Why Blog?

I seem to have lost my readers. I don't know where everybody went.
I like to blog, but I have to say, putting my thoughts out there for all to see is pretty pointless unless
somebody is actually reading this.

If you're reading my blog, please leave a comment.

People that just read and leave are akin to those who call and hang up when the answering machine picks up, without leaving a message.
It bothers me.
To me, blogging has always been a way of connecting with people. I've met a lot of cool people through their blogs, but only because I've left comments, they've written me back, and we made a connection.
I like making friends. While I'm not entirely comfortable in crowds, or meeting a bunch of new people for the first time, blogging allows me to meet new people without the stress of being there in person.
Okay this is starting to get weird.
All that to say, if you're stopping by my blog, I want to know!

What's with this weather? It's like summer here today.
Ugh. I'm ready for cooler temperatures. Yes, I know, I can say that because I live in Bermuda.
Sorry.
How is it where you are?

Home Again!

I'm back from my trip to my sister's house in Connecticut. Even though I stayed five nights, the trip went by in a flash.
Eating, shopping. Shopping, eating.
Ah, the holidays...
We did manage to squeeze in a visit to the Newport Mansions, something I've been wanting to do but as of yet, haven't.
They were big, opulent and just a tad OTT.
Okay, a lot OTT. But I had to see them.
It was a fun day trip though. Sometime when there's more time to spare, I'd like to explore all the quaint shops of Newport.

We did Black Friday. Up at 5 something and out the door at 6am. We were not waiting outside for the doors to open.
As it was, I didn't find the lines too bad, and the stores seemed well stocked with whatever they had marked down.
Maybe it's the area, but I haven't seen any of the craziness you hear about there.
I have a few items left on my Christmas list, but then I'm done.

I'm a little frustrated at the state of my house though. We're still waiting for them to finish the bathrooms.
Until that's done, there's no point in even starting to bring out my Christmas decorations.
The house is just too dusty and dirty. Time is ticking. I'm going to be one unhappy camper if these bathrooms aren't finished soon!!!
Well, I was up at 4:30am this morning, so it's off to bed for me and my tired brain.

No news on the writing front.
Back to work tomorrow.

I Hate To Wait

If you have a yen to write, may I warn you now, you must have patience.
For those of us whose patience runs in short supply, being a writer is difficult.
For one thing, you have to write a book.
Then you have to edit it. While you're doing that, your critique partners send back more
suggestions, which lead to more editing.
Then you might decide you wish to send it to a 'professional' editor. Which, by the way, I recommend.
If you have the bucks, a thorough going through of your manuscript is worth the moula.
Except when you get it back, yep, you guessed it...more edits.

Now, if you feel you're finally ready for the submission process...you'll spend a lot of time
on your query letter. This is a hated but necessary part of the process.
Most publishing houses do not accept unsolicited manuscripts, and if you don't follow the rules, you
will end up on the bottom of a slush pile somewhere...trust me, that's not where you want to be.
So you write a dynamic query letter and send that off...
More waiting...ho hum...

A HA! A reply! They like your query letter and ask for a partial - three chapters! Way to go.
Fire that baby off.
And wait.
At this point, months could go by.
Seriously.
I was asked for a partial in July. I was asked for the full (of the same manuscript), just this month.
Four months may not seem so long to you, but when it's all you can think about, it's a long time!

So what does one do in this position?
Well, I'm learning to put the dream of actually getting the call out of my realm of immediate possibility.
It's just not practical to wait, day in and day out, for something that may or may not come.
Waiting must translate into writing.
Use that time to start something new.
Chances are, when you get the call, you're going back to the drawing board with your manuscript anyway.
From what I've heard, there are always requested changes.
But I'm sure if I'm ever in that position, I'll gladly make them!

For now though, I commit my waiting time to the Lord. His timing is perfect.
I'm not attempting to learn patience. I'm too far gone for that.
Instead, I'm concentrating on getting my book all sparkly and shiny, ready to go if it's requested.
I'm also walking around with lots of ideas for my new book rattling around in my head.
Once I'm done polishing, I'll get to work on that.

And for those of you waiting for my first book to be published, I'm sorry.
I'm right there with you!!

If I don't get a chance to post again this week, as I'm traveling to be with my sister in Connecticut,
may I wish you all a very happy and blessed Thanksgiving.
We have much to be thankful for.
Even the waiting time!

Making the Connection...

As you'll discover, my new blog will be geared more toward writing.
But never fear, knowing me, I'm sure I shall share bits and pieces of my life outside of writing with you as well.
What you see is what you get, I'm afraid, so consider yourself warned.
You may, at times, learn more than you ever wanted to know about me, my family, the dog, and the building process.
Speaking of which, we apparently have planning permission for our new home...which means IT HAS BEGUN!
It's terrifying in an exciting sort of way.

Back to making the connection.
If you haven't figured out by now, I write fiction.
Spend some time perusing my 'writing' page and you'll soon realize it.
However, fiction is not all made up stories. It comes close, too close sometimes, to reality.
Where do we get our stories from?

God of course. Ah, yes. The lofty answer.
Well, okay, He gets the credit. However, a lot of what I write comes from real life.
The collective gasp goes up.
No, I'm not writing about you.
Well, maybe I am...I'll never tell.

Real life, as I know it, consists of a multitude of emotions constantly in flux.
Joy.
Remember the day your husband proposed? Or the moment you heard your child's first cry?
Or, for those fortunate few, the day you got 'the call', letting you know you would soon become a published author?
Terror.
That's easy. Put me on a plane and you'll see terror. For others of you, coming in contact with one of our Bermuda cockroaches will do it. Some of you have experienced real terror. The beast that prowls around your bed at night, robbing you of sleep and threatening to strike when you least expect it.
Sorrow.
I've got this one down. If you've ever lost a parent too soon, you know the depths of which my sorrow has run. If you've ever been faced with circumstances spiraling out of control, with no logical solution, caused by your own poor choices, or perhaps the choice of another, you've been there. If you've lost a child, your grief goes to places I cannot imagine. But I stand with you.

Peace.
Now hear me on this one.
The fiction writer can take all of these emotions, give them to various characters, shove them in to situations that make one gasp in horror, or weep through the night until the last page is turned, BUT, only the CHRISTIAN fiction writer can weave in the element of peace in a way that makes sense.
The peace that passes all understanding.
His peace. The peace that only comes through Christ. If you know Him, you know what I mean.

That's the difference.
While it's easy to write a good story, it's not so easy to find a satisfying resolution.
Think about the world today. To quote the old saying, 'the world is going to hell in a handbasket.'
Literally.
But there is hope.
God will tarry until all have an opportunity to come to Him.
Take that hope and write about it!
Christian fiction is on the brink of something new, something exciting! And it thrills me to death to be a part of it!

Make the connection! Take those hard circumstances, whether you've lived them or carried someone through them.
Write real. Don't be afraid to talk about the things that before today were only whispers in corners.
Carry the light.
Let's show the world a different side to Christianity.
Get down and dirty. Uncover your tear streaked face. Throw the mask in the trash where it belongs. Get real.
Then get Jesus, make him comfy beside you at the computer, and get to work.

I'm not Published!

Since I put up my website, I've had people, okay, a couple of people,
email and ask where they can buy my books!
How sad.
Not that they want to buy them, but that my answer has to be,
"I'm not published, yet!!"
Does having a website automatically make one assume I am a published author?
I wouldn't have thought so.
In my bio it states that "I'm pursuing publication..." but I don't want to appear like I'm
trying to be something I'm not.
So let's clear this up.
I'm an UNPUBLISHED author, folks. That means I spend 99% of my time bashing my head against my keyboard, and the other 1% fielding rejection letters.
I lie.
Lately, God has been good. I've had actual REQUESTS from real live editors and agents, who want to look at my work!
At least I think they're alive. That would be pretty sad if they weren't. Maybe I made them up...
But anyway, rejection could still come.
That's the writer's life. It's pretty much a crap shoot.
You can do your best to learn the craft, and believe me, you'd better, but in the end, it all comes down to whether or not
Editor X likes your baby. And the really sad thing is, Editor X may think your baby is the ugliest thing in the world, but Editor Y may have you signing the dotted line in a heartbeat.
One thing I have learned through this process, and this is important; you have to believe in yourself.
It's terribly easy to become discouraged, especially when people call your baby ugly, and select even uglier babies (in your opinion) over yours!
Persevere. And most of all this is the biggie, trust God.
If you write for Him only, He'll take care of the rest. Trust Him for His plan for your writing.
That's a hard lesson. We all want to be published, like yesterday, but it's not up to us.
It's up to Him.
Just don't tell that to Editor X.

Here I am!

Wow. Fancy new digs.
Love it.
I hope you do to.
I'll be posting more, I promise. I just want to make sure this is all working first.
Is anybody here??

Welcome

Welcome to my blog!