Confessions of a Wannabe Published Author on Petit Fours & Hot Tamales

I'm blogging over at Petit Fours & Hot Tamales today. Come on over and say hi.

Confessions of a Teenage Drama Queen's Mother

I'm confessing my motherhood sins over at the Petit Fours & Hot Tamales today. Come read all about it here.

Rainy Days, Reviews & Revisions

I'm in full on revision mode. This book was a lot of fun to write and finish, but now the real work begins. Everyone has their own process and mine is that I have to write the story to figure out the story. Weird, I know, but I've learned to embrace this process and own it. I am writing cleaner first draft now, but much of what I throw down on the page is like an outline with complete sentences. Revision is taking the big picture, cracking it apart, restructuring pieces, omitting pieces, and building new pieces to create a stronger picture.

Revision is hard work. And it doesn't brook interruptions well. I'm eager to get the first half of the story nailed down. That means a little lighter blogging schedule and whole lot more writing real stories.

Meanwhile, life is busy. And it's rainy. We've had three days of rain and colder weather blow through Northern Alabama. This means football season, dressing in fun clothes, and tucking under blankets to read. I also kept up with the other blogs I'm contributing to during this month.

You can read about my adventures with going blonde on the Petit Fours & Hot Tamales Blog here. And if you want to know my take on suffering and how to respond to it, head over to the Romance Magicians and read about it here. Stay and play awhile. My sister bloggers have great blogs, too.

Monday was a super rainy and blustery day. The teen and I stayed home and read all day. I read Kerrelyn Sparks THE VAMPIRE AND THE VIRGIN from start to finish. It was a great, fun read and just the pick up I needed. I think you'll enjoy her books and her fun family of Vampires. Check her website out here. Right now I am reading Lexi George's book DEMON HUNTING IN DIXIE. Her characters are colorful, well-drawn out, and down right sizzling. Great book and great debut author. You can read about Lexi George's first time publication adventures on my Celebration blog here.

This week I have not written as much as I would like, but I have taken care of a teen, run the household by myself, taken the car into the dealership to replace the battery at Woody Andersen Ford, and continued taking care of myself. I've also emailed good friends, talked to my darling hubby via Skype and caught up with my dear sister friend via Skype as well. The time differences mean stopping my writing to talk, but sometimes real people are more important than fictional people.

I'm taking a break till next week Monday so I can get my revisions rolling. Plus I have a darling husband to welcome home after a long business trip so I'll want to spend time with him, too. So I'll see you next week.

Have a great writing week!!

I'm Confessing my Blonde Mistakes on Petit Fours & Hot Tamales

I'm confessing my hair color mistakes in my ongoing journey to become and stay a blonde. You can read about it on the Petit Fours & Hot Tamales blog.

Hope I see you there.

Promo Party for This and That

I've got a lot of great blog sisters and writing friends. One of them is going to have a debut novel release. She's a sister blogger at Petit Fours & Hot Tamales. I hope you go visit her website open house and enter to win one of her fabulous prizes. And if you're an author, I hope you want to play and share the fun that week with a fabulous writer and my friend.


Read Below:

I'm have an open house for my new website www.SusanCarlisle.com ( find
invitation below) during the week of August 29-September 2. I will be blogging
all day/every day during the week creating a party atmosphere.
I'm inviting authors to "bring" house warming gifts- their books, baskets, any
kind of promotional items they would like to give away -during that week. I will
in turn give them to lucky commenters and promote you and your books on my site.
Make sense?
I would also like to have at least one guest published author blog for each of
the days. The blog would need to be short and directed toward readers. If you
would be interested please let me know.
If you have any questions or suggestions you can contact me at
susan.carlisle@ymail.com 


Please feel free to forward the invitation to anyone and everyone. I would
appreciate a shout out on your website, Facebook and twitter if you would. The
more readers that come by the more fun it will be for everybody.
I hope this will be a fun event for readers and authors alike.

Susan

You are invited to an

Open House

To celebrate Susan Carlisle's new web home

@

www.SusanCarlisle.com

August 29 - September 2

Books, Gifts and Guest Authors daily

One lucky reader will receive a Kindle

A few of the gift baskets being given away:

Afternoon Tea and a Read Have Books will Travel

Garden Goodies and a Book Beach and a Book

Book and a Bath Bonjour Reads

Fireside Reads Quiet Escape

Bag of Books Vera Bradley Bag & Books to Go

Romance from Georgia First Aid for the Heart

and many more prizes!

There's still time to sign up for the Heart of Dixie Online Workshop FAT FREE WRITING with the fabulous Grammar Divas. The class starts on August 17th.

Fat Free Writing or How to Avoid Wordiness in the Editing Stage

Grammar Divas

August 17-31

Cost: $20

To get more information or sign up for the class, go to www.heartofdixie.org

I'm playing at the Healthy Writer blog August 24th. I hope to see you there. Meanwhile, have fun reading the blogs before I go over and learn how writers get themselves into shape. You can read the blog at here.

And I'll be popping into Petit Fours & Hot Tamales on August 29th to confess more sins of the writer. Hope to see you there! Meanwhile, I hope you enjoy my sister blogger Maxine Davis's blog ONE TANK TRIPS.

I've got a busy week planned. Lots of writing. I'll be blogging on Wednesday and Friday. This week I'm "winging it" and letting the muse amuse me with whatever pops into my head. 

And when I'm not in cyber world, you know you'll find me here at home writing my stories and trying to improve my craft.

Happy Writing!

Things that Make My Ears Steam

There are lots of things that make me mad. Things like cruelty to animals, parents not taking care of the their children, child abuse, social injustice. They are important things to be made about because they impact all of us in big ways. There's more but those top the list.

There areother things, bugs in my life, that make my ears steam, too. Theft. Vandalism. Littering. Lack of respect for personal property and space is wrong. Ask an author who has had a book pirated. Theft of their written word is wrong. And so is the lifting of a blog post and reposting it without the author's permission

That's what happened to me. I wrote a funny, cute post about how our underwear tastes change for my group blog PETIT FOURS & HOT TAMALES. You can read that post here. If you have read the post, you'll know there was nothing scandalous or titillating in the words. Well, nothing that is unless you find Spanx and Days of the Week panties fit either of those categories.

Me? Not so much.

But some trolling spambot looking for general posts, probably computer driven software, found my post and reposted it without my permission on a very disgusting website--a PORN site!! Now at first glance I was mildly amused. I mean really, Spanx and this site don't belong together. The women on this site won't need to wear Spanx for many years. And they certainly do not wear them now. Who knows? Maybe they might like to read a nice romance. Just because they've chosen to do a job that I personally find degrading to women doesn't mean they aren't potential readers, right?

But then, the more I got to think about it, the angrier I got because this site is using my innocent words to trick people, men and women, to go to their site expecting to read a funny post written by a PETIT FOURS & HOT TAMALES blog author. When they get there, they find my post and their product. Their product may not be illegal, but I sure as heck do not want to be associated with that site. I don't want my words used to get them customers.

What could I do? I posted comments all over the site in which I demanded that they remove my post. Last time I checked, the comments were awaiting moderation. I really don't have legal recourse. I'm sure that over time this too shall pass, but I'm still mad. I feel violated. And I don't like that feeling at all.

Do I regret writing my post? No. I wrote a funny post and gave everyone a chuckle. That was my intent. I would write it again. I just wish this site hadn't taken my post and made it part of something ugly. And that makes my ears steam. It also makes me want to censor myself. And I don't like that feeling because I didn't do anything wrong. The site that stole my words is at fault for violating me.

Have you ever had anything like this happen to you?

Back to School: Let the Writing Officially Rev Up

It is the first day of my Darling Teen's Senior Year. Wow! I can't believe it's here. She's pretty much been home since mid-April due to her mono diagnosis. She did go to school to take her finals, rehearse and act in her drama class's play, and take her AP exams, but for the most part she was home with me.

Not that it was that difficult. Teens basically sleep, but then there were the college tours, the trips to see old friends, and hosting her BF here in Alabama. So writing was daily, but not for long periods of time. And once the teen does rise, well the blaring of the TV rises with her. It's hard to concentrate when endless marathons of the Millionaire Matchmaker and Toddlers & Tiaras are blasting through the house. 

And I confess I do get a guilty pleasure out of watching these shows. They're like eating Sweet Tarts. You know you shouldn't like them, but you eat them anyway.

This week on the Veranda, I'll be hosting my first RWA National Conference roomie who has a DEBUT NOVEL coming out. Christina Wolfer and I met via the matching site online for the 2009 Conference. She's a wonderful person and a talented writer. I'm thrilled to share her success and her writing journey with you on August 10th.

On Friday I will share with you an incident that happened last week. I was plagiarized!! Now I don't get mad very often. People tend to think I'm a nice person. I like to live up to that reputation. However, this just makes me very angry. Even worse, my funny blog post on the PETIT FOURS & HOT TAMALES blog is being used to drive people to an extremely offensive site. You can bet I won't sit still for that kind of violation. I'm still in the I-want-to-knock-them-down-with-a-blow ticked off to write about the site's theft, but by Friday I will be cooled down. 

In other news, I finally turned in my notice as the Heart of Dixie Online Workshop coordinator. I will step down in 2012. Perhaps someone will want to take over this job, or not. I've personally noticed a downward trend in interest in all online workshops unless they are hosted and taught by the top tier lecturers (think Margie Lawson!). So perhaps it's time to reconsider hosting them. But that's not my call. It's the board's and, as always, I defer to their wisdom. Meanwhile, I am doing a very bad set of cartwheels because this means I will have more time to spend with my graduating senior.

I'm still missing DFC very much. I wish I could say the tears have ended. They haven't. I can't think about her, the final goodbye, without crying. And there are days when I just can't believe she's gone. I'll break down at odd times. You know, the kind of moments when you're used to your pet just being with you and she isn't. Nothing major. Usually at night, when we're curled up on the couches watching television I am a bit sad because DFC always came to visit me.

And when I write. I don't know why but the writing isn't the same without my furry friend sitting on my lap, her paws on the keyboard and her eyes watching the words form on the computer screen, as I write my stories. Maybe that is why this story, HER PRISONER OF LOVE, is going so slow for me. I can't concentrate without my furry little feline distracting me with her immense cuteness. So yah, I'm sad. They say people cry a river or an ocean when they grieve. But ultimately, they cry until their souls are so parched of water that they are a desert, hot and dry with blazing winds blasting across their sands. Nothing can ease that kind of pain. Only time. Time which sends a gentle breeze and a sprinkling of mist to quench the soul's quest for relief. I'm waiting for the mist and the gentle breeze. 

Other than missing my darling DFC I'm excited about this year. My daughter and I are on a Weight Watcher's diet plan. And it's really working for us. We've each lost 5 pounds! I've converted three of my own recipes on the WW website, and I've made 4 of their recipes. Only one failed to satisfy our family. The rest of the meals were delicious. I don't feel deprived at all. The points are easy to calculate if you don't already know the values, and I'm still allowed a glass or 3 of wine LOL.

I've also been working out at the local YMCA. It's a fantastic, brand new facility. It makes me happy to workout in such a light, bright space. I bring my Margie Lawson lectures with me. I have them on my Nook thanks to GWEN HERNANDEZ who taught me how to convert the computer files to PDF and transfer them to my NOOK. She's a technological whiz!!

Who knows? Maybe I'll be svelte by the time I get to the MOONLIGHT & MAGNOLIAS GRWA conference at the end of September! I'm excited to go this year. My dear friend and CP, SHARON WRAY, is a finalist in the Single Title Unpublished category. So she's coming to Atlanta to share a room with me and two other great friends. And I'm a date again. Time to trot out all the pretty clothes for the big gala they host to celebrate the Published and Unpublished Maggie Finalists.

So while there is a tinge of sadness in my life, and even tho' I'm fisticuff mad at that awful site for stealing my blog for nefarious purposes, I still have a happy heart.

So how are you all feeling today? Do you have happy hearts? Or are you grappling to find your happy heart?

What's In Your Underwear Drawer?

I'm blogging on Petit Fours and Hot Tamales today. Hope you come visit me and share your underwear drawer secrets!

Hiatus is Coming to An End: Fun Things In Store

Hi folks! Miss me? I have been out of the blogger world for a few weeks now due to travel, the RWA National Conference, uber expensive Internet charges at the Marriott Marquis (boo), and more travel!!

Next week I plan to post my 3 blogs a week again. I can't wait to share the travel news with you as well as my experiences at the National Conference. If you want to get a sneak peek, you can take a gander over to the PETIT FOURS AND HOT TAMALES and see my post about all my conference confessions. I'm also super excited to be hosting the wonderful and gifted Margie Lawson next week. She is coming to Alabama to teach an all day workshop about EMPOWERING CHARACTERS EMOTIONS at the Southern Magic Romance Writing Chapter.

This year is turning out to be one fantastic year with wonderful debut authors and friends sharing their experiences. Stay tuned for more fabulous authors coming to visit the Veranda with their tales and stories.

I've had a great summer. I actually took time away from writing. I know. Unusual as I usually write every day. But I really needed a break. As many of you know, it has been a long and difficult spring. In addition to my daughter's mono (yay, she's cured!) and the horrific tornadoes, I've also been battling an ongoing sinus infection. I'm finally back to my normal self. "Normal" being as sane as one can expect me to be considering I write for quarters and I pay myself for "trying to get published" letters.

Now I'm starting to get pumped up about writing. Not selling. But writing. Nationals was a great way to juice up the writing genie. And being around my super friends in this business, new and long term, jazzed me even more. Plus I got to be part of other people's successes in the Golden Heart, the Rita, the Daphne and The Readers Choice Awards. Sometimes being at the game is enough. I showed up, I smiled, and I felt my old happy writing self come out of hiding.

So stay tuned! I can't wait to get back to action on Monday.

Break Out the Bubbly and the Dark Chocolate: Celebrating Annie Rayburn's (aka Carol Burnside) Novel BITTERSWEET OBSESSIONS

I'm very excited to host another Petit Fours and Hot Tamales Sister blogger, Carol Burnside aka Annie Rayburn as she celebrates the release of her novel BITTERSWEET OBSESSIONS. Carol is a special friend whose story should inspire all writers. *Pop* *Pour* *Sip* Mmmm, I love champagne and interviewing my friends!

Welcome to the veranda, Carol/Annie. How did you end up becoming a writer?

Funny you should ask because it was a bit strange. Before we moved to Hawaii, I’d been an Executive Assistant for a number of years and was burned out due to 50- hour work weeks and stress. I’d mentioned trying to write a book to my husband and had begun doing research on the business and how to go about writing a romance novel. Then one day as we were moving into our condo, I overheard my husband telling the electrician that I was taking 2-3 months off to write. I was? News to me. The next day, I overheard a similar conversation, only now I was taking six months. Well, I began to write and have never gone back to the dreaded day job. Thank you, Hubby!

I love a supportive writing spouse! Mine is equally as supportive. This helps our creativity so much. When you do create your stories, are you a plotter or do you follow the muse?

Some of both. I started out as a total ‘flying into the mist’ writer, but found my way riddled with pitfalls. I’d write myself into a corner, run out of story much too fast, or I’d end up with a great idea, but no real story. It was frustrating. As a result, I have a lot of good premises that need fleshing out and some complete manuscripts that I fear will never be published, no matter how many times I’ve revised them. These days I usually get the premise, write enough to get a feel for the characters, then stop and write the synopsis. That gives me a rough guide. Then I use a method called Pinch Point Plotting that I discovered in a class taught by C.J. Lyons. It works for me because it incorporates the emotional journey. 

C.J. Lyons class sounds perfect for me. I am always looking for ways to improve my writing. After you finish pinching all the plot points and writing, how do you relax after a long writing day?

Oh, gosh, I’d just about kill for a real all-writing day. We’ve been in moving mode for about six months now, buying/selling houses, packing/unpacking, decorating and putting in a garden. Between that, edits due my Red Sage editor, getting my website up and running and promotional obligations, I’m lucky to get in a couple hours of actual writing. However the day goes, Hubby and I usually unwind with a beer or glass of wine with dinner followed by a couple hours of movie or TV time.

Oh, I know the difficulty of adjusting to a new writing schedule after a big move! I'm surprised you have time to work on the promotions. Do you have any new releases coming up as well?

Beautiful Cover!

Yes, absolutely! In addition to the Bittersweet Obsessions release at eRedSage.com on June 1st, I’ve just Indie-published a re-release of my very first e-pubbed short story, Insight and a novella titled Phantoms & Fantasies. They’re a great way for readers to get a taste of my Crainesian characters and their world. Either can be purchased through Smashwords (in a variety of file formats) or Amazon (for Kindle) and P&F should be available on B&N as well.  

You've got a lot of new stories coming out. Fabulous. Now that you're published, what advice would you give aspiring writers?

Get used to thinking of your stories and books as a product. If the product is ‘passed’ on (the current buzzword for ‘no’), it’s a teeny bit easier to swallow than if you look at it as if you’ve been rejected. It’s important to understand that there are a gazillion reasons your work product may not have been what that editor or agent was looking for at that moment. Take a moment, an hour, but don’t wallow. If you received feedback, examine it and make changes to your product. Then, take a deep breath and send it out again.

Carol that is excellent advice to think about our manuscripts and books as products so that we don't take "no" for a personal rejection. I love that concept. Thank you so much for coming by and sharing your story with my friends and followers. And here's the best part--a lucky commentator will win a copy of Carol/Annie's book. 

To learn more about Carol/Annie’s books, blog and more, visit http://AnnieRayburn.com.

Yay! I love celebrating. *Nibbling Chocolate!*

Break out the Bubbly and the Dark Chocolate: Celebrating Marilyn Baron's eBook Short Story A CHOIR OF ANGELS

Please join me in welcoming my sister blogger and writing friend, Marilyn Baron, as we celebrate the release of her eBook Short Story A CHOIR OF ANGELS. I first met Marilyn a little over a year ago at Georgia Romance Writer's author critique. She is a gracious, lovely person. I'm honored to celebrate her publishing story. *Pop* *Sizzle* and pouring a glass of bubbly right now.

Welcome to the Veranda, Marilyn. I'm so pleased to have you!! How did you end up becoming a writer?

I’ve wanted to become a writer since I started reading the Little House on the Prairie series by Laura Ingalls Wilder. I’ve been writing since I was in fourth grade. My first book was called “East West Island,” which featured my classmates as the characters. My teacher read installments every day in class and all the kids loved being mentioned in the book. I wrote, directed and cast a play in my neighborhood to raise money for the JFK Library when I was 13. From there, I wrote all the school assembly programs, was editor of my junior high school newspaper, feature editor of my high school newspaper, majored in Journalism (Public Relations sequence) and Creative Writing in college, and have enjoyed a challenging career in corporate public relations, which involves writing and editing. I also edit The Galley, Georgia Romance Writers’ online chapter newsletter. Although I’ve been writing in some form all my life, I’ve always wanted to write fiction.

I loved the Little House on the Prairie books! What is your favorite genre to write? 

Humorous women’s fiction and romantic suspense, so it was a departure for me to have my first story published by TWB Press, a Science Fiction, Supernatural, Horror, Thriller publisher of novels and short stories.

Wow, you really did jump to a new genre. Are you a plotter or do you follow the muse? 

I definitely “follow the muse.” I wish I could be a disciplined plotter. Typically, I get an inspiration for the title first and after coming up with the names of the main characters and fleshing them out, I just start writing. As a Public Relations consultant, I create advertising and marketing campaigns, and come up with concepts for brochures, magazines, annual reports and Web sites, so titles and themes are an important part of what I do. I apply that knowledge to my fiction writing.

How do you relax after a writing day? 

I read or veg out (and ultimately fall asleep) on the couch in front of the television.

I tend to fall asleep on the couch in front of the television as well! What do you read? What are your favorite genres? Who are your favorite authors? 

I read everything from literary fiction and thrillers to romantic suspense. I just finished Laura Hillenbrand’s Unbroken. I’m currently reading Ken Follett’s Fall of Giants. On my to-be-read pile: Suzanne Brockmann’s Breaking the Rules and Vince Flynn’s American Assassin. Among my favorite writers are Robert Wilson, Daniel Silva, Jayne Ann Krentz and Nora Roberts. Some treasures I have discovered and passed on to other book lovers are Little Bee by Chris Cleave; Cutting for Stone by Abraham Verghese; and The Book Thief, by Australian YA author Markus Zusak. There are just too many good books out there to mention.

We have very similar reading tastes. I love so many of the authors you listed. And yes, there are so many good books out there. Many of them are waiting for me to pick them up and turn the page. Speaking of turning the pages, what is your current writing project? 

It’s a romantic suspense called Sixth Sense. The story opens when a psychic predicts the death of the young son of America’s heartthrob in a plane crash and her warning goes unheeded by a ‘by-the-book’ Atlanta police detective. She and the detective are dispatched to help catch a serial killer in Sydney, Australia. When she returns to Atlanta, she enlists the detective’s help when her parents are killed in an auto accident and she learns she is adopted. The search for her adoptive parents leads the pair to Cassadaga, a spiritualist community in Central Florida, where she finds her birth mother, a strong psychic and spiritual healer, and her birth father, a lecherous trance medium who rules the community with an iron fist. Something is rotten in Cassadaga and the trail leads back to her parents’ killer. Since I was born without a sense of smell, I have an overdeveloped sixth sense, so working on this project has been very interesting for me.

Oh, this book sounds so intriguing. Could you tell us about your new release, “A Choir of Angels?”

Think Here Comes the Bride. There Goes the MOB (Mother of the Bride). This humorous, supernatural e-short story is timely because wedding season is just around the corner. If you like to cry at weddings and you like to laugh, I hope you’ll love “A Choir of Angels,” a heartwarming tale of a family’s tragedy and a wedding promise unfulfilled. How far will a mother go to sing at her daughter’s wedding? Nothing, not even a little thing like death, is going to cheat Rhonda Paver out of celebrating the happiest day of her daughter’s life. Even if she has to cross over to the other side to do it.

“A Choir of Angels,” is now available from TWB Press at www.twbpress.com/achoirofangels.html in PDF eBook format or you can find a Kindle, Nook or OmniLit link at the TWB Press site. You can also search Amazon Kindle, Barnes & Noble Nook, or Omnilit.com by name and title or Smashwords at http://www.smashwords.com/books/view/51916.

Excellent! Great cover, too! Can't wait to get my copy. Where do you get your ideas for your stories? 

Inspiration can come from anywhere and everywhere. I’ll hear a name that I like and know I want to use it in a story. A title will just come to me and I know that’s the one. For example, I got the idea for Sixth Sense sitting next to a psychic on an airplane flight to Sydney. I eavesdrop at every opportunity – at dinner, at the hair salon, on an airplane, anywhere. You never know when a snippet of information could become the basis for another story.

I love eavesdropping. Nothing is sacred in a writer's world LOL. How long were you trying to get published before you got the “call?” 

Almost eight years.

How did you celebrate the new book contract? 

My daughter, her boyfriend and my daughter’s friend came to my door and surprised me with a balloon, a congratulations card and a bottle of my favorite wine, Moscato d’Asti. My daughter and her friend had collaborated on a book and I helped them in that process, so their recognition was of particular significance to me.

Sounds like fun! What was the most important thing you remember after the story was published?

My father, who was always very supportive of my writing, passed away last year before I got published. When the story was first released, my mother printed it out and left it in his favorite spot in the kitchen. For a moment she had forgotten he was no longer there when she left it out for him to “read.” She said he would have been proud of me. That was heart-wrenching.

*Wiping eyes* That is a beautiful story, Marilyn. Was the “call” an actual phone conversation or an email or a snail mail? 

As you might imagine in today’s digital world, it was actually the “e-mail.” My publisher had been reviewing my story and we’d been going back and forth with edits and comments I had to address in rewrites via e-mail. He said, “If you nail this story, I’m going to send you a publishing contract.” When he sent the contract he wrote, “I want to thank you for the effort you’ve put into this story. In the end, it shows. You’ve done a great job. Now I believe you have a winner and I want to publish it so others can enjoy it.”

Do you have an agent? 

No, but I am actively looking for one.

What advice would you give aspiring writers? 

The same advice my writing friends give me, which is consistent with the advice I’ve receive from the established authors I’ve interviewed. Don’t give up. When I met Janet Evanovich at a book signing event, she had similar advice for aspiring authors: “Never give up,” and “move on to the next book.” Bestselling Georgia author Steve Berry, reiterates, “Don’t ever give up. Somebody’s name is going to be on the cover of a book. It might as well be yours.” Bestselling novelist Daniel Silva said, “Write something and finish what you write. Just write the book. Any book can be fixed.” Suzanne Brockmann said, “Write the best book you can.” There is still so much more I want to accomplish but you can’t succeed unless you put your work out there.

I love the advice to MOVE ON TO THE NEXT BOOK. That is the best way to avoid getting bogged down in the waiting for publication game. What encouragement can you give writers who face rejection?

I have read so many articles about well-known authors who were rejected time after time until they were published. James Patterson was rejected about 85 times. Dan Brown was repeatedly rejected until his work finally found a home. And of course, there’s the amazing success story of J. K. Rowling of Harry Potter fame. Steve Berry, who had five manuscripts rejected a total of 85 times over 12 years before he published his first novel, advises, “There’s no such thing as handling rejection, but you can learn from it. Just stay with it. Just keep going forward. Keep writing. There’s only one way to learn how to write and that’s to write.”

The advice to keep writing and the only way to learn how to write is to write rings very true for me. What is the most difficult part about writing for you? 

The sagging middle. I can come up with a gangbusters first three chapters and I always know my ending in advance. It’s the middle that causes the most problems.

Ah, for me it is the same. No matter how much I plot it out, the middle goes flat. What is the most surprising thing you discovered after you received the call? 

Apart from the time it takes to proofread galleys and approve cover art before publication and prepare your bio and a story blurb and solicit reviews for your author page on the publisher’s Web site, I was surprised at how time consuming it is to publicize your book. This includes Facebook, blogs, e-mail blasts and other ways to get the word out. If you don’t do it, it won’t go anywhere. As my publisher tell his authors, “Sales don’t just fly out of the woodwork... you have to get your names out there and promote yourselves.” To that end, I’ve joined venues like Goodreads. My blogging sisters at Petit Fours and Hot Tamales www.petitfoursandhottamales.com have been very supportive as are the members of Georgia Romance Writers. I’ve also started blogging for the Roswell Patch as part of their Local Voices program http://roswell.patch.com/search?keywords=marilyn+baron; and even though I said I would draw the line at Twitter, I am now Tweeting. You can follow me at Marilyn Baron@MarilynBaron. I’m excited to be part of the digital publishing revolution and hope to take advantage of the many opportunities that presents.

Yes, the marketing of the books is a huge part of building success in the publishing business. I'm so honored that you are on Digging Out of Distraction to share your story with us. Thanks for coming by and sipping champagne with me!!

Here Comes The Bride. There goes the MOB (Mother of the Bride)

Wedding season is just around the corner. If you like to cry at weddings and you like to laugh, you’ll love “A Choir of Angels,” a heartwarming tale of a family’s tragedy and a wedding promise unfulfilled. How far will a mother go to sing at her daughter’s wedding? Nothing, not even a little thing like death, is going to cheat Rhonda Paver out of celebrating the happiest day of her daughter’s life. Even if she has to cross over to the other side to do it.

A CHOIR OF ANGELS, my humorous supernatural e-short story, is now available from TWB Press atwww.twbpress.com/achoirofangels.html in PDF eBook format or find a Kindle, Nook or OmniLit link at the TWB Press site. You can also search Amazon Kindle, Barnes & Noble Nook, or Omnilit.com by name and title or Smashwords athttp://www.smashwords.com/books/view/51916.

For reviews on Amazon:

 http://www.amazon.com/A-Choir-of-Angels-ebook/product-reviews/B004NIFS84/ref=sr_1_1_cm_cr_acr_pop_hist_all?ie=UTF8&showViewpoints=1&qid=1305287625&sr=8-1

Marilyn blogs at Petit Fours and Hot Tamales www.petitfoursandhottamales.com and The Roswell Patch http://roswell.patch.com/blog_posts/ode-to-a-laundry-room

500th Blog Post Anniversary Celebration!!

Well, it is official I'm celebrating my 500th Blog Post today on Digging Out of Distraction. I started this blog with nary an idea of what I was doing. I did know that I wanted to develop my writing voice, and I wanted to connect with other writers in my world. Since that first post, I've been on a strange and wonderful journey. I've made new friends, I've grown as a writer, I've experienced many firsts. So for today, rather than go on and on about the journey, I figure the best way to share it is to show it to you via my retro blogs.

So enjoy my little trip down memory lane. If you discover a blog you never read, or you rediscover one that tickled your fancy, then please let me know! I would love to hear from you. And today I'm adding to the fun because I will have a prize for one lucky commentator.

Here is my first blog post from November 16, 2008. I kept it pretty short. I think I've gotten more verbose over the last three years.

I blogged about my favorite feline, the Dowager Feline Clancy here. Since her introduction to my cyber world, DFC has developed renal failure. She was diagnosed in August 2010. I thought she was not going to last long, and I was quite distraught. Once again, my feisty kitty has proved me wrong. Although she has had some tough days, she still has a lively personality and an incredible will to live. She's often curled up on my office chair waiting for me to show up and get to work. Every day is a bonus.

Writing is often a lonely pursuit, but my Romance Writers of America groups give all of us a lot of ways to connect. Since I began this blog I've attended the RWA National Conference twice, the Moonlight & Magnolia's Conference twice, dozens of local chapter meetings at the Heart of Dixie, Southern Magic, and Georgia Romance Writers of America writing groups. I've traveled with my writing friend and shared many adventures about my road trips. You can read about one of my favorite trips here.

In November, 2008 I had written three books. My third manuscript, SWEET SENSATIONS, finaled in the prestigious MAGGIE contest in 2009. It's gone on in various incarnations to win the Emerald City Opener contest in 2010. I have written two more books and completed an overview of a series of four books as well. My 4th manuscript placed second in the Emerald City Opener contest in 2010. So that was a one-two hit for me. While I am not published yet, I feel that I am edging closer to my goal.

Part of writing is learning to embrace one's process. Each book is a learning experience. I've written about my process here and here. At times I've doubted my abilities, but I've rallied and bounced back with the help of my friends, my family, and my own determination to beat the odds. I've written many blogs about how to stay focused and on task. I hope that in some way I have encouraged other people to keep reaching for the brass ring. I've written about how to beat the demons of doubt and despair here and here.

I've been fortunate enough to join two group blogs. Southern Magic's Romance Magicians and Georgia Romance Writer's Petit Fours & Hot Tamales. I love being part of the group blogs. The authors and writers who contribute to them are a blessing to me. Check them out some time by clicking on the links.

The new year meant the dawning of a new me. I am more focused than ever on my writing. I've had some serious interest in my manuscripts, and I'm determined to beat back the dark days of writing with the glowing memories of what has been and with the hope for what can be. I don't know WHEN I'll be published, I do believe in my heart that the operative word is WHEN. If I get down or discouraged, I remind myself that there is a bigger picture. I remember that WHO I am is more important than WHAT I am. You can read about those thoughts here and here.

Too often people get so focused on the end result of their pursuits that they forget that who they are when they get there is much more important. I'm determined to succeed, but not at the expense of my internal moral compass. I have a lot of examples of published writers who give generously of their time and who support those of us who are not published. I wish I could name them all, but that would take many blogs and many days. Those of you who have helped me, particularly with my agent questions and my revise and resubmit questions ;-), I give you my ongoing gratitude. I promise that when I make it into the world of publishing that I will pay it forward. I will strive to be the mentor that you have been to me.

And now, the fun part! If you have time to read or revisit any of the blogs I linked to for my 500th Anniversary blog, let me know which one was your favorite. I'd love to know. I'm drawing a name from the list of comments and giving a surprise to one lucky winner.

I hope you continue to join me on my journey toward publication. I hope each and every one of you reach your goals. And I wish that when you do that you will also continue to pay it forward with grace, dignity, humbleness and generosity.

Spring Cleaning the Veranda

It's spring! Trees are budding, flowers are blooming, tornadoes are looming, and I'm making some changes. I'm switching my blog days to Mondays, Wednesdays, and Fridays. I'll start this change tomorrow.

Wanting to look fit and trim for the summer? Me, too! As many of you know, I've embarked on a lifestyle change called Operation Skinny for NYC. You can read about it here and here. I'll be posting about my "lifestyle change" journey every Fridays. If you want to join in the fun, come visit the veranda on Fridays and let me know how you're doing.

I'm also blogging for Petit Fours and Hot Tamales on Fridays so I'll give you a link to one of my infamous confessions--stay tuned for Confessions of A Wannabe Techno Geek and Confessions of Teenage Drama Queen's Mother. I am working up those blogs for PFHT this week.

Need a little inspiration? I do, too! I'll be blogging about how I stay focused and on task throughout the month. And I'll also be sharing Debut Authors with you on Break out the Bubbly and Dark Chocolate. Lots of my friends are debuting their first novels this year. I can't wait to celebrate with all of them.

The RWA National Conference is in New York City this year, so I think I need to get my travelogues out and start planning my trip. An occasional blog about shopping for fun clothes for the event might pop up as well. And I hope that some of my Golden Heart and Rita Finaling friends pop in and say hello to us.

Want to read some other fun blogs? I'll be sharing some of my favorites with you on Mondays. Some of them might surprise you.

What are your spring plans? Making any changes to your blogs, your houses, your gardens, and your wardrobes?

4 Hour Body: Operation Skinny for RWA's National Conference

I've blogged about my foray back into diet and exercise world on Petit Fours & Hot Tamales. You can read about my ongoing rebellion and submission here. So here's the deal: I've decided to share my ongoing mission because I need to be held accountable. I've got lots of reasons to get back into shape, but the primary one is sheer vanity. I want to look good in my clothes. I especially want to look good in my clothes at the RWA National Conference being held in New York City this year. I'm a Golden Heart Finalist's date (how cool is that two of the people I've critiqued are in the Golden Heart Circle of Finalists???? Very!). I don't want to embarrass my good and dear friend, Sharon Wray. She deserves a date who looks great in her dress.

My Darling Hubby has joined me on my adventure. And my Darling Teen is also watching her calories. We're not an obese family, but we are a little on the, shall we say, "fluffy" side. And I am tired of being fluffy. I decided to share my journey with my blog world because I hope it will make me more accountable. Plus, I think it will be fun! I'm not posting my weight (ugh--scale is so demoralizing so I avoid it). But I will post my inches. Inches? Well, that is the total amount of inches around my thighs, my navel area, my hips, and my left bicep (which is getting pretty buff).

In my PFHT blog about my ongoing love/hate relationship with the scale, I revealed my total inches and diet plan. I confess that I didn't add the numbers correctly so I think I wrote something like 114 (I wish!). Actually, I started at 145 inches. Sigh. But the good news is that I'm already seeing results. I had been searching for a plan that would suit my lifestyle and my personality. I'd pretty much tried everything as far as diets are concerned. I knew I didn't want to give up wine, hated counted calories, and hated the very thought of starting a diet then being invited somewhere to eat where NONE of my "allowed foods" were an option. I'm also lousy at counting points (hey, I have trouble adding inches!).

Then a friend of mine told me about the 4 Hour Body diet. She said, "You'll like it Christine because you can drink wine." Sold! Well not totally, first I researched it and then I bought the book. I liked it for three reasons: wine was allowed, no calories counted and one full day of not worrying about what you eat or how much you eat. Yay!! I can do anything for 6 days if I can cheat for 1 day!!

I started my foray back into "diet world" very slowly. First I incorporated a new exercise program. Then I made two changes: no more food in the bedroom (I confess a certain penchant for a snack at bedtime while I am reading), and no carbs till dinner. Then we went to Disney World and I didn't worry about the carbs or the plan after breakfast. I also walked a lot. I had a great time and didn't regain any lost inches. When we returned from our fabulous anniversary trip, Darling Hubby and I began the plan.

We're on week two. So far it hasn't been awful. We aren't hungry. We like the foods we're eating (lots of beans, greens and meat), and we're seeing results. Darling Hubby does miss his grain alcohol, but I let him cheat a bit on Friday night last week when we went out with friends so he was okay. We already had our first cheat day. Ate anything we wanted. We got super stuffed super fast and we were eager to start again on Sunday (we picked Saturday as our Cheat Day for now).

So, now for today's blog, I'll share my stats so far:

Start Date of Modified Plan: 3/3/11
Total Inches: 145

4/1/11--Day 11 of Full Plan
Total Inches: 140.5

Total Lost Inches (darn I have to do math): 4.5 inches!

Favorite go-to food when desperate for something sweet? Pistachios, macadamia nuts, and sun dried tomatoes. Oh, and I'm not ashamed to admit that I'm eyeing the sugar free Jello!

Favorite new recipe? Salmon on a cedar plank. We dust the salmon with hot chili powder, red peppers, a bit of coarse salt. We place it on a soaked cedar plank and grill it till done. We squeeze fresh lime juice over the salmon as we grill. It is delicious over a bed of lettuce with a legume side salad.

Favorite exercise? Zumba!!! At the local YMCA.

What shall I have for Cheat Day? Oh, not sure, but I can assure there will be cookies, dark chocolate, cheese, and more than the allowed amount of wine :-)

Are you on a plan? Is it working for you? Share your stats with me. Let's get skinny for the summer!!

Princess Tales at Petit Fours & Hot Tamales

I'm blogging about my desire to be a Disney Princess over at Petit Fours & Hot Tamales. Come share your favorite princess stories with me!

I'm Confessing My Dieting Sins on Petit Fours and Hot Tamales

I'm a serial dieter who wants to reform. Come read my confessions on Petit Fours & Hot Tamales.

:-)

Confessions of a Wannabe Dance Queen at Petit Fours & Hot Tamales

Hi Everyone: I blogged about my youthful ambitions and how I revisit them every time I go to my YMCA's Zumba class. Come visit me at the Petit Fours & Hot Tamales Blog and tell me how you relive the past.

And while you're there, get up and dance!

:D