It's Been Awhile

Hello all,

Sorry to keep you waiting again.  First of all, the holidays went well.  I guess you could say I was taking a break from everything for a few weeks.  There was no family drama, just lots of good food and overall things were pretty relaxing.

Since I'm practically done with the first trimester, I'll also go ahead and say that I'm pregnant again.  It's very exciting, but I wish I didn't feel sick everyday.  I'm almost over that, but every now and again I feel like I'm going to throw up for no reason...not much you can do.  This pregnancy has seemed a little worse than the first one, but hopefully the delivery will be a little easier.  So, needless to say, a new baby has been weighing heavily on my mind and all that entails.  I'm happy about it, but it'll be a big adjustment.

I think that the biggest reason I haven't blogged in a long time is mostly that for about two months I've been in a writing slump.  I didn't know if I should continue working on the middle grade horror books.  I have plenty of ideas, but I still don't have representation for them.  I could write ten of them, but if no one represents me, then I it's like they're just relics stored in my computer with no one to read them.  I have two fully written and the outlines for three others.  I've changed a few things around to make middle grade instead of young reader, mostly because kids tend to "read up."  Anyway, I was waiting to see if I could get an agent before writing more of them.  

Then, I thought about writing middle grade fantasy, but I just couldn't get inspired for it.  I've written fantasy before, but not for a younger audience, and I just couldn't feel enthusiastic about the project.  I would start to write something, decide that I wasn't feeling it, and then wander off to do something else.  I was mostly going to write that genre because I thought it would be more marketable.

Needless to say, I've gotten a lot of rejection letters lately.  Rejection letters always make me feel down.  I was hoping that being a finalist in the Dark Crystal contest was really going to help my chances, but everything felt the same.  It made me feel less confident and made me question if I should still be trying to get published.  Everyone goes through this occasionally, but this time was worse than usual.

Anyway, I realized yesterday what the problem was, a problem I've had before that seems so simple that I should have been able to identify it sooner.  I'm thinking too much about the future.  I want an agent so badly that I'm trying to write things I think will be more appealing to an agent, rather than writing what I feel like writing.  Thus, I wasn't really producing anything at all and what I did write wasn't worth sending to anyone.  I know that sounds ridiculous, but that was the problem.  Once I realized that I wasn't enjoying working on what I felt like people wanted to see, I felt much better.

I've made a decision.  I'm going to write whatever genre I feel like pursuing.  It might be the middle grade horror books, or I might just pick up one of my unfinished novels and finish it.  Either way, I'm going write again.  I'll send out more agent letters and worry about that when when I'm done with more work.

In the meantime, I'm still trying to find representation for the middle grade horror books, but I'm not going to stress over it.  There are a lot of agents out there.  One of them is right for me.  I just haven't found him/her yet.  I know a few that I'm interested in, but if they aren't interested in my work, it isn't meant to be.  I think when I finally find an agent that loves my work, things will really take off.  I just have to have  more faith in myself and that my prayers will be answered.  The last time I was in a slump this bad, I became a finalist in a competition.  I need to remember that.

Anyway, I'm back, and I'm writing.  Keep reading and writing too.

Ebola Scare...

I don't usually write about things that irritate me on my blog, but this time I'm going to make an exception.  Let's talk a little bit about Ebola.  I'm sure you're tired of talking about it, but I'm tired of hearing both extremes on this topic, so I have to get something off of my chest.

First of all, I hate the media.  The media is blowing the cases that have happened in the US out of proportion.  They're making it sound as though the virus is airborne (it's not), and are trying to make people panic.  One thing about the US is that we're very good at making a crisis out of something that isn't one yet.  We tend to pretend the world is ending because deep down, people like a crisis.  I know that sounds weird, but it's true.  Here's the problem, Ebola isn't a crisis HERE yet, so we need to stop making it into one.  The political cartoons are true that the flu kills thousands of people a year and we don't worry over it, so worrying over five cases of Ebola is ridiculous.  We can't shut down our lives because we might be unlucky enough to get exposed to something that, as far as we know, only five people have in the US.  We need to pay more attention to common viruses and health problems that are dangerous before we start freaking out over something that we probably will never be exposed to in our entire lives.

HOWEVER, I am also tired of hearing the opposite extreme.  There are political cartoons and lots of people ranting and saying that Ebola isn't something we need to worry about at all.  That is just as ignorant and wrong as those that try to make this into a crisis.  This virus has killed thousands of people in Africa.  Granted, part of the problem in Africa is there are people who don't believe that it is a virus and have distributed blankets of the infected to healthy people.  Also, the established governments of some of the areas there aren't organized, etc.  But, out of respect for the thousands of people dying there, I really think those political cartoons are tasteless.  "Tacky" is a good word for it.  Don't make light of a virus that's killing thousands of people in a horrible way just because it hasn't happened here yet.  It's a nasty virus that should be respected.  And, even if only five people have Ebola in the US, I'd imagine that to them it's definitely something to worry about.  Apathy over something horrible like this is just as bad as trying to incite panic.

I think the reason that we are so fascinated and terrified over this virus is because it is truly horrific.  When the full symptoms set in, within hours the victim bleeds from every orifice and their organs practically liquefy.  You could die tasting every organ in your body.  Think about how horrible that would be and tell me, do you really want to die that way?  Does anyone?  That's why people are freaking out.  The flu usually kills the very young and very old, or those with compromised immune systems.  If you get Ebola there's around a 70% chance you won't survive.  Please, please, have respect and stop saying it isn't a big deal.

I want to have faith that the CDC and our government will keep track of those exposed to the virus and keep the situation under control.  I have noticed, though, that many hospitals are not prepared and some of the things that happened could've been handled in a better way.  What I don't understand it is why there isn't a travel ban to and from the most affected areas.  Most US citizens that are in Liberia exposed to that virus don't want to bring it back and infect their loved ones if they do have it.  Those that want to administer aid to those areas could be an exception.  Most of the cases, so far, that have made it to the US have been people coming directly from Liberia.  But, I have to assume there's a reason that there hasn't been a travel ban yet, but it seems the first logical step.

I do, however, have plenty of nurses who are friends.  I have faith in them and believe that with the help of highly trained nurses, we will get this thing under control somehow.  Time will tell, but in the meantime, the best advice I can give is don't buy into the media propaganda and don't panic.  Still, don't hide your head in the sand and pretend it isn't a problem either.  Be vigilant, watch the news, stay away from sickly people, and use your common sense.  And, get your damn flu shot.

And, that's my 2 cents.        

Weddings and Walt Disney World

Hello Again,

Wow, two blogs in one day.  I'm going to go for three, but let's talk a little about weddings and Walt Disney World.

First of all, I got to attend my friend Bob's wedding recently.  Since this is personal to him, I won't spent too much time talking about it.  It was a nice ceremony up in North Carolina.  My husband was the best man and it actually brought together a lot of old friends that we hadn't seen in a long time as well.  Bob is also our roomate, so now he has recently moved out.  He seems very happy and I'm happy for him.  He and Lynn are a nice couple.

A week after the wedding, Joel and I, along with our daughter, my sister and her boyfriend, and my Mom and Step-dad went to Disney World.  It was Eva's first trip to Disney, and I wasn't sure how she was going to do, but she did great.  She was wide-eyed on all the rides she could go on (she is only one and a half years old...), and she adapted well to seeing so many people.  I was very pleasantly surprised.  It's good to see that she's open to new experiences now.  For a little while, she was going through a fear of strangers phase that I thought would  never end.  Even though she's still antsy about people coming over to the house, it seems she's more accepting of people in a public setting.  Thank goodness.

We stayed at the "Art of Animation" resort.  The rooms were very small, but we made good use of the space.  The decorations were awesome.  Our suite was done in a "Finding Nemo" theme.  The entire resort was comprised of three different sections, Cars, Finding Nemo, and the Lion King.  The main lobby was decorated in storyboard art for Disney Movies.  I felt right at home.  I love Disney World and Disney movies.

There's not much to say about Disney World that hasn't already been said.  It is still the happiest place on earth.  I had the best trip this time that I've ever had there.  We got on almost all of the rides that we wanted to, and also somehow budgeted our time well enough that there weren't many long lines.  It also really helped that we went on weekdays in October.  If you want to go to Disney World, I highly recommend going in October because it's off season.  We also got to go to two different restaurants that we had always wanted to try (the Crystal Palace and the VERY nice Hibachi restaurant in "Japan").  And, for once, I went on every thrill ride in each park.  I decided that I wanted to go with Eva and Joel on thrill rides in the future, and I need to learn to be brave for my child (Though, some roller coasters I still can't do.  Being brave has nothing to do with motion sickness...).  Eva had the best time ever.  I have so many good memories of her experiencing the park for the first time.  My Mom also got to spend a lot of time with Eva when we occasionally split up the group, which was nice for her too.  

The best part of all was that John proposed to Holly (my sister).  It was very sweet.  He gave her a rose and a bracelet at the "Crystal Palace" with a note that said to make a special wish at Cinderella's wishing well.  Then, when we got to the wishing well, he proposed.  I'm very happy for them and very excited about the upcoming wedding.

Anyway, it was a great trip, but we brought something back that we didn't intend...a very nasty cold.  Eva had it first, then gave it to me, and then I accidentally gave it to Joel.  So, the past week, we've been mostly sleeping and trying to recuperate.  I haven't written anything in over two weeks, and it's driving me crazy.  I'm hoping now that I have time again to change that.  Anyway, I figured it would probably happen.  There were just too many people there for us to be lucky enough not to catch anything.  All things considered, a nasty cold is better than the flu, so I'm at least grateful for that.

Dragoncon Shenanigans...

Hey Everyone,

Sorry that I've been pretty inactive on the blog lately.  This  has been a really busy time for me.  I went to Dragoncon, my friend's wedding, and Disneyworld.  (I also just recently recovered from a nasty cold.)  So, needless to say, I've had an eventful couple of months, but I'm going to try to catch up on the blog.

Let's start with Dragoncon.  What I remember most about it was that it was more crowded than it has ever been before.  I attribute that mostly to the fact that Patrick Stewart was there.  Before you ask, no I didn't go to that panel or get to have his autograph.  He was untouchable.  We waited in line for his panel and then were told the place was filled up after we waited for thirty minutes in a line that stretched around the building.  There were other actors there, but mostly the same ones who come every year.  I think that we've decided that the next time someone like Patrick Stewart is there, we're just not going to go.  There were so many people there, that there were actually lines to get into vendors.  Most of the panels were hard to get into unless you lined up two hours early.

I did, however, get into two very helpful writing panels and got to see and talk to Todd McCaffrey again.  One was about Young Adult Fantasy and the other was about World Building in Young Adult Literature.  I learned quite a bit that I intend to incorporate into my own writing, and I have a few books that I'll probably be buying to read in the near future by the authors participating in the panel.  So, I felt Dragoncon was worth my time, but I hope they handle the crowds better next time we go.

Also, one last note on Dragoncon.  It is well known that Dragoncon is a party con, but I was very disappointed in the behavior of certain people there.  At around 8:00pm, things get kind of crazy and people start dressing in very little clothing, etc.  This is just a well known fact about the con.  I don't have a problem with that, because after eight most small children are not present.  However, at two in the afternoon, you don't expect people dressed as scantily clad "My Little Ponies" to start posing in suggestive ways for pictures in the most populated areas.  It was a train wreck, one of those things where you really want to look away, but you just can't do it.  They also probably were about eighteen, so not even old to drink, though they were clearly drinking as well.

I realize now that being a parent has changed me.  Normally, I don't care about that sort of thing, not anymore, but I was downright offended by the whole display because it was done in front of children dressed as characters in a children's show.  The parents of the children present were trying to steer them away, but the thing was taking place in the middle of the hotel thoroughfare.  Unfortunately, there was no one really moderating the con, so they probably did this for about an hour.  People with "daddy issues" are kind of sad.

Long story short, it was an exhausting weekend.  I enjoyed the writing panels and shopping (I got a plush Umbreon which is kind of awesome), but I probably won't go back next year.  I might actually be having another baby next year.  We'll have to wait and see.  Who knows?

Anyway, I've rambled enough about the con.  I'll talk to you again soon.  I'll probably be posting another entry about Disneyworld today.  Bye!          

Blog Tour Entry

Writing Process Blog Tour Entry

I just got tagged to write this by my friend Joseph Lee who is also the winner of the Dark Crystal Author Quest contest.  So, here we go...

What am I working on?  
My current project is a horror young fiction story about a group of children who form a "junior investigator's club" to look into supernatural incidents involving the other children of their school.  The first book consists of the back stories that have made the main characters interested in the supernatural.  All of the stories are connected in a subtle way and the last chapter is about them coming together to form the club.  Subsequent books will be from the perspective of one of the main characters involved in the club about what they are currently investigating.  All of the books will feature some sort of supernatural element and a child brave enough to confront their fears and the fears of others.

How does my work differ from others of its genre?
Well, my current project is similar to the "Goosebumps" series, but different in that it focuses on the same five main characters throughout the series.  Also, I've created my own mythos about where the creatures come from, and my  monsters are my own.  Some are born from the fear of the children, some are in essence "evil fairies" and some are from a sort of "realm of shadows."

Why do I write what I do? 
I write because I enjoy it.  Writing is something that I hope to establish my career in, and even if I never got anything published (which I have), I would still do it because it is a great exercise in creativity and is a fun way to spend my spare time.  I write fantasy, horror, space opera, urban fantasy, steampunk, and cyberpunk because these are all genres that are interesting to read.

How does my writing process work?
First I start with a rough idea of what I would like to write.  Then, I devote a paper notebook to it and began to write the main idea and subsequent ideas that come to me within it.  I write a detailed description of the setting, the main characters, and their general backgrounds.  Then, I transcribe my notes to my computer and attempt to outline my entire story.  At times, I start writing before the outline is finished, but generally I try to finish the outline first to increase my chances of finishing the project.  At times, I get a good idea while writing that changes the outline slightly, so sometimes it is a dynamic process.

Moving On...

I tag Diane Riggins, my friend and a writer of many genres, but currently mostly urban fantasy.  She also works with publishing companies, writes articles, and designs video games.  

I also tag Sara Taylor Woods.  A writer of erotic fiction, Sara has recently found representation and we should be seeing some of her work on bookshelves in the near future. 

Cheer up, Charlie...

Hey everyone,

Well, the results are in and I didn't win the Dark Crystal contest. J. M. Lee, the finalist that I became friends with, won instead.  I was debating about opening this blog with an "Oompa Loompa" song, keeping with the "Willy Wonka and the Chocolate Factory" theme, but none of the finalists (myself included) did anything wrong so it wouldn't be appropriate.  All of us wrote very good stories, but Joseph's concept was what the Jim Henson company liked the best.  

I'm very, very happy for Joseph, but I have to admit I'm a little bit sad that I didn't win.  Mostly, I'm disappointed because I really liked my characters and they did have a story to tell.  While I could still write the story as a fanfic, I don't want to sink that much time into it.  So, I'm afraid they won't get to tell their story.  Still, they're my characters.  Perhaps I can recreate some similar characters in another story one day.  It won't be anytime soon, though.  Right now, I'm trying to focus on working on my "Goosebumps" styled story and I have another concept for a young adult fantasy novel that I'm writing notes about in my spare time.

I'm actually taking this really well.  I thought I would go to pieces if I lost, but I didn't even cry.  I was just relieved to finally know.  I think I was more stressed out from waiting than I would've been from even writing the book.  I think that stress might have also been the cause of my stomach issues.  I lost about five pounds over the course of June because I didn't feel like eating and when I did I was ill from it (of course, that had something to do with my antibiotics as well, but I digress).  I don't think the stress of writing is the same as the stress of waiting.  I've dealt with deadlines before and never had any medical issues from it, but something about the not knowing was much worse.

I heard the news at the beach and was having such a great trip, I wasn't about to let a little bad news spoil it.  I didn't feel sick (and I was ill throughout almost the entire month of June), I didn't have any stomach issues, I got to spend lots of time with my family, I ate home cooked meals nearly every night, and I got lots of mid afternoon naps.  (Naps at the beach are the best, by the way, with that mid afternoon sun pouring in, the gentle breeze, and the sound of gulls and gentle waves on the inlet...)  Anyway, I feel very refreshed now.  Getting out of town was just what I needed.  I also feel like writing on new projects again now that I know that I'm not going to be working on the Dark Crystal novel.

Long story short, despite being a little disappointed, I feel like this is a win.  The whole experience has been a good one.  I gained a contact in the writing industry, I made a new friend, and I even got to be in a very fun anthology with a group of very talented writers.  No one needs to feel sorry for me because I couldn't be happier.  I legitimately feel happy for J. M. Lee.  Since we became such good friends, I was hoping that if I didn't win then he would win instead.  It made me feel good to see his name announced as the winner.

I'm convinced, one day my lucky day will come along as well.  Now that I was a finalist of this contest, maybe, at the very least, that will make finding an agent easier for me.  I have a lot of books that need to be published and a lot more ideas that need to be written.  I'm confident now that I'll have a novel published soon.  I just have to keep writing and working hard.  I'm almost there...      

Dark Crystal Author Quest

Hey Everyone,

The Dark Crystal Author Quest e-book is finally available through amazon.  :-)

If you're a fan of The Dark Crystal, Jim Henson, or Penguin Books, please pick up a copy.  There are five very good stories within it that are worth your time and money.  This might sound like a shameless plug for my own work, but it isn't because all of the stories were very fun to read and fit very well in the Dark Crystal universe.  If you like the Dark Crystal, you'll like this e-book.

I picked up the book the first day it was available, June 24th, and I'm very honored to be included with so many good authors.  I must admit, though, I'm not as confident about potentially winning the contest after reading the other stories.  I think I have as good a chance as anyone, but I think the Jim Henson company has their work judging cut out for them.  I'm still praying to win it.  Every one of the featured authors, myself included, has something different to offer in their interpretation of the universe, and all of us have different strengths and weaknesses as writers.  I think what it really comes down to is what type of story the Jim Henson company wants, and it isn't a bad reflection on any of us as writers if we lose.

When I first became one of the five finalists, that I was looking at the other four finalists as competition, and I didn't like myself for it.  I try not to be the type of person to be jealous or bitter.  I can be a sore loser on small things, like video games, but on bigger things I don't tend to be that way.  For some reason, this time I started to feel really competitive, and I didn't like the feeling.  

Long story short, I decided that wasn't who I was, and I started looking at the other finalists as people, and colleagues.  We're all in this book together, and we all want the same thing, so why not make this a friendly competition?  We all have at least one thing in common, other than this book as well--we're all writers.  I've already reached out to one of the finalists and I think we've become pretty good pen pal type friends.  I'll probably reach out to the others as well at some point in the very near future.  If they don't want to be "friend friends" that's fine, but I feel like wishing everyone "good luck."  I still want to win, but I am hoping that whoever is chosen is the best person for the job.  Depending on what Jim Henson's would want, I may or may not be that person.  I think that I can be.

Anyway, I rambled on about this for too long.  Time to review the book.  (To those who have seen the movie "The Dark Crystal" there are no spoilers in this review...if you haven't perhaps you should wait and watch the movie or read the book first.)

Vinni Chiappini "The Gelfling Guardian" - This story features a Gelfling of the Spriton Clan who works as a guard of the Castle of the Crystal.  He looks to the Skeksis with respect and admiration until he finds out that they might be responsible for the disappearances of Gelfling and Podlings all over Thra.  He has to decide between his loyalty to them, or his loyalty to his people and search for the truth.  I think the strongest element of this story is that the Podlings were portrayed as a very sympathetic, intelligent race, which is important since they are the first victims of the crystal.  It makes the sacrifice of the Podlings a very real problem.

Greg Coles "Rebels of the Dark Crystal" - The main character of this story is a Harath (Woodland) Clan Gelfling who is crippled and working as a blacksmith in the woods.  His friend, a soldier of the Crystal Castle, stumbles into his forge one evening in shambles, and accidentally dreamfasts with him.  Through the dreamfasting, he learns that the soldier discovered a terrible secret kept by the Skeksis that puts him in terrible danger as well.  One of the strengths of Coles' story is that it's written in first person, so it pulls the reader in and makes the main character very sympathetic.  Also, since the main character is disabled, it makes his struggle particularly poignant.

Nancy Gray "Chosen" - Sorry, I'm not reviewing my own story, that would be silly.  Please, read it and tell me what you think.  It's about a Gelfling of the Sifa Clan that is chased by a waterspout onto a deserted island.  While there, he and his friend find an abandoned cabin containing a journal with information about the Skeksis that puts them and their families in danger.

J. M. Lee "Shadows of the Dark Crystal" - This story is about a Gelfling girl from the Drenchen Clan who goes to find her cousin, a guard at the Castle of Crystal, and finds more than she expected.  She and her Father are attacked by a huge nebrie that has been driven mad by the crystal's darkened light.  She must travel alone to find Aughra to tell her what happened and for advice.  Lee's descriptions of setting are eloquent and beautiful, painting the images into the mind's eye.  His characters are also likable and the creatures are interesting, especially the Gelfling girl's pet.

Esther Palmer "Music of the Shards" - A young Gelfling girl from the Vapra Clan is playing just outside of her village when the child she's playing with is killed by a Skeksis, "The Hunter."  She finds out that her Grandmother is the keeper of a journal from a soldier from the Castle of Crystal.  She tells Esther to go to Aughra with the journal to find out what to do, but it seems her journey is far from over.  Palmer has a way with words and some very vivid imagery, especially in darker scenes.  

That's about it for the review.  As I've said, I don't envy the judges for having to choose between so many good stories.  I hope that I win, but right now I just feel honored to be among this very talented group of finalists.  Please, consider buying this book.  You won't regret it.

Keep reading and writing, and never give up.