Thanks!

Thanks for all your support. Waiting is a part of the game, which doesn't make it any easier! And I am truly ditheringly happy for all of my friends who have had the call in recent weeks. I just want it too:)

I am done with articles for the month and hope to get to some serious critting and writing. I have a bit more research to do. I need to take a trip to The End of the Oregon Trail museum. My family loves that place so it's not a problem. Need to get on with it though, I tell you!

Right now I am just tired. Had a horrid fight with Dh last night. Probably should have avoided it, but it was one of those cleansing fights that left us both bruised, but refreshed (I didn't mean physcially!) Just an airing out type of fight. Then I had to run and get the kids from the rink... we have an extra one, a skater friend of Megs whose mum is in Vegas on business and needs rides to the rink. That's fine, but they stayed up too late talking last night and no doubt will skate like crap this morning. I will probably get it from both of their coaches when I go to pick them up.

I am hoping for a nap, but I don't think I will get it.

The Call

So what does the call feel like?

Cause I am ready to find out. My friends are getting the call. So exciting. Several have been signed in the last week. I'm still waiting. Always on the verge of something. Just enough to keep me going. Keep me writing and hoping.

Sometimes I wonder what would have happened if I had kept writing YA when I started to six, almost seven years ago. My first novel was a YA. It pretty much sucked. And I went with what I could to make money. So now I am making money, but I am behind the eightball as far as my fiction career is going. How come I always feel behind? Like everything good will be done by the time I am ready for it. I feel like all the agents are going to shut their gates just before I get there. Or that all the big publishing houses are going to fold before I even get an agent.

Then there is the other fear. The one that haunts all writers at one time or another. What if I am just not that good?

Post Thanksgiving Post

Ate too much, but I did resist the urge to go shopping this morning. Actually it wasn't much of and urge. More of a yearn. But after two days of festive hot buttered rums, doctored eggnog and irish cream in coffee, I am not much feeling like running about.

I finished this years Christmas letter which is as snarky as ever. I try to give people something entertaining to read and the response has been wonderful. I think I'm going to make some lables that say warning: Not your grandmother's Christmas letter, so I can stick it on the outside of the envelope.

Camne home last night and wrote up four pages of chapter two. I would like to finish it today, but my neice is spending the weekend so I'm not sure how well that's going to go. The paranormal aspect is growing a bit deeper and I had to rewrite some things in the first chapter to go with the flow. I like it though... lends it more plot depth than it had before. Pretty cool.

Speaking of which... I wanna go write:)

Happy Thanksgiving!

Have a Wonderful Holiday Everyone!

Another Big R

An R on a Sunday?

I guess so. Amazingly enough, I wasn't upset. And it was an agent I really wanted too!

But I finally was into Colorless when it came. The chapter was rolling along well except I didn't have a chapter hook. And then when it did... it was so unexpected and so fantastic! I couldn't believe it. It added new depth and an unexpected twist to the story. I am going to go over the chapter a few times before handing it over to my cps to rip up, but right now, I'm pretty happy with it. Very, very excited.

So the rough of chapter one is fini. I am really and truly started. And that agent is going to be regretful that she didn't sign me when she had a chance;-)

Top O The Morning To You!

Yes, I am channelling my Irish roots.

My silly cat woke me in the wee hours, but for some reason I am feeling pretty good. After a hideous day yesterday... (is there anything worse than having printer issues when you are trying to get out a manuscript?) I am looking for a good day today. I have some stuff to crit for my CP group, an article to write and then I am going to start in earnest on my new novel. It's only going to be about 45 thousand words... if I work on it I can finish it by mid January and then start on the romances that I have ratteling around in my brain. Unless, of course, I get a contract and need to start on another skate novel at that time.

Speaking of which... the first line in OTE is, "Hey Cassie! Watching you skate gives me a zamboni!"

The next book will start out with, " Okay girls, let's get out there and kick some ice." Pretty good, eh? Except someone said it to me the other day and I forgot to ask her where she got it... I should do that first:)

Well, another week went by and I heard nothing from anyone. Well, I can't say that because I did get another request for a full and a partial. And then I sent out another partial. I made up a new timeline too. I am pretty pleased with the agents that are itnerested right now. After getting an R from my dream agent, I just got a new dream agent. Everything is relative, eh?

Okay... must hop up and clean the house before starting in on my writing day. Must keep the dh happy!

End of the week

Do I feel caught up? Not really?

The GH Contest looms over me, though I do have all the changes made that I want to have. I have the disk with the full made and properly labled and all I have to do is print out six copies of the partial and six of the synopsis. Then buy a box and send the sucker out.

I also have three articles that I need to have done by the end of next week. And that includes Thanks giving.

Things are going on at the magazine. Not sure what. I know that the office Goddess left and the boss needs to get a new one. I wish it were time to start an office up hear. Or maybe I'm not, maybe I am supposed to be waiting on an agent. Just like with that job... you have to sense which direction your life should be going. Sort of feel your way.

With all the GH stuff, I haven't hardly even started Colorless. I would love to get that one done by the end of the year. I would really like to have the proposal done now so if an agent asks if I have anything else I would have it there to show them.

How do you juggle writing with everything else? I just keep wondering. Last night i had some time to write, but was so tired I ended up playing frog frenzy. What a time waster! I know I need to be more efficient, but I am not sure I have the discipline:)

I'm not dead

Sorry to have disappeared for so long. I spent most of last week getting ready for son's sixteenth birthday bash in Seattle and then yesterday and today recovering. had much fun, the seahawks won and we got to do the whole Pikes Street market thing. Too cool.

Today, I had a gazillion and one things to do including articles on this that and the other. I also got a request for a full from an agent I would love to have, who had actually read the proposal and liked it enough to want more:) That, my friends, feels good. I am hoping to have an agent by the holidays:) Also got another request for a partial.

Now to get my GH entry ready to go. I have been working on it and have tried to help my CP's get there's ready to go as well. We agreed that next year we would start earlier... not that any of us will be eligible next year cause we will all be published authors and all! Hee.

Tomorrow I have tons more nonfiction work to do. Am going to try to get to some blogs before I hop off to watch TV and head to bed.

Plotting!

Okay, I did it.

I just finished plotting out all twelve chapters of Colorless. I think nine and ten are a little weak, but I think by that time I get there I will have some new ideas. I will have to do a lot more research for this one, but I am excited to get started. She doesn't actually do the time travel part until the end of chapter two so I can get the first couple of chapters going before I really have to decide where she is on the Oregon Trail, exactly how many families are on the wagon train, which famous characters they meet on the way and exactly what year it is. Because I live in Oregon and have been to the End of the Oregon City Museum many times, that part of the research won't be too hard... I actually have access to covered wagons, the supplies they needed, the clothes they wore, etc.

I am so excited! I think this might end up being my best novel yet, though I don't want to take anything away from On the Edge. It is the best I have yet done, but we are supposed to improve with each one, right? I love starting a new book. All the possibilities! It's ahead of me. Like starting a new adventure and even though I have plotted it out, there is so much I don't know yet.

Now I just have to catch up on my nonfiction stuff. Yikes!

Golden Heart

I did it, I entered the Golden Heart Contest!

Am busy revising my already revised synopsis. It is even better than before! Will send my six fifty page proposals and one disk with the full in it and hope I final. If I final I will get to go to Nationals, no questions asked. I don't expect to, but it would be nice:)

Must run!

Thanksgiving Angst

I don't want to go to my in-laws for Thanksgiving. That's not as bad as it sounds.

When I was 23 I went to their house for Christmas for the very first time. It was just before my dh and I were leaving for Reno to get married. It was magical. My dh has four siblings and two of them had little ones. They had many traditions that had to be adhered to and were done with huge amounts of humor such as slapping the turkey before it went in the oven. Dh's dad handed out all the gifts and their was much froliking, dancing about and noise. My Mil hustled and bustled and created fabulous feasts and everyone else just cavorted. So different from my own quiet childhood Christmas'. I have been to Turkey day at their home and it was just as much of a riot as were the monthly birthday get togethers. As time went on, in fairness to my family, we began spending Turkey day with them and Christmas with my dh's family. Then I started doing Thanksgiving on my own every once in a while.

Now my beloved MIL is gone. Beloved doesn't even begin to describe how much I miss her and think of her everyday. She was my mentor and my sensei. Last Christmas was the hardest. But we got through it and will get through it again. I just don't want to go for Thanksgiving. Too much sadness altogether for the holidays. I wanted to go see Finding Nemo on Ice or SOMETHING else. But Dh didn't get it and now we have to go. My own parents are in AZ for tehe winter so I have no excuse.

I am a bit torqued.

Am still trying to figure out a nice way toduck out of it. My fav radio station is giving away tickets to Finding Nemo... if I can get a hold of a fourpack of those for Turkey day... then YAY!

Send good thoughts.

Have a drink on me!

I finished editing and polishing On the Edge today. I am going to let it sit before I go over it one more time. I am afraid to look at it any more cause I think I will find things to change and tinker with. Am sending out tomorrow to agent who wants the full.

But better yet, I get to start on my next novel. Colorless. First person past. A time travel YA. Am excited about it. (sip) Am celebrating. (Sip)

Oh, oh, oh! I'm in the December issue of Writer's Digest, baby! I wrote an article called Class Act... and it's in there:) Funny cause they rejected a query the same day I got my magazine by Fed Ex! Too cool! (sip)

Am drinking the most nummy new drink. Coconut rum, orange juice and cranberry juice on the rocks. (sip) Is most delish.

Okay. Must run. Might start book tonight.

(Sip)

No NANO allowed

I seriously thought about doing Nanowrimo this year. For those who don't know, it is when a bunch of looky writers try to do 50,000 words in 30 days. NOw for those prolific types like Gena Showalter, that isn't a stretch. For the rest of us it's crazy. But fun. I've done it.

But no. I thought that juggling three "jobs" not including mothering and taxi driver was enough and I should leave the nanoing to others. I sort of wanted to because I have a 50,000 word novel I need to get into, but I have to finish polishing this one. I have an agent waiting for a full. So not this year. Good luck everyone.

In other news, I have received 3 more R's from the agents a followed up with. I didn't hear anything about the query from them and I figured the least they could do was send a form R. Takes seconds:) One of them did want the full ASAP, so following up is a good thing.

Okay. Off to do some critiqing for my cp's and get my dd to the rink and my son to the zoo. Busy drive day, weds are.

Party Hardy

Ahhh how times have changed.

I try not to think about the parties I attended when I was fifteen and sixteen and the parties I throw for my kids and their friends. The parties I attended often include pot and alcohol and guys. But for my kids everything is different. I am the cool mom on the block that throws parties for every season and every reason. Last night's Halloween party was no exception.

HOW TO THROW AN AWESOME PARTY FOR TEENS

1. Let everyone's parents drop them off early. Might be a headache to you, but look at it this way, you are giving the young men the all important opportunity to increase their x-box skills and teaching the girls how to throw a party. I know, I know, why can't the boys learn how to throw a party? Trust me, you don't want them in the livingroom and kitchen. Teen age boys are generally big and loud and do a lot of shoving and crude body language, real or otherwise. Girls squeal, giggle, dance and wash their hands.

2.Decorate profusly. This includes: lights strung everywhere, decorative lanterns, sparkly confetti strewn on the tables, floor and furniture and cool matching paper products. They may act like they are too old for it, but they actually love it. Makes them feel important, like someone went to a lot of trouble for them. Because our house is so small and our garage is packed full of stuff we actaully create a room in the garage with blankets, rugs and cushions. Decorate it with lights, disco balls, and a fog machine and you instantly have a room kids feel comfortable in. This year we hooked up several TVs and the guys had an x-box LAN room. Fun stuff.

3. Prepare lots of food and have the ones that came early help you. Last night we had several pounds of Hallowenies (A total teen favorite, little smokie sausages wrapped up in bits of pillsbury biscuits.) A couple of pounds of buffalo wings, decorated cupcakes, apples and caramel dip, cookies, taquitos and chips and dip. You can never really have too much food.

4. Invite some utterly cool young adults to help supervise. Last year we asked a young figure skating coach and her boyfriend to attend. They both wore the right clothes, were great too look at and fit right in. This year, I invited the new youth pastor and his wife. They are in their early twenties and of course, get along smashingly with kids. People like this help a lot with behavior because it makes the kids act a bit more mature. Hard to explain, but it works.

5. Games. Another thing they pretend to disdain, but if you have some good ones it gives the evening some structure. I generally mix up the time between free time and game time. I search for games that make everyone feel comfortable and make them laugh. Last night we played a funny game called, Find Bill. Find Bill is my own invention and is a smash hit every time. We have a little stuffed Bill Walton and one person hides him while everyone else is in a different room. He has to have one thing in clear view. When you find him, you quietly go and sit down. The first person to find him gets to hide him unless they have already hid him, then the next person gets a turn. Much hilarity ensues. Regulars to our parties get all excited when I bring out Bill. Other games include having the girls make PP&J with their feet and having the guys eat the sandwich, electricity and find the ring in the flour. Basically, anything icky and gross is good.

That's pretty much it. The kids get a great party and I get to know all their friends. I also provide an alternative to parties with drugs, alcohol and sex. I am not only a cool mama, I am a smart mama:)

A post on the fly....

Just wanted to tell everyone how much fun I am having with revisions. No doubt this love affair with them will stop once it is sold and I get a huge letter full of them from my editor, but right now, I am having fun!

Of course, having received a request for a full might have something to do with it! I went over the queries to agents I hadn't heard back from... of course, I changed the query to reflect that the book is now done. Anyway, one of the agents wants the full, so I guess I will have to finish the edits up:)

So edits, 3 articles and a possible job. Sounds like a full week. I will go into my folly of scheduling two back to back dinner parties on the same weekend later. YIKES!

Rolling right along

Finished two articles this week already. I have two more that are ready to go and have to get info for at least three more for next week. Am busy busy as usual.

Took the young man to a department store last night for some volunteer training. Today is Charity Day at Myier and Frank and his youth council is a part of it. I have some fabulous coupons and plan on getting some Christmas Shopping done. I scoped it out last night and found some goodies. I wish I knew whether I were getting that job or not. I could use some to get some working clothes. Me thinks my current working clothes(sweats, jeans or t-shirts) aren't going to cut it if I have to go to the office!

Speaking of which... I am sitting here thinking about that job. I mean, on one hand, what an opportunity... it is well done, beautifully designed and leans slightly to the right... sort of a rebellious, conservative attitude. Kinda like me. I would learn so much about putting a magazine together. It would look fabulous on my resume. It's fifteen minutes from my house. The money would be wonderful.

On the other hand... I would be terrified to get the job. I haven't worked in an office in sixteen years. I have only been freelancing "full time" for the last four or five. And you know how freelance is. I make my own hours. I am home to help the kids with their school work. We take off when we want to. I don't have to look any certain way and sometimes if I am on deadline and don't have to go to the rink, I sit in my robe until 11. I make decent money for a freelancer, though it does come in the most maddening waves and you can never count on it getting here...

So I think I will be okay either way. Of course, my husband... Snort. That's a whole different story. He has his eyes on the money and I can't blame him. He is a very type A, OCD, methodical kind of guy. Money coming, "I don't know when" makes him nuts.

Okay...more work. I might even take a look at Rink Rats today see where I need to revise it.

The light at the end of the tunnel

I didn't cough as hard last night and I actually got several bursts of energy yesterday. Perhaps this is a harbinger of better things to come.

I had my interview on Friday. It was for an assistant editor job at a classy little business/lifestyle magazine here in the Northwest. The office was small and sunny. There's six people on staff full time. Two editors, two sales people, and one office Goddess. And hopefully me. The editor seemed very impressed with my credentials and my clips. I would basically be a jack of all trades... Doing a little of everything and basically assisting the editors. It's located about 15 minutes from my house. Only problem ... it's full time. But I talked to the family and the money would be so worth it for us. And it is a dream job in my field...something I have always wanted to do.

So where does that leave my fiction? Well, most likely I would have to work a bit harder to find time for it... or maybe not. I do a lot of nonfiction stuff as it is. Maybe I would actually have more time if I left my job behind at the end of the day. Snort. The kids would have a hard time adjusting... I have been home with them since they were born and my son is almost sixteen. Hell, I would have a hard time adjusting! I love being with them. It's one of the reasons why I still homeschool them. We really like hanging out together. But... this could be an amazing opportunity.

Anyway... I won't know about the job until next week. If it's not meant to be, it's not meant to be. If it is? then I will tackle that when I come to it.

The longest cold ever

This one is a doozy and it incorporates every cold symptom known to man. Three days of exhustion and headaches, two days of body aches and agonizing throat pain and ear aches, followed up by three days, (so far) of phlegmy hacking. My son, the first one to catch this monster, is finally over it but it took almost two weeks! And weird... I had one day without the throat pain and then last night it was back.

But of course, my life doesn't stop because I'm sick. I polished off three more articles this week and as a reward picked up three more assignments. Then I got a check yesterday, no, excuse me, that was two checks. In the same envelope. Yesterday was a blur of running the kids around to various functions. Today my son, bless his peaked little head, called in at the zoo so we don't have to run up there... he heard his mommy hacking and knowing that I already have to run the NW woman tiara club meeting this afternoon, took pity. I am also going to be on a panel tonight at our local library. It's a panel on homeschooling teenagers. Probably would be more fun if I wern't so snuffly. And Ethan works and my daughter has to ice skate... the fun just never ends! La Laaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaa!

Haven't had a chance to look at my story yet. Don't want to. Hee. One thing at a time. Haven't heard from an agent or the editor yet. I am still on pins and needles with that one! Okay, must run.

No rest for the weary

Not that I expected any. My non fiction career must take center stage as a dozen articles and projects become due in the next two weeks. An opportunity may have arisen that I am considering though that may take even more time away from my fiction writing...but would free me up from most of my other nonfiction duties. I say may have because I have no idea if I am even remotely right for the job.... and it would take me away from the direction I thought I was supposed to go. I will know more after the interview this week.


Am still suffering from cold, but am getting better so that's a plus.

I played with my next YA novel yesterday. I know, I know, I should wait a bit as I still need to revise the other one, but it was fun. This one will be written in 1st person past as the chacters voice has already been assimilated within me. My last one was third person which turned out to be the right choice. This isn't the next one in the Rink rats series... I will wait to write another one to see if it's even wanted, eh? I have too many other characters trying to get out!

Okay must run. Have an article on the affects of sugar on infant teeth and another one on kite flying due in the next two days. Ta!

FINI!

I am done!

Completely finished. Okay that was stupid. I know it is not done. I have revisions and editing to do. But right now, I will bask in the moment of finishing the first draft:)

WOOHOO!