Agent Q&A, Prizes and Nothin' but Love

Today is one of those massively beautiful Fridays!
First, it's my 10 year anniversary! Yay for me and hubs:)
Second, we've got 50 FINALISTS picked and going on to the agent round of the GUTGAA Pitch Contest! Yay again!
Third, the ever impressive agents participating in the above pitch contest have answered some of your burning questions!
Fourth, it's PRIZE day and we're doubling up!!!!
Fifth- The Small Press Pitch Contest Editors, Small Presses and 1st Round Judges were announced this week. Check them out HERE and sign up for the contest on the master GUTGAA list HERE

Whew, that was a mouthful and we're just getting started:)

A quick note to those who didn't make it into the agent round...
Win or lose, I can't tell you how impressed I was with the entries this year. Sadly, I was buried under planning the small pitch contest, badgering the hosts/judges and sending/answering endless emails to be able to comment on them. Please know, however, that I am your number one fan. I got gushy and starry eyed over many that I read. For those who didn't win, I can't tell you enough, how massively subjective this industry is. This contest is one tiny blip in the writing world. If you only received one vote, some negative comments, or not many comments at all, don't take it to heart. Apply the knowledge I hope you've gained and move on, more prepared than before. If writing is your passion, DON'T GIVE UP!

FINALISTS
The 10 moving on from my blog are:
#1 Night of the Living Zom-Peas
#4 The Artsy Fartsy Spider
#7 The Only Infinite
#12 Tomboy Rules: Blossoms are Always Prepared
#17 Harold - The Kid Who Ruined My Life and Saved the Day
#19 Duet with the Devil's Violin
#25 Rules of Rodentia
#28 Everdream
#29 Endangered
#37 Feral Kingdom
If you want to check out the winners on the host blogs, check out the links below:
Adult: Jaye Robin Brown
YA 1: Falling For Fiction
YA 2: Robin Weeks
YA 3: Cassie Mae
Congrats to you all! you can find all 50 entries here Monday morning as we start the Agent Round!

Now, who doesn't want to get inside an agents head?
Lucky us, we were able to do just that! And, their answers were so fabulous, I’ve had to divide them into three parts. So be on the lookout for more Q&A's to come! Note: More than one agent answered these questions. The agents name will follow their answer.

1) If your book doesn’t fit perfectly into one genre, how do you recommend categorizing it? Ex: pick a genre vs. naming them all.

I’d recommend being as specific as you can without going overboard. You want to convey that you’ve written a complex novel without sounding directionless or like you don’t know the market. Smart, concise phrasing can be helpful here. For example, “Contemporary YA romance with a speculative twist” is technically three genres (contemporary, romance, speculative), but it’s not unwieldy. “My YA contemporary/romance/sci-fi/horror novel,” on the other hand, is a bit of a mouthful. Both of those phrases could be describing the same book, though. Molly Jaffa

I say, pick the genre that makes you the most happy! Does saying it's one thing or the other make the pitch just work better, feel easier, spice up your life a little? Use that one.
Tricia Lawrence

I’d much rather have an author pick the closest genre or category for their work rather than claim it’s “everything.” Labeling it with a genre helps us know how we should read your query. For example, if your main character’s best friend is a talking dolphin and you don’t specify if it’s a fantasy or magical realism, I’ll be very confused. If you’re not 100% accurate, it’s not a huge problem, but a writer should be able to know the difference between science fiction and fantasy, or literary fiction vs. thriller. If they’re way off, then that’s usually a sign they haven’t read enough in the genre they write. Sarah LaPolla

In general, I think it's best to pick a genre. In YA, I think there's a little more flexibility than adult in terms of genre-bending. But the key to genre is just giving the reader the right idea of what to expect. Hannah Bowman

Pick a genre. For example, if you have a mystery/fantasy, decide which of those is the main focus. Is it about a murder that happens to involve magic, or vice versa? Sara D’Emic

This happens a lot with romance. I usually tell people to call it historic with strong romantic elements, or with rom elements, etc. SF with rom elements, etc. Linda Glaz
I would definitely suggest trying your best to pick a genre, or even two, that fits your work most closely. It’s a little off-putting to receive a query for a sci-fi, fantasy, adventure, romance aimed at a middle grade audience with adult potential. Jennifer Azantian

I like to name them all so that I get a good idea what the novel is all about. Brittany Booker

2) How do agents and editors go about selecting the queries that make the cut or queries that don't - beyond the blatant ones where the agent/editor could tell the submitter didn't even bother to see if their story fit the submission preferences specific to that agent/editor?

I always notice to see if I LIGHT UP! Does the query interest me? How do I know? (I can force myself to be interested in a lot of things, so I pay attention to how I react the most.) Am I stoked by a query? That's the one I'm going to pay attention to. And for authors, a hint: see answer to #1 above; if it makes you really happy, chances are it just might make an agent and editor react the same way. Tricia Lawrence

First I look at genre to see where the author sees this novel going on a bookshelf. Then I read a query for the premise of the book. If it doesn’t stand out as original or interesting to me, it’s a pass. If I like the premise, then I look for hints in the query about what type of characters I’ll be reading about (or just the main character). I need to be interested in the main character, regardless of how strong the premise is. Then it just comes down to the writing. If I like the sample pages, I request more. If I don’t like them enough, it’s a pass. Sarah LaPolla

For me, a lot rides on the concept: often books come in with a premise that just doesn't interest me, that I wouldn't want to read an entire book about. Partly because I represent a lot of fantasy/sci-fi which are very concept-driven genres, that's my first question. And, of course, the writing in the query has to be clear and appealing: you're really telling a story in your query, and if you can't tell the story in 250 words in a way that makes me want to keep reading, you probably can't tell it in 100,000 words in a way that will make me want to keep reading. That sounds harsh--and it's certainly not a perfect system--but it's nearly always true. Hannah Bowman

Stellar writing stands above all else even with small errors, etc, If your characters pop off the page with reality, that truly helps and a plot that is unpredictable unless it’s purist romance and then we all have a clue what’s going to happen. Linda Glaz

The first thing I look for is a solid story with good writing. If it passes this round, it goes into the subjective land of intuition. Did I fall in love with this character and voice? Do I think this story is unique and fascinating enough to continue holding my attention the whole way through? If the answer to both questions is, “yes”, I request more. Jennifer Azantian

For me, if the author does not read the guidelines on how our agency prefers our queries that is a turn off. I like queries that reflect the way the novel is written. Formal is a good thing to a point, but I like to be talked to by a person and not a robot. Also, too long of a query is a turn off. Do not bore the agent to death either; just tell us what you’re working on quickly and simple. Brittany Booker

3) I would love to hear some feedback on querying agents if you've first had an offer from a small press. How should this be stated in the query? As long as nothing is promised to the small press, is it OK to mention the offer in the query, even if you're unsure you want to work with them?

I definitely want to hear about that offer. It does not make me LIGHT UP just to know about it, but if I do LIGHT UP from your query, I'm gonna want to know about it. Tricia Lawrence

As long as nothing is promised to the small press, is it OK to mention the offer in the query, even if you're unsure you want to work with them? I think it's OK to mention, but realize that that's not necessarily a selling point for an agent--we may want the freedom to submit your project elsewhere, without being bound by a tight deadline before the small press offer expires. Hannah Bowman

I would. Take an opportunity to toot your horn. But always be honest about it. (easy to check) Linda Glaz

Yes, I would definitely mention the offer. It’s good for agents to know that there is interest. I’d even go as far as saying it gives you a leg up. Jennifer Azantian

Yes, an offer is creditability to the agent. It let’s us know that a press or an editor saw your work as worthy. It also gives the author a platform that is good to have. Brittany Booker

4) What do you think distinguishes historical YA from adult historical? Is it length (both wordcount-wise and timeline-wise), theme, adult situations and responsibilities vs. more light-hearted ones? If it involves something like a 15-year-old getting engaged, a 17-year-old getting married, or an 18-year-old having a baby or serving as a soldier, would that take it out of the YA category and into the adult category, even if the characters are depicted as young people where it really counts and even though such things were considered normal for teens as recently as 40-50 years ago?

I think age is a huge indicator, but there's also how the writing feels. Sometimes the ages can be say wildly wrong, but the writing voice feels YA or feels more adult. Tricia Lawrence

I think if the voice feels authentically like a teenager and the storyline deals with issues that modern teenagers can relate to (like making major choices on your own, deciding who you want to be, dealing with your family's/culture's expectations, etc.) a historical novel can be YA even if the main character has adult responsibilities. But it's also entirely possible for a novel with a sixteen-year-old protagonist to be more of an "adult" book, just because the teen experience isn't central to the story. Hannah Bowman

If it involves something like a 15-year-old getting engaged, a 17-year-old getting married, or an 18-year-old having a baby or serving as a soldier, would that take it out of the YA category and into the adult category, even if the characters are depicted as young people where it really counts and even though such things were considered normal for teens as recently as 40-50 years ago? Jennifer Azantian

Adult and YA fiction to me are separated by the age and voice of the character. If the voice talks like a twenty five year old and is sixteen that isn’t good. The author needs to think like a 16 year old or a 25 year old. I think if the story is set in a time and the child gets married it should be considered on how old the child is. Basically, I think it’s the age and voice. Brittany Booker

5) Do you see much of a market for more old-fashioned, quieter, more character driven books instead of fast-paced, plot-centric books?

Yes, I do. Wounded narrators are the arrows that hit the mark; seriously, I can't resist a character who is walking around with a unique worldview because of what she's been through. Sometimes the plot or the character seem superimposed and I really believe it's because the writer needs to take a closer look at how the character is reacting to the plot world. If there's smoke, the character should be coughing, choking, seeing life through a haze, for example. Tricia Lawrence

I’m not sure how “old-fashioned” character-driven pieces are. They’re still very much present, and if you look at books like The Hunger Games and Harry Potter, you’ll find that beneath their high concept premise, they are about characters. There are been plenty of books with similar settings that haven’t reached as wide an audience, and I think a huge part of that is because audiences connected with these characters in a way that went deeper than their role in the plot. In that way, I don’t think it matters how high concept or “quiet” a book’s premise is as long as you write compelling characters your reader will want to follow anywhere.
Sarah LaPolla

Yes, as along as "old-fashioned" doesn't mean "antiquated writing style and cliche plot." There's plenty of room for character driven novels, but you have to make sure that your ideas are fresh and that it's still entertaining. Sara D’Emic

Again, if the story is stellar, it will have appeal. Linda Glaz

The short answer is no. Books aimed for older audience yes, maybe. However, books aimed for children, YA or Adults below their 50s I would say since the universe has changed and there is entertainment on demand, the action needs to be continuous. This is to keep the reader’s interest. Brittany Booker

Though I look at the market, I don't always follow it for submissions and trends. If a book speaks to me, I would be willing to take it on even if it's not considered in "vogue" at the moment. I'm always game for starting a market trend! Sarah Younger

6) What's hot in middle grade right now and what agents would love to see?

Boy adventure. Funny, funny, funny. I  want to see boy and girl characters that seem as if we know them already in a situation that seems fresh and new—because of the character.
Tricia Lawrence

I do not represent middle grade because of the fact it’s hard for me to determine what that age wants. Middle grade is a hard age for children. If I were representing it I would say something that shows a child that it’s okay to be their selves and that’s the only way to be happy. But, of course it would have to be full of an adventure that the main character goes through to come to that conclusion. Brittany Booker

And to shut this fabulous Friday down, let's give away some prizes!

Today we're giving away prizes for two winners,

Prize 1: 

Autographed copy of Maggie Stiefvater's Raven Boys

Journey's of Wonder Anthology by Leslie Rose, Ian Kezsbom and Lisa Gail Green

Prize 2:

50 Page critique by 1st round judge extraordinare, Melodie Wright

Journey's of Wonder Anthology by Leslie Rose (see above)

And the winners are!!!!

Prize 1: Alexandra Hayman

Prize 2: Dana Edwards

CONGRATS!!!!!

On the Road Aagin

It's kind of laughable that I'm actually doing another moving post...but I am. The great state of Alabama is calling my family so I suppose we must leave on yet another adventure.

Since my house is about to get all kinds of chaotic and we'll basically be living out of boxes and hotels for awhile, I'll be taking a blog break until Monday, August 14th.

When I come back be ready is all I've got to say. We'll be on a two week countdown for the Gearing Up to Get an Agent Blogfest/Pitch Contests.

So get those pitches polished and sign up by clicking on the above button. So far we've got 9 agents and 6 small publishers participating in two different contests. It should be a blast!

It would be really great if you wanted to spread the word too:)

Until then!

Keepin' it Real

I love people! I love them so much it may come off as stalkerish at times. I could people watch all day in an attempt to guess what has happened in their lives to make them who they are.

Observing others this way doesn't always lead to good results. There are soooo many wonderful, strong individuals out there who, if they don't know who they are, sure act like they do. Especially in the writing world! With so much talent everywhere I look, I begin to wonder what gives me the right to think I'm good enough to work/write alongside them. I don't have a college degree. I'm not on-the-spot-hilarious like so many of my twitter friends (you know who you are:). I don't have unending knowledge about the classics. And I sure can't name drop or flash around my credentials. I have to be honest, comparing myself over the past couple of weeks to some of these people has left me feeling a bit inadequate.

Fast forward to today. My eight-year-old daughter has a cousin sleeping over and they got into a disagreement about something. My daughter is the kind of girl who wears her emotions on her sleeve, so when one thing bothers her, her whole world if off kilter. Well, this argument of theirs led her into telling me how she tries so hard to please people and no one ever likes her ideas so she just goes along with what others want.

Of course being the mom who loves my daughter for who she is (drama and all), I tell her that not everyone is going to like her ideas or want to do what she wants or believe what she believes, but it doesn't mean she has to conform. She has to be who she is and be proud of it. The rest will fall into place.

Umm...big lightbulb! Here I am telling my daughter the exact thing I need to do for myself.


This got me thinking. What is so wrong with being inadequate? Why can't my signature mark be that I am an underdog who refuses to lay down? I may not have a college degree, but I have a degree in living. I know what it feels like to be on the other end of addiction and make it out alive. I can say I've actually lived in a hotel room and caught the school bus from a three man tent in a campground. I've been made fun of for being the chubby girl in school and  know what its like to be sent into the supermarket by an embarrassed father with a bag full of pennies just so my family can eat dinner. Being on the downside of life has taught me that sometimes it isn't your experiences that define you, but how you choose to process those experiences. 


I may not be schooled in all the classics, or even pop culture for that matter, but I can still appreciate the beauty in the knowledge that I do have. I am just as capable as a fully educated person to read the words in a book and have them bring me to tears from the mere beauty of how they were placed on the paper. And yeah, I may not be able to name drop, but I sure have met amazing people who aren't "somebody" in today's society, but whose stories have made an impression on my life forever.


I didn't mean for this post to be all about me, but I guess I needed to keep it real. For myself. Maybe sometimes we need to reassess who we are and where we come from in order to make the next best step to where we're going.

If I can bring anything to this world and to others, I want it to be encouragement to the underdogs, that the sky is the limit. Just because you may not seem accepted in this crazy world we live in, your place is just as significant as the next persons. Your story matters! You matter!

For those of you that don't know Lisa Chickos, you should get to know her. She is one of those people that my mouth falls open for. She lives her life to the fullest in every way possible and it shows. She actually, also just landed an agent and you talk about going through ups and downs to get there. I love her story of determination. You should totally read it if you haven't.



Anyway, when Lisa was beginning her new wip she blogged about picking three words to describe the person you want to be. And that even if you aren't that person yet, you will strive to be more like those words if you can only identify them. Needless to say, with all of these thoughts of who am I floating around in my head, I began to wonder, what are my three words?


Here is what I came up with:

Lover - not just a Marvin Gaye kind of lover, but a lover of people and what makes them unique. A lover of opinions, change, diversity, of LIFE!
Willing - The day I allow myself to set my heels in the dirt and stay the same is the day I'll be ready to die.
Optimistic - My dad used to tell me when I was little (and still does) that things have a way of working themselves out. And you know what? As pissed off as that makes me sometimes, it's the truth. No matter how sucky life can be, it's always changing and as long I can stay optimistic I will continue to believe everything that happens in my life will be for my good.


What about you? Do you believe your story matters? What are the three words you want to live your life by? 

I'm Telling You It's True! I Got Agent!!!

I almost didn't want to do this post, because I know how it feels to be the writer who checks in to the blog-o-sphere only to read yet another "I got an agent" story. To be so happy for them while at the same time battling the "why them and not me" thoughts. I know how many hours us writers slave over our words, making them just so, only to get the query door slammed in our face over and over and over again. Believe me, I know.

So, yes, I ALMOST didn't want to do this post.

But I say almost, because while I don't want to seem like I'm rubbing it in, I also want everyone out there trying so hard to get a foot in an agents door, to believe that it IS possible! And that when it does happen, you deserve to be happy about it!

I wasn't one of those queriers with a 50% request rate. I didn't even have 30%. I got rejection after rejection.

Still I kept on.

I would enter contests and get ripped to shreds, or be given a chance...but just barely. Still, I kept entering them...and I'm here to tell you that the "just barely" is sometimes all it takes.

Here is my story if you want to hear it...

Back at the beginning of the year I wrote my goals out for the whole blogger world to see. One being that I would query Ripple (then Ripple Effect) and get an agent this year.

Soon after that I was blog hopping and came across Cupids fabulous blog and her Blind Speed Dating Contest. To get into the contest you had to get past the bouncers first. During this round there were submissions getting multiple comments from bouncers telling them, "you're in!"

I got one bouncer comment.

And it wasn't a straight forward, "Yes! You're in!" My bouncer was torn, but let me through anyway. Gennifer Albin, I will be forever grateful for you taking that chance on me!

So. Holy crapola, I was in the door! It was like being the wannabe who got entrance into the high school party that only the cool kids go to:)

Finally, the day came around for agents (who were going by undercover names) to browse the entries. If they liked yours, they'd shoot and arrow at you (hence the whole cupid thing). The more arrows, the better. Again, there were entries getting multiple arrows. Agents were bantering back and forth at how much they wanted this one or that.

I got one arrow.

It was from the Ryan Gosling cupid and the words were music to my ears, "Hey Girl, I know people are saying dystopian is over but I think you have something special here. You've been struck with Honorary Cupid Ryan Gosling's arrow (partial request; 1 arrow)."

My cupid turned out to be Sarah Lapolla, the unbelievably amazing agent from Curtis Brown of all places! I sent her my 100 page partial. Then she requested a full (telling me, by the way, that my story was more sci-fi than dystopian). And the rest is history. I couldn't be more thrilled if I tried! All because two people gave me a chance.

I truly felt like the underdog, and now I feel on top of the world!

I hope that if your feeling beat up and pushed around; ready to quit writing, querying or whatever it is you may be trying to do, that you won't. Because I'm hear to tell you...five years after I started this writing journey, that you can do this! Cheesy, but true:)

I know I still have a long road ahead and that is just fine by me. I have a lot to learn. I'm hoping my journey into the sunset continues on and on and on.

What about you? I'd love to hear where you are and how you're feeling about your writing journey.  

***

Speaking of getting an agent, don't forget about the second annual GUTGAA blogfest coming up in August. If you're ready to get Geared Up to Get an Agent or know of some agents, editors or authors wanting to pitch in and help, go HERE.

Friday Free-For-All!

Happy Spring Break!

And a not so happy Writer's Butt post for me. To tell the truth I haven't even weighed since I began packing for my move so this month we're going to take a rain check on the Writer's Butt (for me at least) I'd still love to know  if and how you all are continuing to be lean mean writing machines.

In other news....

-I'M IN MY NEW HOUSE! My family couldn't be happier. Now to finish getting out of the boxes:(

-I had a writing epiphany yesterday that I will share with you on Tuesday. Thanks Emily for that one:)

-My birthday is tomorrow! Thirty-three is the new twenty-three...or so I hear.

-The LDS StoryMakers Conference is in ONE MONTH! I can't wait to get there and meet so many of my blog buddies!

-I missed you all!

What about you? What new things are are popping up this spring that you're excited about?

Saying Goodbye....For Now

Not six months ago I did a blog post about moving. A year before that, I moved too. And now...I'm doing it again.

I must love to move.

I did it a ton when I was a kid and apparently I want my children to go through the same experience.  My oldest asked how many times she had moved in her loooong seven year life span. I told her a whopping SIX times. Poor thing.

This move should be it for awhile though, and it'll be a good one! So while we're packing during the day and at night, heading to Goodwill to do drop offs and paint, I am going to take a small blog break.

 source

I hate it when you all come visit my blog and I am so busy I can't return the favor, so I just wanted to let you know there is no love lost, just mucho packing.
Until I return (which will probably be for my end of the month Writer's Butt update) I hope your minds are flowing and your Writer's Butts are staying perky and motivated.

Adios...for now!

You know my last post? Yeah. Scratch that.

I wanted to start off by thanking everyone who stopped by this week to get me out of my funky mood. Your words of encouragement helped immensely! And I was able to pinpoint where my blues have been coming from...

For starters I live in the south--a small city in the south to be exact. This basically means there are no yards and LOTS of rednecks.

Don't get me wrong, I love a good redneck. I'm sure, in my own way, I have a bit of bumpkin in me too. But I'm also an animal lover and recently we had some new redneck neighbors move in and tie their pit bull up to a tiny leash and leave him overnight outside when it snowed. Ugh, it was one heart-string pullin' night.

Needless to say I called animal control (who, I was told, are supposed to warn the people to take care of their pet, not take the dog away to its certain death) but animal control man said the dog had to have been abused (basically be emaciated and hurt) before they would visit the family. Whatever! It has literally killed me.

That on top of recent edit-block (it is real people) and finding out we are going to be moving after only six months in this house and I'm all kinds of frazzled.

I know you stronger people out there might be laughing at my minuscule stresses. And seriously, I'm laughing at myself too.

I have loads to be thankful for. After all, where the stresses are found, so are the blessings. The move is going to suuuuuuck. But, we're moving into a better place for our family (less rednecks for sure).

My edit-block has passed as it always seems to.

And the poor dog is still outside, but they have removed the leash and put it in a fence thing with a dog house.  So yes, it still whines all the time, but at least it can hunker in its tiny dog house when it's cold or rainy.

All in all, I feel pretty dang blessed.

What about you? Do your bummy moods usually pave a path to all the great things in your life?

The Funky Blues

I try to look on the bright side here on my blog, but I am not a liar and today I cannot hide my totally bummy mood. No doubt about it, I am feeling the blues.

Have you ever felt that way and can't actually pinpoint what it is...or maybe you can pinpoint it but you just don't want to? Well that's me today.

It could be my writing, it could be personal. Whatever it is, I'm over it already! I hate feeling this way. 

Have you ever been in a funk and don't really know why? What do you do to smack some happiness into your bummed out self?

Friday Free For All!

source

I have dreams of the perfect writing day.

For me it would be waking up after 8AM to a roaring thunderstorm pounding on the roof, creating the only noise in an otherwise quiet house. The day has to be overcast and dark so I don't have any desire to head outside.The kids, hubs and dog have conveniently decided to go on an all day outing and would have already left. I don't have breakfast to make, a toddler to usher to the potty, a seven-year-old's hair to brush as she complains or a dog to walk. Just me, a Diet Pepsi, my computer and focus.

Ah, the perfect day. Maybe it will happen. One day.

What about you? What would your perfect writing day consist of?

Writer's Butt Update #2

I'm gonna keep this post short and sweet folks, because not only did I get the nasty funk this week--you  know the one where your throat is like sand paper and your nose stops working--but I also woke up this morning with the puke bug. BLEH!

So on to Writer's Butt Update #2:
I lost 5 more pounds!!! Woo hoo for me! I haven't been working out as much as I should and I didn't eat very well this past week from being sick, but I'm still trying to eat lots of fruits and veggies and as I sit at the computer, I drink water and take breaks to get up and move.

I think that's all I can manage in this post. Talk of food and movement is making me turn green. I'm off to go hug the toilet...again.

What are you doing this month to banish Writer's Butt from your life? I may be sick, but I'd still love to hear.

Agents and Halflings...not necessarily in that order

I can't begin today's post without first thanking everyone for their comments on my last post. Your opinions are soooo important and it really helped me figure out whether I should move on with a new idea or start book two of my current WIP. I've decided to plot the new idea and once I begin querying Ripple Effect, I will write the new idea. I already have a name: Beneath the Stairs. So THANK YOU!!!

Alrighty, on to my post...

Anyone who follows Jamie Ayers blog knows she is doing a 1st page critique contest (and you still have until Wed if you want to get in on it). The one doing the critique will be debut author Heather Burch who had her fabulous book, Halflings, come out in January anywhere books are sold.

Here is an excerpt:

Hunted by men and demons ...

Seventeen-year-old Nikki must entrust her life to three half human, half angel young men; the Halflings are sworn to protect her at all costs, but when two fall for Nikki, it puts more than their lives in danger; their very eternal souls hang in the balance.

Sounds pretty cool to me. What do you think?

I think I need to pick this book up:)

 

 

***

As I told you a while back I was going to start highlighting a lovely agent here on my blog for those on the dream agent search. My first agent is Nicole Resciniti of The Seymour Agency.

Aside from her being a work horse in the industry, she is also extremely sweet!

From the Seymour site, this is what she's on the prowl for:

 Do you have the next book to feed her habit? A smart, tight read she won’t be able to put down? A signature voice she’ll fight to represent?

HEA’s are a must for romance. Mainstream suspense, thrillers, mysteries, YA and inspirational novels are welcome. A consummate science geek and card-carrying Mensa member, Nicole would love to find the next great science fiction/fantasy novel or action/adventure masterpiece. 

Here are some interviews Nicole has done:

Honestly YA 2/3/12

Mother, Write, Repeat 2/3/11

And here is how you SUBMIT TO HER

If you would like to stalk her (in the most professional way) check her out on TWITTER

Good Luck!

 

From first page critiques to looking for agents...where are you on your writer's journey and are you happy where you are?

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Friday Free For All!

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I'm needing some writerly opinions, so naturally I'm coming to my blog buddies for help.

We'll call this the question of the week.

Hypothetically...

You finish a wip then send it out into the world for a little beta lovin'. While you're sitting around returning the beta favor or reading books, maybe actually even experiencing life again, your writer juices creep up.

Oh you know what I'm talking about. They're the juices with side effects like bodyquakes, a constant glazed expression as you plan a 300 page book in your head and a perma-smile.

All because of your shiny NEW ideas!

You may have been trying to put a lid on them while you were finishing your last project, but they're plowing you down with reckless abandon right now.

My question then is this:

Do you take one of these new, fresh ideas and mold it into something right away, or do you put it on the back burner and continue working on what could be book number two for your recently finished piece?

I hear some say, let your creative juices flow. You never know if your current wip is even going to catch an agent's eye.

Others say, no, do book two because an agent is going to want to see what you have planned after book one.

I'm a query newbie so I I have no idea which is the best route....if there really is one. So please sound off.

Which would you choose. Write the new book or continue the series?

And for those of you who say both, well, I bow down to you:)

Have a great weekend peoples!

Friday Free For All

Happy Friday!

(Yes I am posting this on Thursday actually, but it's because of a blog hop (see below) and the link had to be up Thursday.)

Alright, I can't keep it bottled in any longer. I want to scream it from the hills how stinking awesome this blogging/writing community is!

First off, if you remember last Friday, I had my first Writer's Butt post and I asked for picture ideas.Well, wouldn't you know, awesome chick, Heidi Bolton said she was sitting in the carpool line and decided to draw me up something. And let me tell you; I LOVE MY NEW WRITER'S BUTT! Check it out....

Hehe! Thanks Heidi!!!


Another reason blogging rocks. I love checking in every month on Sharon Bayliss' blog, The Blue Word, because she gives us the lowdown on all the latest and greatest writing contests. Here is this months contest post (part 1) from Sharon 

I also got three awards this week! The above mentioned Sharon Bayliss (The Blue Word) and Martin Willoughby (From Sand to Glass) gave me the Kreativ blog award and Kelley Lynn (Between the Bookends) gave me The Two Thumbs Up From Skunk and Liebster awards.

Now instead of boring you all with loads of info about me. I am going to combine one thing about me you may not know and the one thing I like about myself (because that is what you're supposed to do for the Skunk award).

Drumroll........
I have never had a cavity! Its a fact about myself and something I think is pretty darn cool about myself too:)
Thanks for the awards guys!

Now for my final Friday Free For All fun:

Juliana Brandt is doing a fun little blog hop where you do a scene and every line of dialogue is done in the form of a Tweet.  No more than 140 characters. So here is mine. Short and Sweet:)
Theme: Four years old and still not potty trained
My characters @potty training child, @mommy, @daddy
@mommy: Listen buddy, today's the day. Your going to poop in the potty. Yay!
@pottytrainingchild: Nope.
@mommy: Oh yes you are sweetie. # 2 is going in the potty. And its happening today. YAY!
@pottytrainingchild: Nope.
@mommy: Listen. If you don't go potty in the potty, I'm going to have to take you to the doctor.
@pottytrainingchild: Nope.
@mommy: And if you have to go to the doctor, you're going to have to get a shot. In you butt.
@pottytrainingchild: I gotta go potty mommy
@mommy: Yay!
@pottytrainingchild: *grunts* *grunts* *grunts*
@mommy: *whistle while trying not to look too hopeful*
@pottytrainingchild *plop* Mommy, poopy just came out my butt into the toilet.
@mommy: Yay yay yay yay!
@pottytrainingchild: I no go to the doctor to get a shot!
@mommy: Nope baby. I'm going to text daddy the good news! *texting good news*
@daddy: *texting back* Holy crap that is good news!
@mommy: *texting back* crap is right :)

Now you know another great thing that's happened in my life recently and it's about dang time! Hey, don't judge on the fake threat of a shot to the butt either. You do what you gotta do. The boys trained right?:)

Have a great weekend folks!

Writers Butt--Update #1

Welp, this is my first Writer's Butt update and I really wanted to find the perfect picture for the occasion but I couldn't find one. If anyone knows of any hilarious pics (in good taste) that would relate to Writers Butt, I'd love to hear about it.

Now, onto the update....

As I said in my beginning of the year goals post, I am determined to get my tail in shape this year and rid my life of Writer's Butt. I am under the impression that being accountable to you all is going to help me reach my goal.

SO

It has been 26 days and here is what I've done:

- Joined Weight Watchers (I have actually been a member for awhile, but was horrible at doing it. Now I'm better!

- Started working out. I'm trying mix it up be doing some P90X, Dance 2 and Adventures on the Kinect and cleaning. And I do this BEFORE I start my writing.

- Eating smaller portions.

By doing those things I have LOST 8.2 POUNDS!!!

I'm feeling pretty good. Nope it isn't Biggest Loser numbers or anything, but it is coming off which makes me feel better every time my butt plops in the writing chair.

What about you? Are you trying to rid your life of Writer's Butt? If so, what are you doing? How is it going? What about other goals, how are they coming along?

***

Before I say adios for the weekend I want to thank all of those who helped me out and encouraged me through the crappy synopsis. I also want to give Sharon Bayliss and Robin Weeks a shout out and a big thanks for both giving me the Kreative Blogger award! You two are slammin' in my book:)

Now for 6 random things about me (some of these may be repeats so I'm sorry if you've heard them before...

1) When I was a child I lived in a tent with my dad for about 6 months.

2) I was attacked by my brothers big dog and my husband--then boyfriend--saved me and was attacked. To this day both of us have scars and nerve damage in our arms.

3) I've moved way more times than I can count. 30 times give or take is what I'm thinking.

4) A brown recluse bit me when I was a teenager and I almost lost my leg.

5) I was a baton twirler for the Tennessee Twirlers when I was a kid and made the state team in Tennessee and we got to travel and perform all over.

6) My great uncle was in the Guinness Book of World Record for pulling a train with his teeth. No lie!

And I'm passing this award on to just a few of my favorite bloggers out there (I wish I could pick you all!):

Meredith Moore

ER King

Angela Brown

Angie Cothran

Jasmine Walt

Jamie Ayers 

Free-For-All Friday! Contests! Bloghops! Awards!

What a week! I'm all about the hectic week though, because I kinda like to be frazzled. There I said it. It's a love/hate thing I suppose.

Here are some highlights:

-My van is a piece of junk. Did you know it costs over a $1000 bones to fix junk? And then, when I went to pick up the fixed junk, it wouldn't start. Darn batteries.

-I took my Grandmother to the doctor for a check-up on her skin cancer. It was gone. Yes! But a new place showed up. That woman is a fighter I tell you. She has dealt with years of Lymphoma and now skin cancer yet she still manages to curl her hair and put lipstick and jewelry on when we go out. Love her:)

-These two boys I don't know came to my house freezing and needing a ride, I felt so bad for them so I gave them a ride to their house. Now they are coming on warm days asking for rides. Umm....

In my writing world:

-I am still looking for two more betas, so if anyone is interested please let me know:)

-ER King (Get Busy Writing) has been brave enough to be a beta reader and she just sent me some fabulous suggestions!

-Monica (Love YA) just critiqued my first 1000 and again, more fab suggestions!

-I entered some contests and in Jamie Ayers agent contest, I got excellent feedback from Nicole Resciniti from the Seymour Agency. Can I just say she is soooo cool! She asked everyone who entered for a partial and a synopsis (except for two, who she asked for fulls).

-Which brings me to the next item on my writing 'to do' list. A synopsis. I would rather gouge my eyes out with red hot coals. Maybe.

-I blinked and went up a hundred followers! Not sure how that happened, but thanks so much to my new lovelies:)

-I was given the Versatile and Kreativ Blogger awards from the uber-fantastic Kelley over at Between the Bookends. I'm supposed to tell some things about myself, so I am going to call my bullet list above 'my things' and pass these awards on to...
ANYONE WHO COMMENTS ON THIS POST (because I seriously can't pick I love you all!)

And one last item of business for the Free-For-All

Writing Contests I've heard about:
Query Tracker Logline/100 words-Jan 30th
Cupids Connection Query/250 contest Ends today!
Amazon Breakthrough Novel Contest Jan 23-Feb 5

Bloghops I'm Doing:
Flickerfest Bloghop - Can't find the link to this, but I wanted to do it. If anyone knows, I'd love to know.
The rest of the bloghops I'm doing are in the left sidebar under "Things I Love". I'm excited for them all!

Have a great weekend!

That was Then, This is Now

That was Then

Last year I had a couple of solid goals:

1) Finish my novel

2) Get in shape

Did I meet them?

For the first goal. I did. But in a way totally unexpected. Mid-year I decided to shelve the novel I was working on, for an idea that had been swimming in my brain for a couple of years. I will be sending it out to beta buddies in the next two weeks. So YES! Goal met.

As for the second one, getting in shape. Did I meet it? Not so much. I digress.

This is Now

There is something about this year that has me giddy with hope and excitement and anticipation. It could be because my plan is to begin querying in February, and I haven't yet experienced the drudgery of waiting, accompanied with utter rejection. Over and over. But I'll tell you something, even with that notion on the horizon, I'm still totally pumped up for 2012!

So without further ado (and praying I don't bore you because this is quite possibly your 100th goals post you've read for the new year) I give you my goals for 2012:

-Query 10 agents at a time until I decide whether my query and/or manuscript is working, or is a total bust and in need of a rehaul.

-Land my dream agent (yep, I said it)

-Write another book and outline a third
-Get my dang finances in order

-Get organized--like, every junk drawer, and closet cleaned out. For real this time.

-Get my writers butt in shape. I know, I know. I said this one too. But seriously. I'm going to do it this year.

-Develop more meaningful relationships with my kids. Not just talk to them while my face is glued to the computer screen.

-Throw an even bigger 'Gearin' Up to Get an Agent Blogfest' (Oh yeah, it's coming back!)

-Get a website

-Do something new with my blog, or possibly start a group blog with like-minded writers (If anyone reading this has been thinking the same thing, let's talk:)

-BE PATIENT

That's it. You think I can do it? What about 80% at least? I'm shooting for 95%.

What about you? If you haven't worn this topic into the ground, what are your goals for the new year?

Happy 2012!!

Happy New Year my peoples! I sure hope whatever holiday you've been celebrating has been wonderful!

I can't tell you how happy I am to be back in the saddle, so to speak. I've had a terrific little break and I've spent a lot of it reflecting on this past 2011 as well as picking my New Year resolutions for 2012.

This week I'm going to be sharing those because, like most of you, I think it's important to see where I've come in a year, and where I'm headed...or at least, would like to be headed.

Before I get into that, however, I would be remiss if I didn't first rattle off some of the many blessings I received over the holiday break. And as I share them, I think it's important to note that before some of them became blessings, they started out as nightmares. Thats' life though, I suppose.

My Blessings

1) I realized how completely supportive my family is about my writing when, for Christmas, I received not one, but two laser printers and a trip to the LDS StoryMakers conference in May!

2) Twenty pages from finishing the third edit of my novel, my computer crashed. I didn't know what I was going to do...until a new lap top showed up on my front porch. Literally! Querying agents in February is still a go!

3) The night before Christmas Eve, my seven year old daughter woke me up with the 24 hour puking bug. I spent the entire night holding her hair back and rubbing her back. In those wee hours of the morning, I realized how completely blessed I am be able to love and comfort my children when they need me.

4) This is the first year, in many, that we live close to family and didn't have to kill ourselves travelling from one place to another with loads of luggage.

5) I love my family and they love me. Probably the best blessing of all!

What about you? Amidst the goal setting, and reflecting on the past, have you taken the time to count your many blessings? If so what are some of them?  

Blog Slob

I've been a major blog slob as of late.

Who am I to worm my way into the blog-o-sphere and make great blog buddies only to leave boring blog posts once a week? No way! This isn't me, not normally. I love to blog, and I love all the wonderful...and I seriously mean WONDERFUL, people I've met so far.

So why, you ask, have I treated my blog like it's a dirty kids room that I would rather shut the door on than clean? Well, I'll tell you...

IT'S THE HOLIDAY SEASON!!!

As I type this I have a Christmas tune buzzing in my head and cookies baking in the background.

I love me some Christmas, and I want my kids to love and cherish it as much as I do, so the hubs and I pack tons of holiday, Christmasy, wintry goodness into each day, which, sadly, has left me giving my blog world the shaft.

So instead of scooting by with random posts about nothing for the next couple of weeks, I'm going to go on Christmas vacation. Meet me back here in the New Year (January 3rd to be more specific), if you will, and we'll get this party started 2012 style!

Until then, if you're searching high and low for a great book to give as a gift this Holiday, I would like to suggest the debut novel of one of my Critter partners (she's been there since I started on this crazy writing journey). She is a seriously excellent writer, and I couldn't be more proud of her and her work.
She's that awesome!

So pick up Fearless if you get a chance.

Tasmyn Vaughn didn't expect much when her dad’s job moved them to a small town in Florida; it was just another new school. But there is more to King than meets the eye, and soon Tasmyn’s ability to hear other’s thoughts is the least of her worries. Entangled in a web of first love, quirky and secretive townsfolk, magic and blood rituals, she discovers the town’s secrets aren’t just bizarre, they’re deadly.

And on that note, I'm out!

What I've Learned About Myself

Another Turkey day has come and gone for those of us in the US and I have learned a few things about myself this go round.

1) I am horrible at estimating how many people will actually scarf down my orange jello/cool whip salad (umm...not near as many as I thought:)


2) I am all about Black Friday shopping at like 5AM until ? but when it starts at 10PM Thanksgiving night and goes until 5AM...not so much. I'm still trying to catch up on my sleep from that one.
(for the record this is not an actual picture of me fighting in the lines:)


3) Editing is near impossible for me to get done with days jam packed full of family fun. (again this picture is so not a picture of me or my family:)




4) Last but not least, once I stop editing for a few days, starting back is like starting to work out after you quit for a month. I know it's good for me, I actually love it when I begin again, but man, actually making that first move is like pulling teeth. (Now this picture, it's the real deal:)

So here I am entering the writing world after a weeks vacation. I'm starting simple with a blog post. Next, I will try to take a hunk out of my 300 plus emails and then I'm jumping back into my editing head on. I'm so close to being done, I can't quit now!

What about you, is it hard to get back into the grind of writing/editing after taking a break? If so I'd love to know what you do to pump yourself back up.