BLOGGER BUDDIES...WHAT WOULD WE DO WITHOUT THEM?...

Hi, All,

I just had to do a brief post on our beloved BLOGGER BUDDIES! For the past month I had the amazing privilege to meet and spend some quality time with some of my amazing blogger pals...

It all started at the SCBWI conference in LA at the beginning of August. I knew that I would be meeting and spending time with Morgan Shamy and Patty Timmes (who I'm pictured with at the Sparkle and Shine Gala), but I had a few unexpected and very PLEASANT surprises as well. Several in fact...

On the second day, a vivacious blonde approached me sporting a huge smile... She screamed out my name. At first I didn't recognize her. I glanced at her name tag, and ran over to give her a hug. It was Rose Cooper of Sketchy Chicks fame. The last pic I saw of her she was a brunette. Now she's a redhead. Can't keep this girl down for sure. WE had a great time catching up. She is such fun!



On Sunday, I spotted a very close blogger friend on my way to grab a coffee. A moment later, she was gone. I was so upset. BUT as fate would have it. Nutschell reappeared. We saw each other at the book signings, where I am pictured here with Dan Santat. 

Nutschell and I made plans to have dinner that evening. Let me just say, it was an amazing time. What a SWEETHEART!

This weekend I finally got to meet up with Tara Tyler and Julie Flanders in Cincinnati, OH. I had planned a visit for Tara's book signing in late June, but massive thunderstorms raked the area at the time and I decided to play it safe and hold off. 

We all met at a charming bistro for lunch. These ladies are truly sweet and lovely. It was so good to catch up on what they were writing and what events they had attended over the past year. Time flew. It was the highlight of my weekend. 

So friends if you EVER get a chance to meet your blogger pals... DO IT! Not once have I ever not had THE BEST time.

We spend so many countless hours with our blogger pals and it's just like we've know each other forever....well....we have. In our posts, emails, and blog hops. I wish I could meet all of you! But I must admit, I'm not doing to badly. LOL...

Let me know who've you met!

Once more I am so appreciative to be a part of this wonderful blogger family. We are by far THE BEST Community ever! Give yourselves a round of applause! You ALL deserve it!

I'll be posting for the WEP within the next few days, so DON'T forget to check out the posts or SIGN UP!

A FRESH, NEW LOOK....

Hi, All!

Hope everyone is enjoying all the summer fun! I haven't had time to breathe with all the excitement of traveling to LA for the SCBWI conference...

So much to learn and to absorb for sure! Which brings me to todays IWSG post.

So many of us would be OVERWHELMED by a conference of this magnitude... 1200 attendees plus additional for the staff.  SO many professional authors, illustrators, agents, and publishers crammed into one hotel...




Imagine if  LA had an earthquake...more than half the community would've have gone in one shake. Something WE ALL had mentioned. But thankfully we survived, but only just.

This INSANITY got me to think about the poor "NEW" writer/illustrator. Can you even imagine how insecure and TERRIFIED this poor individual would be? I can.

I sat next to one woman who was so completely overwhelmed she had nearly fainted. But she was not the first. I talked with her and reassured her that we are THE FRIENDLIEST and MOST HELPFUL Community and by the end of our conversation the color reentered her cheeks and she was breathing normally. The excitement in her face about starting her new journey left me feeling so happy for her.

We must all remember, that no matter where we are in our journey, there is much to learn. I took away so much after this conference and I had been to at least three other major conferences within this year.

You just never know who'll you meet. The SCBWI organization is a very worthwhile one to join if you are a children's book writer/illustrator. That includes YA everyone... They have so much going on at their website. Grants, conferences (local and national), and lots of information about the children's publishing world.

The industry professionals talked of how Picture books are making a HUGE comeback and the publishing world is now clambering for the next Middle Grade blockbuster! Don't worry YA writers, YA is still a very HOT commodity...

It was fascinating to hear so many crucial points in the industry. But one thing was stressed over and over and over. DON'T write to trends! Write what you are passionate about and write it WELL. It takes TWO years for a manuscript to get published, so writing to trends isn't the way to go. IF you are  writing in a genre that isn't hot right now, it may be next year....the tables turn constantly!

So take your time and polish your story until it's blinding!!!!!

I had my own stress/insecurities at the conference. I focused on my first novel and its FRESH, NEW look. I've had interest in the past, but the opening never seemed to work correctly. As I sent out my first chapter for review, I felt confident that I had nailed it. Finally.

I entered the workshop positive. After three hours of exercises, the editor handed us our critiques and sent us on our way. As I glanced at her comments, all she pointed out was the ONE, or two spots I had TOLD instead of SHOWED... She totally missed the eight pages of SHOWING and only picked at that. Imagine what I thought...

I was less than happy. First of all, WHAT IS WRONG WITH A BIT OF TELLING? Look at blockbuster hits that tell so much more than show.... AH, HARRY POTTER, for one... Rowling has pages of telling, adverbs, and passive voice. Would they not publish her story today because of her "telling."

This narrow minded thinking in the publishing world concerns me. Yes, I agree, there should be lots of action to entertain and DRAW the reader into the scene, but what about setting the stage, the atmosphere, and a time to BREATHE between the action?  I feel this is very necessary, too.

During our lunch break, I reread her comments and thought. Hmmm. NO.. I don't agree. The few word corrections I did agree to, but not the telling part.

I then went to my second incentive with another editor. After a few work challenges we got to read our first pages. She told us yes or no whether she would read on. THIS was helpful.

I read my page. She laughed at the appropriate time and I held my breath when I finished. She smiled. She really liked it. But had just one suggestion. NO, she never mentioned TELLING. She mentioned she wished for more tension. If that was there, but it was to subtle. She would have liked more. I nodded and agreed.

This experience truly SHOWED ME how SUBJECTIVE the publishing industry is, and that we need to BELIEVE in our work. Always go with your gut feeling. THAT was stressed at the conference, too!

Now for the really EXCITING NEWS....

I had won a manuscript consultation with Steven Mooser... one of the HEADS of the SCBWI....YAY! I nearly fell out of my chair... And it was my best bud, Morgan Shamy, who said he would draw my name and did! Talk about being positive... She believed and IT HAPPENED.

But the first thing I thought about was WHAT TO SEND HIM? I have two manuscripts... For three days I had flipped back and forth. Talk about anxiety. WHAT TO SEND. ON the one note my second novel was REALLY ready. But my first is such a charming, magical story, something a kid could really enjoy. My second is edgy, raw, and INTENSE. Opposite extremes.

Well as fate would have it (sometimes it is in our favor), I ran into Mr. Mooser in the elevator. With a huge smile he greeted me and I reminded him that I was the winner of his wonderful consultation. He smiled again and asked what I would be sending. I told him the truth. I mentioned both properties, hoping he would prefer one over the other.  WELL... He said he would probably have time for BOTH!!!! Talk about turning my anxiety into MAJOR EXCITEMENT....

So now I need to have one last go around before I send the second and finish the rewrite of my first novel in RECORD TIME...

So you see, one never knows what will happen at these conferences. I heard MANY inspiring stories of very famous authors and illustrators who had amazing luck .... maybe now it's my turn?

TIME WILL TELL... As I say in my blog title... In time...

On that note everyone, I hope you will visit the other Insecure Writer Support Group posts. Drop by Alex Cavanaugh's EXTENSIVE list ....

Have a WONDERFUL WEEK everyone and I will be dropping by your blogs the moment I come up for air...

BLURBS AND TAGLINES....

Hi, All,

I hope everyone had a wonderful weekend! Chicago is FINALLY experiencing some summer-like weather.... afternoon thunderstorms and all. But at least is is WARM!

Today a I'd like to touch upon something many writers have a hard time writing, and that is the tagline and blurb for you story.

I was honored earlier today by one of my favorite blogger friends, who is also client. Yolanda Renee is an exceptional writer, but has some difficulty narrowing down her novels to one sentence and a few paragraphs. Sound familiar?

If you missed her post yesterday she was kind enough to show the process of one of my services, blurb and tag editing, step by step.

One thing we must remember about blurbs and taglines, they have to GRAB our reader. A writer can create atmosphere and magic even in one or two sentences. When I write a blurb, I want to feel the essence of the story. What drives the story? Bring out the passion... concentrate on one scene that is pivotal to the story and focus on that....This way the reader is not bogged down with step one, two, three. Who wants to read a monotone tagline or blurb. WE want to read about the passion of the character. What they overcome. What is there challenge? Get us to want more. Weave that scene into the overall story. This is how I write an intriguing tagline and blurb.

Do any of you have a special way to attack that tagline or blurb? I'd love to hear about it... Perhaps it can help another writer.

If you are interested, please drop by Yolanda Renee's blog. Blurbs and taglines can actually be fun if you don't become overwhelmed by it. If you do, perhaps I can help you, too. I do enjoy writing blurbs and I do have a knack for them. I don't usually self promote, but I thought this was a nice way of reintroducing my services to all of you. I have other services as well, just click onto the badge and it will take you to my service page.

Thanks for stopping by and I hope you all have a wonderful week!

A NEW MONTH... AN NEW BEGINNING...

Hi, Everyone,

Thanks for dropping by on Monday for the return of the WEP. If you haven't heard, WRITE...EDIT...PUBLISH is back. So for those of you who LOVE Flash Fiction drop down to my previous post.

Once again it is the first Wednesday of the month and thanks to Alex J. Cavanaugh, we can post about our anxieties about life, writing, and our deepest darkest fears. As well as lending support and advice for those who need a lift. Such a great way to start the month. Don't you think?

So please pop over to Alex's "List" and visit those who need encouragement or to read about some wonderful advice from others.

Today I'd like to talk about timing and new beginnings. How often have we started over, changing our course or direction. Even the best laid out plans can crumble. I should know. Spending six months planning my move only to end up with frustration and back to to where I started. It happens to all of us. 

But you can learn from this. I have always believed in timing. If the timing is off, then this course or journey is not the right one. So we have to pull ourselves back up off the ground and continue. Mull things over and plan a new direction. It's the same for our writing. You can outline plots, characters, scenes, etc. and then begin to write. It may be smooth sailing at the beginning and everything seems to fall right into place...then...WHAM! You're knocked on your butt. 

What do you do? 

Giving up is NEVER an option. So, you pick yourself up and start over. Eventually it will run smoothly again. IF not, CHANGE your course completely. Maybe focus on a different character. Change the tense, or simply put the project away for a while. Take a walk. Clear your head. Have lunch with a friend. OR... reach out to you blogger pals. Shoot an email to a CP. It may help TWEAK the situation to your favor.

As for me. At this time, I am concentrating on other things. Leaving my "HOME" worries behind and delving back into our FINE community. Re-aquanting myself with my blogger buddies, and psyching myself up for the SCBWI conference at the end of this month. I have LOTS of revisions to do on my first novel, which is now the time to do it.

Keep your minds and hearts open and all will work out. Always believe that everything happens for a reason and how we REACT to it shows us how strong we really are and gives us character. Life's experiences strengthens us and not to mention we have some great stories to write about!

Have a wonderful day everyone! Celebrate Life and HAPPY FOURTH OF JULY!!!!

WRITE...EDIT...PUBLISH... THE W.E.P. BLOG HOP IS NOW RESURECTED!

Hi, All!

Hope everyone enjoyed one of the first weekends of summer! I did. We actually had a lovely weekend weather wise. Of course it didn't last. Once again the rain returned....

Today I have the pleasure of announcing that the WRITE... EDIT... PUBLISH Bloghop is now returning. YAY!

For all of you who love Flash Fiction, photography, art work, poetry, non-fiction, or play scripts created to a specific word count to keep is fast and FUN!

Open to ALL Genres: MG, YA, ROMANCE, and ADULT.

So why not get those creative juices flowing now that summer is here and we are all in happier spirits. LET'S CREAT TOGETHER, by starting with a fun and exciting HOP...

Your hosts are my close blogger buddies, DENISE COVEY and YOLANDA RENEE! I know many of you know these amazing ladies, so you know you are in for a fun and quality HOP! I"m certainly looking forward to the first Prompt!

Why not drop by Denise's blog... here is the LINK to her intro... Happy HOPPING everyone. 

I hope all of you have a WONDERFUL Monday and be sure to drop by here on Wednesday for yet another IWSG POST....

SUMMER SIGHTINGS....

Hi, All,

First I'd like to thank all of you for all the amazing blog love I have received over the past few months concerning my housing issues. Although nothing has been resolved, I plan on enjoying the summer and "DEALING WITH LIFE" in September. It's all about reconnecting with my blogger friends and the writing community.

And now for the sightings.... are you intrigued? I hope so!

Last week, I met 80's guru, and chic lit author, Nicki Elson for coffee in the Printer's Row section of Chicago. such a fascinating neighborhood. Imagine strolling the streets where MILLIONS of books had been published and printed! On historic Dearborn st, there's still a charming bookstore. Thankfully this gem is still in business. With the whirlwind of Amazon books, so many of our historic and treasured book stores are fading from cityscapes all over the country.

After a two hour chat at the local Starbucks, Nicki and I strolled north to the riverfront to meet fellow author Jennifer Lane... She and Nicki had planned to meet for dinner. I stayed for a quick iced tea and left the ladies to catch up on their chosen genre...

This Saturday, June 20th, from 12:00-3:00, at the Barnes and Noble, at 9891 Waterstone Blvd. in Cincinnati, OH., our blogger pal, Tara Tyler is having a book signing! I'm so excited for her! So I decided to leave Chicago, which just happens to be over populated with breeding dementors (Harry Potter fans will know what these creatures are). Yes, although the city is celebrating the Stanley Cup, fog has socked in all over the city and the cool, wet weather is sucking all the life out of this blogger for sure. A road trip to escape is much needed. SO, why not visit a blogger pal. Right?

I'll also be meeting another close blogger pal, and amazing author, Julie Flanders. She also lives in the Cincinnati area. So if any of you would like to join us at Barnes and Noble and grab one of Tara's incredible stories, a coffee, tea, or iced frappaccino at Starbucks, I'd LOVE to see you!

Later in July, this blogger is attending the SCBWI Summer conference in LA!!!!!! I can't begin to tell you how excited I am to be going. It's something I had wanted to do for many years. I have been fortunate enough to attend the Winter conference a few times in NYC, and had the most memorable experiences. But now, in LA, it will be UBER AMAZING. There, I will be spending the event with super fun, vivacious red head, MORGAN SHAMY, who's infectious personality lights up the blogosphere! How cool with this be?!!!! BEYOND COOL! Not only to learn so much at the conference, but to also connect with a close blogger friends. It will be MAGICAL. If any of you are going PLEASE let me know! I'd love to meet you there!

I will be posting pics from Saturday and of course the conference. Summer season is about to begin and it can't come soon enough for me!

Do any of you have some amazing plans to meet our fellow blogger buddies this Summer? Why not host a small gathering in your neighborhood. It's worth the effort.

Well, that's all the sightings for now. I hope you all have a WONDERFUL weekend full of exciting surprises!

LIFE VS ANXIETY...WINNER TAKE ALL...

Hi, Everyone,

I hope all of you are well and life is treating you with the love and respect you deserve. With all the troubles in our lives and in the world, we need to hold onto the simple pleasures in our lives: family, friends, and what makes us truly happy.

My last month's post featured the trials and tribulations of trying to buy my home in Tampa, Florida. I had left Chicago a mere two weeks ago ready to start the next journey of my life. Heart pounding and my excitement building, I was ready for a new phase...a new challenge. 

Since then, much has happened and I have learned how cruel and unfeeling some people can be. I am not naive to human behavior and I have experienced a great many things in my life. But nothing affects me more than senseless cruelty by the hands of another human being.

I'm sure many of you have experienced this first hand and my heart goes out to you. I suppose this is, yet again, another obstacle we as humans must face in life's journey.

As you recall, I had lost my mortgage, but the owners agreed to a lease the property to me with the option to buy within a year. All seemed well. The realtors were hashing out all the details, and I drove down to Fort Lauderdale to collect all my things that had been in storage there for the last eleven years. The movers loaded up the seventeen foot Uhaul truck, and I was on my 280 mile drive to Tampa. As I crossed Alligator alley in the torrential rain, my phone rang. Glancing at the name, I had to answer...it was my realtor. The deal was off. Shocked, I pulled the truck over to the side. Anger flooded each and every nerve of my body. "WHAT!" I had the Tampa movers scheduled to unload the truck in less than twelve hours. "How could the sellers do this?" They could, and they did. They had never signed the revised contract. 

So there I sat. Pouring rain assaulting every inch of the truck. I could barely hear my own heart beating. Think and pull yourself together... was what I kept telling myself. SO... I did. I picked up my cell and called the Uhaul center where I had planned to return the truck. An "Earthly Angel" answered and she was able to assist me in acquiring the space I needed to store my life...again. 

Three hours later I had arrived. I was able to leave the truck there overnight. A friend picked me up and was kind enough to take me to my B&B.

It's amazing how much one can endure. The human spirit can shed intense anxiety when needed to focus on the task at hand, but the aftermath is another story. Just like surviving an earthquake, but what of the aftershocks? 

I had planned a six-eight week stay, begin the remodeling of my new place, and toget the wheels in motion for my future in a new city. I had it all set up beautifully... but it took only one cruel person to knock over the first domino and send the rest of the delicate wall crashing all around me.

It took me about a week to tie up all the lose ends in Tampa before returning back to Chicago. Not only was this an emotional hit, but it was also a financial one. But throughout this whole ordeal, amazingly I remained calm or was I just numb? I'm still not sure. But I believe deep down all of this happened for a reason. As all things do.

During my two day drive back to Chicago, I had many hours to think. My earlier plans to move to NYC had fallen through when the seller of a condo I was about to buy broke our contract and accepted a higher bid. Then, I had thought that perhaps that was for a reason and I should move south. Now this... Funny how life is. Another condo very similar to the one I had lost in NY has come on the market. It is larger, on a higher floor, and with a terrace! So maybe... It's an office like the former and I can create a fantastic 2 bedroom 1.5 bath in this space. It could be amazing...

Now the anxiety has hit... Do I return back home to NYC or move to South Tampa? NY will always be home to me, but it is cold, and after ELEVEN winters in Chicago, I'm not sure I want to endure another. (Chicago is still in the 40's in JUNE! Only a high of 55 today) I have grown to really hate the cold.

Tampa has it's good points, but I have such a bad taste from what had happened. It had taken me six months to find the condo I had wanted to buy and to start all over again.... it's difficult. Tampa is very pricey in the neighborhood I wish to live in... properties are scarce and what is for sale is way out of my price range. 

Time is whirling by at a fast pace. 2015 is six months gone. I had so many goals for this year: a new home, a contract for my second novel. Neither has happened. Yet, they almost did. Still waiting on the agent who has expressed such interest in my story... and yet, nothing. So here I wait. Like so many of you...

Today was a bright an sunny day. Cool, but lovely. I worked with a client who has hired me for years to update her space. She acquired two furry friends and needed to "kitty-proof" the house. Watching them scamper and play certainly put a smile on my face. Something so sweet and simple washed away much of my tension. I may not know where I'll end up, but I am glad to know that I can still appreciate the simple things in life. The purr of a kitten, the sun streaming through an azure sky, spring flowers bursting with color, the wafting scent of lilac, and the hug of a friend...

I wanted to share this with you because we all experience very traumatic things in our lives, but always remember to keep breathing and keep you eyes open wide. You don't want to miss out on the simple, yet beautiful things, in life...

Thank you Alex J. Cavanaugh for giving us all the opportunity to share the ups and downs of our lives. Please visit the other writers posting for the IWSG today. You never know who you may help or how someone may help you...

Have a wonderful day everyone!