Start of Something New

So I was thinking about when I first started blogging. I used to write these reaally looong posts, and besides JRM (my husband) and a few close friends, there were only like five of us suffering through them. (LOL!)

You're on the sides;
I'm in the middle holding on. :o)

Hart appeared first, then Rayna/Natasha (b/c we all have the same birthday), then Carolyn, then Matt--b/c I asked him to comment on my boy books post (link)--then Vickie and Anne, Stina and Katie, Jessica, DL, you...

Some have stopped blogging; some are doing other things. I've cut back to once a week...

But this is how we found each other and started supporting each other and critiquing one another's work. Blogging became this amazing writers' circle that I love and miss so much when I'm swamped.

Back then I was so focused on finding an agent, and now... well, just LOOK at how much has changed!

Feb. 2010 Leigh would never have dreamed I'd be where I am today, doing what I'm doing. But one thing I would have predicted is how important you guys would remain to me.

SO I've decided to start something new!

The first Monday of every month, I'm going to spotlight a writer-friend! I don't have a model for how, but my goal is to make it funny and different--little-known facts revealed in an entertaining way--to catch up and see what everybody's doing now.

(I need a name. Ideas? You say I don't need a name?)

Kicking us off is my prolific writer-friend and amazing cover designer Jolene Perry (Because I sorta stole this idea from her "Friend Friday"s)! Let's see what Jo's been doing...

Jolene
(Her name is often sung
to her... don't.)

LTM: Shortly after we met, I learned you live in Wasilla (AK), which to me says your life is a mixture of "Northern Exposure," "The Proposal," and "Insomnia." How much of each? And are you raising Ryan Reynolds' secret family?

JBP: YES! My life is exactly like those, which is crazy since NONE of them were actually filmed here... My life is much more "Northern Exposure" than anything else, but Wasilla IS a little bigger than Sicily, Alaska - we have a Target ;-) And Ryan Reynolds. He's hot, but a little needy... I know, you wouldn't think that. But it's true. He's always asking me to pet his abs, and the first few times it was pretty hot, but it's getting old...

(LTM Note: JBP's a bit braggy about her secret husband. Sorry.)

LTM: Sarah Palin can see Russia from her house, so of course, you can, too. When you go ice fishing, do you spy on them? What are they doing in Russia? Which one of your books is most popular in the former Soviet Union?

JBP: Night Sky (link) is the most popular in Russia because the ebook cover is sparkly... :-/ Fishing with Sarah - you know, you'd think she couldn't be more annoying when she's not on TV, but I'm here to tell you that ain't true...

(LTM Note: JBP did not deny being a spy.)

I've read it; get it!

LTM: You've co-authored several books with writers like Steph Campbell (My Heart for Yours), Nyrae Dawn (Dizzy), and Janna Watts (10 Weeks). All but one of those is a pen name... Which of these authors is a fake person?

JBP: HA!! I'm going to throw you here, because they're ALL real people. One of them just happens to be a recluse. Her true identity will remain faithfully hidden...

LTM: (follow up ignoring previous answer) Since one of these authors is really your split personality, what makes her easy and hard to work with?

JBP: I'm assuming you're referring to my reclusive friend, and I will say that if she and I were smooshed together, we'd almost make a fully functioning person ;-) Honestly, she's not online much, but she's like a sister and made of awesome.

(LTM Note: Smooshed is not a real word.)

LTM: It has become evident you have a shoe full of book babies. Tell us about your newest baby! And why you love her more.

JBP: Last night I pulled up four manuscripts that I've started and have half mapped out but haven't had time to write. One of my girls was running through this hilarious monologue as the teacher at her private Christian school prayed to baby Jesus and I laughed so hard I woke up my husband.

Haven't read yet; get it!

And after reading through what I had of those four, and telling myself - WORK ON ONE OF THESE NEXT - I fell asleep thinking about a different book... Yeah.

BUT the elusive Janna Watts and I are working on a book that we've both (separately) wanted to do for a while, so when she mentioned her idea, and I was like - OH! I've totally had that same idea! We started to throw it together - 3 SIDES TO A CIRCLE - is the working title of our college-age romance, and maybe I'll slap it up on GR, just for fun :-)  Man. Ask me about my babies, and you're gonna get an earfull... Right now I'm so thrilled that people are loving Dizzy. I adore Dylan and Ziah - and we all know that Nyrae Dawn writes a great boy. They play off each other so well, and the only other book I've written that's made me laugh this hard is Misplaced, which Nyrae and I wrote together, and will come out with Entangled Teen in Fall 2013.

THANKS FOR HAVING ME LEIGH!!!!!!!!!!!

Thank you, my friend~

(LTM Note: Jo's books are seriously amazing. Every one I've read, I've LOVED.

Get FALLING: Amazon * Barnes & Noble

Get DIZZY: Amazon * Barnes & Noble)

Up next month is the prolific, sci-fi indie superstar Susan Kaye Quinn! Mark it, Jan. 6. A Do Not Miss!

* * *

Finally, this week's my blog tour for ROUGE, which is 99 cents TODAY ONLY (link)! Here's where all I'll be (link). Wish me luck!

Click here for the schedule!

And have a great week, reader- and writer-friends~ <3

Mother Superior Pays it Forward

Matt Rush, *cough* MacNish, (link) and I have been friends for a while, so when he mentioned this blogfest, I gave him the virtual pfft.

He immediately blamed Alex J. Cavanaugh (link), who I sort of know, as he's Mr. Sci-fi, and I'm Ms. ... not sci-fi...

What's all this about, you ask? 

Me kicking off the supercool "Pay it Forward" Blogfest (link) a day early (b/c I post M&Th)! It's OK--they said I could.

Here's how it works: we're supposed to list three blogs we follow and think are awesome, and that we think you should follow, too!

This is a really great idea, but I have to confess: it's REALLY hard for me.

I would automatically send you to my beta/critter's blogs because I love them all, and they are all super-great ladies with super-great blogs.

(That would be Tami-Hart Johnson, Carolyn Abiad, Anne Kenny, Jen Daiker, and Jessica Bell.)

But those ladies are established rock stars, and I think we're supposed to showcase bloggy buddies who might be more new or less known. (Still, if you haven't, check out those guys--they're fantastic.)

In that spirit, I'll toss these guys in the mix:

Elle Strauss (link) is not really a newbie, but I was surprised by how many of you *aren't* following her. She recently published her debut novel Clockwise, which I read and gave two enthusiastic thumbs up--here's the link to my review--and she's just a great writer who typically posts really cool writing tips and advice.

Liz Fichera (link) also has fun posts about stuff. (Yep, I just wrote a sentence that would make my sophomore English students proud.) But Liz has a few new books coming out, and I recently finished her book Craving Perfect. It was really cute and fun, and I think you'll like Liz.

Finally, (last but not least)

Old Kitty (link). I just can't tell you how much I love Kitty's quirky little blog. Maybe it's her pictures of Charlie (her cat) or maybe it's just her little cottage in England and her short posts on writing or baking or rain or people who don't act right. Or maybe it's just that she's so encouraging to me. Everyone should follow Kitty. I know her real name, but I'm sort of an Old Kitty myself, and I forgot.

But that's not even mentioning Tracy Jo (link), who is just the most amazing, strong person and takes gorgeous pictures, or Carol Riggs (link), who perks my little chin up all the time...

Now I'm frustrated that I can't list more than three... Malex!

Have a great weekend, reader- and writer-friends. Til Monday~ <3

Somebody Need an Editor?

So this is it! I'm doing it: starting my own (affordable) editing service for writers ready to query or wanting to self-publish.

Here's the deal. Most of you know I worked as a full-time editor before settling down in my 30s to have babies (i.e., 10+ years). I continued doing freelance work for other folks once the girls were old enough to be independent, and at the start of this year, I was doing a pretty healthy amount of business.

Source

I had a local network of folks for whom I wrote, edited, did pretty much all sorts of contract communication services, from web updates to press releases to whatever. And then we moved.

It's great to be back in the Midwest--this is not complaining! We have a great group of friends here, and I don't mind the better hair weather. But starting from scratch with the freelance gigs is slow going. And then I got this idea...

It started with my blog post about critters and betas (link). I've worked with several of our bloggy friends on polishing their manuscripts, getting them ready to query, giving feedback on areas that needed revision or development... I've helped brainstorm difficult spots and given my opinion of first chapters.

That's when I realized, I have a Paypal account, why not cut out the middle man and just offer my service from this blog?

And there you go. I'm hanging out a shingle. Editor for hire.

I've put a little widget in the right-hand column there, and since it's impossible for me to read without a pen in my hand, I'll do macro-copy editing (meaning, I'll point out the big stuff), and I'll read with an eye toward content development and (the highly objective) marketability.

Edit: (6/4) I'm going to set my flat rate at $.007 per word, add $.0035 for heavy copy editing.

I decided that makes more sense than a per-chapter fee, since chapters can be all different number of pages. And I'm still offering a break for new and unpublished authors. In other words, I'm willing to negotiate.

If times are tough, we'll see what we can both live with. Maybe I'll just help you get started, maybe we'll work out a total amount you can afford. I'm trying to supplement an income here, not get rich.

And to my personal critters and betas, you're off the hook. That's called payback.

Anyway, we'll see how it goes. If we've worked together before, leave a comment or please do recommend me to anyone you know seeking an editor.

Of course, I'm still available for smaller writing and editing jobs at my regular, hourly rate.

If you're interested, send me an email (link). We'll see if blogging wins again!

Have a great week, guys! Til Thursday~ <3

Pay the Beta Forward

Happy Labor Day, fellow Americans! Hope everyone's enjoying the holiday. Today I'm thinking about my bloggie friends.

Back when I finished my last MS, the one that got me my first offer of representation, I discovered the greatest thing as a result of this blog right here: Beta Readers.

beta

There's a difference between beta readers (betas) and critique partners (critters), but I can't remember what it is. I think it has something to do with the amount of material you send them.

So I probably use the terms wrong, but I credit my betas (or critters) with being a big part of where I am today.

They gave me encouragement when I needed it, pointed out character problems and plot holes (still sounds dirty), suggested direction for characters who were stalled, gave me ideas when agents requested revisions that I didn't know what to do with, read my MS again (above and beyond)...

And now it's payback time.

critter

Please understand, I can't wait to return the favor. It's unexpected that all the payback has hit at once, but anywhoo! Not the point.

I was thinking about giving (and getting) critiques and feedback. I learned the hard way in my work that electronic communication can quickly break down.

As a result, I tend to be very careful in my phrasing and always couch criticisms in a healthy padding of praise. I would encourage my readers to do the same. If you're a beta (or critter) remember there's another person on the other end who has invested emotional time and energy into whatever it is you're reading.

I like to give at least three compliments for every one criticism. If I can. Please, my betas/critters, don't start counting. My point is, while I am thorough, I realize the importance of sugar with the medicine.

Why am I telling you this? Well, a bloggy friend of ours shared that she cried after getting a query critique, and that made me angry. We're here to help and support each other. We'll get kicked in the stomachs enough from reviewers, agents, editors. We don't need it from each other.

So I've got five, shiny MSs on my Kindle, and I can't wait to get reading! And I take this opportunity to thank my awesome betas. They're encouraging and supportive. And I wouldn't be here without you.

I know Clarissa and Summer offer beta/critter hook-ups on their blogs. If you know a great place to find betas and/or critters, please share in the comments! And do remember the Golden Rule when helping each other.

Have a super holiday, reader- and writer-friends! Til Thursday~ <3