Time To Write

Sure wish I had more of it!
Yesterday was dance aerobics starting at 8:30 am and I didn't finish my day until improv comedy class ended at 10:30. In between I attended Weight Watchers, a doctor's appointment for T and held an animated phone discussion with an educational consultant to decide if I want to shell out $$$ for help with T's college placement.

Meanwhile, Jacques Renault and Margaret Kestle waited for me to get on with their story, Margaret with crossed arms, tapping her fingers and Jacques pacing and with a scowl contorting his dark, rugged features.

The Harlequin Presents contest deadline looms and my characters shout, "Get on with it!" while I count calories, try to firm up the bod, angst over my kids, train/contain our cattle dog and try to improve my punch lines, eye contact and storytelling with a band of other fools late at night! (jk--love you guys!)

Two Posts in One Evening

This is to prove that when I'm not typing, I'm still moving my fingers.

Okay, so I'm also a knitter. Been at it since I was about 8 years old.

Over Christmas, I made a few ornaments, as usual. Also am almost finished with a sweater I started for myself back in August. But a quick, fun project was a Dark Mark (Harry Potter ) Illusion Scarf that I did for my 16-year-old daughter. She saw the free pattern on another knitter's blog and said she would like it. Illusion, or shadow knitting, is a cool way of knitting to a chart (like counted cross-stitch) where your purl stitches in contrast with the knitted ones create a "shadow" of something in what at most angles appears to be a simple striped scarf. The far left photo is of the scarf from most angles, looking like it's just striped. The second photo shows the snake-through-the-skull that it knitted in on both ends. Pretty cool, hunh?

Oookay, I feel bad about not blogging for four months

I just went to one of my critique partner's websites and saw that she blogs all the time. Now I feel bad or not writing anything on here in months. So, thanks to Anne, I'm back!

Much has happened since August when I last wrote a message. Here's a rundown:

1) I entered Mending Rafe's Heart in a synopsis contest on eHarlequin and finaled, along with four other finalists. We then pitched our manuscripts in a chat room, to Senior Editor Wanda Ottewell of Harlequin Superromance. That was SCARY!! And we had to type really fast and think fast. In the end, Wanda asked to see our partials (3 chapters.)

2) Sent the partial in to Harl Canada on 9/5. Received a very nice rejection letter (as rejection letters go) from Wanda. It contained two full paragraphs on what I'd done right and what she felt needed work. She said I'd created strong characters and both were credible and contemporary. She said my heroine was determined and independent and the type they looked for. She liked the hero's balance of business-like attitude and personal vulnerability. But she felt the romantic conflict was not as strong and the hero didn't have enough at stake. She offered precise suggestions on how to fix those issues, such as having the heroine and hero not know each other previously. But she did not offer to look at the manuscript again, and that means there is no way I can apply her suggestions and fix the manuscript for her review again. I did discover that all five of us pitch winners received rejection letters, so I'm not alone. Still, it's painful.

3) Decided to try the Harlequin Presents contest. They require a chapter and synopsis by Feb. 14. I'll have to work hard and fast in order to get my entry in. But this is a line that is expanding to 12 books/month. So they *do* need new authors, or at least more manuscripts.

4) Sent The Daddy Issue out to two other publishers, in hopes that they will see the merit in Daniel's and Gretchen's romance.

5) Preparing to send Mending Rafe's Heart out to another publisher.

What I need to do now is work, work, work on my Presents contest entry. It's a chance, and chances are always appreciated.