Good news! I finished my book! (I know. It's about time!)
I tossed it to my beta readers to go through, to make sure I crossed all my i's and dotted my t's, and then I'll be submitting this thing! Hooray!
I already have a book 4 in my head, so I'll start working on that while book 3 (tentatively titled Deceit) goes through the review process with my publisher. So fun!
Stay tuned for updates!
Fall
Wednesday, November 23, 2011
Thursday, September 29, 2011
Book update!
Newsflash! My next book, working title "Deceit," is almost done! I hope to have it in my editor's hands in the next couple of weeks. I'm very excited about this book! The hard part is, I had so much going on in this book, and so many characters with back stories, that it has turned out to be much longer than I'd expected, so I've got to do some serious cutting before I turn it in. Why, oh why, do I have to have so much to say? :)
I'll keep you posted!
I'll keep you posted!
Sunday, July 31, 2011
My friend Tristi has a new mystery novel coming out!
Author Tristi Pinkston is excited to announce the release of the third novel in her Secret Sisters Mysteries series.
Titled Hang ‘em High, this novel takes place on a dude ranch in Montana. When Ida Mae’s son invites her to come for a visit, of course she brings Arlette and Tansy along with her. They are expecting to spend the week looking at horses, avoiding the cows, and making amends in Ida Mae’s relationship with her son. What they don’t expect is to be stuck on the ranch in the middle of a blizzard and to be thrust headlong into the middle of a mystery.
***
Help Tristi celebrate her new novel in two ways. First, come participate in the two-week-long blog contest, where you can win a book nearly every single day! All the details are up on Tristi’s blog.
Second, come to the book launch!
You are invited to an
August Authorama!
Saturday, August 13th
Pioneer Book, 858 S. State, Orem
12 – 4 pm
Games, prizes, balloons, face painting,
and Dutch oven cobbler
prepared by world champion cook
Authors Tristi Pinkston, J. Lloyd Morgan, Cindy Hogan,
Nichole Giles, and Heather Justesen
will all be there to sign books.
This is one book launch event
you will not want to miss!
Wednesday, June 8, 2011
An emerging new character!
As I sat working on my book early this morning, I was introducing one of my secondary characters. I have always loved creating characters, as they become such real people to me. But this new secondary character really came to life on the pages before me. Suddenly I was intrigued by this bright and bubbly young woman with the dangerous CIA background. The more I wrote her, the more she came to life and took off running. She very quickly became her own person who is (shockingly) DEMANDING her own story.
How exciting! I wasn't sure what my next project was going to be, but now I'm so intrigued by this new character that I think my next book is going to be HER story. I'm so excited I'm practically dancing! We'll see how much you all like her when this book hits the shelves. I think she'll be a wonderful next novel!
Have any of you writers had this happen? Had a secondary character just grab you so you wanted to write their own story? And this applies to readers, as well! Have you read a story and fell in love with a secondary character that you were just dying to read more about them?
I'm a huge Lynn Kurland fan, and she does this a lot in her stories--introduces a character who is a brother or sister of the main character, and they are so vividly written and so real that you just fall in love with them. I'm always first in line to buy that character's book when in comes out.
Anybody else have this experience?
How exciting! I wasn't sure what my next project was going to be, but now I'm so intrigued by this new character that I think my next book is going to be HER story. I'm so excited I'm practically dancing! We'll see how much you all like her when this book hits the shelves. I think she'll be a wonderful next novel!
Have any of you writers had this happen? Had a secondary character just grab you so you wanted to write their own story? And this applies to readers, as well! Have you read a story and fell in love with a secondary character that you were just dying to read more about them?
I'm a huge Lynn Kurland fan, and she does this a lot in her stories--introduces a character who is a brother or sister of the main character, and they are so vividly written and so real that you just fall in love with them. I'm always first in line to buy that character's book when in comes out.
Anybody else have this experience?
Tuesday, May 10, 2011
Book update!
I realized it has been way too many months since I've posted. So sorry!
The good news, though, is that I haven't been posting here on my blog because I've been terribly busy WRITING. And the even better news is, I'm almost done! I'm already close to 100,000 words, and I'd better wrap this book up before it becomes 200,000.:)
My hope is to turn this book in to my editor in the next month or so. And maybe, if I'm very lucky, it could possibly be out by the end of this year or early next year.
I'll keep you posted!
Off to continue writing...
The good news, though, is that I haven't been posting here on my blog because I've been terribly busy WRITING. And the even better news is, I'm almost done! I'm already close to 100,000 words, and I'd better wrap this book up before it becomes 200,000.
My hope is to turn this book in to my editor in the next month or so. And maybe, if I'm very lucky, it could possibly be out by the end of this year or early next year.
I'll keep you posted!
Off to continue writing...
Friday, January 21, 2011
Remembering why I write
I had an experience lately that made me second guess myself as a writer. I did an edit for a writer, and the whole thing went south. It was not a good experience. I usually like encouraging other writers, especially fledgling writers, building them up and seeing them grow and learn in their skill. But this time, the interaction with this person left me thinking, "Why do I bother doing this? I am up to my eyeballs in work (I do medical transcription for a doctor), I am super busy with my kids, and I have a church calling that takes a LOT of time. So why do I do this if it's not fulfilling?"
For the first time in a long time, I seriously thought about quitting the whole writing scene. Finding something else to fill those little pieces of me that writing usually does. Because, to be honest, writing wasn't doing that. It's not that I didn't WANT to write--I did. I was just so busy with Real Life that it was starting to feel like something else to check off my to do list. So when this editing experience left me feeling frustrated and angry, I was done.
I told a dear friend of mine who is my biggest cheerleader that I was done, and why. She listened as dear friends do, sympathizing and understanding, then she wisely turned our conversation to other fun things. I can't tell you how relieved I was that she didn't tell me I was just being ridiculous, or that it was just a phase. She took me seriously, told me my reasons were justified, and then we went on to talk about other things (thus assuring me there were other things in life besides writing). I'll always love her for that.
That next week, I felt as if a weight had been lifted off my shoulders. I was free! The time I had allotted for writing was now my own, and I spent many blissful hours reading--something I hadn't found time to enjoy for a long time. A few weeks later, I'd read a small stack of books, my days weren't quite as hectic, and I'd rediscovered some friendships because, hey, now I had a little extra time to do such incredibly novel things like...phone a friend and simply talk! :)
But then an interesting thing happened, most likely due to all those wonderful books I read.
My mind started working.
The characters of my book started saying new things. They did a couple of very odd things that I hadn't pictured them doing. My book started acting itself out like a play in my head, and in minutes, the opening scene that I had struggled with so much that I had skipped it and told myself to come back to it later had shockingly written itself and was playing out like a scene from a Bourne Identity movie in my head. It was so cool!
I found my fingers itching to type these scenes, transferring them from my head to the computer screen. I marveled at the newness of my characters, the new scenes and plot ideas leaping into my mind, the arrival of new and previously unknown secondary characters inserting themselves into the plot.
It felt like in a instant, a myriad of characters and plots were going on without me in my head. And that's when I realized, I couldn't quit. I had characters to create and scenes to write! My urge to create had returned, and all I wanted to do was get back to work.
It's funny, really--these stages we writers go through. Writing is such a solitary act. We sit at a computer alone, and words spill out onto a monitor in front of us. If we never told anybody that we'd written something, nobody would even know. And (frighteningly) often, even when we get a book published, people don't always comment on it. It's hard to keep writing for such little acknowledgement, but those of us who write...we keep writing anyway. It's who we are. It's what we do.
For whatever reason, writers are blessed with a gift to create. There is something inside of us that needs that personal fulfillment, to create another world in which something incredible happens. It's like living a dream.
I realize that now. Quitting, while sometimes feeling like the easy way out, isn't going to be permanent. Not for those of us who are true writers. Writing is a part of us, and I've rediscovered my love for it. (Thankfully.)
So now I'm at my keyboard, spilling out my latest ideas from my mind onto my computer, feeling happy to be doing it again...mostly because I discovered that I can do it for MYSELF. It makes me happy, and that's what matters the most, regardless of awards or acclaim or even truckloads of money. ;)
Isn't that why we should do anything?
For the first time in a long time, I seriously thought about quitting the whole writing scene. Finding something else to fill those little pieces of me that writing usually does. Because, to be honest, writing wasn't doing that. It's not that I didn't WANT to write--I did. I was just so busy with Real Life that it was starting to feel like something else to check off my to do list. So when this editing experience left me feeling frustrated and angry, I was done.
I told a dear friend of mine who is my biggest cheerleader that I was done, and why. She listened as dear friends do, sympathizing and understanding, then she wisely turned our conversation to other fun things. I can't tell you how relieved I was that she didn't tell me I was just being ridiculous, or that it was just a phase. She took me seriously, told me my reasons were justified, and then we went on to talk about other things (thus assuring me there were other things in life besides writing). I'll always love her for that.
That next week, I felt as if a weight had been lifted off my shoulders. I was free! The time I had allotted for writing was now my own, and I spent many blissful hours reading--something I hadn't found time to enjoy for a long time. A few weeks later, I'd read a small stack of books, my days weren't quite as hectic, and I'd rediscovered some friendships because, hey, now I had a little extra time to do such incredibly novel things like...phone a friend and simply talk! :)
But then an interesting thing happened, most likely due to all those wonderful books I read.
My mind started working.
The characters of my book started saying new things. They did a couple of very odd things that I hadn't pictured them doing. My book started acting itself out like a play in my head, and in minutes, the opening scene that I had struggled with so much that I had skipped it and told myself to come back to it later had shockingly written itself and was playing out like a scene from a Bourne Identity movie in my head. It was so cool!
I found my fingers itching to type these scenes, transferring them from my head to the computer screen. I marveled at the newness of my characters, the new scenes and plot ideas leaping into my mind, the arrival of new and previously unknown secondary characters inserting themselves into the plot.
It felt like in a instant, a myriad of characters and plots were going on without me in my head. And that's when I realized, I couldn't quit. I had characters to create and scenes to write! My urge to create had returned, and all I wanted to do was get back to work.
It's funny, really--these stages we writers go through. Writing is such a solitary act. We sit at a computer alone, and words spill out onto a monitor in front of us. If we never told anybody that we'd written something, nobody would even know. And (frighteningly) often, even when we get a book published, people don't always comment on it. It's hard to keep writing for such little acknowledgement, but those of us who write...we keep writing anyway. It's who we are. It's what we do.
For whatever reason, writers are blessed with a gift to create. There is something inside of us that needs that personal fulfillment, to create another world in which something incredible happens. It's like living a dream.
I realize that now. Quitting, while sometimes feeling like the easy way out, isn't going to be permanent. Not for those of us who are true writers. Writing is a part of us, and I've rediscovered my love for it. (Thankfully.)
So now I'm at my keyboard, spilling out my latest ideas from my mind onto my computer, feeling happy to be doing it again...mostly because I discovered that I can do it for MYSELF. It makes me happy, and that's what matters the most, regardless of awards or acclaim or even truckloads of money. ;)
Isn't that why we should do anything?
Tuesday, November 16, 2010
Setting achieveable writing goals--the key to success!
I'm so excited because I finally found an achievable writing goal!
Let me preface this by saying: All you writers out there--do you often feel as overwhelmed by the seemingly daunting task of sitting down to write? I know that's what often holds me back. I serve as the Young Women president in my ward, work 20 hours a week as a transcriptionist, have 5 kids, AND try to write. Yeah. It doesn't take a genius to figure out that I'm stretched pretty thin. More often than not, there aren't enough hours in the day. And I know I'm not the only one who feels this way!
Sadly, the first thing that usually goes is my writing time on particularly busy days. Just the thought of pulling out my Work In Progress (WIP) and tackling scenes is enough to make me break into a cold sweat.
But thanks to my wise friend Marsha Ward, a brilliant fellow writer, I've conquered the problem! She mentioned last week that instead of setting some lofty goal of writing a thousand or more words a day (here comes that feeling of breaking out into a cold sweat again!), her goal is to write...
Are you ready for this?
...25 words a day. Yes. 25.
I was so excited because I finally found a goal that doesn't overwhelm me! Heck, 25 words is like...two sentences! Even *I* can do THAT. So, with that very doable goal in mind, I have actually gotten a few thousand words done over the past ten or so days! Before that, my daily amount would have been ZERO. And the interesting thing is, with the pressure off, knowing I only need to write 25 measly words to make my daily goal, I have often sat down to write those 25 words and ended up getting inspired and written a thousand! But by setting a small goal, it is at least accomplishing *something.*
What I think accomplishing writing goals in our busy lives boils down to is setting ACCOMPLISH-ABLE goals. Now I'm actually getting things done in my WIP, thanks to Marsha's suggestion.
So, all you writers out there, if you're having trouble sitting down to write because the task seems daunting, give it a try! Twenty-five words is a piece of cake. And you have to start somewhere. So, thank you, Marsha!!
Anybody else have something that has worked for them? I'd love to hear it!
Let me preface this by saying: All you writers out there--do you often feel as overwhelmed by the seemingly daunting task of sitting down to write? I know that's what often holds me back. I serve as the Young Women president in my ward, work 20 hours a week as a transcriptionist, have 5 kids, AND try to write. Yeah. It doesn't take a genius to figure out that I'm stretched pretty thin. More often than not, there aren't enough hours in the day. And I know I'm not the only one who feels this way!
Sadly, the first thing that usually goes is my writing time on particularly busy days. Just the thought of pulling out my Work In Progress (WIP) and tackling scenes is enough to make me break into a cold sweat.
But thanks to my wise friend Marsha Ward, a brilliant fellow writer, I've conquered the problem! She mentioned last week that instead of setting some lofty goal of writing a thousand or more words a day (here comes that feeling of breaking out into a cold sweat again!), her goal is to write...
Are you ready for this?
...25 words a day. Yes. 25.
I was so excited because I finally found a goal that doesn't overwhelm me! Heck, 25 words is like...two sentences! Even *I* can do THAT. So, with that very doable goal in mind, I have actually gotten a few thousand words done over the past ten or so days! Before that, my daily amount would have been ZERO. And the interesting thing is, with the pressure off, knowing I only need to write 25 measly words to make my daily goal, I have often sat down to write those 25 words and ended up getting inspired and written a thousand! But by setting a small goal, it is at least accomplishing *something.*
What I think accomplishing writing goals in our busy lives boils down to is setting ACCOMPLISH-ABLE goals. Now I'm actually getting things done in my WIP, thanks to Marsha's suggestion.
So, all you writers out there, if you're having trouble sitting down to write because the task seems daunting, give it a try! Twenty-five words is a piece of cake. And you have to start somewhere. So, thank you, Marsha!!
Anybody else have something that has worked for them? I'd love to hear it!
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)