Updates - I'm ALMOST finished my wip HIdden in the Heart. Almost. And then the editing begins. But this time around I knew more going in, so I'm hoping it won't take as long.
So I'm taking a break. I love reading quotes. There are actually pages of them on the Internet. You can literally waste hours.
Don't ask how I know this.
Anyway, I thought I might share with you a few favorites. Feel free to send me some of your own.
"But this I know; the writer who possesses the creative gift owns something of which he is not always master -- something that at times strangely wills and works for itself. If the result be attractive, the World will praise you, who little deserve praise; if it be repulsive, the same World will blame you, who almost as little deserve blame." Charlotte Bronte
"If you have ever read anything that has made you laugh or cry or just want to throw that damn book across the room, you can't say that it wasn't art." Anonymous
"The secret of all good writing is sound judgement." Horace
"Essential characteristic of the really great novelist: a Christ-like, all-embracing compassion." Arnold Bennett, British Novelist.
"The most essential gift for a good writer is a built-in, shock-proof, shit detector. This is the writer's radar and all great writers have had it." Ernest Hemingway 1898-1961, American Writer
"I do not know the American gentleman, God forgive me for putting two such words together." Charles Dickens
1812-1870, British Novelist
"Then Bob proposed: 'A Merry Christmas to us all, my dears. God bless us!' Which all his family re-echoed. 'God bless us every one!' said Tiny Tim, the last of all." Charles Dickens
"I dwell in Possibility."
"Behavior is what a man does. Not what he thinks, feels or believes."
"My friends are my estate." Emily Dickinson 1830-1886, American Poet
"If you bungle raising your children, I don't think whatever else you do well matters very much." Jacqueline Kennedy Onassis
"Life affords no greater responsibility, no greater privilege, than the raising of the next generation." C. Everett Koop
"If you judge people, you have no time to love them." Mother Teresa
"They are much to be pitied who have not been given a taste for nature early in life."
"The person, be it gentleman or lady, who has not pleasure in a good novel, must be intolerably stupid."
"There is nothing like staying at home for real comfort." Jane Austen
That's probably enough for now! More another day!
Friday, June 27, 2008
Monday, June 23, 2008
Coming Soon!
Looks like I've been busy lately! I have.
In between working on finishing my latest manuscript, I've been working on
a feature for a new online magazine called Christian Fiction Online Magazine.
You can catch my offering in the August issue.
The first issue will debut on July 1st - you don't want to miss it!
I've posted the link here on my blog, please steal it and advertise it on your own blogs!
It's going to be a fun magazine, I'm sure.
Enjoy!
In between working on finishing my latest manuscript, I've been working on
a feature for a new online magazine called Christian Fiction Online Magazine.
You can catch my offering in the August issue.
The first issue will debut on July 1st - you don't want to miss it!
I've posted the link here on my blog, please steal it and advertise it on your own blogs!
It's going to be a fun magazine, I'm sure.
Enjoy!
Tuesday, June 17, 2008
A Good Day
Writing is hard. Some days I can sit for hours, other days I muse, play on Facebook and try to come up with new ways to avoid doing the ironing.
Today I wrote.
It was a good day.
I don't often do this, but I wanted to share a snippet. (hey if the blog is good enough for Danielle Steel then I may as well post my own writing as well!)
Let me know what you think.
Excerpt from Hidden in the Heart by Catherine West ©2008.
Michelle yanked her hands from his and put as much space as she could between them. “My life is not fodder for the press, Kevin Harrison. Nor is it at your disposal to sway the public in your favor. What is wrong with you? I’ve just told you something only a few people in this world know about. The last few weeks have been a living hell for me. I’ve been in torment, Kevin, but you haven’t noticed. You’re too busy focusing on your career, aren’t you?”
“And you should be as well,” he snarled. “It is after all, what I pay you for.”
“Not anymore.” Michelle grabbed her purse off the couch and marched to the door. Oh, she’d been blind, but her eyes were wide open now.
“Where do you think you’re going? We’re not done here,” Kevin shouted. His voice took on the tone she recognized, a warning of what might follow. Michelle swiveled and watched his face contort with anger. She’d put up with his violent outbursts too many times before, but wasn’t about to do so today. She glanced at the door, ready to run if he came toward her.
He didn’t. Not this time. He made an honorable effort to control himself, even managed a smile. “What about us, Michelle? I thought we had something going here.”
“So did I.” Michelle shook her head, aware that her eyes were dry. “I guess if you consider that something as someone who looks good on your arm, someone to do and say all the right things, and maybe at some point, a marriage of convenience, then yeah, we did have something going. But I don’t want that, Kevin. Not anymore.”
His eyes widened and he pulled a hand over his face. “Then what do you want, Michelle? Enlighten me.”
What did she want?
In a few years she’d be celebrating her fiftieth birthday. And what did she have to show for it?
Tears came to her eyes then, but they weren’t for Kevin.
“I want…a quiet life. I want to go for long walks with someone who really knows me, understands me and loves me anyway. I want to pick blueberries, sail, and swim in the lake, and go skiing in winter. I want a dog. Maybe two.” Her sudden laughter caught her off guard, but she gave in to it, enjoying the feeling. “I want to live in a cabin in the woods, with my family close to enough to have over for dinner whenever I feel like it. I want to get to know my grandson, and my daughters. But most of all, Kev, I want to be loved unconditionally. And I want to give back the same.”
“That’s a fairytale,” Kevin scoffed. “That kind of love only exists in romance novels and movies.”
“Oh, Kev.” Michelle let out a tired sigh and moved across the room to stand before him. She placed a hand on his cheek and shook her head. “I used to believe that too. But I think I might have been wrong. I pray I am.”
“You’re really leaving?”
“Yes.” She walked toward the door again, smiling.
“You’re throwing it all away, Michelle! You’re throwing your life away.”
Michelle turned one last time to look at him, her heart full with new promise and expectations and hope for what tomorrow would bring. Whatever the future held, she knew there was nothing left for her here.
She’d paid her dues.
“No, Kevin. I’m not throwing my life away. I’m taking it back.”
Today I wrote.
It was a good day.
I don't often do this, but I wanted to share a snippet. (hey if the blog is good enough for Danielle Steel then I may as well post my own writing as well!)
Let me know what you think.
Excerpt from Hidden in the Heart by Catherine West ©2008.
Michelle yanked her hands from his and put as much space as she could between them. “My life is not fodder for the press, Kevin Harrison. Nor is it at your disposal to sway the public in your favor. What is wrong with you? I’ve just told you something only a few people in this world know about. The last few weeks have been a living hell for me. I’ve been in torment, Kevin, but you haven’t noticed. You’re too busy focusing on your career, aren’t you?”
“And you should be as well,” he snarled. “It is after all, what I pay you for.”
“Not anymore.” Michelle grabbed her purse off the couch and marched to the door. Oh, she’d been blind, but her eyes were wide open now.
“Where do you think you’re going? We’re not done here,” Kevin shouted. His voice took on the tone she recognized, a warning of what might follow. Michelle swiveled and watched his face contort with anger. She’d put up with his violent outbursts too many times before, but wasn’t about to do so today. She glanced at the door, ready to run if he came toward her.
He didn’t. Not this time. He made an honorable effort to control himself, even managed a smile. “What about us, Michelle? I thought we had something going here.”
“So did I.” Michelle shook her head, aware that her eyes were dry. “I guess if you consider that something as someone who looks good on your arm, someone to do and say all the right things, and maybe at some point, a marriage of convenience, then yeah, we did have something going. But I don’t want that, Kevin. Not anymore.”
His eyes widened and he pulled a hand over his face. “Then what do you want, Michelle? Enlighten me.”
What did she want?
In a few years she’d be celebrating her fiftieth birthday. And what did she have to show for it?
Tears came to her eyes then, but they weren’t for Kevin.
“I want…a quiet life. I want to go for long walks with someone who really knows me, understands me and loves me anyway. I want to pick blueberries, sail, and swim in the lake, and go skiing in winter. I want a dog. Maybe two.” Her sudden laughter caught her off guard, but she gave in to it, enjoying the feeling. “I want to live in a cabin in the woods, with my family close to enough to have over for dinner whenever I feel like it. I want to get to know my grandson, and my daughters. But most of all, Kev, I want to be loved unconditionally. And I want to give back the same.”
“That’s a fairytale,” Kevin scoffed. “That kind of love only exists in romance novels and movies.”
“Oh, Kev.” Michelle let out a tired sigh and moved across the room to stand before him. She placed a hand on his cheek and shook her head. “I used to believe that too. But I think I might have been wrong. I pray I am.”
“You’re really leaving?”
“Yes.” She walked toward the door again, smiling.
“You’re throwing it all away, Michelle! You’re throwing your life away.”
Michelle turned one last time to look at him, her heart full with new promise and expectations and hope for what tomorrow would bring. Whatever the future held, she knew there was nothing left for her here.
She’d paid her dues.
“No, Kevin. I’m not throwing my life away. I’m taking it back.”
Saturday, June 14, 2008
The Silent Blog
Yes, it's been quiet around here. No, I don't have a good excuse.
You can blame it on my wip.
And the fact that my Amazon order just came in, so when I'm not writing, I'm reading.
Those of you who are pursuing publication like I am, here are a couple of new books you don't want
to put off buying:
The Complete Idiot's Guide to Writing Christian Fiction - Ron Benrey
Revision and Self-Editing - James Scott Bell
I have more, but I tend to read these kinds of books slowly. Ron's book was a great read, very insightful and
easy to get through. I'm going to take my time with Jim's book, and I'll probably have to read it a few times.
I also will be reading Writing the Christian Romance, by Gail Gaymer Martin. I finally caved and bought The Chicago Manual of Style, which I must confess, I'm afraid to open. And The Elements of Style, a much smaller and less intimidating book.
The rest of my order was fiction:
The Oak Leaves - Maureen Lang
Trouble the Water - Nicole Seltz
Leaving November - Deborah Raney
Anathema - Colleen Coble
The Restorers Journey - Sharon HInk
Bookends - Liz Curtis Higgs
Saving Grace - Denise Hunter
Off The Record - Elizabeth White
Within This Circle - Deborah Raney
Wiser Than Serpants - Susan May Warren
The Other Daughter - Miralee Ferrell
The Atonement Child - Francine Rivers
So you can sort of tell what I like to read, can't you? I do have to say though, I just finished Sins of the Fathers by James Scott Bell and thoroughly enjoyed it. I have another one of his books around here somewhere to add to my list.
I am also trying to make a list of the movies I'd like to watch this summer.
When we are at the cottage, it's movie watching and reading time all the way! Long walks, canoe rides and sitting on the dock listening to the loons are also favorite pastimes. However, I quickly add that I shall also be writing...yes. Of course. That thing I do... My goal is to have my current wip finished by the end of summer. By finished I mean edited and ready to go. At the moment I'm thinking this is a long shot. But we'll see.
So that's what I'm up to. We enter God's country, as my husband fondly refers to it, on July 15th. I cannot wait!!
What are your summer plans?
You can blame it on my wip.
And the fact that my Amazon order just came in, so when I'm not writing, I'm reading.
Those of you who are pursuing publication like I am, here are a couple of new books you don't want
to put off buying:
The Complete Idiot's Guide to Writing Christian Fiction - Ron Benrey
Revision and Self-Editing - James Scott Bell
I have more, but I tend to read these kinds of books slowly. Ron's book was a great read, very insightful and
easy to get through. I'm going to take my time with Jim's book, and I'll probably have to read it a few times.
I also will be reading Writing the Christian Romance, by Gail Gaymer Martin. I finally caved and bought The Chicago Manual of Style, which I must confess, I'm afraid to open. And The Elements of Style, a much smaller and less intimidating book.
The rest of my order was fiction:
The Oak Leaves - Maureen Lang
Trouble the Water - Nicole Seltz
Leaving November - Deborah Raney
Anathema - Colleen Coble
The Restorers Journey - Sharon HInk
Bookends - Liz Curtis Higgs
Saving Grace - Denise Hunter
Off The Record - Elizabeth White
Within This Circle - Deborah Raney
Wiser Than Serpants - Susan May Warren
The Other Daughter - Miralee Ferrell
The Atonement Child - Francine Rivers
So you can sort of tell what I like to read, can't you? I do have to say though, I just finished Sins of the Fathers by James Scott Bell and thoroughly enjoyed it. I have another one of his books around here somewhere to add to my list.
I am also trying to make a list of the movies I'd like to watch this summer.
When we are at the cottage, it's movie watching and reading time all the way! Long walks, canoe rides and sitting on the dock listening to the loons are also favorite pastimes. However, I quickly add that I shall also be writing...yes. Of course. That thing I do... My goal is to have my current wip finished by the end of summer. By finished I mean edited and ready to go. At the moment I'm thinking this is a long shot. But we'll see.
So that's what I'm up to. We enter God's country, as my husband fondly refers to it, on July 15th. I cannot wait!!
What are your summer plans?
Tuesday, June 10, 2008
Writers' Rest
I've mentioned this before, but I started another blog a while back called Writers' Rest - see the link on the right hand side of my blog.
We've gone through a few changes since first starting out. Writers have come and gone, and now I'm happy to be working
with a new crew altogether, with the exception of Audra Silva.
If you haven't already checked out the site, I invite you to do so.
See you over there!
We've gone through a few changes since first starting out. Writers have come and gone, and now I'm happy to be working
with a new crew altogether, with the exception of Audra Silva.
If you haven't already checked out the site, I invite you to do so.
See you over there!
Wednesday, June 04, 2008
A Rant...aka Shoot Me Now.
So I was curious.
Whenever I walk into a bookstore I'm accosted by at least one, maybe two, Danielle Steele novels, hardcovers baby, brand spanking new, sitting there on the shelf.
Without giving away my age, okay I'm 42, I started reading Ms. Steele's drivel, ahem, I mean wonderful romance novels, when I was about 15. She's been doing this a while.
So have I.
But I wanted to know what all the continued fuss was about. Why do people keep buying her books?
Doesn't the formula get old? I haven't read one of her offerings in years, probably not since I started writing my own stories,
but as I said, I was curious.
There's a saying isn't there, something about getting a cat killed?
At the risk of a major lawsuit, I have to do this.
Bear with me if you will:
Honour Thyself
Carole Barber has come to Paris, with its rain-slick slate roofs and winding streets, to work on her novel — and to find herself after a lifetime in the spotlight. A legend of film and stage, Carole has set a standard of beauty and grace, devoting herself to her family and causes around the world. But on this cool November evening, as her taxi speeds into a tunnel just past the Louvre, a fiery instant of terror shatters hundreds of lives — and leaves Carole alone, unconscious and unidentified in a Paris emergency room.
At the Ritz, they wonder where their famous, incognito guest has gone. From California to London, Carole’s friends and family begin to make inquiries. Then comes a moment of shock as they realize that Carole is in a hospital far from home, fighting for her life.
In the days that follow, the paparazzi swarm. A mysterious stranger, a man famous in his own realm, quietly visits the hospital to see the woman he once loved and never forgot. Carole’s two grown children rush to her bedside, waiting and praying — until the miraculous begins to happen . . . But as a woman whom the whole world knows slowly awakens, she knows nothing of herself. Every detail must be pieced back together — from a childhood in rural Mississippi to the early days of her career, from the unintentional hurt inflicted on her daughter to a fifteen year-old secret love affair that went tragically wrong. But for Carole, an extraordinary opportunity has arisen in a life-threatening crisis: a second chance to count her blessings, heal wounded hearts, recapture lost love . . . and to live a life that will truly honour others —beginning with herself.
A tale of survival and dignity, of small miracles and big surprises, Honuor Thyself creates an unforgettable portrait of a public figure whose hopes, fears, and heartbreaks are as real as our own. Her courageous journey inspires us all.
Okay, so I'd read that. Maybe. Sounds good. A little cliche perhaps, but hey, Diana's not here to argue the point.
Moving on...
Read an extract from Honour Thyself (Yes, lets!)
Chapter One
It was a quiet, sunny November morning, as Carole Barber looked up from her computer and stared out into the garden of her Bel- Air home. It was a big, rambling stone mansion that she had lived in for fifteen years. The sunny greenhouse room she used as an office looked out over the rosebushes she had planted, the fountain, and the small pond that reflected the sky. The view was peaceful, and the house silent. Her hands had barely moved over the keyboard for the past hour. It was beyond frustrating. Despite a long and successful career in films, she was trying to write her first novel. Although she had written short stories for years, she had never published any. She had even tried her hand at a screenplay once. During their entire
marriage, she and her late husband, Sean, had talked about making a movie together, and never got around to it. They were too busy doing other things, in their primary fields.
Will you excuse me a moment? Oh, just ignore the trail of blood gushing from my forehead when I return. And the wall in my study will have a dent in it.
If I were able to use red marker on this post, you'd probably have very little left to read in the above section.
Why, why, why....please, somebody tell me...have I been slogging away for the past umpteen years, going to writers conferences, paying money for professional edits and rewriting my manuscripts until I'm blue in the face???
All I had to - ooops - did I say had? All I should have done was pulled out the first piece of crap that came out of my head, put Danielle Steele's name on it, sent it off to some schtick in New York and presto - I'd be rolling in dough and you'd all be my partying posse.
Am I overreacting? No, I didn't get a rejection today - not yet anyway. But after reading this, I think one must definitely be on the way. Because apparently I've been doing it all wrong.
Is there a Danielle Steele School of Writing somewhere? I'm thinking I should apply.
End of rant.
Whenever I walk into a bookstore I'm accosted by at least one, maybe two, Danielle Steele novels, hardcovers baby, brand spanking new, sitting there on the shelf.
Without giving away my age, okay I'm 42, I started reading Ms. Steele's drivel, ahem, I mean wonderful romance novels, when I was about 15. She's been doing this a while.
So have I.
But I wanted to know what all the continued fuss was about. Why do people keep buying her books?
Doesn't the formula get old? I haven't read one of her offerings in years, probably not since I started writing my own stories,
but as I said, I was curious.
There's a saying isn't there, something about getting a cat killed?
At the risk of a major lawsuit, I have to do this.
Bear with me if you will:
Honour Thyself
Carole Barber has come to Paris, with its rain-slick slate roofs and winding streets, to work on her novel — and to find herself after a lifetime in the spotlight. A legend of film and stage, Carole has set a standard of beauty and grace, devoting herself to her family and causes around the world. But on this cool November evening, as her taxi speeds into a tunnel just past the Louvre, a fiery instant of terror shatters hundreds of lives — and leaves Carole alone, unconscious and unidentified in a Paris emergency room.
At the Ritz, they wonder where their famous, incognito guest has gone. From California to London, Carole’s friends and family begin to make inquiries. Then comes a moment of shock as they realize that Carole is in a hospital far from home, fighting for her life.
In the days that follow, the paparazzi swarm. A mysterious stranger, a man famous in his own realm, quietly visits the hospital to see the woman he once loved and never forgot. Carole’s two grown children rush to her bedside, waiting and praying — until the miraculous begins to happen . . . But as a woman whom the whole world knows slowly awakens, she knows nothing of herself. Every detail must be pieced back together — from a childhood in rural Mississippi to the early days of her career, from the unintentional hurt inflicted on her daughter to a fifteen year-old secret love affair that went tragically wrong. But for Carole, an extraordinary opportunity has arisen in a life-threatening crisis: a second chance to count her blessings, heal wounded hearts, recapture lost love . . . and to live a life that will truly honour others —beginning with herself.
A tale of survival and dignity, of small miracles and big surprises, Honuor Thyself creates an unforgettable portrait of a public figure whose hopes, fears, and heartbreaks are as real as our own. Her courageous journey inspires us all.
Okay, so I'd read that. Maybe. Sounds good. A little cliche perhaps, but hey, Diana's not here to argue the point.
Moving on...
Read an extract from Honour Thyself (Yes, lets!)
Chapter One
It was a quiet, sunny November morning, as Carole Barber looked up from her computer and stared out into the garden of her Bel- Air home. It was a big, rambling stone mansion that she had lived in for fifteen years. The sunny greenhouse room she used as an office looked out over the rosebushes she had planted, the fountain, and the small pond that reflected the sky. The view was peaceful, and the house silent. Her hands had barely moved over the keyboard for the past hour. It was beyond frustrating. Despite a long and successful career in films, she was trying to write her first novel. Although she had written short stories for years, she had never published any. She had even tried her hand at a screenplay once. During their entire
marriage, she and her late husband, Sean, had talked about making a movie together, and never got around to it. They were too busy doing other things, in their primary fields.
Will you excuse me a moment? Oh, just ignore the trail of blood gushing from my forehead when I return. And the wall in my study will have a dent in it.
If I were able to use red marker on this post, you'd probably have very little left to read in the above section.
Why, why, why....please, somebody tell me...have I been slogging away for the past umpteen years, going to writers conferences, paying money for professional edits and rewriting my manuscripts until I'm blue in the face???
All I had to - ooops - did I say had? All I should have done was pulled out the first piece of crap that came out of my head, put Danielle Steele's name on it, sent it off to some schtick in New York and presto - I'd be rolling in dough and you'd all be my partying posse.
Am I overreacting? No, I didn't get a rejection today - not yet anyway. But after reading this, I think one must definitely be on the way. Because apparently I've been doing it all wrong.
Is there a Danielle Steele School of Writing somewhere? I'm thinking I should apply.
End of rant.
Tuesday, June 03, 2008
Eat those words!!
Okay, maybe I shouldn't have written about running on empty.
I'm sick. I've been sick for a while. It goes like this.
I got a cold. Then a cough. The cold went away, but the cough stayed.
For four weeks. And now I have another cold. And I'm still coughing.
Feel sorry for me yet?
I'm sick of being sick. Fortunately, other than feeling like my nose is jammed
with concrete, I'm okay. The cough has loosened - so I have to assume all those
germs are getting ready to pack it up and move on, at some point.
In the meantime, anybody got any home made remedies???
I'm even drinking carrot juice. It's not half bad.
Please God, can this be over soon????
I'm sick. I've been sick for a while. It goes like this.
I got a cold. Then a cough. The cold went away, but the cough stayed.
For four weeks. And now I have another cold. And I'm still coughing.
Feel sorry for me yet?
I'm sick of being sick. Fortunately, other than feeling like my nose is jammed
with concrete, I'm okay. The cough has loosened - so I have to assume all those
germs are getting ready to pack it up and move on, at some point.
In the meantime, anybody got any home made remedies???
I'm even drinking carrot juice. It's not half bad.
Please God, can this be over soon????
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)