Moved and settling

It's been weeks since I posted here. However, move is completed, although getting settled is still in progress. Cats are adjusting and liking the fact they get to sleep with mom at night. Work commute is longer due to traffic. Work is busy, although not as profitable as I would like.

Writing, getting back on track. Have some deadlines and then will complete several projects promised but not yet delivered to various publishers.

Am hoping to attend my class reunion this year. Have to wait and see.

All in all, my life is still hectic and am hoping it will settle down one day soon.

Still writing

Due to the craziness of my life, I am only writing about 200-300 words a day. While that doesn't seem like much, I am making progress on a short story. It's better than being blocked, which does happen to all writers. The important thing is that I'm writing, despite how busy work is, trying to get my house ready to sell, the final end of my marriage, getting ready to move, an upcoming anthology release, and a writing conference.

Once my life settles down again, I'm hoping to get back to work on my novels that publishers are waiting for.

Crazy Life

Slow writing week. Too much else going on in my life. I've written maybe 600 words total in two days. At least I finished a chapter of my new book and started a short story.

My time at home is limited during the work week. I have several tasks I have to get done every evening. Plus, start to get my house ready to sell and have been watching the real estate market for a possible new one.

CoSine is coming up where the anthology I edited Supernatural Colorado will be released.

Beginning of February is the Superstars Writing Conference.

Going to be hectic for the next few weeks.

Craziness and Writing

I've gotten behind on my blogs. Combination of being in mourning after losing Sammy and discovering my father is not doing well at all. Put on top of that the holidays, which is not always a happy time for everyone, my crazy work schedule, trying to get the house ready to sell and the tail end of a divorce, and well, sometimes things just don't get done.

On the upside, I'm writing again. I have an hour lunch and I've been taking my laptop and working on a one of many novels. I'm pleases with the progress I'm making and am looking forward to seeing how the story unfolds. I do have a basic plot but characters have this bad habit of taking the writer down a path not expected. That's okay because it does make for a better story.

Different Dragons II which I edited has been released. It's the second and last collection of dragon stories set in places not normally done in traditional fantasy. If you enjoyed the first anthology, you'll love the second.

I have a convention in January I'm planning on attending and a writing conference in February. More on those later.

For those of you running around with Christmas shopping and planning family get gatherings, cherish your loved ones. There will come a day when there will be missing members. Let them know how much you love them. 

Done!

Different Dragons II is now done and submitted to the publisher. Am very excited about my newest anthology and it should be available later this year.

Next up, edits for my next book and then on to my other writing projects.

My next author appearance will be at Myths and Legends Con in Denver, CO, August 8-10. More information forthcoming. 

You Never Know

Last of the edits done for Different Dragons 2. Whew! Worked over eight hours my last day off to get them done and sent back to the authors.

Then, I contacted Bryan Thomas Schmidt and asked to reprint a story he submitted for another anthology I edited a few years back. He said yes, so I zinged a contract off to him and got the latest version to include.

New Table of Contests

The Dragon’s Keeper – David Lee Summers X

The Stalker – Lynn Donovan

Such is the Jungle – Quincy Allen

Changling – Rebecca McFarland Kyle

Suntosun Shipping – G.L. Francis

Of the Generation – Therese Arkenberg X

Dot’s Lunch – The Watchers along the Line  - Dave Withe

His Lucky Color is Gold – Rebecca Leo

Hargmir, Ghost of Dragons – David Turnbull

Space Wings – H.A. Titus

Asim’s Gift – Kathryn S. Renta

Mr. Long’s School for Girls – Rob S. Rice

Bessie Returns – Christine Hardy

Amélie’s Guardian – Bryan Thomas Schmidt X 

Will be finishing this project as soon as I get revisions back. Then, it will go off to the publisher, WolfSinger Publications.   

 Sunday night, I went to an artistic gathering at a church I keep loose ties to. Got to hear a great speaker and meet some new writers and artists. My editor ear is always looking for new talent. Didn't really find any possibles, but you never know.

Successful Convention

It's funny to think that my measure on whether or not a convention was successful, is measured in how many pitches did I make, how many new projects did I pick up, and what other writing opportunities landed in my lap. Or even, did I find a new talent for something I'm working on?

This was the realization I came to at the end of Denver Comic Con this year. Did I accomplish the above? Absolutely! Am I going to talk about them? Not right now.

Instead, I'm concentrating on finishing this year's projects, even while I start planning years. Mind you, this is all in between working a full-time job, taking care of the house & the cats, and still having time to enjoy life. The latter very important to keeping me physically, emotionally and mentally healthy.

So, Denver Comic Con was very successful for me. Besides, the children loved the pipe cleaner dragons I gave away. More than one parent said 'Thank you.' That would have been success enough.

Happy Editor

Wednesday evening, I got a request from an editor for a story. Luckily, I had a great idea, spent four days writing and revising, before I sent it off to her on Sunday evening. The tale was over 10,000 words.

Whoa! Wait a minute...how'd you do that?

Simple. Practice. Years and years of practice.

I'm a bit startled to discover that I write faster than many pro writers. I guess all that time I spent writing fanfiction, and then posting it online, paid off.

What was the fanfiction? Practice!

All I did was take everything I learned about writing in other people's universes and applied it my original work.

Hey, it worked. And I have one very happy editor.

Blog Hop

 

 

 Fellow Writer Kat Heckenbach invited me to be part of a blog hop. http://www.katheckenbach.com/. Please, check out her blog and see her answers on the following questions.

 

 

 1)      What am I working on? 

I'm a writer who has to have several projects going on at once. I'm editing two anthologies, Supernatural Colorado  and Different Dragons 2. Completing Winter Emergence, the sequel to my first book. I'm working on a collaboration with Julie Campbell and I will writing a book for Sky Warrior Books. The working title is Thunks in the Attic. Not to mention several short stories to submit to various anthologies.

 

 2)       How does my work differ from others of its genre?

I allow my cats to be cats, my wolves to be wolves and any other animal I write to be true to their nature. They aren't people in animal skin. They behaviors, sense of smell, etc. are used instead of how a human would view it. I've even crawled around on the floor to see it from the cat's perspective.

 

I'm also a regional writer. I add local flavor to my work. Many of my stories and books are based in Colorado, or other places I have been. It makes the stories much more real and the reader can identify with them much easier.

 

3)       Why do I write what I do?

I grew up reading Science Fiction, Fantasy and Horror, so it was natural progression. I also read romances and written my first. It was rejected, but the editor liked it well enough she's going to let me know what was wrong with it so I can fix and re-submit.

 

I envisioned myself as the next Andre Norton. I loved her work and even have a story of hers in an anthology I edited. Talk about a dream come true!

 

4)       How does your writing process work?

I allow myself to writer the splat. Then I go back to fix it. What's important is to get the basic story down. It doesn't need to be perfect. I also write in odd bits of time. Sometimes it's every day, sometimes it's just whenever.

I always have more story ideas floating around in the back of my head. Several series I'm working on even while I'm trying to complete current projects.

Resting and Catching up

Normally, I write and edit on Sundays. Instead, I decided to take the entire weekend off and watch TV programs that featured dinosaurs. I watched the entire season of Primeval New World and the first three and last two episodes of Terra Nova. Both of which are excellent shows that the networks killed too soon.

On Tuesday, I attended my local writer's meeting. Had a great time sharing with everyone and catching up. Even had a couple of folks stop me afterwards to ask questions and pick my brains about what I know in regards to the Science Fiction genre. I tend to keep my foot in both the secular main stream and the up and coming Christian Speculative.

What I will say is the writers of Christian Speculative are very good at coming up with new ideas or twists and turns on old themes. Their writing is excellent. If you would like to check them out, I suggest looking at titles from either Marcher Lord Press or Splash Down Books. Both can be found online.

Back to work. Yeah!

Finally! I'm mostly over being sick and have gone back to writing. On Sunday I edited my completed zombie story and sent it off to Zombified II edited by Carol Hightshoe and will be published by Sky Warrior Books. I also partially edited a story for my own project Supernatural Colorado. I'll finish the piece later this week.

It hasn't helped that we've had cold temperatures and snow. There's nothing like coming home after a long day at work and then having to shovel the driveway...just so I can pick up the mail!

At least I'm not so tired when I get in that all I want to do is collapse in front of the TV, with a cup of tea, a cuddle blanket and cat on my lap. Sometimes two, when they decide they feel like sharing momma. I normally wouldn't move until bedtime.

Now, it's back to the grind, but a much more fun one than my day job.


 

Projects and being sick

I hate being sick. For over the past week or so, I've had the flu. My weekends have been spent curled under fleece blankets trying to keep warm and drinking tons of tea.

I haven't gotten much writing done. I feel guilty about that. But I know too, that I won't be able to write with having to constantly cough. Or the fact that momma's lap is empty and doesn't she want a warm kitty to fill it?

I'm finally beginning to feel better and am hoping to get back to working on the various projects piled on my desk. Or maybe I should say, waiting to be finished in my hard drive.

There are six now. Yikes! I need to get back to work!!!

Submissions, Reading, and just enough

This week's project has been to read submissions for Supernatural Colorado. Five stories later I was amazed at the talent and diversity of the writers and can't wait to read the last eight. There are seventeen in all and I've read four others previously. Though some need revision, I haven't read one I would reject - which is good since this was an invite only anthology and it looks like I'll have just enough stories to fill it.

I also submitted a story to Vampires Don't Sparkle. An anthology were there are rumors there might be a number two because the editor has received over fifty submissions - and the deadline isn't until March, 2014!

All in all - a good week. Now, if I could just come up with a zombie story...

NaNoWriMo

Okay, I signed up NaNoWriMo this year. Normally I don't, but I've got several books to finish and I'm hoping this will help drive me to complete at least one of them. Of course, I do take the weekends  off to do other things, so that means that my word count for Monday-Friday has to be higher.

I'll keep everyone updated on how the month goes.

Rolling in

This week I've completed a rough draft for a new vampire story. Got the idea from a spooky special I watched about the Badlands.

Also, submissions for the two anthologies I'll be editing are rolling in. Three authors have extensions due to illness or other life events. Happens in the writing world. I should be seeing their stories within the next week. Luckily, I have to publisher deadlines...yet.

Am also thinking of writing for NaNoWriMo this year. Haven't signed up but thinking it might be what I need to get one book finished and get further into the next one.

MileHiCon post report

Over the weekend I attended MileHiCon, our local literary Science Fiction Convention. I was on three panels, one on each day, plus I had a reading during the final hour on Sunday. Most of the rest of the time I either attended panels, caught up with fellow writers and/or friends, or hung out at the WolfSinger Publications table in the dealers room.

A little about the panels, my first panel was 'What we want from the new Doctor Who'. It was a great discussion about favorite villains, companions, and yes, River Song will be back or so I was told, and questions about the choice for the new doctor.

Saturday I was part of a panel discussing food allergies and how in the world do you eat when away from home? It was called 'Eating outside the mainstream'. While such a discussion is not the norm for conventions, it was very informative about a growing problem in our society and how cooking for scratch is a life saver for those of us who have to watch what we eat.

I also attended the Spirituality & Spaceships panel which incorporated God or a higher being into SF/F/H stories and what authors have done this well. It was excellent discussion making both the panelists and audience think.

My last panel was Border Crossing:Non-Western Fantasy. It was made up of panelists all of which were using mythos of cultures that are not the normal medieval European. The moderator had great questions and it was a lively panel talking about why the authors used different cultural backgrounds in their work. I think this the best panel all weekend.

Finally, I did a reading with author Courtney Schafer. We had an audience and afterward we answered questions on our work. I sold three copies of my book 'Winter Awakening' and was complimented by Guest author Ian Tregillis for an excellent reading. I hadn't even realized he was in the audience.

Other outcomes: Got updated from various authors on where they are on their submissions for either 'Different Dragons' or 'Supernatural Colorado'. Some are doing both. Found a back up publisher for 'Supernatural Colorado' just because of the authors I have submitting to it.

Fellow author Julie Campbell and I pitched our collaboration to Carol Hightshoe for WolfSinger Publications. She said, 'When you get it done, I want it.'

Pitched an unfinished novel to Maggie Bonham from Sky Warrior books. After giving me some wonderful feedback, she told me to sent it when it was completed.

Had several folks drop by the WolfSinger table and say, 'When is the sequel to 'Winter Awakening' coming out.' Including my publisher so guess which book gets done next?

Found out 'God's Gift', my next book, will be be coming out either later this year or early next year.

Also, Carol told me she knows I'll be moving on up in the publishing world. First person who has told me that. While it scared me, I'm happy to know that at least someone has faith in my writing.

A lot of writers let me know that I am a wonderful editor and that they love writing for me. Wow! What a great compliment!!!!

All in all, a great weekend and I enjoyed reconnecting with folks I only see maybe once or twice a year. 

Writing again!

This has been a good week for my writing. I finally edited the final two completed chapters of 'Winter Emergence' and am ready to move on writing the next novel of the trilogy. I'd better get it done since the main character from the third book is being one very annoying cat.

I'm also working on the collaboration. It's been moving a bit slow due to other life complications. However, my goal is to really dive in since my work schedule is going to become very demanding here in a a couple of months.

Figures, the deadlines for the two anthologies I'm editing fall right into that time period. That's okay. It'll give me something to look forward to after I get home or on the weekends.

Shift Change

I've changed schedules at work so now I have to find other ways to accomplish my writing. This blog is being written after I've put in a long day. I'm not saying the change is a bad thing. In fact, the shift actually goes by faster because it's busier than the late nights. It also challenges me to manage my time so everything I need to do gets done.

Now, if I can just adjust my writing schedule accordingly....

Uneventful week

Not a very eventful week. I spent time with my extended family, IE Denverfilk. We gathered on Saturday to share food, fellowship and song. Even had an out of town guest from Boston and skyped someone in from Tennessee. It was a wonderful gathering and we all enjoyed ourselves.

On the writing front I got a rejection. Wasn't really surprised. The editor enjoyed the story but it didn't fit the magazine. On the upside, it tells me what has to happen at the end of 'Winter Moon'.

 

Vacation!

I'm on vacation this week. I only had a couple of things planned and am enjoying just being away from work and the regular schedule I'm forced to keep.

So far, I've done housework and laundry. Did a little shopping since I needed a new pillow.

Went to the zoo. Got to see the new snow leopard cub Misha at the Denver Zoo before she hid with mom in their den. At the Asia exhibit I showed up when the fed the fishing cat her dinner. It was fun watching her bounce through the water, catch her fish and then protect her back while she ate her fish. The tigers were up and marking territory. The other big cats did what they normally do - sleep when its hot.

Yes, I did see other animals. But my favorites are the cats. Besides, it doubles as research for future writing projects. I love it when what I know and my passions blend. Makes for great story telling.