Wonderful and Exciting News

Last Friday I accepted an offer of representation with Alexandra Machinist of Janklow and Nesbit Associates.

That is all.

Oh, what's that? You want details?

Okay, here's what I can tell you.

I got "the call" almost two weeks ago from a different wonderful agent. And while I wanted to yell into the phone, "Yes, yes, yes!" I knew that wasn't the right way to do things when I had a dozen other full/partials out there with other agents. Somehow I stumbled through the conversation, and ended it with only a promise to speak with the wonderful agent again.

Then there was a flurry of emailing. Some agents asked for more time to read, some said they were too busy and opted out, and some wanted to give me a call.

In the end I received four offers altogether and each was was wonderful... and also kinda awful. I really did not want to say no to anyone who told me that they loved my book. I wanted to say yes and thank you and I love you for loving my book.

Of course, I could only accept representation with one agent and in the end I knew that person had to be Alexandra.

And now I am looking forward to the next step in this writing journey - that of going out on submission. It is wonderful and scary and amazing, and I am so very grateful to be on this journey and to be able to share it with all of you!

Pots 'n Pens

I am involved in new blogging adventure with a bunch of other writers/food lovers called Pots 'n Pens. My introductory post is up today along with a great recipe for hot chocolate on a stick.

That sounds good, doesn't it?

Well, what are you waiting for? Come on over and check it out!

It's In the Details

It is blog chain time once more, and this time Michelle has started things off.

There are so many things we have to include in our storyworlds...characters, world details, settings, etc. No matter what genre you write, your stories are full of tiny details that help create your storyworld. I know that for me, at least, finding or creating all these details can sometimes be a bit tough.

Where do you go for help? And what types of things are you more likely to research/search for as opposed to making up on your own? Do you have any favorite resource sites? Share links if you have them!!

I honestly don't have any favorite research sites... unless you count Google. When I am stuck for exactly how to describe something or don't have a clear enough vision of it in my head, then I use Google images. If I want to make sure that I am spelling the name of an actual person (like Arnold Schwarzenegger) correctly, then I Google. Sometimes if I am trying to figure out where something is or how long it would take my character to get somewhere then I'll use Google maps.

So yeah, Google. I really really really like Google. But so this post doesn't seem like a paid advertisement for Google, I usually try to write without clicking over to Google and the greater World Wide Web it is a part of, because then there is a whole world of distractions. And since I write stories that take place in contemporary settings, luckily I don't need a lot research, but can instead pull from my own life and observations and then from there let my characters dictate all the little details that go into a story.

For an example of how I usually write details into a story here is a tiny excerpt from my YA novel that I am currently querying.

I slipped out of bed and down the stairs. For pajamas I’d taken to sleeping in the hospital gown that I had kept on beneath the clothes the mom and the dad had brought for me, wearing it the whole drive home, feeling then, as I do now, that it was the only thing that truly belongs to me. Reaching into the closet by the front door, I pulled out the first thing my fingers grabbed hold of – a gigantic puffy parka that covered me down to mid-thigh. Even though it wasn’t that cold out, I pulled the fur-lined hood up over my head, figuring it would counter-balance my bare feet.

For the puffy parka, I was actually remembering similar ones that my younger sisters wore a few years ago when the fur-lined hoods were a very big thing. And from two stays in the hospital after having both of my children via c-section, I am very familiar with hospital gowns. Both of those clothing items came together, and I liked the juxtaposition between the two - the flimsy gown and gigantic coat.

So, that's how I research - what about you?

And to continue following this chain, make sure to check out Sandra's post before mine and Cole's immediately after.

Curses Wrap Up

In my last post I put a curse on my fellow blog chain members... and then waited to see how they would deal with it. They all grappled with the problem in different ways. I highly recomment that you read each of their individual responses by clicking the links below.

Michelle McLean
Margie Gelbwasser
Abby Annis
Sandra Ulbrich Almazan
Christine Fonseca

And now that they've all answered, I think it is time to lift the curse.

*POOF*


And my own curse, of having trouble finding an idea for my next novel, has been slowly lifting as well. No, I haven't put any words on paper yet, but the ideas are swirling around in my head, and I am starting to get that excited itch that makes me want to put some words on paper. And that, my friends, is progress.

So that finishes out this round of the blog chain, and until the next one I'd love to know - what do you do when you are stuck for that next great idea?