Website Under Construction

Hello everyone,

Well, I'm pleased to say that the writing website is coming along nicely.  I hope to have it finished by the end of next week, but we'll see.  Right now, I've got the domain "NancyGray.net," reserved for my use.  I'll let you know when it's ready.  Right now, all it will say is "Under Construction," but please know that I'm working on it as quickly and thoroughly as I can.  I don't intend to publish until I'm sure that I'm satisfied with each section and the website feels finished and polished.  Still, if I keep working hard on it, my goal of finishing it within the next few weeks should definitely be attainable.

Currently, I'm looking for short story writing samples and excerpts from my finished novels to include on the website.  I'm planning to put a free short story or two on it as a writing sample as well, so please enjoy.  Even though these are good short stories, I've never found homes for them, and I probably won't be concentrating on publishing short stories again for a long time.  The well has far from run dry, and I can write more stories if I decide to concentrate on that again.  In the meantime, I want these to be read and to act as an example of my ability.  Who knows, maybe an agent will read them and like them.  (Yeah riiight.  In your dreams, Nancy.  Still, I suppose if a writer can do anything, it's dream...)

I was going to save it as a surprise, but I think you deserve a sneak peak since I've been so bad about keeping you updated lately.  The stories will probably be "Waterspouts" and "Scavenger."  Both stories are very different from one another and should show the different ranges of my writing style.  "Waterspouts" is written in a similar fashion to a work of Lovecraft, and "Scavenger" is a mixture of cyberpunk and Gothic horror focusing on a shape-shifter.  In fact, I believe that I have excerpts from these stories on here already, but the full story will be available on the website. 

Also, I plan to put the first few intro pages from my books and a simple blurb about the plot under the sample work category.  The plot blurb will be very similar to a teaser in a query letter.  Sorry, but no free novels, just the introduction.  After all, I'm still trying to pitch those to an agent and I'm not going to give away an excerpt that would spoil anything from the book.  Still, I don't think including the introductory pages will really hurt anything.  So, if you're interested, that will be there as well.

By the time I'm finished, I'm hoping to have a way for you to contact me by e-mail, the blog linked to the website, samples of my writing, and ::gasp:: I might even start using Twitter and link it to the website as well.  I never really understood twitter, but apparently it's very addictive.  If I do start to "tweet" be prepared for randomness, because that's how I roll.

Keep reading and writing.  I'll try to stay focused and do the same.