December Ramblings

The stockings were hung by the chimney with care...

Not at this house! A Creche, sofa table town and a door hanging are my contributions to decorating this year. One neighborhood Christmas party and Christmas dinner out and I'm good for the year. As I get older it's more about comfort than speed. And I am slowing down. But it's a good slow. More at peace with myself and no worries about what's going on around me. It will all take care of itself. Not that I'm not aware of what's happening, but there's only so much I can control so I make those issues my priority. (Besides, we don't have a chimney)

The year 2019 brings about my 50-year class reunion. I feel good about that as there are classmates no longer here on earth that will get to enjoy it. Another thing I can't control so I let it be. I am looking forward to seeing all who will be there.

My writing journey is a year longer. Looking forward to making great strides in 2019. I WILL finish my manuscript! It will be a POS I'm sure but, nonetheless, my POS. Hoping my CPs and maybe an agent or editor will be able to do something with it. Looking forward to publication, and with God's grace, it will happen. More reading, classes and maybe a contest or two are definitely in my future. This I can get excited about!

Book reviews:

Then There Was You...WOW!! I'm such a picky reader that I have very few books on my keeper shelf. This book will be joining them. Colton and Sara's journey touched my heart as much if not more than the other characters on that ledge who share that privilege. And Nonna. You've portrayed her beautifully, too, Miranda. Alzheimer's has been written into so many of the romance books I've read lately, but there is nothing fictional about it. Support the cause if you can. Then There Was You is heartwarming, romantic and humorous. I love small-town settings where everyone knows your business before you do. My favorite sentence: A diamond the size of a small snow globe. I loved all her similes and metaphors but this one struck me silly. Now, go read the book!

This may be a repeat:

I thought the first two books in the Big Heart Ranch series, Claiming Her Cowboy and Falling for the Cowgirl were my favorites, but I'm a sucker for a Christmas love story and this one takes the cake...er...chocolate muffins. Christmas With The Cowboy has it all...cowboys, cowgirls, babies, snow, trees, and love, but most of all, the wonder and miracles of the Christmas season. This sweet romance is full of family, forgiveness, and faith. Tina writes with humor, heart, and inspiration. Zach and Emma's love story touched my heart and I'm positive it will make you too believe in second chances at love. I was given an advanced reading copy for an honest review.

Merry Christmas and Happy Holidays! Happy New Year!

Hope you get to write today,

M. Lee

Almost Missed November

This has been a busy month for me. Seventeen days are gone and even though I have something written on the calendar for each of those days I'm still surprised over half of the month is over. I didn't get as many words added to my manuscript that I would have liked to, but I did start and finish a killer/kick butt class on Turning Points. So proud of myself! Finishing anything is a real chore for me. I am the Queen of Procrastination. But before we have the argument that I'm not and you are, let me defend my title.

When I should have been writing I was:

Reading
pet-sitting (how many times a day does a dog need walked?)
Laundry
Running errands
Shopping at Kohl's
Reading
Web browsing
Watching Hallmark movies (research)
Lunch with the Girlfriends (absolutely!)
Reading

You get my drift. Some days it's anything but writing. I guess I could count emails because I can get wordy, but they do not move my story forward. Did I put down the garage door? Better go check.

My next writers' group meeting will cover the subjects of overcoming writer's block, where we get our inspiration, and who can procrastinate the most. Bet it's me. Oh, look! My neighbor just walked by my front window. Better go check and see how she is.

Surely I jest. Nope.

 Here's a book review...

 Where The Heart Is by Patricia Kay

Reading a Patricia Kay book is like eating one of those famous potato chips...you think you're strong enough to put it down after one chapter but she keeps you so riveted with family drama and an excellent writing style that when you're wishing for more, you've finished the last page. I've enjoyed reading other PK books and Where The Heart Is certainly confirms my faith in this author's ability to deliver a good read.

Hope you get to write today. I'm certainly going to try...probably not.

Marcia

Summer's End...

Cooler weather here in the desert is a sign for me to really get moving. The heat is so detrimental to my energy I tend to put on weight as going outside is not an option during the summer months here in Nevada. We tend to go from AC to AC like a child doing hop-scotch on the sidewalk. Now that the heat has dissipated a bit I can start to plan my garden, walk a bit and open windows to air out the house.

Even my writing takes on a new energization. Yes, I'm still on my first book, but I've set a goal to finish the rough draft by year's end. I've written almost 21,000 words of a 55-60,000 word manuscript so I've got a ways to go. If I break it down and write every day starting today I would need to produce approximately 500 words per day. That seems doable. But. There's this phenom called LIFE that sometimes gets in the way. Not using it as an excuse, but a fact. Still, now that I've figured this all out it does sound doable. I'm going for it!

I've purchased the Scrivener program mostly to get myself organized. I've got literally hundreds of notes, copies, and notebooks full of words just from this one manuscript. Chapters just willy-nilly in WORD and I'm getting nowhere with my manuscript. I'm hoping Scrivener will help me put it all in one place and neatly. Then there is the learning curve...

This month will mark the third meeting of our newly formed writer's group at my local library. It's such a boon to see my name in print as the host, but its success will be because of the writers who attend every month. It's just a small group now, but I see it getting bigger as we go along and get more exposure. The library has access to multiple venues of advertising and seeing them posted as I go about town is just the encouragement I need to make it work. So far, so good. I'll keep you posted.

Hope you get to write today,

M. Lee 

The Sheriff's Little Matchmaker, et al

I love reading.  So much I forget about my writing and word counts. I was a reader before I was a writer. That's my story and I'm sticking to it. Right now, I should be adding words to my manuscript, but, no, I'm composing book reviews!

Here's my latest:


Carrie Nichols' The Sheriff's Little Matchmaker has turned me into a forever fan. Every time Remy Fontenot says "cher" I swoon, then goosebumps appear. Sasha Honeycutt is a vulnerable but determined widow who fights the good fight but surrenders to Remy's allure just as this reader did. And don't get me started on Evie! She's a firecracker and an old soul rolled into one. Plotting to get her two favorite people together takes a mastermind and master manipulator and she does it with no conscience. Carrie knows her characters well and brings them alive for us with witty dialogue and tension-filled moments. Be sure to put this book on your pre-order list. You won't be disappointed! I received an ARC for an honest review.

And the one before :


Finishing a Regina Kyle book always leaves me wanting...wanting her next book, that is! As far as I'm concerned she can't write them fast enough. A Nanny For The Reclusive Billionaire was worth waiting for. Strong-willed heroines and swoony billionaires are right up her alley. And Oliver is a delight! He might have been isolated from the outside world, but his master of manipulation gene is alive and well. I also developed a serious crush on Collins. Regina's characters are always worth spending your time with. You won't be disappointed.  ARC received for an honest review.


And before that:

Tina Radcliffe has done it again. She's written another awesome can't-put-down book. Falling For The Cowgirl stole my heart just like AJ stole Travis'. Despite Travis' issues with control and security, I think AJ had his number right from the start. Falling in love wasn't easy for them, but laced with the perfect amount of humor, trust, pride, and respect they made it to their HEA, along with some help from two bison, a dog, blackberry pie and advice-giving cowboys. You're going to love this sweet romance! Hope you got to write today. Marcia

PERSEVERANCE

Rejection is never easy to swallow. Or, should I say a rejection. I received my second rejection on August 23rd and it hurt. I made all the classic newbie writer mistakes; not enough conflict to carry the story, story founded on misunderstandings easily solved by conversation, etc..

But something good came out of the rejection too. Intriguing premise and characters. Since it was only three chapters I'm assuming they pulled all of that from my synopsis. I felt the same way about my characters when I wrote it.

So do I scrap all my hard work, blood, sweat and tears, and start another story? One CP suggested stepping away from it for a while, and another says I should start on a new manuscript. Almost the same thing. These are two published authors who have felt the sting of rejection. But, they are now published. They didn't give up, they felt they had a good story to tell, they persevered.

Who am I to jump ship? I want to be published. Almost every author's dream. Some just write to write. To feel the flow of words seep from their brain onto the paper or screen. I kept a journal for a few years after my divorce, mostly lamenting the single life. Of course, I embraced it after a year or so right up to twelve years when I met my now significant other. But, I digress.

The thing I want to say is that I'm not giving up. I'm persevering. I will step away from my manuscript for a while and do other things related to the craft. Studying, taking classes, keeping in touch with other writers. I'm co-chairing the first writer's group at our local library this week. I'd been wanting to start one for a while. I kept bugging the library so they put me in touch with a branch department head and away we went. She was so excited to have someone interested in such a group. I'll let you know how it went in my next post.

To all of you writers out there...rejection is a part of writing...I reject words every day I write...but that's me and that's the craft. You'll get there. I'll get there. Persevere.


Hope you get to write today,

M. Lee

Dusting Off The Dust Bunnies

Hello Reader,

I must confess I didn't mean to let nine months go by since my last post. I could list all the excuses, but then I use up my wordage limit and I want to say so much more. Not asking for forgiveness here, so I'll just write.

July 10th was a banner day for me. I turned in my first three chapters and synopsis to Entangled Publishing after a request from an editor through a pitchfest sponsored by SavvyAuthors.com. It was my first request so I'm quite proud of myself. I've had one rejection from another publisher on the same submission, but I recovered, edited, rewrote and sent the new and improved mss and synopsis to Entangled.

Now the waiting begins. In the meantime, I'm finishing up my first draft and will go immediately into polishing that puppy up. Also, I've taken a few classes on structure, dialogue, and rhetorical devices plus devouring a lot of craft books. My other half never comments on my all-day house cleaning binge, but he does notice the circles under my eyes. Can he also see the words leaking from almost every orifice in my body?

A few of the books I've read or reread have been GMC by Debra Dixon, Techniques Of The Selling Writer by Swain, Self-Editing For Fiction Writers by Browne and King and a lot more. Conflict and dialogue seem to be the toughest issues in my writing journey so I try to scope out every article, post, and book I can get on those subjects.

I'm also working on posting a new picture of myself. My hair is way down my back and my new glasses give me a sexy librarian look (IMHO).

I've listed many goals on this blog (and others) so this post will contain only one. Blogging is not my first love...reading is. So once a month I will try to do my best and offer something worthwhile to the cyber world and parts unknown.

Hope you get to write today,

Marcia

TWELVE WEEKS

This has been the longest twelve weeks of my life. Actually, I'm only into week 8, and the suspense is killing me! Not literally killing me, but you get my drift.

The last time I checked my submission to Carina Press it said "In-Progress". What that means I have no idea, but it's got to be better than "Received" which was the last level. My writer friend in New York hasn't heard back either, so we're both sporting shorter nails.

I just finished Brenda Novak's, THIS HEART OF MINE, part of her Whiskey Creek series, for the second time. It's a mood book for me. Something about that romance tugs at my heart. Brenda says she loves to write about redemption, and this is a classic example. A double shot. Phoenix and Riley are two former lovers looking to redeem themselves from guilt. His, from not believing her in the first place, hers from the stigma of an ex-con. Of course, there's a child involved, only now he's a smart-mouthed teenager, but so intricate to the story. Jacob adds just the right amount of naivete, humor and unconditional love, keeping the story moving forward. Love this book!

On the home front, it's still freaking hot here in Nevada. The AC and fans are running every day. The winds are picking up, too, making it difficult to walk outside. The garden is cleared, waiting for cooler weather for planting veggies that tolerate the milder desert climate.

My heart is still hurting for all the victims of Las Vegas, the fires, floods, hurricanes, and whatever else has been thrown at us humans. The amount of recovery is mind-boggling, and my prayers go out to all the first responders, volunteers, clean-up crews, and all the behind-the-scenes personnel giving their time and effort to make this possible. May God Bless You All.

Hope you get to write today.

Marcia