Agent Queries

This is the part of being an author that I hate. Trying to actually market myself.

It's part of the job - both before you get an agent/published, because you have to GET there, and after, because you still need to sell the books. (though the after I only know about through story and legend).

It's hard. It's a constant rejection-mill, with even the best product being turned down routinely. It's depressing, because no matter how much you try to tell yourself that you are not your story, the gut never listens. There's something misery-inducing about being told "no" over and over when all you want is one little yes. Or even a maybe.

But it's the job. And when that's the job, you have to do it. There is no publication without going through this route - at least, not publication that gets you on the shelves at bookstores. Sure, I could self-publish, and I have with my websites. But it's not the same thing. It doesn't get me on the shelves, it doesn't get my name out there, and it doesn't get me paid. And most of all, it doesn't get me READ.

I want readers. I long for readers. I want people to share my stories with, people to wait at libraries and bookstores and watch to see when the next book comes out. I want to feel like I'm doing all this work for people that are on the other end, not just for myself.

Because a story isn't done until it's read. And an author isn't quite complete until she's validated with the proof that all her work is for something.

There's no way to get it done but one step, one letter at a time. And it's always possible that there's a reason I keep getting rejected. My words may simply not be good enough.

But that's a lousy answer, so I deny it. I'm good enough. And someday, I'll prove it.

In the meantime? Write letter, mail. Repeat. Chop wood, carry water.

new webnovel!

Yes, I totally forgot to mention this last week. I've been going through personal hell here - more on that later when I can talk about it with a few less cuss words.

But enough of that! I have a NEW WEBNOVEL! You may all reel in shock and gleefully traipse over to I Am Subversive and learn all about the truth of our future! Are you subversive, too?

Read it. you know you want to. Everybody's going to be doing it.

He didn't make it

My prayers for the family.

If I disappear for a while, I'll be back. But right now, I'm stunned. I don't know if I can write - so sungod may end up on hiatus while I deal with this as well.

If you will, pray with me to whatever you believe in for the family. No one should go through this.

Prayers for my friend

Please, for anyone that offers up prayers for a young boy that was just shot.

He's the son of one of my best friends, and it doesn't look good.

Please join me in praying, hoping, or whatever you do that he'll pull through. Thank you.

JURY DUTY!

Yes, I have done my civic duty. I went to jury duty. And now I will recap for anyone out there that's interested.

The case itself was pretty straightforward. Kid robs restaurant, gets caught with the money, gets arrested, comes up with lame excuse and tries to get out of it. Why he didn't plea I'll never understand.

But the PROCESS - that was interesting. Every step was gone through, point by point. Nothing was left out. There were times I wanted to scream that people needed to get on with it. But it did move - and justice was done.

And in a week. There's something very cool about that.

Even better? Now I'm done for the next two years!

Putting it all back together - AGAIN

Yes, folks, I'm a very bad blogger. I can't figure out why anyone wants to hear what I have to say about /me/ anyway - my fiction's far more interesting, right? :D

And my personal life really went to hell over the past year - my husband's health got messed up, I thought I was going blind for a while there (or half-blind, if you're being picky) - and every time I start getting on my feet, something else happens. Latest adventure - we went away for a writer's conference, and when we came back, it looked like one of our cats had a stroke. She didn't make it.

But I can't keep waiting for life to get better. Life is a series of crises, and you reel from one to the next and try to not fall down along the process. So I'm getting back up.

Goodbye, Kiki. I hope if there's an afterlife for cats, you've found a place of endless laps and hands just waiting to pet you. You deserve it.

Hopefully soon I'll have happier news for this space.

Inspiration in the oddest places

I always enjoy talking to other writers about how they get themselves in the mood to write. Is it a special pen, a place, a time? A ritual?

For me, the absolute biggest trigger to get me into writing-mode is scent. Which is weird, because my mother is deathly allergic to all perfumes, so I grew up in a scentless household. Now, though, the right perfume or incense hits a trigger in my mind and I can escape the everyday and move into writing-space.

Of course, this isn't a cheap hobby. And, more's the pity, perfume isn't a tax-deductible business expense. (what do they know?) But the joy of having my mind flip into writing-space from a little dab of scent is absolutely worth the price. (and, since I like *weird* perfumes, I've been spending my time and money at Black Phoenix Alchemy Lab. ooh, do I have a wish-list!)

How do you find inspiration?