alaska.
My brain is working in short sound bytes today. Guess I better pack it in for now.
Happy Star Wars Day to all you stuck up, half witted, scruffy looking nerf herders! May the Fourth be with you!
Wednesday, May 4, 2011
Sunday, May 1, 2011
Very Happy May Day!
It's May 1st (in case you didn't already know) and the May issue at SNM Horror Magazine is out. My story was one selected for online publication.
And I got second place and a spot in their anthology! Woohoo!
You can read the story here: http://tiny.cc/16lds Just a reminder that it's not a website for kids.
In other news, I auditioned for "The X Factor" at the booth set up in Anchorage. For those of you who haven't heard about it, that's Simon Cowell's (American Idol) new show. I had two minutes to introduce myself and sing a song. The recording was then sent to the judges. They'll let me know by email if I make the callbacks. It's hard to sit still when I think about it. Thank goodness I have writing to occupy me. I sang "What Did I Have" from On a Clear Day because it's short and shows a bit of range and movement.
The scariest part about it was the fact that you get only one chance. You don't get to redo the video if you don't like it. You don't even get to see the finished product, which is probably just as well. I'd be analyzing myself over and over if I had access to it. Another scary part is that you sign a paper that says they can use it to make fun of you, too. So you really need the ability to laugh at yourself or you might get seriously crushed by the results.
I watched part of an episode of "The Voice" as well. I like that show better than any of the other talent search shows they've had the last few years. I went to their website where they have an audition tool. You pick a song from their very short list and have 30 seconds to record it. You can redo it as often as you want, and when you submit it you get a score. Anything over an eight has a chance of being viewed by the people looking for talent, but that's not a guarantee. They're closed for the current show of course, but the video can be included in future considerations.
I've been trying to record a song, but for some reason it's not working. It acts like it's recording, but I can't see the video (sometimes it only shows me a second or two), and when I submit it, the score is zero, which basically says there is no video. Very frustrating. They don't seem to have a help section and their FAQ section is very short and lacking. Ah, well.
Lots of fun stuff going on! Can't to see where this wacky journey takes me next. :)
And I got second place and a spot in their anthology! Woohoo!
You can read the story here: http://tiny.cc/16lds Just a reminder that it's not a website for kids.
In other news, I auditioned for "The X Factor" at the booth set up in Anchorage. For those of you who haven't heard about it, that's Simon Cowell's (American Idol) new show. I had two minutes to introduce myself and sing a song. The recording was then sent to the judges. They'll let me know by email if I make the callbacks. It's hard to sit still when I think about it. Thank goodness I have writing to occupy me. I sang "What Did I Have" from On a Clear Day because it's short and shows a bit of range and movement.
The scariest part about it was the fact that you get only one chance. You don't get to redo the video if you don't like it. You don't even get to see the finished product, which is probably just as well. I'd be analyzing myself over and over if I had access to it. Another scary part is that you sign a paper that says they can use it to make fun of you, too. So you really need the ability to laugh at yourself or you might get seriously crushed by the results.
I watched part of an episode of "The Voice" as well. I like that show better than any of the other talent search shows they've had the last few years. I went to their website where they have an audition tool. You pick a song from their very short list and have 30 seconds to record it. You can redo it as often as you want, and when you submit it you get a score. Anything over an eight has a chance of being viewed by the people looking for talent, but that's not a guarantee. They're closed for the current show of course, but the video can be included in future considerations.
I've been trying to record a song, but for some reason it's not working. It acts like it's recording, but I can't see the video (sometimes it only shows me a second or two), and when I submit it, the score is zero, which basically says there is no video. Very frustrating. They don't seem to have a help section and their FAQ section is very short and lacking. Ah, well.
Lots of fun stuff going on! Can't to see where this wacky journey takes me next. :)
Tuesday, April 26, 2011
I'm having a "Glee" moment ...
Wasn't there a scene in the first season where Rachel in the musical TV show "Glee" was complaining how her success was coming too fast, and what happened to all the suffering you're supposed to go through before you make it?
All right, I know I haven't technically made it as far as the writing world is concerned. But this whole process is making me giddy as a girl at her first dance with her major crush. Another story of mine has been accepted, one of my horror tales. And I just got word that my romance tale got through the first round of selections and they had some nice things to say about it! I guess I'm just a little surprised that I've gotten this many acceptances this soon. I hope I'm not jinxing myself by saying that. >Knocking on wood<
I made the mistake this last week of starting up "Fable III," a relatively new video game. I played the one before it and really enjoyed it, so of course I got hooked on this one right away. And that meant I wasn't spending any time writing. I would spend hours each day with my jaw hanging open and drooling like a zombie as i stared at the screen.
I prefer drooling over copies of anthologies with my stories in them, I have learned.
It's amazing how I felt during that time. It was like going through withdrawals from one drug while getting hooked on another. The good news is that I finished the game rather quickly and got it out of my system. Now I can go back to writing.
My fingers are getting itchy. Writing is the drug that relieves the itch. :)
All right, I know I haven't technically made it as far as the writing world is concerned. But this whole process is making me giddy as a girl at her first dance with her major crush. Another story of mine has been accepted, one of my horror tales. And I just got word that my romance tale got through the first round of selections and they had some nice things to say about it! I guess I'm just a little surprised that I've gotten this many acceptances this soon. I hope I'm not jinxing myself by saying that. >Knocking on wood<
I made the mistake this last week of starting up "Fable III," a relatively new video game. I played the one before it and really enjoyed it, so of course I got hooked on this one right away. And that meant I wasn't spending any time writing. I would spend hours each day with my jaw hanging open and drooling like a zombie as i stared at the screen.
I prefer drooling over copies of anthologies with my stories in them, I have learned.
It's amazing how I felt during that time. It was like going through withdrawals from one drug while getting hooked on another. The good news is that I finished the game rather quickly and got it out of my system. Now I can go back to writing.
My fingers are getting itchy. Writing is the drug that relieves the itch. :)
Sunday, April 17, 2011
I Got Paid!
Happy dance!
This whole writing thing wasn't quite touching down with me. I'd gotten four acceptances, but I hadn't seen much to make it real for me.
Now I've seen my first anthology on Barnes and Noble, Amazon, and Pill Hill Press's website. And even more evidence I'm a real writer: I got my first check in the mail! Not much, but it's just hard to wrap my brain around the idea that someone liked my writing enough to pay me for it!
Is it strange that I feel this great need to frame it instead of cashing it? I wonder if the bank will let me keep it after they process it.
I've discovered something interesting about myself lately. For someone who doesn't like horror movies (I will only see certain ones, and they can't have zombies in them), I've been writing a lot of horror tales. I just finished another one, set in the late 17th century. Maybe it's because I'm easily scared, so I write what scares me. Doesn't take much to freak me out.
You know, this blog started out as a chronicle of our adventures living in Alaska. Over time, it seems to have morphed into a writing blog. I thought about starting a separate blog for writing, but it is so much a part of my life now, I don't feel the need to complicate my life by trying to write two blogs!
I had a late night, and an early wake up call thanks to a cat fight and the smell of cat crap in the shower. Perhaps I should end now before I start babbling.
This whole writing thing wasn't quite touching down with me. I'd gotten four acceptances, but I hadn't seen much to make it real for me.
Now I've seen my first anthology on Barnes and Noble, Amazon, and Pill Hill Press's website. And even more evidence I'm a real writer: I got my first check in the mail! Not much, but it's just hard to wrap my brain around the idea that someone liked my writing enough to pay me for it!
Is it strange that I feel this great need to frame it instead of cashing it? I wonder if the bank will let me keep it after they process it.
I've discovered something interesting about myself lately. For someone who doesn't like horror movies (I will only see certain ones, and they can't have zombies in them), I've been writing a lot of horror tales. I just finished another one, set in the late 17th century. Maybe it's because I'm easily scared, so I write what scares me. Doesn't take much to freak me out.
You know, this blog started out as a chronicle of our adventures living in Alaska. Over time, it seems to have morphed into a writing blog. I thought about starting a separate blog for writing, but it is so much a part of my life now, I don't feel the need to complicate my life by trying to write two blogs!
I had a late night, and an early wake up call thanks to a cat fight and the smell of cat crap in the shower. Perhaps I should end now before I start babbling.
Friday, April 15, 2011
"Leather, Denim & Silver" on Kindle and in Print Form!
My first published story in "Leather, Denim, & Silver: Legends of the Monster Hunter" is now available for Kindle on Amazon.com, and in print form at Pill Hill Press. The links are in the sidebar of this blog.
My writing buddies have been more valuable to me than gold and diamonds. Without their presence in my life, I would never have started this adventure. Many thanks and blessings to them.
My writing buddies have been more valuable to me than gold and diamonds. Without their presence in my life, I would never have started this adventure. Many thanks and blessings to them.
Wednesday, April 13, 2011
First Anthology available on Nook!
My first published story, appearing in "Leather, Denim & Silver: Legends of the Monster Hunter" from Pill Hill Press, is now available for Nook! The print version should be available next week, Kindle version should be available by Friday. I have the link to it in the sidebar of this blog. Please like it on Facebook, share the link to it, and enjoy reading all the wonderful stories within!
I'm so proud to be a part of such a fantastic project. It turned out a lot bigger than I thought previously and I can't wait to get my hands on it to read the other contributions.
And now, back to writing!
I'm so proud to be a part of such a fantastic project. It turned out a lot bigger than I thought previously and I can't wait to get my hands on it to read the other contributions.
And now, back to writing!
Tuesday, April 5, 2011
Is this weird?
Is it weird that I love getting rejections almost as much as getting acceptances for my pieces? I just recently got a rejection from an online magazine. It was technically a form email, so I didn't even really get any information or tidbits of advice from it or anything. But it still made me happy.
I hope this never wears off.
I'm noticing today, after nearly a week of nonproductive writing (read that as in I didn't really write anything), that sometimes a story idea just needs some time to hibernate. Many of my story ideas come from dreams that I'm lucky enough to remember. This dream happened to be about a bordello in France at the turn of the century, like Moulin Rouge. I don't want to get into details that will make my mother cringe, so I think that's enough for now.
At first, I figured this idea was going to be something for publications of erotica. I've never written in that genre before, though I will admit I've done some racy scenes in a past Nanowrimo novel that were strictly for padding word count and later omitted. (Hey, that was a long time ago!)
But this story idea was definitely leaning in that direction. I guess I wasn't ready to write it because I left the file in my Scrivener folder for about a month.
A couple of days ago, having no other ideas to write, I finally brought up this file and began writing it. Just to have something to write.
And the idea has come out of hibernation as something very different and much more dramatic. It still has the potential of ending up an erotic tale, but right now it doesn't seem to be heading that direction. I am continually fascinated by the writing process.
In other news, I got an email from Pill Hill Press allowing me to see the proof of my first soon-to-be-published story. I got to see the whole anthology and what it's going to look like from cover to cover. I will admit to some drooling. I can't wait to get my hands on this thing. And I can't wait to see how the other two turn out. I am going to wait until I have the real thing in my hands before I read the other stories.
My attention span has been extremely short lately. I'm doing a lot of teaching and subbing, as well as practicing the new routines that start coming out this month. I'm getting that "always hungry" feeling again. Like right now, I'm still feeling full from a huge bowl of veggie noodle soup I made, and yet I want more. >Sigh< Guess I'm in calorie deficit again.
Oops, there's the phone. And after that, back to writing!
I hope this never wears off.
I'm noticing today, after nearly a week of nonproductive writing (read that as in I didn't really write anything), that sometimes a story idea just needs some time to hibernate. Many of my story ideas come from dreams that I'm lucky enough to remember. This dream happened to be about a bordello in France at the turn of the century, like Moulin Rouge. I don't want to get into details that will make my mother cringe, so I think that's enough for now.
At first, I figured this idea was going to be something for publications of erotica. I've never written in that genre before, though I will admit I've done some racy scenes in a past Nanowrimo novel that were strictly for padding word count and later omitted. (Hey, that was a long time ago!)
But this story idea was definitely leaning in that direction. I guess I wasn't ready to write it because I left the file in my Scrivener folder for about a month.
A couple of days ago, having no other ideas to write, I finally brought up this file and began writing it. Just to have something to write.
And the idea has come out of hibernation as something very different and much more dramatic. It still has the potential of ending up an erotic tale, but right now it doesn't seem to be heading that direction. I am continually fascinated by the writing process.
In other news, I got an email from Pill Hill Press allowing me to see the proof of my first soon-to-be-published story. I got to see the whole anthology and what it's going to look like from cover to cover. I will admit to some drooling. I can't wait to get my hands on this thing. And I can't wait to see how the other two turn out. I am going to wait until I have the real thing in my hands before I read the other stories.
My attention span has been extremely short lately. I'm doing a lot of teaching and subbing, as well as practicing the new routines that start coming out this month. I'm getting that "always hungry" feeling again. Like right now, I'm still feeling full from a huge bowl of veggie noodle soup I made, and yet I want more. >Sigh< Guess I'm in calorie deficit again.
Oops, there's the phone. And after that, back to writing!
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