I'm Not Here!

Wasn't that a book title? Maybe it was a movie? I don't know.

Anyway, Happy Monday!

What's this about missing persons? I'm over posting at The Kindness Project today, so run check it out (link).

I'll be back here tomorrow with a special Teaser Tuesday from Dragonfly... we're in the count-down now! Whoop whoop! #soexcited

If you missed the special Mother's Day teaser excerpt from The Truth About Letting Go, it's here (link).

Have a super day, reader- and writer-friends~ <3

Kindness & a New Book

What? I'm interrupting my schedule again-?! I know!

But I'm here to send you to The Kindness Project (link) blog. I'm over there talking about Facebook quotes--one from bestselling Easy author Tammara Webber.

Follow

You might remember the posts a group of us did over the summer on the first Wednesday of the month. Well, they turned into a whole blog dedicated to spreading kindness--and supporting charities!

Please click over and become a TKP follower (link). I'm not the only contributor, so it's safe!

And before you go, my amazing cover designer, friend, and critique partner Jolene Perry has a shiny new book out! She is tres prolific.

Falling is a new adult book, and it sounds awesome.

It's about a girl who's stuck waitressing at a hunting lodge in Alaska. She's a witness to a murder, and at first she has a thing for the sexy cop who's supposed to protect her. (He also sent her to the lodge.)

Get it!

Then she meets the lodge owner. At first they don't like each other, then they start to like each other, so it's the ole switcheroo!

I haven't read Falling yet, but if I know Jo, it's going to be so fun watching these two go from enemies to friends to luvahs...!

Get it: Amazon or Barnes & Noble

And continue having a great week, reader- and writer-friends! <3

Old Schedules and Old Attitudes

Hey, so I'm still knee deep in editing, but I realized when I looked at the calendar... Summer's over!

That's kind of sad. But it means I'll have more time to write, make the rounds, and I'll be returning to my usual (old) blog schedule of Monday posts.

I switched to Wednesdays for the summer so I could take part in The Kindness Project, led by awesome bloggy friend Carol Miller (link).

TKP is actually on the verge of an interesting transformation that I'm excited to join, but for now, I'll be back to Mondays with some good info, some new authors, some thoughts, some randomness.

In the meantime, I was thinking about all the hullabaloo over Sue Grafton's comments about indie authors (link). Basically, she compared them to amateur pianists who learned Five Easy Pieces and then expected to be allowed to play Carnegie Hall.

She was coming down on the side of traditional publishing, talking about learning the craft, and pretty much saying indie authors had no validity in the literary world.

I used to have that (old) attitude. I used to think self-publishing was for people who didn't know what they were doing, who didn't understand the importance of editors and quality control, and who just wanted to skip the dues-paying and go straight to the head of the class. I used to think it didn't "count."

I don't feel that way anymore.

I've read too many really good indie books in the past year, and I know too many indie authors who are smart, who are committed to craft, who are hiring editors, and who are invested in putting out quality products.

They're also making a living, and they're remembering why they love what we do: getting their books into the hands of readers.

A few writer-friends and I were chatting yesterday, and we discussed how novel writing seems to be the one creative field that punishes the independent artist. In music, movies, painting, etc., indies are praised as revolutionary. Visionary. Somehow more creative than their traditional counterparts.

It's interesting. Our world is evolving. What do you guys think?

See you Monday! Have a great weekend, reader- and writer-friends! <3

TKP: Yoda and Being Available

It's time for another The Kindness Project post!

Lately, I've been thinking about something that I think falls under the heading of "kindness." It's the concept of being Available.

What does that mean? Well, let me tell ya!

I've got two daughters, and they take up a lot of my time. A lot. Both when they're with me and when they're not.

I think about them, analyze how I've handled situations, how I could've handled situations differently. Beat myself up a lot...

I also have this publishing career I'm trying to build. Writer-friends, you know how much mental and emotional investment that requires.

Recently, I was asked, "How do you balance it all?" My answer was, "Not very well." (But I'm trying!)

If I'm going to write, edit, revise, and make deadlines, I've got to be able to spend big chunks of time being unavailable to people--including my family. And that bothers me.

So I've been thinking about those times when I am available. And I've been trying to focus very hard on really being available, 100 percent.

That means not letting my mind drift to my email inbox or to the next scene in my WIP when, for example, my daughter is describing all the different characters and their relationships in Fairy World. (Her make-believe play world.)

Or not letting my brain obsess over whether I should even bother with finding a new agent right now, or whether I should just go with the book deal, see what happens, and then decide... or whether I should self-publish the MS my critters/betas loved but editors didn't buy...  or whether I should (insert obsessive publishing conundrum here) when, for example, JRM is describing a legal situation that's on his mind.

In other words, during those times when I'm physically available (or claim to be), I've been trying very hard to stay mentally available as well. To focus on the people I love and to give the book biz a rest.

Source

Once again, it all circles back around to Yoda and being a good Jedi. A Jedi is not always looking to the future, right? S/he focuses on the here and now.

"Do or do not. There is no try."

(Am I the only one who has this problem?)

Either way, that's my contribution for this month: When we're with our friends or loved ones, do them a kindness and BE with them. Who knows, it might even turn out to be a kindness to ourselves!

Have a great week, reader- and writer-friends! Be sure to visit the other TKP posters listed below~ <3

TKP - Stronger and Wider

Okay, so I had this great idea for my Kindness Project post this week! All my fellow posters (below) are always so inspirational and moving and great, and I'm usually floundering.

So I was in church Sunday night, and the speaker talked about David and achieving a hard-earned success. (When he became king at last.)

She said when people achieve success, they often change. But the change isn't always good.

(Argh. I should've saved the program because now I'm having a hard time remembering exactly how she put it.) 


Basically, she said something like for some, achieving a level of success means becoming more removed or distanced from others because the new role takes more time, or there are more responsibilities...

I felt like I could see how that could happen. Perhaps there's even an element of, "I did it. Now I have to work even harder to stay here." I don't know.

But she admonished us to do like David did. She said once he became king, his embrace grew stronger and his arms opened wider. (Then a few years passed and he kind of got off track, but that's not the point here.)

This is about when good things start happening, when you achieve that level of success, don't forget to keep looking around. Don't change. Keep looking for ways to help others and keep spreading the love.

Very Kindness Project, right?

I'm still working toward my level of success, so I'm still excited to tell folks about great writers I've encountered. (Honestly, I don't ever see that changing.) Below are three great editing clients I've worked with this year who you will LOVE:

#1-Alex Clermont came to me from ... I don't remember where. But he wanted to make a book from a series of blog posts written during his time as a teacher in South Korea.

I have to confess, I wasn't sure if what he was sending would hang together. But the truth is, it does.

Alex's book is soul-bearing, it's painfully honest. He's not afraid to tell the truth, even if you might get mad at him. And it's so good. I smiled, I cried... You will love this book.

Get it here:
-Amazon (link)
-Barnes & Noble (link)
-Website (link)

Mary Pax is one of the most fun science fiction storytellers I know. I'm not kidding. I look forward to getting her manuscripts to edit, despite the creatures who populate them.

I don't like creatures, and I'm always cheering for hers!

M. Pax

She's the self-publishing heir to Star Trek: The Next Generation. 

Get your fix here, FREE:
-Amazon (link)
-Barnes & Noble (link)
-Website (link)

Finally, Elle Strauss was my first editorial client. I was so touched that she supported my little editing business right away, and she still sends me clients.

For a contemporary YA romance writer, Elle can write the absolute most amazing war scenes.

(I know, right? And we thought she just did YA romance.) But I'm not kidding. The first book I edited of hers was set during WWII, and it was engrossing.

Anyway, she's got a new (non war) book out, and for now, it's FREE! Here's the blurb:

Elle Strauss

A teen swim athlete discovers a merfolk world that threatens to keep her out of the ocean forever.

Dori Seward can’t wait to get out of Eastcove, a sleepy fishing village on the border of New Brunswick and Maine. She bides her time by hanging out with friends, attending swim club, and holding her biggest competition, Colby–who wants more than just friendship, at arm’s length. 

Then Tor Riley comes to town and he has everything Dori dreams of in a boyfriend–looks, athleticism and mystery.

But Tor also has a tantalizing secret and Dori is determined to find out what it is. The truth is crazier than her wildest imaginations and more dangerous, too.

Dori has new fantastical enemies , and they will do anything to get to her.

Her life, her dreams and her love for Tor are all weighing in the balance. Will Dori risk it all in order to have it all?

Get it here, also FREE:
-Amazon (link)
-Website (link)

Finally, the BONUS, is one of our fellow posters, Megan Spooner (link), has a new book SKYLARK coming out, and she's got a contest going where everybody wins.

No lie. Everybody. Go here for more information (link).

That's it for me, kids. I'm so sorry I've been absentee lately. I'm revising like a mad woman, the girls are home from school, and we've been visiting relatives out of town. All of this equals me having a hard time getting around. But trust me, I miss you more than you miss me.

Have a great week, reader- and writer-friends! Please visit the other TKP posters listed below~ <3

Alina Klein                             Katharine Owens 
Andrea Hannah                      Len Lambert
Barbara Watson                     Liza Kane
Carolina Valdez Miller            Lola Sharp
Christa Desir                          Lindsay Scott
Claire Hennessy                     Matthew MacNish (available Jul 16)
Elana Johnson                        Michele Shaw
Elizabeth Davis                      Sarah Fine
Elizabeth Poole                      Sara Larson 
Erica Chapman                      Sara McClung
Jessica Corra                         Sophia Chang
Leigh Moore                          Tracey Neithercott

TKP, Faith & the Farm

So when bloggy friend Carol Miller (link) invited me to join The Kindness Project, naturally I declined. "I don't post on Wednesdays," I said.

Then I got to thinking about it, and I decided I'm not that old. I can be a little more flexible. And here I am.

I'm a week late because I wanted to see what everybody else did before I posted. But I'm still a little stumped about what to say... Kindness is one of those things I feel like I should do.

The Kindness Project is supposed to be inspirational. It's to remind us that even when we're feeling unkind, still be kind. That alone can make a significant difference in the world both for us and for others.

That's really cool. And really hard.

Last week, members posted about all sorts of things, and they were all good. The most meaningful to me, however, was by our fearless leader. Carol took the day to quote from Mother Teresa. Here's the part I liked best: 

Give the best you have, and it will never be enough. 
Give your best anyway.
In the final analysis, it is between you and God. 
It was never between you and them anyway.

Powerful stuff.

It's a good day for me to try TKP. I've had an interesting thing come my way recently, and I can't wait to tell you all about it. I have to wait, but you'll understand soon.

So it's cool, but at the same time, I'm still feeling weighed down and Anxious.

I'm second-guessing my decisions, and I feel like I'm always looking over my shoulder. The old timers tell us not to be suckers. Don't be so eager to get published that you give away the farm.

At the same time, I wonder, "Didn't those old timers have to give away part of the farm to get to the point of being able to say things like 'Don't give away the farm'?" Is it possible to get where you want to be without sacrificing anything?

I've never been very good at leaps of faith. I'm super Type A. I like all my ducks behaving just like I expect them to behave, and if I tell you I'll have something for you tomorrow, well, you'll probably get it today.

I'm rambling, but my point is I do have faith. And I do make thoughtful decisions and not foolish ones, and when I'm at that point where I've done all I can do, I... struggle very hard with letting it go. So I try to remind myself of that faith part again. 

Source

Perhaps I've drifted from the kindness, but in the final analysis, it is between you and God.

Are you doing your best? Doing good work? Keeping in touch... (Wait, that's Garrison Keillor--!)

I'm sorry, Carol. I'm screwing this all up. Somebody make a goofy sound effect or talk in a funny voice...

Maybe we can just keep on encouraging each other. I know you do that for me all the time. Thank you~

Have a great week, reader- and writer-friends. I'll do better next time. <3