Life Part Two

Father Time

Well this is the week of the big move. We’ve got our boxes and bins. Don’t forget the flurry of last minute school activities, award ceremonies class field trips and recitals. This is the first time I can remember dreading the end of the year. My children are involved in entirely too many activities. I need a calendar to keep up with them as well as my husband. And when I’m not supporting them I have my own deadlines to meet.

If you’ve seen me at school functions I’m the one with the Mac furiously typing away. Only one time have I put away my computer because of total distraction-high school choir sang a song so hideous my MUSE ran away. I don’t recall the song...oh wait. I do. It was a medley of Negro spirituals and not the usual ones either. No more writing after that, my Muse took her ideas and left. I don’t blame her I wished I could have fled.

The open house was a blast! A HUGE shout out goes to Pure Pro Wrestling, Xavier Justice, Hades, Father Time, Grizzly House Jones, The Big Deal as well as many others who came and shared in Tim’s special day. Creal, my middle son’s band, totally rocked the house. I love to see young people doing something positive.

And in the midst of the celebration I was able to relax and enjoy the party. Yes I still had a deadline and a new challenge to tackle. Book in a Week. I know what was I thinking?

So far so good I’ve missed my writing goal only twice thus far. I’m hoping to exceed the 2500 word goal again. I’m almost done with the story, about a dancer who lusts after her partner even though she’s engaged to someone else.

Maybe once I’ve completed BIAW, I can tackle adding tabs to my blog. Now that’s a real challenge. :-)

Cover for Seducing His Wife

Imagine my surprise when I checked my email this morning and found the cover art for my book! I love what the artist did. Better than I expected! What do you think?

Life

So much is happening. Life is forging ahead and daring me to keep up. We’re in the process of moving. There is a beautiful flowering bush in the yard of the new place. It’s a peony, at least that’s what I’ve been told. (yes I’m a city girl) We're also going to put in a vegetable garden. I can't wait. Gardening of any kind has me curious and I'll have lots of help.

My oldest graduated this past week. I’m so proud of him. He has no baby mama, no warrants, and has never seen the inside of a jail cell. As a young black male that is an extraordinary feat. He’s never been drunk or high. I’m very proud of my son!

First Sale!!!!

Well this blog posting is a little overdue, but I’ve had a few days to think about what I was going to say and give my fingers a chance to stop trembling.

I sold my first book! Yippee! Fantastic! Confetti and Champagne flow freely!!! When I stop and think about receiving that email and reading Acceptance, I can’t believe it!

This is what every writer dreams. I’ve been writing a very long time and to get a response so quickly was strange. I’m used to sending out a submission and getting a response in oh two to four months. I sent a submission to this particular publisher at the end of March. I'm already compiling a list of publishers for the next go round. I'm being realistic here, writing is a tough business and you have to keep moving forward. I checked my email maybe Sunday and they asked for the full manuscript. My jaw fell on the floor. I’ve never gotten past the first three chapters, before.

Let me tell you, I read through the manuscript, quick, fast and in a hurry. Sent it out on Wednesday. I worried about whether it was good enough. Did I catch all the misspelled words? Should I have let my CP read the final cut? OMG did I send the right file in the correct format? Did I send it to the right email address? Did I attach the file?  Yes, I went a little neurotic.

 And then Saturday rolls around. Still working on a revision request for another publisher, as well as another WIP. I check my messages. OMG! There was an acceptance email. My vision blurred, my hands were trembling, heart was racing. I hadn’t been that excited since my husband proposed to me. I called my Dad, my sister, my mom and my brother. Oh and the kids. Since I wasn’t at home Saturday it was rather difficult to scream and run around...didn’t want to scare the other people in their hotel rooms. What a rush! I still can’t believe this has happened. Somebody pinch me!

But keep an eye out for ‘Seducing His Wife’ from Whispers Publishing.

I’m so excited!!

When Anticipation is Too Much

Well, I am waiting...again! What to do when you have to wait? One thing to do is blog. I haven’t updated my page in a bit, so I figured I would rattle off a few things I can do while I wait.

1. When Anticipation Is Too Much- I Know you’re rolling your eyes. I stared at the ceiling for about twenty minutes one morning trying to come up with something clever for each letter of the word “wait.”
2. Play Bejeweled. I still haven’t beat the high score!
3. Start writing in a new genre. Dabbling in the erotic field. How hot is too hot?
4. Make a new list of publishers to query, when you’ve exhausted the first, second or third lists.
5. Give up. Yes, I said it. Being a writer is not for the faint of heart. If you can’t take the rejections then you should just break your pencils, burn that pretty notebook and unplug the laptop!
6. Have a glass of wine...or two. Once the warm, fuzzy feeling settles over you the wait won’t seem so long.
7. Call a friend. Thank God I have that unlimited plan. The conversations I and my sibs have could single-handedly pay a CEO’s salary. 
8. Clean the house. Yes, cleaning can be therapeutic and often the Muse needs a bit of a break from her job of constant inspiration.
9. Read a book. Right. I have three kids and a husband. I’m lucky I have time to write.
10. And the best thing in the world to do while I’m waiting...Write! I bet you thought I was going to say something like research or sex? Hmmm, both could be combined for a little inspiration and well...I just go an idea.

Thanks for stopping by and reading. What are some of your favorite things to do while waiting to hear back from a publisher, or at the doctor’s office, or anyplace you’re left cooling your heels?