Do you listen to music when you write?

If you do, you must make a note to follow Writerlysam in July! She's doing an amazing promotion for Audiomachine's new album. There's going to be amazing music, prizes you can win, and two ongoing stories using Audiomachine's new songs as inspiration.

One story will be by Samantha Redstreake Geary and will be an awesome combination of genre that will blow you away. The other story will be a continuing story done by 25 invited writers who will each contribute 150 words a day to create one story. I'm thrilled to be part of this list of writers! I'm up first and am thrilled to get the story underway. Where it goes from my 150 words is any writer's guess!

So mark your calendar and tell you friends! Audiomachine Promo coming in July! Don't know who they are-check them out! Audiomachine. They do that amazing music that you hear in movie trailers that makes you HAVE to see the movie--yeah that's them!

Don't miss it!

Insanity or Determination?

So they say the definition of insanity is repeating the same action, yet expecting a different result. (Personally, I think the definition is more along the lines of standing on the street corner in your underwear singing the Star Spangled Banner while feeding a stray dog corn on the cob.)

So would you call it insanity to keep writing, querying, hoping, alas--failing and then going back to do it all over again? Or would you call it determination?

Either way, I like to think that it's the mark of a writer who means it. Someone who will write and submit their work and rewrite and search again and not take no for an answer. (Not that said writer doesn't get bummed out for a little while in the process--she's only human.) But what's "a little while?"

Well, a few minutes ago, I just heard "no" from an agent who very kindly and excitedly asked to read my novel, but in the end, graciously passed on representing it. She had very encouraging words about my writing skills, which was nice to hear. (This is what we call a "good rejection." Writers sure can spin words can't we.) I pouted for a minute, called my husband, sighed heavily and then opened my computer and started writing.

Hair of the dog that bit me? I guess so. But bite away, dog, bite away.

Woven Tale Press--A to Z Blog Challenge Issue is Out!

I'm thrilled to be included in the A to Z blog challenge issue of Woven Tale Press! You'll find me at B. I'm excited to have this blog entry chosen because it's the opening of my novel. Hopefully this is a little thumbs up for heading off in the right direction.

Look at H as well. What a small world that my writing partner and super-good (yeah I'm 41 and I said super-good) girlfriend, Samantha Redstreake Geary had a blog entry chosen as well.

Take a look at this issue. You'll be glad you did. There's good writing, art, insight and much more! Fun stuff!

Thanks for choosing me, Woven Tale Press!

First Drafts and Diving Back In

I'm about a good afternoon's work from getting the first draft of my newest novel, Sparrow, finished. I'm at just under 90,000 words already--which for me is a LONG first draft. I'm hoping that means that I've got less fleshing out to do than usual and more toning and honing.

I've got about 6 weeks till baby number 4 is here, so I'm trying to get as much done now as possible, as I'll be taking a break (haha yeah) for a little bit. But not long. I've got a great support system in my husband and other kids and they'll be just as eager for me to get back to work as I will.

I'd love to see what folks think about what I have so far, so I might post some rough sections in a few days.

Have a Happy Memorial Day and weekend!

A to Z post chosen for Woven Tale Press

Even though the A to Z Blog Challenge ended in April it's still buzzing online. Woven Tale Press decided to do a special issue featuring posts from the challenge that were submitted by the authors and chosen by the Woven Tale Press crew.

I'm super flattered to have my "B" (Box of Tissues, Bottle of Wine, and Bird Wings) post chosen. I'm especially happy to have this post picked as it's the opening of my novel The Lemonade Year. You have to get the opening right if you want people to keep reading, so perhaps I've done a decent job of that. I sure hope so.

I can't wait to see the issue and will let you know when it's out. In the meantime, check out this issue of Woven Tale Press. Pretty darn impressive, if you ask me.

What comes after A to Z

Last month I did the A to Z blog challenge. It was daily (except for Sunday) posting following the ABC's. Not only that, but it was a chance to visit other blogs and see what's going on in the world around me. Pretty cool stuff out there.

But what to do now? A friend of mine, Samantha Jones (you may know her from writerlysam - if you don't visit her!) were just talking about the balance between writing and blogging and all things in between.

It's so tempting to let the hours unwind around you as you visit, comment, post, search--all the everything that's out there in the world. Too easy.

I struggle with needing and wanting more of an Internet presence than I have, but not wanting to get lost in networking and neglect writing. There are only so many hours in the day, after all. And what will all the networking be for if I have no product at the end of the day?

So I'd love to hear from some of you who have good ideas for time management on this issue. Post and let me know what works for you and I'll highlight some of the best advice.

Also, what are some good sites you've found for writing info and networking that are easy in and out and don't end up being time vampires!

Z is for the Zoo

For the last month, I've been doing the A to Z blog challenge. Basically, it was a blog a day (except Sunday) with each day being a letter A to Z and your blog post being something to do with a topic starting with that day's letter.

I did  pretty darn well. I think I missed a couple of days here and there, but the real fun was getting to blog hop among the more than 1500 blogs involved in the challenge. I think there were over 2000 signed up at the start so that's a pretty awesome number of folks who saw it through to the end.

I ran across some awesome writing blogs and even happened by chance upon my writing partner and good friend's sister's blog (talk about a small world.) Without the challenge and the sign-up list of blogs to visit, I would have never come across most of the blogs I got to enjoy during the challenge.

I chose (for the majority of the days) to post pieces of my novel, The Lemonade Year. It's a book that I had put back in the drawer as we say, sort of giving up on it. I was so pleased to get good comments on the novel and encouragement to take it back out, dust it off and try again.

So, this act in my writing Zoo may be pulling out of town, but it's left me inspired to climb back up on the ropes and start swinging again. Thanks A to Z. I've enjoyed it!