Monday - 30 July Week Behind and Ahead

A fellow writer once said "If you sell one book at a signing, it's been a successful one." On Saturday I went with three friends to sign books at the Kingston Farmer's Market. We set up under a tent and had just had everything in order when the rain began. I hurriedly began packing my books since the thunder made me realize this wouldn't be a short rain. Boy was I right. Rained so hard the tent began to collapse. Fortunately in this lovely town the sidewalks are covered. As we were talking to people I mentioned to a woman about my YA stories. Her daughter was with her. The woman mentioned she only read books on line these days. Told her about my books on Kindle and Nook and opened the case pocket to find pens that show my blog and mention the books I've written. Pulled out a copy of my YA fantasy and showed her. She opened the book and handed it to her daughter. "There's only one word I don't know." The little girl then read the back and said she wanted the book. So I had a sale. The ride home was a torture with torrential downpours. I would gladly send all this rain to places where it's needed.

The above gives a clue about last week but I am progressing on the Plot draft of Lines of Fire. Am about a quarter of the way through that draft and am finding some of the things I thought I might have to change will remain. Others won't. Sent another email to one of my publishers about the mss I sent several weeks ago. Will wait and send again in several weeks.

This week I'll be working on Lines - Plot Draft and hope to be nearing the halfway point. This is the draft that takes the most time since one has to be sure all the ducks are in a row. The good thing is that I'm still able to keep from wanting to rush with the story.

11 June - Week Behind and Week Ahead

Am now into the last re-write of The Micro-manager Murder and I'm feeling impatient. Not sure if anyone else gets this way when they're finishing a story but I know I do. The desire to rush fights with the need to make sure all the I's are dotted is a hard thing to overcome. I want to make sure the story is as perfect as I can make it but the new story is sitting in the wings crying to be let out. Is there a happy medium, I'm not sure but I will continue to polish the current work before leaping into the unknown. Finishing a story is rather like saying farewell to old friends and leaving one with some regrets. In this case Katherine has been with me for now five stories. Starting a new story is rather like being at the top of a hill on a roller coaster and preparing for that swoop. I always wonder if anyone else feels that was.

Last week saw two of my stories being offered for free on Kindle in the select program and will not know what's happening with them until a month or two from now. One will see what happens here. I do wish some of my other publishers would take a chance with these things. I've found new readers for my other books when this program is in effect. Publishing is changing and writers have to change with it.

This week I will near the end of this last draft and then it will be clean-up time for the story. Sometimes rewarding and sometimes frustrating. It's not the big glitches that bother me, it's those little ones the spell checker doesn't find and sometimes I don't find either. Our instead of out seems to be the real problem. Periods instead of question marks always plagues me. Will that ever stop. Then there's the return from the editor and finding the things I missed picking up. Sometimes the eye doesn't see and even reading the story aloud doesn't find those few glitches. One must do the best they can and hope.

Another thing I plan to do this week is do some promotion for my YA books. I'll see how far this will bo. Last week I finally semi-mastered Triberr and belong to a great tribe. Hopefully that will continue to draw people to my blog.

28 May - Week Behind and Week Ahead

Hard to believe another month is nearing the end. Last week was a trunicated one since 2 days were spent in Florida with grandchildren and in returning home. The blog schedule was behind and that meant it was sort out of sync. On the writing schedule, I managed to re-write two chapters of The Micro-manager Murder and though I would have written more, at least I'm still headed for the target date.

Coming this week will be the completion of the sixth draft of the book and the start of the final one. So sometime in June I will be done and ready to send the story off into the ether. On Tuesday I'll find some words of inspiration for myself and others. Wednesday will see the start of Wednesdy's with Eileen Charbonneau, a talented writer who has written a book on writing called Elements of the Novel. Not sure how many Wednesdays I'll be doing this. Eileen is a former critique partner whose insights into my stories I sadly miss. Thursday I'll be featuring the stories of Jude Pittman, publisher and whose books I have on my Kindle and have read more than once. I'll also have a post up on obscurekitlit blog. Friday and Saturday will be spent with Karenna Colcroft with How Sje Does It and an excerpt from one of her released. On Sunday I'll visit three blogs. Already have two with interesting tidbits up. Looks like the week will be busy.

14 May - Week Behind and week ahead

First Caroline is the winner of the authgraphed copy of The Dragons of Fyre. An email has been sent to her.

Last week saw a number of things. Code Blue was released. Formerly known as Obsessions. The new cover is dramatic. I saw the new cover fro Choices, once called Come Into The Light. Finished formatting Flight, now known as Escape and talked about covers for the story. I think we have a cover idea now. Busy working on The Micro-manager murder and am now nearly 5/7th of the way through. Also proposed a potential book signing to our local chapter. Will see what responses I receive. I know I will go even if alone.

This week must finish configuring Confrontations for BWL. Need to have that done before I leave for grandson's high school graduation on Friday. The blog will probably suffer during that time since I have never figured how to get things to post which means Friday through Tuesday will be blank though I will be able to put up something on Tuesday. Hate to be so computer challenged.

23 April - Week Behind and Week Ahead

Winner of the autographed copy of Quests has been emailed.

Last week found me finishing the setting draft of The Micro-Manager Murder and still finding little glitches in the plot line. Discovered or always knew one doesn't only do one thing when doing a draft for a particular part of the story. The good thing is that I'm close to the 60% goal I set for the length of the book. I also began and tore up the first chapter of a new romance series called The Guild House, This story is called Lines of Fire. Tearing up the first chapter and prologue was the best thing I ever did. I had made one of the beginning writer mistakes I often see when I'm judging contests. I'll address that later.

During the coming week, I'll finish the first chapter. I need that so when I'm able to work on this story again during breaks from the book I intend to finish by June or July, I will have a foundation to continue and finish this story. One might say I'm working on two stories at a time and I suppose I can. Fortunately they're so totally different there will be no carry over from one story to the other. Once this first chapter is done I'll move into the Character draft of the partly finished murder story. Why doing the character draft after the plot and setting one. Plot, especially in a murder mystery is very important but for me it's what drives the characters to act and react. Setting is my weakest part of writing and thus it comes second. I remember earlier comments from editors in the days when they wrote lengthy rejections. My characters existed in a vacuum. At the time I was writing 'nurse' romances and the settings were totally familiar to me that I forgot they wouldn't be to the reader.

Now a bit about my beginner's mistake. I the writing of the prologue, I had written BACK STORY. Pages of it in the prologue and the first chapter. Now this was information as the writer I needed, but the reader didn't need huge blocks of this shoved in their faces. I've written a new prologue and am writing a new chapter that has hints about the backstory but now concentrates on the main character. Sometimes I make other beginner mistakes and I'll write about them when I find myself doing them.

13 February Week Behind and Week Ahead

Winner of Becoming Your Own Critique Partner is R. Ann Siracusa


Last week was a busy one and one with a unique event. Out chapter HVRWA took part in the first Nook Book signing at the Barnes and Noble store in the Pallisades Mall. There were no physical books being sold only downloads. I believe I sold some books. I don't know for sure abd won't for a long time. I believe the signing was a success since they asked us back for around Mother's Day. Actually I think for the store this was successful for it brought the Nook a lot of attention. Perhaps this will take in other places. I signed a half dozen postcards I printed for the people who circled the title or titles of some of my books on the list they took to the cashier to be given a code for the download. They could take the code home or they could download it right in the store.

As to writing, I'm about a third of the way done with A Surprising Seduction. This isn't bad, especially when I'be been working on it for a little over two weeks. When a book practically writes itself one feels good but also a bit wary. Hopefully this one will please my editor.

This week I'll be plunging ahead and hope to finish what I call the Where draft. Often I forget about placing my characters in anything but a vacuum. I always must go back and add the little touches. Sometimes I go overboard but that's why i have a critique group. They tell me when I've written. Once this book is done I'll be working on a new Mrs. Miller story but that's for a time ahead.