Archive for category: STERLING

The neglectful blogger

The neglectful blogger

Oh, have I been awful about this blog lately. Really, there is no excuse. Well, there is kind of.

In September I was informed by boss (who lives in Florida) that something happened with the company and he was getting rid of everyone, and I’d be “on contract” until he could afford to hire me back. His “heads up” was one whole pay period. Not helpful. So I’ve literally not been buying books, which is ridiculously, but true. My GoodReads to-read list is piling up like WHOA and I can’t even afford freaking $10 for an ebook.

“Go to a library,” you say. I KNOW that, but the library closest to me SUCKS and to “go” anywhere in L.A. is such a hassel. That, and there are waiting lists MILES long for the good book — even their ebook list, which I’ve been on FOREVA.

So the past months have been me scraping by with my job at the barn. I ALMOST got the Sickest. Job. In. The. World. but they “froze” hiring. I DO have another awesome job opportunity, but it won’t start until January and it won’t be full pay right away.

In writing news, I’m back to editing. Again. This will be the last round, I SWEAR. What happened to NaNoWriMo you ask? Well, I was sick for two weeks and if I wasn’t wanting to die at work I was curled up in my bed in complete darkness. Then I was away at a horse show and you tell me if you could write sharing a room with four people after working 12 hour days. No? Didn’t think so.

In reading news, I was asked by UK based Silverwood Books to be on their book review team, which is AWESOME. Silverwood is an alternative to self-publishing and everyone really needs to check out their website. I can promise you I will be buying (and reading) Boundless the DAY it comes out even if I need to borrow the money from my Dad.  My first review for Silverwood (it’s a PIRATE book!) comes out at the end of February!

All right, its 2:30am and I need to work in a few hours.

-A

December 8, 2012 0 comments
NaNoWriMo 2012

NaNoWriMo 2012

I’m partaking in National Novel Writing Month for the first time.  The deal is you begin a completely new manuscript on November first and have 30 days to write 50,000 words. You can plot and character sketch until your heart’s desire, but no writing. I’m writing a little out of the box for me: a YA contemporary novel. I’ve shelved queries for STERLING until December. From all of the Q&A agents have been answering lately, it seems the YA urban fantasy genre is a tad saturated.

I am up for a new job — a kind of AMAZING job — which will impact my writing greatly, so this may be a total bust. We shall see.  My word count will be updated on the widget over on the side bar.

October 29, 2012 0 comments
And it begins

And it begins

I sent my first three queries out tonight. I realized editing and reediting and re-reediting isn’t going to get me anywhere. I’ll always want to change a word or a sentence.  If by heaven’s chance this book gets published, I’m sure it’ll be on the shelf and I’d still want things in it changed.

I signed up on querytracker.net.  I’ve researched for days. I’ve made lists. Then tonight, after a few days of not-so-good news in other parts of my life, I knew I had to DO something. Something more than changing Sending out the very first e-mail…my hand just hovered over that send button.  Because this is when it really starts.  My friends and family and peers can give me as much feedback as they can, but they aren’t the ones who need to sell this. To attach it to their career. I give literary agents a ridiculous amount of credit.  I couldn’t imagine doing what they do.

Now instead of saying, “So, I wrote this book,”  it’s now, “So, I’m trying to publish this book.”

September 27, 2012 0 comments
The Pitch

The Pitch

I haven’t been reading and reviewing, mainly because I’ve been writing. I thought I was happy with my manuscript but I went to go another “once over” and just found myself changing sentences and changing a name of a character. The one thing I have solid is the last part of my query letter. My pitch. And I’ve finally decided to share it.

Sterling throws out the halos and white wings and revisits one of the oldest rivalries in existence. Only this time, when the demons rise and the angels fall from grace, the only one left to lead the side of Good, is the girl who had all but abandoned it.

September 10, 2012 0 comments
On Leave

On Leave

So after talking it over on the NB forums, I’ve decided to let The Book sit for a while.  I had gotten to the point where I really couldn’t stand to look at it anymore and I had no drive to do anything with it.  I’m not sure exactly when I’ll finish editing it; I don’t want to put a time frame on my mentality.  Instead I’m going to go back to The-First-Attempt-Book and start over. Completely.  I had over 80,000 words in the draft I had been working on, but it just wasn’t very good.  It’s not really the plot I’m worried about, or making it worthy of being a published novel.  It’s all about the characters I created and abandoned.  I want to finish their story.  I need to finish their story. It concerns me when they pop in my head.  When I see someone who looks just how I pictured them, or hear something that reminds me of their story.  So for now, that’s what I’m going to be doing.  As for The Book — I’m not worried.  It’ll get done when it gets done.

July 24, 2012 0 comments Read More