Writers in Heels

Tucson Book Festival March 13-14

2010-03-10T10:16:42+00:00

If any of you are in the area, I hope you'll stop by and see me at the Tucson Book Festival so it looks like I have fans. (I like to pretend, often bribing near strangers into filling this role.)

My schedule for Saturday, March 13:

1:00-2:00 - Workshop on writing
2:00-2:30, autographing
4:00-4:30 - Teen Author Lounge

You can find out about the other 400 authors attending by checking out the website:
http://tucsonfestivalofbooks.org/

Hope to see you there!

Interview with Rachelle J. Christensen

2010-03-10T06:00:12+00:00

As I'm sure all my blog readers know, I'm a pretty busy person. It's hard for me to schedule in time for interviews and the like, so when I called Rachelle and asked her to come do an interview with me, I had to get a little creative.

Tristi: Hi, Rachelle? Hey, listen. I want to interview you, but I need you to go grocery shopping with me and follow me around.

Rachelle: (dead quiet)

Tristi: Um, are you there?

Rachelle: Are you sure you don't have the wrong number?

Tristi: This is Rachelle Christensen, right?

Rachelle: Yeah ... but why do I need to follow you around at the grocery store?

Tristi: I want to interview you. You know who this is, right? Tristi Pinkston.

Rachelle: Your voice does sound familiar, but I have to be careful. I get a lot of wrong numbers, you know.

Tristi: I get a ton, too. In fact, my phone number is just one digit off that of a popular store in the valley. I get calls for them all the time.

Rachelle: Okay, so, what grocery store?

We made arrangements to meet the following day. I was pushing the cart, my children dutifully holding on to the sides, like they have been taught to do. Rachelle looked adorable, as always ... I looked frazzled, as always.

Rachelle: You know, usually when I'm invited to do a blog interview and the blogger chooses an unusual place to interview me, they pick a tropical island or something like that.

Tristi: (fishing a child out of the macaroni display) I know, and I'm sorry. But my imagination has become somewhat pragmatic lately. I have to multitask. Thanks for being such a good sport.

Rachelle: No problem.

Tristi: Now, where were we?

Rachelle: We weren't actually anywhere yet ... you haven't asked me a question.

Tristi: Oh, right. Now, your book is all about a wrong number. What is the most embarrassing wrong number you've ever placed?

Rachelle: I can’t think of one that I dialed, but I can think of one I answered when I was in high school. I talked to the girl—she was all bubbly and excited—for about three minutes before I figured out she wasn’t calling me! We looked each other up in the year book, she was a senior- I was a junior, to figure out who we were talking to.

Tristi: A guy called me up and asked me out one day. Turns out he really wanted to talk to someone named Sandy. What's wrong with me? Why didn't he want to ask me out? I mean, this was before I was married and had four kids and was very unavailable. He could have asked me out, now, couldn't he? Couldn't he?

Rachelle: (looking uncomfortable) But if he didn't know you, maybe he didn't feel right about asking you out?

Tristi: What's not to ask? I was an adorable teenager, completely adorable, I tell you!

People on the aisle stopped to stare. Rachelle took the cart and gently steered it toward the deli.

Rachelle: Let's get a drink. I know I could go for some water.

Tristi: Don't tell me you're one of those water-drinking nuts.

Rachelle: I am.

Tristi: Me too. Salud!

We both filled up water cups, and I got a snack for the kids. We sat down at the nearby table. Rachelle reached across the table and patted my hand.

Rachelle: Was there anything else you wanted to ask me?

Tristi: Oh, yeah, there was. What is the most irritating wrong number you've ever received?

Rachelle: When my husband and I were first married, we moved into the USU Mobile Home Park. You kept the same phone numbers there and we soon learned that the previous owners had skipped out on all of their bills. Every day we would come home and hear the greeting tune for Discover card asking the people to pay their bill. Other times we were harassed and accused of hiding information about these people to help them escape their debt!

Tristi: That would be a good plot line for a book, too. You should think about that. So, you're a busy mom, in addition to being an author.

Rachelle: Yes. My kids are adorable. Yours are equally as adorable.

Tristi: (beaming) Yes, they are rather cute little things, aren't they? That one (pointing) just got accepted to Julliard.

Rachelle: Really?

Tristi: No. But maybe next year, when he's six.

We finished our water cups and stood up. I took the opportunity to throw five loaves of bread in the cart, and Rachelle helped me find the peanut butter with the lowest sodium.

Tristi: So, remind me where to buy your book?

Rachelle: You can buy it directly from the publisher here, or you can go into Deseret Book or Barnes and Noble. It's also on Amazon.

Tristi: So basically, I would have no excuse whatsoever not to get your book.

Rachelle: That is correct.

Tristi: And by extension, my blog readers also have no excuse.

Rachelle: Well, you did make it very easy for them to find. All those links, and things.

Rachelle helped me out to the car with my groceries, and we got the kids buckled in.

Tristi: Thanks, Rachelle!

Rachelle: Not a problem. Any time.

Tristi: What are you doing tomorrow? I need to go to Costco.

Rachelle: Oh, my! Look at the time.

You can learn more about Rachelle J. Christensen by visiting her blog and her Web site. But I don't think she'll come help you grocery shop - she only does that for me.

Open Letter: Dear Spambots . . .

2010-03-09T22:34:44+00:00

Dear Spambots,

How are you? I trust you're feeling well and that your mother recovered from her knee surgery without complication.

I'm contacting you today on an entirely unrelated matter. You see, as of late, you've been trying extra hard to leave comments on my blog. You know the kind I mean ... I helped with your college paper, you have some enhancement products to sell me, you want me to enlist for your prescription drug program, you have some money for me ... well, guess what. It's not working. We've talked about this, you and I. You know I don't allow unsolicited advertisements on my blog.

I have comment moderation. That means that anything you want to post has to come through me. And I'm not allowing it. Now, I do realize that I'm just one on a list of many. I know that you go through thousands upon thousands of addresses a day. But you know what - more of us are rising up in rebellion. More of us are taking a stand and taking control of our blogs. No longer do we have to let just anyone leave a comment. When you come on our blogs, you're coming onto our turf. And our turf is getting tough.

So go your way, little spambots. Waste your time no longer.

This blog is a no-Viagra, no-dead-uncle-from-Haiti, no-amazing-scholarship, no-prescription-drug, no-porn site. In addition, if I think you're just being snarky, I'll delete those comments, too. Except for if it's me being snarky ... but again, the point is, this is my blog.

Go for Launch: Door Prizes Galore!

2010-03-09T14:00:00+00:00

If you weren't excited for the Triple Book Launch Party YET . . . you will be after reading this post.

Here are some of door prizes we have in store for those who attend:

Pendragon's Book Binding

The nearly lost art (truly an art!) of hand-bound books is alive and well at Pendragon's Book Binding. Their work is stunning, high-quality, and costs about half what similar companies typically charge.

One winner gets a hardbound journal, 8.5" X 5.5" with 160 sheets (320 writing pages). The actual journal made especially for the launch party is pictured below: hand-sewn binding with red butterfly paper and a black suede spine!

They have a ton of choices for cover styles (fabric, paper, photos, soon even leather) and you can have the book blank or have them print your own book inside for a family heirloom.

Retail value: Through other channels, about $40. Through Pendragon's, $20.

Pendragon's Book Binding is run by a husband and wife team, and they do all the work right at their home, sewing and hand binding journals, projects, manuscripts and anything else that might include paper and two covers. Everything is customizable. They're in the process of completing their website and will soon be hosting their own Grand Opening Contest Giveaway among their Facebook followers. (Become a Facebook fan HERE.)

Lola's Lovelies

Just as the name suggests, Lola's Lovelies has lovely, hand-made hair accessories.

Door Prizes: TWO skinny wrapped headbands with decorative flowers on the side: one purple. the other blue! Both have been specially made just for the launch party and our readers.

Visit her blog for more "hair lovelies" HERE.

Two Julie Coulter Bellon Gift Baskets

Two winners will get to benefit from this one. Julie Bellon is putting together two fun gift baskets:

A Book Lover's Basket

AND

A Movie Night Basket.

(If only I could rig the drawings and win one of those!)

Two of My Books

One winner will receive copies of both Lost Without You and At the Water's Edge, my first two books, which are out of print and therefore hard to find (but will soon be available on the Amazon Kindle!).

Meg Hall Photography

One winner will get a free family photography sitting, along with a disc of the images and a copyright release letter so you can make as many copies of any photo you like.

Visit Meg Hall Photography to see more of her awesome work!

Heimdahl & Son Soaps

We have THREE cool products for GUYS, using all-natural products and fragrances (essential oils, for example. Not the fake stuff). Whether we give them all out together or separately is yet to be determined: Lemon soap, Bay Rum aftershave (which I hear smells just right: not too strong or weak and is oh so good), and a shaving bar. They're all packaged and sealed with wax in the company's trademark wooden containers. Become of a fan on Facebook HERE.

Walls of Wisdom Home

This great company can customize any vinyl lettering project just for you.

(One of my personal favorites says, "A balanced diet is chocolate in both hands.")

They're offering a several prizes:

One winner will receive $20 gift certificate for anything on the Walls of Wisdom Home site.

SEVERAL OTHER winners will receive vinyl lettering ready to put on a wall with awesome quotes about reading and books.

Visit Walls of Wisdom Home to see more of their products.

UPDATE: ANOTHER CONFIRMED PRIZE

Dippidee $25.00 Gift Certificate

This is a bakery of my own heart. The Dippidee tagline is "Place of Sweet Surprises," and it couldn't be more true. I've loved everything I've ever tasted from them, and their cakes are gorgeous! (Really, go check out their website!)

ONE person will be the lucky winner of a Dippidee gift card. (Attached to a Dippidee treat! Mmmm . . .)

Convinced yet? Hope so! We have more prizes in the works; these are the ones we have confirmed so far.

So please come . . . and spread the word!

(Remember, if you help let others know about the launch party, you could win BOOKS! See this post for details.)

Wrong Number Giveaway ... With Awesome Prizes!!

2010-03-09T11:43:46+00:00

The Original Scrapbox has a brand new piece of organizing furniture and you have a chance to win it! Introducing the Office Box...

And we're celebrating the launch of Rachelle J. Christensen's suspense novel, Wrong Number, with a chance to win an autographed copy!

The Office Box was created as an addition to the line of incredible scrapbooking furniture The Original Scrapbox has to offer, such as The Workbox and The EZ View Craft Desk.

Check out the amazing features on The Office Box, available in 4 different colors: Space for a 19" monitor, magazine holder, Totes that act as slide-out drawers, Velcro storage/organizers, Power cord hole in back of box. This folds out to 72" by 48" by 36" and closes up to the sleek space of only 36" wide by 48" high and 21" deep.

I'm hosting a preliminary giveaway with some awesome prizes,
*and I'm giving away a copy of Agent in Old Lace.

You can enter to win my prize and on March 16th, I'll announce the winner who will then go on for the grand prize drawing of The Office Box and a copy of Wrong Number.The Grand Prize Winner will be drawn on March 19, 2010 at RachelleWrites. She will select a winner from the 25 finalists to receive one Office Box (Value $895.00) in their choice of color and an autographed copy of Wrong Number by Rachelle J. Christensen.

Giveaway open from March 5, 2010- March 15, 2010 at 11:59pm Mountain Standard Time.
Open to addresses in the contiguous United States only.
Giveaway Rules:

*You can only enter under one name

* It is possible to win more than one preliminary prize, which means it’s possible to be entered into the grand prize drawing more than once.

*All winner’s addresses must be stateside US addresses

*You must complete the required entry to be eligible to win

Here's how to enter:Please leave details in your comment of how you entered with required links. I'll put all entries into a spreadsheet and use Random.org to select the winner.

*Required entry: You must visit The Original Scrapbox website and leave a comment telling me your favorite item

Extra Entries:

Become a Facebook Fan of The Original Scrapbox

Tweet the contest with linkback in your comment and use the hashtag #officebox or #scrapbox in your tweet.

Facebook the contest with linkback in your comment

Add the contest button(pictured above) to your sidebar with a link to this contest

Follow RachelleWrites

To receive 15 extra entries, you must do the following 5 things together on your blog post and please leave a link back to your blog post with your comment (only one comment required, but you must leave a link so I can check your post.)

Blog about the contest WITH a picture of The Office Box and Wrong Number in your post, and link back to this post.
In your blog post link the phrase "The Office Box " to http://theoriginalscrapbox.com/catalog/index.php?option=com_content&view=article&id=87&Itemid=138
Link the phrase "The Original Scrapbox" to http://theoriginalscrapbox.com/catalog/
Link the phrase "Wrong Number" to http://www.amazon.com/Wrong-Number-Rachelle-J-Christensen/dp/1599553643/ref=pd_rhf_p_t_1
Post the Wrong Number book trailer from You Tube on your blog

There are 25 different blogs participating in this giveaway. Each blog is giving away a preliminary prize and a chance to win an entry into the Grand Prize Drawing. Stay tuned for reviews on Wrong Number and author interviews as well!

Here's the list of blogs where you can enter:

The Mommy Files
Cricut Christmas
Little Birdie Secrets
Priscilla Styles
Mommy Mandy
RockinMama
RachelleWrites
Alvor-Dare To Dream
Diony George
Heather Justesen
Queen of the Clan
Scribbled Scraps
Anne Bradshaw
Rachel Rager
Tristi Pinkston
Cami Checketts
Nichole Giles
Wendy Paul
Marilyn Bunderson
Ronda Hinrichson
C.L. Beck: Write Up My Alley
Christine Bryant
Ali Cross
Jenni James
Annette Lyon

*Results of contests are final. Participants will be eliminated if entry rules are not followed correctly.

Book Review-The Sapphire Flute

2010-03-09T02:55:44+00:00

First, I must start out with five reasons I think Karen Hoover is awesome--these are listed in no particular order:

1--She's a certified massage therapist and OFFERS to give me neck massage when we're together. I honestly think she can 'read' my tension and if she weren't so nice she would force me to sit, but she is nice so she doesn't force me, just talks me into it. It's a really hard sell :-)
2--Her sons are biological brothers who Karen fostered and then adopted SPECIFICALLY because she and her husband wanted to a) have children b) be part of keeping siblings together. Not only did she build her own family, but she preserved theirs. I can hardly think about it without getting teary.
3--Karen looks AWESOME in hats. I have definite hattitude envy when I'm around her.
4--If I could summarize Karen in three words it would be "Dancin' in the Rain." Since I've known Karen she's had a lot of thunderstorms come her way, some complete with tornado sirens and flash flood warnings. She has managed to build herself a very sturdy canoe and will be the first to tell you that thunderstorms suck, but they happen and must be forded. She's an excellent forder and just keeps singin' when the storms wash through.
5--Karen is a fabulous writer. I was lucky enough to read one of the first drafts of The Sapphire flute a few years ago. I'm a critical reviewer, but Karen weighed out every word of advice I gave her and pushed forward. She is not only talented, but she is passionate, not only about her writing, but about other people's writing too. She is classy, optimistic, and after years of writing, she is now a Novelist!

In lieu of a book review, I conducted an interview with one of Karen Hoover's new fans, my fifteen year old daughter we refer to on this blog as Jeanie. By virtue of being my daughter, Jeanie is not your average 15 year old reader. We discuss plot holes, character development and the use of foreshadowing as normal conversation when discussing books. She doesn't like everything she reads and is pretty darn articulate--especially compared to her mother twenty years ago. So, her opinion is one you can trust:

1) Can you summarize for us the story told in The Sapphire Flute?

    Kayla's life if flying high as she is finally being recognized for who she is and her talents. Striving to be important, Kayla excels in her flutist abilities while hiding her genealogy as everybody comes to adore her. The king has recognized her skill and her values, so he has assigned her a special role. Guardian of the Sapphire Flute.
    Meanwhile, Ember is lost in her feelings. Her stepfather's health has declined so far that he is racked with coughs. Ember's relationship with her mom isn't so great either and whenever Ember asks her mom about her real father she clams up. Odd dreams, lonely nights, and a confusing future dampen her life too. That's when her fate starts to look up.
    Both girls are destined to fight the evil forces of C'Tan with the help of magic but have no idea who each other are. In this upbeat book their lives take huge turns together and are always in sync, despite the miles in between.

2) Which character did you like, or relate to, the most? Why?

     I could relate to Kayla the best because I share the same love of music and I love how she expresses it.

3) You've read a lot of fantasy books, how did The Sapphire Flute compare?

Pretty good, it was always moving so at times it seemed breathless but it sure did keep you turning the pages.

4) Who would you recommend this book to?

   Anyone who is a sucker for magic this book uses it at its best, giving magic its different colors and characters.

5) Anything else you would like to say about The Sapphire Flute?

   The characters were fun to follow as they grew in the good times and bad. When I first saw the cover I thought it was a book for younger kids. I also thought the cover was kind of busy, but after I read it it made more sense why it was the way it was. It was a really great book and I'm looking forward to the rest of the series.

So, there you have it--a first hand account of The Sapphire Flute. Happy Reading!

6 Week Book Giveaway!

2010-03-08T11:30:46+00:00

PREORDER Women of the Book of Mormon HERE.

Contest rules:

In celebration of my upcoming book, WOMEN OF THE BOOK OF MORMON, here are the RULES:

Each Monday, I'll post a random question here.
To be entered:
1. You as the blogger will make a comment (answer to the question of the week of course)
2. Become a blog follower (if you aren't already)

On Thursday of the same week, I'll pick a favorite answer or do a drawing if it's too hard to choose. I'll announce the winner here, and the winner can choose any of my novels as a prize.

Question of the Week #3:

Easy this week . . . as you know, I love to read and I'm always looking for a great book or a new author to get hooked onto. This past week, I've been reading Nefertiti by Michelle Moran, which is, of course, about the Egyptian queen Nefertiti. This book was a Target Book Club Pick and since I've never read anything by Moran and the story looked intriguing, I decided to chance it. Moran's writing style reminds me a lot of Phillipa Gregory, but much cleaner.

So . . . What book/author have you been reading that you'd like to recommend?

Hidden Treasures: Great Books Overlooked by the National Awards

2010-03-08T10:03:39+00:00

I was a presenter at the Utah Educators Library Media Association (UELMA) conference on Friday. This is the list of books I recommended to the librarians during my presentation. Since readers are always asking me for a list of great books, I thought I'd share this one here for all of you.

Hidden Treasures: Great Books Overlooked by the National Awards

Lu Ann Brobst Staheli, M.Ed.

The 13^th Reality: The Journal of Curious Secrets – James Dashner (Aladdin, 2009)

The 13^th Reality: The Hunt for Dark Infinity – James Dashner (Aladdin, 2010)

The Alchemyst: Secrets of Immortal Nicholas Flamel -- Michael Scott (Del

acorte, 2008)

Antsy Does Time – Neal Schusterman (Dutton Juvenile, 2008)

The Body Finder – Kimberly Dertney (HarperCollins, 2010)

The Chosen One – Carol Lynch Williams (St. Martin's Griffin, 2009)

The Dangerous Days of Daniel X – James Patterson (Grand Central Publishing, 2009)

Dragon Spear – Jessica Day George (Bloomsbury, 2009)

Everything is Fine – Ann Dee Ellis (Little Brown, 2009)

Far World: Water Keep – J. Scott Savage (Shadow Mountain, 2008)

Far World: Land Keep – J. Scott Savage (Shadow Mountain, 2009)

Forest Born – Shannon Hale (Bloomsbury, 2009)

The Hourglass Door – Lisa Mangum (Shadow Mountain, 2009)

How to Take the Ex Out of Ex-Boyfriend – Janette Rallison (Putnam Juvenile, 2007)

Ice – Sarah Beth Durst (Margaret K. McElderry, 2009)

I’d Tell You I Love You, But Then I’d Have to Kill You – Ally Carter (Hyperion, 2007)

If I Stay – Gayle Forman (Dutton, 2009)

Just One Wish – Janette Rallison (Putnam Juvenile, 2009)

Leviathan – Scott Westerfeld (Simon Pulse, 2009)

Life as We Know It – Susan Beth Pfeffer (Harcourt, 2008)

Lily Dale: Awakening – Wendy Corsi Staub (Walker Books, 2009)

Lily Dale: Connecting – Wendy Corsi Staub (Walker Books, 2009)

The Line – Teri Hall (Dial, 2010)

The Loser’s Guide to Life and Love: A Novel – A.E. Cannon (Harper Teen, 2008)

The Luxe: Envy – Anna Godberson (Harper Collins, 2009)

The Luxe: Splendor – Anna Godberson (Harper Collins, 2009)

Maximum Ride: The Angel Experiment – James Patterson (Little Brown, 2007)

Missing: Found – Margaret Peterson Haddix (Simon & Schuster, 2009)

Missing: Sent – Margaret Peterson Haddix (Simon & Schuster, 2009)

My Fair Godmother – Janette Rallison (Walker Books, 2009)

Peter and the Starcatchers – Dave Berry & Ridley Pearson (Disney Editions, 2004)

Pillage – Obert Skye (Shadow Mountain, 2008)

Princess of the Midnight Ball – Jessica Day George (Bloomsbury, 2009)

A Season of Gifts – Richard Peck (Dial, 2009)

The Secret to Teen Power – Paul Harrington (Simon Pulse, 2009)

Shiver – Maggie Stiefvater (Scholastic, 2009)

Sun and Moon, Ice and Snow – Jessica Day George (Bloomsbury, 2008)

Sunrise Over Fallujah – Walter Dean Meyers (Scholastic, 2009)

This Is What I Did – Ann Dee Ellis (Little Brown, 2009)

Uprising – Margaret Peterson Haddix (Simon & Schuster, 2007)

Wings – Aprilynn Pike (HarperTeen, 2009)

Wonderous Strange – Lesley Livingston (HarperTeen, 2009)

NATIONAL BUZZ

Catching Fire – Suzanne Collins (Scholastic Press, 2009)

The Maze Runner – James Dashner (Delacorte Books for Young Readers, 2009)

The Hunger Games – Suzanne Collins (Scholastic Press, 2008)

BONUS: Books that Never Fail to Hook Reluctant Readers

The Christmas Box – Richard Paul Evans (Simon & Schuster, 1995)

Deathwatch – Robb White (Laurel Leaf, 1973)

The Extraordinary Adventures of Alfred Kropp – Richard Yancy (Bloomsbury, 2008)

The Luxe – Anna Godberson (Harper Collins, 2008)

The Luxe: Rumors – Anna Godberson (Harper Collins, 2008)

On Wings of Heroes – Richard Peck (Puffin, 2008)

The Rag and Bone Shop – Robert Cormier (Laurel Leaf, 2003)

Tantalize – Cynthia Leitich Smith (Candlewick, 2008)

The Warrior Heir – Cinda Williams Chima (Hyperion, 2007)

When Santa Fell to Earth – Cornelia Funke (Scholastic. 2009)

Professional Reading

This Book is Overdue! How Librarians and Cybrarians Can Save us All – Marilyn Johnson (Harper, 2010)

Readicide: How Schools Are Killing Reading and What You Can Do About It – Kelly Gallagher (Stenhouse, 2009)

The Element: How Finding Your Passion Changes Everything – Ken Robinson (Penguin, 2009)

Books for YOU!

Band of Sisters – Annette Lyon (Covenant, 2010)

Christmas Jars Reunion – Jason F. Wright (Shadow Mountain, 2009)

The Christmas List – Richard Paul Evans (Simon & Schuster, 2009)

Courting Miss Lancaster – Sarah M. Eden (Covenant, 2010)

Guernsey Literary and Potato Peel Pie Society – Mary Ann Schaffer (Dial Press, 2009)

Hotel on the Corner of Bitter and Sweet – Jamie Ford (Ballentine, 2009)

Lemon Tart: A Culinary Mystery – Josi Kilpack (Deseret Book, 2009)

Sarah’s Key – Tatiana de Rosnay (St. Martin’s Griffin, 2008)

Traitor – Sandra Gray (Covenant, 2008)

Lu Ann Brobst Staheli is the author of:

When Hearts Conjoin (Richard Paul Evans Publishing)

Jim Karol: Psychic Madman (Sourced Media)

Coming Soon:

The Business of Marriage with Dino Watt

From Showbiz to Starbiz with Alan Osmond

Monday Mania--First Page

2010-03-08T09:35:29+00:00

One of our readers submitted a first page for critique. A first page of a manuscript must hook an agent or editor. Feel free to make comments, but please keep them constructive.

Critique Archive 0037:

Maren sat on the bathroom floor often.

She liked to feel the cold floor through the fabric of her clothes and hear the quiet echo of closed in noises bouncing off the hard tile walls. Sometimes she even liked to turn the shower on, to hide the sound of her crying.

But today isn't a day of turning on the shower; She doesn't want the sound to go down the drain with the wasted water.

All she wants is to be alone. Just Maren and the razor.

The small sharp piece of metal gleamed invitingly on the white tile as she stared at the back of the shut door. The wood's grain patterns she'd memorized seemed a dull place to being focusing on and she felt tears come as she realizing what she was about to do.

Then she criticized herself for being a coward picked the small blade up, grasping it firmly between her forefingers and thumb and immediately brought it down and across the thin layers of skin stretched over her left wrist.

The flesh opened and spewed up life, blood, and she hissed, dropping the blade to the ground.

The gash burned harsh and hard like a fire consuming her nerves, making her writhe in pain.
“Ah. Ah. Ah.” she panted, her eyes wide. But slowly the burning faded out and she felt herself relax.

She knew it was coming, the release, and she welcomed the growing wooziness as she felt herself become weaker and weaker.

She took one last look through droopy eyes at the enlarging scarlet puddle covering the stark white tile.

“Mine...” She mumbled, watching her blood spreading outward until she could no longer hold onto consciousness and she slumped down, sprawled over the wet floor.

Share the Launch Love

2010-03-08T02:37:00+00:00

It's almost here!

Sarah M. Eden, Julie Coulter Bellon, and I are revving up for Friday's Triple Book Launch Party!

THIS FRIDAY, March 12

6:00 pm - 8:00 pm

Deseret Book at University Village

(East of University Mall in Orem)

Get ready for a bunch of great door prizes. (They'll be announced here soon. We've got a bunch of awesome stuff!) Friday will be a ball.

Whether you love Regency Romance, Thrillers with lots of suspense (and a little romance thrown in!), or women's fiction (or know someone who does!), you won't want to miss this event.

But WAIT! There's more for YOU.

We want to spread the word about the launch as far and as wide as possible.

Welcome to the "Share the Launch Love" drawing!

The more YOU do to spread the word, the better your chances of winning. (I'm totally not above bribery.)

THE PRIZES:

An entire FOUR-BOOK set of my temple books: House on the Hill, At the Journey's End, Spires of Stone, and Tower of Strength.

(That's a value of over $60.00!)

TWO runners-up will get a copy of my grammar book, There, Their, They're: A No-Tears Guide to Grammar from the Word Nerd.

HOW TO ENTER: SPREAD THE LAUNCH PARTY LOVE!

Be sure to leave a comment FOR EACH SEPARATE THING YOU DO so I have a fighting chance of keeping track of the entries.

-TWO ENTRIES: Put the Triple Book Launch Party button on your side bar. (The image is at the top over on my sidebar. Just copy and paste it to your blog). You must also LINK the button to the event's Facebook page: http://www.facebook.com/event.php?eid=338177993233&ref=mf

HOW-TO UPDATE: For Blogger users, simply copy the image and add it to a picture gadget. There's a spot in the dialog box where you can add a URL to link the picture to. Copy and paste the FB link above, then save.

-THREE ENTRIES: Blog about the launch party, including date, time, location, and name all three authors involved, including links to all three authors (author websites or blogs).

-TWO ENTRIES: First you must do the blog post (above). In that post, include all three book covers featured at the launch. (Courting Miss Lancaster, Dangerous Connections, and Band of Sisters).

Here are the covers, just to make things really easy for you:

-ONE TO FIVE ENTRIES: Tweet the event. (Include a link to your tweet in your comment.) Receive an additional entry each time you tweet the launch (maximum once a day) between now and Friday. (Leave a comment each time, with a link for each tweet.)

-ONE ENTRY: Mention the launch party in your Facebook status or news feed. (Include a link in your comment.)

-ONE ENTRY: Follow The Lyon's Tale. (If you're already a follower, just say so in a comment; an immediate entry!)

-ONE ENTRY: Follow me on Twitter.

-ONE ENTRY: Become my fan on Facebook (use the nifty Facebook fan badge in the sidebar).

-ONE ENTRY: Follow Sarah M. Eden's blog.

-ONE ENTRY: Follow Julie Bellon on Twitter.

-ONE TO THREE ENTRIES: Link back to THIS POST (not just my blog; use the permalink) and share it via Facebook, Twitter, on in a blog post (the same blog post as above works!).

(It would also be awesome if readers would invite their Wasatch Front-living friends to attend. If they're on Facebook, go to the event page and click on "share." I have no idea how to track invitations like that, but we'd sure appreciate it!)

Drawing ENDS Friday, March 12 at 4:00 pm Mountain Time.

Winners will be announced after the launch (and, quite possibly, a long nap).

***TOTAL POSSIBLE ENTRIES: TWENTY-ONE!***

Ready . . . go!

(Hope to see you Friday!)

Book Review: Wrong Number by Rachelle J. Christensen

2010-03-08T00:12:11+00:00

I've known Rachelle for a couple of years now, and she has always been a big supporter of mine in all that I've done, be it writing, editing, teaching - what have you. Today I'm excited to have the chance to support Rachelle in return by reviewing her first novel, "Wrong Number."

Aubree Stewart is on her way to work one morning when she discovers that she's forgotten to charge her cell phone. Her husband lets her take his, and while she's driving, it rings. The voice on the other end speaks before she has a chance to identify herself, telling her that he's taken care of everything and hid the body in a manhole.

Seven months pregnant, Aubree's emotions are already shaky, and she calls the police to report what she heard. When they come to her work and tell her they indeed did find a body in the manhole, she nearly passes out, the strain too much for her. But things get worse as she learns that her own family has been targeted and she must now go into hiding, as directed by the FBI.

The agents assigned to her case take good care of her, and she brings a beautiful baby daughter into the world while waiting for them to bring the situation to a safe conclusion. But she realizes that if she's ever going to have a life, and to give a happy upbringing to her daughter, she can't wait around forever - she must do what she can to take control of her own future.

"Wrong Number" is full of suspenseful twists and turns. When you think Aubree is safe, she's really not, and when you think she's in danger, she's really not, and the bad people are really good people and the good people are really bad people and you are wondering just what the heck is going on all throughout the story. I like stories like that. I also found it interesting that our heroine is a pregnant mother - we don't often see pregnant women playing leading roles in fiction, especially suspense fiction, and I found that a refreshing twist.

The only thing I didn't really like was the length of the book. The time frame stretches over a few months, and I would have enjoyed knowing a little more about what Aubree did during those months. I think we could have seen another fifty pages in there. But that's a good thing I didn't like, because it means I was enjoying myself and wanted more.

You can visit Rachelle's blog here, her website here, and you can purchase her book by clicking the ultra-handy Amazon link below. And, you can also head back over here on Wednesday, when I'll be interviewing Rachelle, and don't forget to scroll down to the previous blog to check out Rachelle's awesome contest.

Finding GOOD LDS Fiction...Enter, LDSpublisher

2010-03-06T10:13:12+00:00

If you don't know who LDSpublisher is, well, join the club--most of us don't know who she is. But if you have any interest in LDS fiction--as a reader or a writer--you ought to know what she does, even if you don't know who she is.

I do know people who know who she really is, but they ain't talkin' and although the curiosity has been intense at times, I've come to realize over the years she's been doin' her thing, that she couldn't do it at all if she were outted. So, I gave up the hunt mostly because if she lost the secrecy of her identity, she probably couldn't do what she does. And what she does is a definitely benefit to the LDS Market.

Here's what I do know:

She's female
She either works for or has worked for a publisher who publishes LDS books
She tells the truth
She is passionate about good books
She watches the national market pretty closely
She's captain of the LDS market cheerleading team
She knows when to say nothing at all
She's a major supporter of The Whitney Awards
She really, truly, and without apology wants to make LDS fiction better.

That makes us BFFs, even if I don't know who she is because she and I have a lot in common.

Over the years since she's been blogging, she's done reviews, contest, lists, groups and, recently, reinvented "Recommended Reads" where she will display the covers or two books she read and liked and recommends. She accepts books to consider, but makes no promises--she'll only recommend books she truly wants to recommend and will not be bullied. I say that because I DID NOT bully her into putting Devil's Food Cake up as a recommended read for March. I didn't. I would have, if I'd thought she would give in, but the woman simply doesn't cry uncle and then there would be criminal charges, awkward newspaper articles, and a general black mark on my oh-so-easy-to-get-along-with reputation.

And the fact that I didn't have to resort to brass knuckles means that she REALLY did like my book! All in all, things are great and I'm honored to hang out on her sidebar for the next month. I'm not the only title there, and, in addition to Recommended Reads, she also has free book contests each month, writing contests a few times a year and all kinds of other reader and writer resources. You should totally check her out. Well worth your time.

The Office Box & Wrong Number Book Launch

2010-03-05T13:00:00+00:00

One ScrapMaBob (retail $19.95)

One Self-healing cutting mat (retail $7.95)

One Ribbon Box (retail $19.95)

You can enter to win my prize package, and on March 16th, I'll announce one of 25 winners who will then be finalists for the grand prize drawing for The Office Box and a copy of Wrong Number.The Grand Prize Winner will be drawn on March 19, 2010 at RachelleWrites. She will select a winner from the 25 finalists to receive one Office Box (Value $895.00) in their choice of color, plus an autographed copy of Wrong Number by Rachelle J. Christensen.

Giveaway open from March 5, 2010- March 15, 2010 at 11:59pm Mountain Standard Time.
Open to addresses in the contiguous United States only.

Giveaway Rules:

*You can enter under only one name

* It is possible to win more than one preliminary prize, which means it’s possible to be entered into the grand prize drawing more than once.

*All winners' addresses must be stateside US addresses

*You must complete the required entry to be eligible to win

Here's how to enter:

Please leave details in your comment for how you entered, with links (required). I'll put all entries into a spreadsheet and use Random.org to select the winner.

*Required entry: Visit The Original Scrapbox website and leave a comment telling me your favorite item.

Extra Entries:

Become a Facebook Fan of The Original Scrapbox

Tweet the contest with linkback in your comment and use the hashtag #officebox or #scrapbox in your tweet.

Facebook the contest with linkback in your comment

Add the contest button (pictured above) to your sidebar with a link to this contest

Follow RachelleWrites

To receive 15 extra entries, you must do the following 5 things together on your blog post AND leave a link back to that blog post with your comment (only one comment required, but you must leave a link so I can check your post). **Link back to this contest, so that people know where to enter.

Blog about the contest WITH a picture of The Office Box and Wrong Number in the post.
In your blog post, link the phrase "The Office Box " to http://theoriginalscrapbox.com/catalog/index.php?option=com_content&view=article&id=87&Itemid=138
Link the phrase "The Original Scrapbox" to http://theoriginalscrapbox.com/catalog/
Link the phrase "Wrong Number" to http://www.amazon.com/Wrong-Number-Rachelle-J-Christensen/dp/1599553643/ref=pd_rhf_p_t_1
Post the Wrong Number book trailer from You Tube on your blog

25 different blogs are participating in this giveaway.

Each blog is giving away a preliminary prize and a chance to win an entry into the Grand Prize Drawing.

Stay tuned for reviews on Wrong Number and author interviews as well!

Here's the list of the other blogs where you can enter:

The Mommy Files
Cricut Christmas
Little Birdie Secrets
Priscilla Styles
Mommy Mandy
RockinMama
RachelleWrites
Alvor-Dare To Dream
Diony George
Heather Justesen
Queen of the Clan
Scribbled Scraps
Anne Bradshaw
Rachel Rager
Tristi Pinkston
Cami Checketts
Nichole Giles
Wendy Paul
Marilyn Bunderson
Ronda Hinrichson
C.L. Beck: Write Up My Alley
Christine Bryant
Ali Cross
Jenni James

*Results of contests are final. Participants will be eliminated if entry rules are not followed correctly.

Movies About Writers

2010-03-05T09:16:00+00:00

By Josi S. Kilpack

I was pondering this week on the many movies where the plot revolves around writers and was surprised at just how many I could come up with, and yet I know there are some I've missed. So, I'm going to present my list, and I'd love for you to fill in the ones I missed.

Stranger than Fiction

The Secret Window

Misery

Romancing the Stone

Jewel of the Nile

Martian Child

Finding Neverland

Capote

Finding Forrester

The Shining

So, what did I miss?

Career Day

2010-03-04T16:51:41+00:00

Yesterday my daughter told me her school was having a dress-in-the-career-you're going-to-have day. She couldn't decide whether to go as an artist, a crazy cat lady, or an editor.

"What do editors wear?" she asked.
"Bow ties," I said.
"What do the girl editors wear?" she asked.
"Probably business casual," I told her.
She wasn't thrilled with this answer. I have some of those outfits but she didn't want to go to school wearing my "old lady" clothes. "No one will know what I'm supposed to be," she said.

I thought up the perfect solution for her. She went to school with a red pen tucked behind her ear(I told her to use it liberally)and a stack of rejection letters to hand out.

"You don't have to wait for people to submit to you," I said, "just go up and tell random people that you think they have no talent."

Here is what her rejection letter said:

Dear Hopeful Writer,
Thank you for letting us consider your manuscript. After careful deliberation (we looked at it for several seconds) we have decided that your work doesn’t meet our stringent standards. (We all laughed ourselves silly.) We wish you all the best in your writing career. (Give up now and get a job at Burger King.)

Sincerely,
The editor

When my daughter came home from school, I asked her if she handed out all the rejection slips.

"Yeah," she said. "And I wished I'd brought more to give out."

Yep, she nailed being an editor.

WEEK #2 Winner & More stuff

2010-03-04T09:34:48+00:00

Congrats to Kim of Sometimes Hard, But Oh-So Worth It! blog. She is the winner of this week's book giveaway. Kim, email me at heather at hbmoore dot com. I really loved reading the ways your friends have helped you. Stay tuned for the Week #3 Question coming next Monday.

The very first review of Women of the Book of Mormon is HERE! Thanks to Michael Young, author of The Canticle Kingdom.

Visit Michael's blog Writer Mike here to learn more about his book and his other reviews.

Alma the Younger update: Final edit is into my editor and I'm finishing the chapter notes. Moving forward!

WNW: Band of Sisters Edition

2010-03-04T00:35:00+00:00

With Band of Sisters now in stores (YIPPEEEE! . . . ahem), I thought it would be appropriate to have a Word Nerd Wednesday centered around some of the words relevant to the book.

Private First Class, First Lieutenant, Captain, Major, Colonel

These are the ranks of the wives' husbands, in order from lowest to highest. I picked Sarah's brain quite thoroughly on a lot of this. (She's one of the five wives the book is dedicated to.) I had to figure out what their ranks would realistically be based on their ages, educational backgrounds, and much more. (I had no idea going in that education played such a big role in rank. Yes, I was that ignorant.)

I think the one element of the book that's probably least realistic is that this is Colonel Lambert's third deployment. If real life, he'd probably have been deployed a more than that, especially since 9/11. Otherwise, I think (hope!) I got most things right.

Supply Convoy

I purposely didn't name a place in Afghanistan where the men were stationed, and I wanted to avoid specific fighting missions because of the logistics, but I did want them to be in dangerous, stressful situations.

Sarah helped me decide that having the men protect convoys of supplies would be a good job. As convoys bring food and other necessities to the fighting soldiers, the men would be in serious peril, especially the closer to the front lines they got. It would also give the wives a false sense of security at first, because their men aren't technically fighting and therefore are "safer."

But convoys do get close to the front lines and so of course they're dangerous. Plus, they're targeted for obvious reasons (take out the supplies, and you've just crippled the enemy).

So that's what these husbands are doing. With one exception, we never see any of the husbands in the book, but we do hear from them in the form of instant messages and e-mails a few times.

Placenta Previa

I knew what this was, but I didn't know a lot of details about it. I had to consult Dr. Google as well as friends who'd been through it to get some details straight.

Morphine and Hospice

Again, two terms I knew in theory. Two issues in the plot that required research. I focused particularly on reading firsthand accounts from people who'd dealt with both.

Anxiety and Depression

Two common responses to deployment, particularly for wives whose husbands are in dangerous places, dodging bullets and literally in the middle of war. Wives wake up hoping their husbands are safe and go to bed praying that they won't wake up with bad news. And that's assuming the stress doesn't keep them up all night . . . again.

As one wife I interviewed said, people need to recognize that soldiers aren't just away; they're in harm's way. And that's where the stress, anxiety and depression come in.

Sarah coped by reminding herself that she was reacting normally to a very abnormal situation.

Communications Blackout

A miserable experience for military wives. This is when all communication lines are shut down, both to and from the military. No one can send so much as an e-mail. A blackout means a soldier has been killed, and lines won't open again until the next of kin have been notified.

When a blackout happens, your heart drops, because you know someone just lost a father, brother, husband, son.

And you pray it wasn't yours.

Close vs. Distant POV

2010-03-03T18:47:01+00:00

by Annette Lyon

It's come to my attention that in all our posts about point of view, that we've never covered the concept of close third person versus distant third person.

Time to remedy the oversight!

Most contemporary fiction written in third person (he said this; she did that) is written in a pretty close point of view. It's probably what you're used to reading. For that matter, if you look at the Writing on the Wall archives, close third and first person are the two points of view that generally apply.

But what is close third?

To start defining the term, let's first describe distant third person.

Distant Third Person

Point of view, of course, is the lens through which the writer (or the narrator voice) tells the story. For a moment, think of that lens as a movie camera standing back from the action but hanging in the air over a character's head.

The camera captures what the POV character sees, and perhaps what the POV character hears. However, for the most part, the narrative is separate and apart from the character and what he or she is feeling or experiencing. It's objective, not making interpretations.

The camera can certainly show an amazing fight sequence. We won't be privy to the POV character's thoughts, feelings, and so forth about it, but we'll see a great movie in our heads.

It's almost like a journalist reporting the events in vivid detail, sitting perched on that camera.

The camera can get more distant, pulling back to the point that we can't even tell much about the POV character at all, or it can get a bit closer, perhaps letting us in on gestures and other behaviors.

But there's always a barrier; the reader stays outside the POV character's head.

Close Third Person

Just as with distant third, close third has degrees of closeness. A very close (or tight) third person POV will be so entrenched in the POV character's head that the reader knows their every thought, feeling, smell, taste, sound, touch, reaction, facial expression, motivation, and more.

A slightly less tight POV will show emotions and senses, but might not get so tightly ingrained in the character's psyche. Again, it's a matter of degrees. Just how close are you to the character, emotionally, psychologically, and otherwise?

In a sense, all variations of third person are about degrees of closeness, and the same book could have varying degrees.

For example, an opening paragraph of a chapter could be very distant as the reader is introduced to a location, say a snowy mountain scape. Then the "camera" pans closer to the POV character huddled a cave trying to stay warm. The closer we get, the more we know about what that character is thinking, feeling, doing, planning.

Some people argue that if you're going for an extremely tight third person, then you might as well be writing in first person, since that POV is just as tight, if not tighter. (If the character is telling the story, you're totally in their head, right?)

The problem with that argument is that a story in first person has limitations of its own, among them this biggie: your first person POV character must be present in every single scene, and you can never, ever, show anything from anyone else's POV.

That said, first person is a popular POV, and many fantastic books have been written in it. Just be certain it's the right one for your story before you commit to it. (Rewriting a book with a new POV is as big a task as writing an entirely new book. Trust me on this one; been there, done that.)

Ask yourself whether your book would be stronger if you could show a scene from another POV, such as the antagonist's, a parent's, or a friend's.

If so, opt for a tight third instead of first. That way, you get most of the benefits of first person (you're right in their head) without the restrictions.

Another caveat:

Don't cheat with first person. Readers will be seriously annoyed if something the POV character knows isn't revealed to them as well. After all, they're in the POV character's head, so they should know everything that character does.

Some rules of thumb with point of view:

Don't have too many POV characters per book. A common number is between two and five. Some genres lean toward fewer POVs (such as romance), while others can handle more (such as epic fantasy). Know your genre and its expectations. Avoid too many if you can, simply because keeping track of them and readjusting to a new POV can be taxing on the reader.
Maintain ONE point of view per scene. Don't be tightly in Jane's head and then flip to a John's head (tight or otherwise) mid-scene. That's disorienting and unnerving to the reader, who is trying to keep track of who is thinking and feeling what, and exactly which lens to interpret the story through.
Separate point of view shifts with scene shifts (and visual markers like asterisks) and/or chapter breaks.

Book Review: Love Your Body by Brooke Parker

2010-03-03T10:54:35+00:00

I think it's safe to say that we all have issues with our bodies, to one extent or another. Some wish their noses were a little smaller, or a little perkier. Others wish their hair was a different color. Others detest their bodies to the extent that they hurt themselves to attain what they consider to be the "perfect" shape for them. We each fall somewhere on this continuum - it seems that even those who have healthy body images wouldn't mind changing one or two things about themselves.

I've struggled with my weight since I was ten, when I started having symptoms of thyroid imbalance. Over the years, as my medication has been adjusted here, there, and everywhere, I've gone up in weight and down in weight ... but mostly up. Hormone imbalances and the gain that comes along with pregnancy didn't help, and I've been pregnant four times. I am not one of those who loves their body.

But I should be. My body does amazing things. It breathes in and out, it functions even when I'm not aware that it's doing anything, and it gets me where I need to go. I can reach out to others, I can give hugs, I can care for my family. I can be creative, I can enjoy nature ... I really am very blessed. My body is a tool I use to live my life, and I should appreciate it more than I do.

"Love My Body" discusses these very things. It's not just about watching what you eat, although you are encouraged to make healthier choices. It's about believing in yourself, and understanding that you are one of God's creations and as such, worthy to be nurtured.

I very much appreciated this opportunity to read Brooke's book. She is a nutritionist, and so she counsels people on their eating habits on a daily basis. She developed a good relationship of trust with her reader in this book, and I know I'll be referring back to it often as I seek the information, and inspiration, I need to love my own body.

Walnut Springs Press will be giving away 5 copies of Love Your Body: A Diet-Free Approach to Balanced Eating as part of the online book book tour. The contest starts February 17th and will close on March 5th at midnight, MST.

Entering the contest is easy--all you have to do is blog, tweet, follow, or comment and then fill out this little form.

1. Become a follower of the blogs where these reviews appear. You can follow one of our reviewers or you can follow all. Each blog followed is another chance to win, and you can follow them all, and get credit for those you are already following.

Here are the participating blogs:

Walnut Springs Press
Brooke Parker RD
Of Writerly Things
Random-ish by Nichole
Queen of the Clan
Rachelle Writes
The Write Blocks
Tangled Words and Dreams
*Tristi Pinkston, LDS Author
Why Not? Because I Said So!
LDS Women's Book Review
Cami's Book

2. Post a comment on the reviews.

3. Blog about the contest or one of the reviews. Spread the word. Just remember that the blog post either needs to link to the contest or to one of the reviews.

4. Follow us on Twitter. Maybe you use Twitter, maybe you don't. But if you do, you should follow us.

http://twitter.com/walnutspringspr
http://twitter.com/brookeparkerrd
http://twitter.com/camichecketts
http://twitter.com/valerieipson
http://twitter.com/Rachellewrites
http://twitter.com/LDSWBR
http://twitter.com/nicholegiles
http://twitter.com/TristiPinkston

5. Tweet about the contest or one of the reviews.

6. Become a fan of Love Your Body on Facebook. Brooke is constantly updating her fanpage with articles, recipes, and helpful hints.

7. Post about the contest on Facebook.

8. Mention it on GoodReads, Shelfari, Google buzz, or any other social media site you belong to where such a mention would be appropriate.

Keep track of everything you do, and then don't forget to fill out the form so you get credit!

I received this book from the publisher at no cost to myself.

Random.org has chosen the winner

2010-03-03T10:47:52+00:00

I love the Random.org website because it boasts that it is truly random. As opposed to all those other things in life that are only pseudo-random. (Like, say, certain people's editorial comments.) The first sentence on the site says:

Perhaps you have wondered how predictable machines like computers can generate randomness.

Actually, no, I have never wondered that. I generally take randomness for granted.

But not today when I need a number. And today the random number generator chose Brenda as the winner.

You know the drill, Brenda. Send me your address at jrallisonfans at yahoo dot com and I'll send you your book.

And for another chance to win an ARC of My Double Life, supposedly one is being given away on the goodreads.com giveaway page. (I myself haven't figured out how to get to the giveaway page so I haven't actually checked this out, but hopefully it's there.)

Thanks for the Reviews!

2010-03-02T11:26:54+00:00

I had 34 reviews posted at various places last week! Thank you, thank you; it really does make a difference for online sales when people can read other people's thoughts. You guys are awesome...sniff, sniff.

So, without further ado, here are the winners:

1--Smilinmera
2-Taffy

And I know I said I was doing two winners, but Cheri Chesney posted 13! When she didn't toggle as a winner I was shocked, first off, but since she posted almost half of the reviews, I decided to make her Miss Perfect, now I'm going to sing

The Little Miss Perfect Pageant,
where all your dreams come true.
The Little Miss Perfect Pageant
where the special one is you.

And Cheri didn't even have to put in fake teeth and get a spray tan for that! But she doesn't get a crown either, so I guess it all evens out in the wash.

So, for those of you who won, please e-mail me you address to kilpack@gmail.com and let me know which of my book titles you would like and who you want it signed to. Thank you EVERYONE for the great support. I swear I'll do a blog post about something NOT writing related in the next week or so.

A Last and a First

2010-03-01T20:42:00+00:00

Last Saturday marked the end of the 6-week creative writing course I got to teach down in Spanish Fork through their parks and recreation program. I had a fantastic class eager to learn. I enjoyed every minute of it, and I loved watching them grow so much in just six weeks.

At our last class, Jessica G (we had two Jessicas), who decorates cakes professionally, brought a cake for our class that looked like a book. She took a picture, which is good, because we made short work of the cake. YUM! (Jessica, I really liked the lemon icing. Never did tell you.) You can see more of her cakes HERE.

(The box in the left corner says, "Spanish Fork Arts Council" and the text on the right page is the words from classic story that begins "It's a dark and stormy night.")

I've gotten thank-you cards from several class members and even a Death by Chocolate cake from Tammy, which she declared was just for ME. (She gave instructions on how to cut and freeze it in single-serving portions, thus saving it from the kids devouring the entire thing. Booyah.)

Saturday night was a showcase where all the arts classes got to present what they'd learned. The drawing, painting, and sewing classes had their work on display in the hall. The ballroom and Irish dance classes performed. The drama class did a scene. The Bluegrass class performed several songs.

And I selected a handful of class members to read some of their work aloud.

Remember, I had EIGHTEEN students. We were given about eight minutes of the program, and two of those were supposed to be me reading some of my work.

Do the math. Yeah. I had some tough choices to make.

I ended up selecting three students to read a paragraph each from a show-not-tell homework exercise (one each showing an emotion, a location, and an action). Then I picked two students to read a slightly longer scene each. They all did a fabulous job.

(Way to go, Jessica, Scott, Ashley, Olivia, and Susan!)

And then I got to read.

In all my years of publishing, I've never, ever done an official public reading. It was hard to decide what to read in the first place. Maybe, I thought, I could read the essay that won in that contest last year, since it's relative short and a complete piece.

In the end, I figured that heck, I have a captive audience and a brand new book coming out. Might as well read something out of that. But then came the challenge of trying to find something short, interesting, that also made sense in such a short excerpt from an entire novel.

I settled on the last part of chapter 3 from Band of Sisters. Overall, I think it went okay. (The camera adds ten pounds. I think I had three cameras on me.)

My husband and I went out to dinner afterward at Outback (Mmmm!). I came home feeling so proud of my class, but it was a bit bittersweet. I'll really miss our Saturdays together. I might just have to schedule a class reunion lunch or something one of these days.

Here are the class members I know who have blogs (if I've missed someone, please let me know, and I'll add you!). Some of them were sweet enough to blog about our class.

Kim

(Who drove an hour each way for the two-hour class each week. That's a FOUR-HOUR commitment each Saturday for six weeks. Whoa!)

Keep on writing, guys!

6 Week Book Giveaway!

2010-03-01T09:46:23+00:00

Contest rules:

In celebration of my upcoming book, WOMEN OF THE BOOK OF MORMON, here are the RULES:

Each Monday, I'll post a random question here.

To be entered:
1. You as the blogger will make a comment (answer to the question of the week of course)
2. Become a blog follower (if you aren't already)

On Thursday of the same week, I'll pick a favorite answer or do a drawing if it's too hard to choose. I'll announce the winner here, and the winner can choose any of my novels as a prize.

Question of the Week #2:
I've been reading Annette Lyon's Band of Sisters this weekend. Although I read it in pre-publication stage, it's even more fun to read the final book version. I forgot that it was a tear-jerker though (darn you, Annette!). But as I'm on the journey with the 5 Military Wives who are forming strong friendships as they meet each week for lunch (their husbands are deployed together in Afghanistan), I've been thinking of some of my close friendships that have helped me over the years.

Last fall I went to lunch with two friends, and we were chatting about the usual stuff. I don't talk about my books much with my non-writer friends because I don't want to always be focusing on "me". But that day my two friends seemed to have a lot of interest in my WIP, Alma the Younger. So it got me talking and we ended up having a pivitol discussion about their relatives who had fallen away from the church, then came back full force. This was exactly the journey Alma the Younger took, so it was incredible to hear personal stories. I am forever grateful for that one conversation with those friends in helping me characterize and establish motivations for Alma the Younger.

So, long story over, question of the week is: How has a friend helped you when you least expected it?

Monday Mania--First Page

2010-03-01T06:15:33+00:00

One of our readers submitted a first page for critique. A first page of a manuscript must hook an agent or editor. Feel free to make comments, but please keep them constructive.

Critique Archive 0036:

Anxiety. It started with anxiety. I’m twenty-four years old, but in the mornings, I feel anxiety when I’m alone. But only on the mornings when it’s early enough to still be dark outside. Darkness like a suffocating murderer waiting to creep inside, slip under the bathroom door like smoke, surround my vulnerable throat and twist and choke until it’s over. I get scared in the shower, when I start to hear the noises and sense a stranger coming into my house and breaking down the bathroom door so he can do what he wants.

When I was in junior high, my mom and stepdad would leave at 6 a.m. some mornings, and I would be alone in the house, in the bathroom getting ready, while the darkness was getting closer. I talked to a counselor about it, about my anxiety. He told me to write down what I felt. All I could write was that I was scared, and I didn’t know why. I wasn’t ready to know why. The counselor told me I had to talk myself out of thinking that way, I had to calm myself down. He tried to put me on Prozac because a pill will solve anything. But not what’s inside of me. I tried two different counselors and then gave up on “therapy.”

The little girl didn’t talk to me then. Or maybe I just wasn’t listening. I didn’t know she even existed.

Panic. He had a beard. I hate beards. They brought him over so I could hang out with him. I had to go out with this guy, my brother-in-law’s brother, but I didn’t want to. I’d had one boyfriend before for about a month, but I didn’t like dating much. I could like a guy until he liked me, and then I was done. My sister really wanted me to go out with this guy, she wanted me to get out more. I started to panic, said I had homework. I didn’t freak out until after they left. My mom asked why I didn’t go.

She started yelling, “I don’t want to go! They were making me. I’m scared. I don’t want to go. I’m scared. I’m scared.” Over and over. She cried. Hard and long. She sobbed. She hid in my bedroom. She curled up into a ball, and I rocked her back and forth, back and forth. She could only speak tears. I felt her fear. She was so scared. She rocked and cried.

Mom said it was a panic attack and started to really worry about me.

Secret Sisters Contest!

2010-02-28T21:56:25+00:00

Hey, Blog Readers!

You may have already seen this announcement, but scroll to the bottom for an update.

I'm tickled pink (but really, what other color would I be?) to announce a contest to kick off the release of "Secret Sisters," the first installment in my new series, "The Secret Sisters Mysteries."

Ida Mae Babbitt, president of the Omni 2nd ward Relief Society, didn't mean to become a spy. But when visiting teaching stats are low and she learns that one family under her care is in financial trouble, she'll do whatever it takes to make sure they have what they need. If that includes planting surveillance cameras in their home and watching them from a parked car in the woods, well, isn't that what any caring Relief Society president would do?

With the help of her counselors Arlette and Tansy, Ida Mae soon learns that there's more to the situation than meets the eye. It's all in a day's work for the Relief Society.

The book will be launched on March 16th up at the Gateway Barnes and Noble, and to count down the days, we're going to have a little fun!

First of all, there's an awesome prize. The winner of my contest will receive:

A bag of lavender-scented potpourri

A white lace doily

A copy of "Secret Sisters," autographed to them

A $25.00 gift certificate to Amazon.com

And ... and ...

The chance to read the sequel before anyone else on earth, except for my editor and critique group

How amazing is that??

What do you have to do to be entered?

1. If you have a Facebook account, click here and friend Ida Mae. Value: One point

2. If you have a Blogger account, go here and follow Ida Mae. Value: One point

3. If you have a Twitter account, follow Ida Mae @IdaMaeBabbitt. Value: One point

4. Go to my website and sign up for my newsletter. Value: Two points Note: If you have trouble getting on to the newsletter page, e-mail me at tristipinkston AT gmail.com and I can add you on directly.

5. Send Ida Mae a question to be featured in her weekly "Ask Ida Mae" segment. She will answer any question from politics to religion to cooking. Reach her at idamae@tristipinkston.com Value: Two points

6. Blog, retweet, or post this contest on Facebook. Value: Two points each. Do all three - triple points.

7. Tell your friends about this awesome new series. Value: One point for each friend you tell.

Add up all your points and send them to me at tristipinkston@gmail.com You will receive one entry per point. The more things you do on the above list, the more chances you have to win! The winner will be drawn the night before the launch party, so set your sights on March 15th. If the winner happens to come to the launch party, I will bring the prize to the event, have my picture taken with you, and I'll post that picture on my blog and Facebook accounts.

Have fun!

Update! Due to the huge outpouring of entries to this contest, I've decided that in addition to the grand prize, I'm going to give away three additional copies of Secret Sisters. Spread the word to all your friends, and don't forget to enter yourself!

Esther and the King - On Sale at Walmart!

2010-02-27T13:09:12+00:00

I'm really excited right now.

We've been fans of Liken the Scriptures for years. To be honest, there are some films we prefer over others, but I think that's pretty par for the course when you're dicussing any series. My very, very favorite is "The First Christmas," but my second favorite is "Esther and the King."

I just found out that "Esther and the King" will be carried in Walmart starting March 2nd. The price point will be even lower than what you can get on the Liken site (Walmart's just that way) and it's an awesome gift for Easter. But here's the thing - if Walmart sees how well Esther's sales go throughout the month of March, they may decide to carry the full line of movies by Liken.

Why is this important?

The Liken the Scriptures movies take scripture stories, both from the Bible and Book of Mormon, and dramatize them so that families and children can understand the gospel principles taught therein. They can be enjoyed by families of any Christian denomination - if you prefer to just watch the Bible stories, you'll find that they are excellent representations of the events in the Bible. We need to be sharing quality entertainment with our children to offset the other ... for lack of a better word ... rotten stuff they are subjected to on a daily basis. And with these films, they are getting action, adventure, and humor, and the shows are full of little aside comments and jokes that moms and dads will enjoy.

As Walmart sees a surge in sales of Esther, and as Walmart decides to carry the other films in the series, we can send a message to the big boy chain store that we want quality for our families. The fabric of our nation is made up of the threads of our families, and as we strengthen those threads, the whole piece becomes strong. It's no secret that children who spend quality time with their families, learning good principles and developing healthy relationships, do much better in all aspects of their lives than do children without those advantages.

So, I encourage you - head in to Walmart on March 2nd or shortly thereafter. Pick up a copy of Esther. If you're not familiar with the Liken the Scriptures products, this is your chance to try them out at a reduced price. Show Walmart that you want more uplifting entertainment for your family. Because you know what - this isn't just about Liken the Scriptures. Sure, they'll get their spot in Walmart, and that will be great, but this will open doors for other companies to bring their family-friendly merchandise in, and we'll all benefit from the broader selection of entertainment that will uplift, rather than tear down, the atmospheres in our homes.

If you would like to purchase Esther online, click here.

Here's Where It Gets Fun

2010-02-27T03:35:00+00:00

Word has it that Band of Sisters will be shipping to stores on Monday. At what point it reaches shelves is yet to be determined, but we're almost there! Yippee!

The journey for this book began with that magazine article the summer of 2007, so Band of Sisters has been nearly three years in the making. In many ways, this release means more to me than many of my others. I'm not sure why.

Maybe it's because the topic wouldn't be shaken off until I wrote about it. Maybe it's because I felt so invested in the lives of my characters (and had more main characters than in any other book). Or maybe it's because the process simply took so much longer than usual.

Whatever the reason, I'm thrilled that the book is almost here for readers to get their hands on. Yesterday I got feedback from a reader/reviewer who received a PDF copy. I believe she's the first actual reader to see the whole thing (versus my early beta readers, critique group, editor, etc.).

Turns out . . . I made her cry. Yay!

(I'm a sadist!)

Some upcoming Band of Sisters fun:

A week from today (FRIDAY, MARCH 5), I get to be the "I Need Friends Friday" guest over at Sarah M. Eden's blog!

Her interviews are always a blast to read, and I was thrilled to be part of the weekly tradition. I'll be sure to link over Friday, but for now, be sure to check out her blog. Sarah's a total riot as a person plus an excellent writer. I was first introduced to her work when her book Seeking Persephone was a Whitney finalist last year. (A much-deserved honor, by the way. I loved that book.)

Her newest novel, Courting Miss Lancaster, is about to be released with Covenant. And here's the really, REALLY cool part:

This book is REGENCY ROMANCE! That's right! It's not "LDS fiction."

It's for readers who love the Regency time period but cringe at national titles with a bunch of smut. Now Covenant is (hooray!) providing clean (well-written!) Regency Romance for their readers. (Can we hear a hallelujah?!)

I adore Sarah's work and can't wait to get my hands on this one!

BOOK LAUNCH PARTY!

And here's the really big, fun news: TWO WEEKS from today (FRIDAY, March 12, from 6-8 pm), I'll be at the new Orem Deseret Book by University Mall for a ginormous launch party.

Best part: I get to share that launch party with two other great novelists with their own brand new books out with Covenant:

Both Sarah M. Eden AND Julie Coulter Bellon!

(I think my coolness meter just went up several notches.)

Seriously, folks . . . this is going to be fun! Be sure to mark your calendars NOW so you don't miss out. We're already rounding up door prizes and making fun plans for that night.

THREE authors, THREE genres, THREE new books! How awesome is THAT?!

I've been squealing ever since the launch party was confirmed yesterday.

And I believe I'll be squealing for the next two weeks.

Please come--and tell your friends to come too! All three of us would LOVE to see you!

Pitching a Winner!

2010-02-26T15:18:56+00:00

By Josi S. Kilpack

You've written your book, you've revised it, and you've let your friends read it while chewing your fingernails to the quick. You then took their suggestions and made your book even better and realized it was time to face the facts--you are running out of excuses not to seek publication. You thought writing the book was intimidating--now it's time to send it out to the world and hope it finds a home with a publisher who will love it as much as you do. It's time to learn your market, it's time to query, and for many writers it's time to meet an agent face to face and pitch your book. **FYI, if what you sign up for is a "Review," meaning you submitted your actual writing prior to the meeting, all of the following information still applies.

So, what is a pitch exactly? And how can you use the time as efficiently as possible?

First, A pitch is basically a face to face meeting with an agent/editor who MIGHT want to read more. It's a powerful opportunity, but in order for it to be of greatest benefit to you, you need to look at it from all perspectives:

1--Author Development: We are writers, that means we love words, but we usually prefer them on a page. I'm convinced that one of the reasons I started to write was because I couldn't revise things I said out loud. In a book, I can sound like a genius and always say the right thing...not so much in real life. Still, if you want to become a published author you need to be able to talk about yourself and your book. Sitting across from a real live agent/editor forces you to do this. Practicing what you'll say before you sit across from said agent/editor (hereafter referred to as "agent' because I'm getting annoyed with agent/editor) will help you do this well. If you're intimidated, remember that when you do get published, you're going to be put on the spot all the time to talk about your book--the days of the eccentric author hiding in the woods ended the day the Unibomber was arrested.

2--Name recognition: Getting a face to face with an agent/editor is your chance to rise out of the slush pile. IF they request your book, you can remind them that you met them at such-and-such conference. Agents receive thousands and thousands of queries, and request hundreds of partials, but you met them, they then have a connection and that sets you apart.

3--Knowing the agent: When an writer sits down to start researching agents it's an overwhelming prospect trying to find an agent that might be a good fit for your book. At any given time there are likely dozens of agents who could be the one--but a pitch gives you the excuse to study up on a particular agent. Learn about their clients, their history, the company they work for. Learn their submission guidelines, find out which publishing houses they seem to have a good relationship with, and learn about the books they've placed. You likely don't have the time to do this type of research for every agent you'll query, but it's worth your time to really dig into this one. The process will also benefit you if you need to research agents in the future because you'll know best how to go about it.

4--Insider info: Agents eat, breathe, and sleep books. They know what sells and what doesn't sell. They know what imprints are the best fit for certain genres. They know what's hot, they know what was hot 6 months ago, and even if they aren't interested in your book, they will know who might be. Sitting across from them is like having the chance to discuss reduction sauces with Julie Child or Chimpanzees with Jane Goodall--they are experts and their industry knowledge is priceless. I think this is the area of a pitch most writers don't take advantage of the way they should. They are so eager to convince the agent their book is great (not that it isn't) they forget to listen to what the agent has to say. Not every author who meets with an agent is going to get their book requested, but every single one of them has the chance to learn details of their market they might never learn otherwise. Because of this, having questions you want to ask will ensure you will leave the pitch smarter than you went in.

A couple other tips:

1-Be respectful to their time and their status. These are industry professionals. Even if they say something you don't necessarily agree with, arguing is not going to reflect well on you.
2-Be Prepared. Know how to verbalize your book and your long term writing goals, come with questions you want answers to, and know the agent your meeting with.
3-Play nice. Don't defame other authors, books, or agents. Writers quick to put down someone else are often attempting to make themselves look better in the process, and that's rarely the result. You don't need to make someone else look small in order to make yourself look good.
4-Have realistic expectations. Every writer wants to submit to the agent they pitch to, but the fact is agents request less than 10%. Usually it's because the book isn't ready or they know they're not the best fit. Because of those two things, you shouldn't feel offended or hurt if they don't want to read more. Please, please, please view your pitch as an opportunity, not a guarantee.
5-Evaluate. After the pitch is over, evaluate how it went. Did you say what you wanted to say the way you wanted to say it? Could you have done better? Did you learn any tidbits of information that could improve your book or your agent focus or your next pitch?
6-Deliver. If you were lucky enough to have your book requested, be sure to submit it quickly, when the memory of your meeting is fresh in the agent's mind. Most agents will not take submissions at the conference--they don't want to haul manuscripts back home with them, so find out how best to send it to them and then follow their instructions to the letter.

It's an exciting opportunity to meet with people who have made bestsellers out of a writer who was once just like you--use your time wisely and take full advantage of the information available.

Here are some additional links for information on how to pitch:

Julie Wright's blog Post The Perfect Pitch
Nathan Bransford's Post How to Maximize Pitch Sessions
LDStorymakers 2010 Agent/Editor Information

Awesome Web Site!!

2010-02-25T12:21:17+00:00

Isn't it kind of funny how you can live across the street from someone for a couple of years and then all of a sudden discover something about them you didn't know?

I live across the street from this lady and yet for some reason, I never happened on her site until last night. I've been missing out!!

*This recommendation comes with a warning. If you are a scrapbooker, pull up a comfy chair. You'll be browsing the site for quite a while - there's so much to look at and salivate over!

Week #1 Winner & Other Updates

2010-02-25T09:36:26+00:00

Winner for Week #1 is Michelle!! Congrats. Email me: heather at hbmoore dot com and let me know which book you'd like me to send.

The 6 WEEK book giveaway contest will continue on Monday, contest guidelines here.

Other Updates:
1. Visiting the Tax Man today. I've spent part of the week working on spreadsheets of expenses, both for writing, my editing company, my husband's consulting company, and various other write-offs. Crossing fingers for a refund :-)

2. Working on edits for Alma the Younger. It's pretty strange to have two books coming out so close together, thus going through the editing process back to back. Normally I'd probably be drafting something new, but that will have to wait.

3. I'm really excited for three books that are written by good friends of mine--all will be released in the next week. If you are looking for CLEAN books that are also well-written (a hard combination to find), I can guarantee these are books you can share with your friends, teenagers, and mothers. If you haven't read anything by these authors, I'll give a quick intro:

Josi S. Kilpack: I just call her Josi of course, but she is pretty adamant about keeping her "S" initial in her name. She is the Whitney Award winning author for the suspense novel, Sheep's Clothing, which is quite creepy. But she decided to lighten up her writing and wrote Lemon Tart, a culinary mystery--meaning that the main character loves to cook and solve mysteries. The next book in the series is English Trifle (equally delicious), and just out this month: Devil's Food Cake. I was able read book 4 in advance--it will be out in August, 2010 (Key Lime Pie).

Annette Lyon: Annette has been a mentor to me since the very beginning of my writing journey. Last night she gave me a copy of her hot-off-the-press Band of Sisters. The cover is awesome and although I've read the pre-published manuscript, I'm excited to read the book version. The story is one of Annette's best (which says a lot because she is a top LDS writer), and she has also won the Best of State in Fiction with one of her novels.

Sarah M. Eden: Another lady who uses an initial, but Sarah is just fine. She is a little newer in my arsenal of writer friends, but she's definitely a keeper. She has a great story of going from self-publishing to landing a book contract for Courting Miss Lancaster. It will be hitting shelves in two weeks, and if it's anything like the other books I've read of hers, I'll be in heaven. If you've ever wanted to read a Regency Romance that's both clean and well-written, this is the author for you. And if you haven't read Regency before, well, I hope we can still be friends.

WNW: Reader Peeves

2010-02-24T22:30:00+00:00

More Word Nerd Wednesday fun from reader comments and e-mails. On tap today:

Alyson of New England Living mentioned a constantly confused word pair:

Affect/Effect
One of these words in a verb, and the other is (almost always) a noun. In a handful of cases it's a verb, but usually in formal situations, so probably not when you're writing a blog or a novel.

AFFECT is a verb. In other words, it implies an ACTION.

Use that as your mnemonic device: they both begin with A: AFFECT mean ACTION.

Examples:

How did reading that book affect you?

His death affected her for the rest of her life.

We anticipate the downturn of the economy to affect overall sales.

On the other hand, EFFECT is a noun.

Think of it as the result of the action version. First something gets AFFECTED, and the result is an EFFECT.

The two words even happen in alphabetical order (another way to remember which is which.)

Examples:

That book had a powerful effect on me; I cried.

His death had a huge effect: she spiraled into depression.

The effect of the downturn in the economy has meant lower overall sales.

Make sense? (I hope?)

L.T. Elliot of Lexicon Luvr brought up two issues:

First: grey vs. gray

Which is correct? That depends on where you live and/or where your publisher is located. In the UK, Canada, and some other locations, GREY would be correct. In the U.S. use GRAY.

If you're lucky enough to have a book with multiple foreign markets, expect to see differences like this. I got a kick out of reading Dan Wells's I Am Not a Serial Killer in the UK version. The book takes places in the U.S. but all the punctuation, spelling, etc. is with UK standards.

Lexicon Luvr's other topic: than vs then

Oooh, an error I see ALL THE TIME. (Also, one I sometimes make accidentally, even though I know which is which. One reason writers need to PROOF their work. Spell check ain't catching this one.)

THAN compares two things:

Dan is taller than his father.

Sammie is shorter than most of her friends.

I love chocolate more than you do.

THEN, on the other hand, refers to a sequence:

Dan came home from school then did his homework.

Sammie played the violin, clarinet, and then settled on the flute.

I ate chocolate ice cream, chocolate cake, then two chocolate donuts.

From Lucy of An Ordinary Mom:

councilor/counselor
These are both people, but they have very different definitions. Take the "OR" off the end, and you can figure out what the meaning is for each.

A COUNSELOR is one who (take off the OR) COUNSELS, such as a therapist.

A COUNCILOR, on the other hand, is a person who (wait for it . . . take of the OR . . .) is part of a COUNCIL.

SO:

Bob went to see a counselor to help him through a bout of depression.

Harry was elected to be a councilor in the nation's governing council.

And a personal peeve . . .

Many grammatical errors are made when listeners think they're hearing one thing, but in fact are hearing something else. (One common example: Yesterday I laid down. People assume there are TWO Ds, so they use the wrong form. There is only ONE D: Yesterday I lay down.)

My peeve of the day:

Contractions of should have, would have, or could have should be:

should've, would've, could've

But sometimes people hear that wrong and end up writing down what they think they're hearing. And it comes out like this:

should of

could of

would of

If they took five seconds to think through the meaning, they'd realize that OF makes no sense in this context. But that's the word they hear, and they forget it's a contraction, so that's what they write.

[TWITCH]

The LDStorymakers Writers Conference

2010-02-24T16:24:58+00:00

April is coming, sooner than we might think. What is so significant about April? It's the month of the LDStorymakers Writers Conference, the event I look forward to all year long.

Six years ago, I had the opportunity to head up the very first Storymakers conference. We were a small group back then, but we thought we were all that ... and do you know what? We were right. Each year, conference attendance has grown until this last year, we were at 270-something, up from 40-something our first year. We have been dubbed the best writers conference west of the Mississippi, and Lisa Mangum of Deseret Book had this to say:

"I have been to many writer's conferences during my ten years as Acquisitions Editor for Deseret Book Company and I can say without hesitation that the LDS Storymaker's Conference is one of the best I've ever attended. I was impressed by so many things about the Conference: the classes were exceptional, the presenters were stellar, the speakers were inspirational, the attendees were enthusiastic. I left the Conference thinking to myself, ‘Here are the writers who are devoted to their craft, who are willing to work hard and be persistent, who understand the business of writing and of publishing. Here are the writers who are going to revolutionize the LDS writing world.’ I was so happy to have met so many great people who are involved in such a thriving, active writer's community. I look forward to reading the work that will come as a direct result of the Conference. It truly was a privilege to attend the 2007 LDS Storymaker's Conference.”

Since giving us that endorsement in 2007, Lisa has been a regular attendee and supporter of the conference.

What will you learn by coming?

If you're a new author, you'll learn how to craft and polish your story and get it ready for submission.

If you're an established author, you'll learn how to continue to hone your skills, and you'll learn how to market and network in new ways.

Regardless of your writing skill, you'll make friends, meet cool authors (who might also be the friends you make) and you'll be entertained, taught, and edified.

In addition to all this, there is currently a contest being held that might win you the chance to eat a meal with some of your favorite authors and coolest agents. Click here to learn more about it. I've been a bad bloggy slacker and didn't give you much time ... the contest ends on February 28th, so get a move on!

In the meantime, you can also check out the conference website and register. The conference is April 23 and 24 in Provo. Hope to see you there!

Another book give-away

2010-02-24T11:21:19+00:00

Laura Lofgreen,one of my blogging friends, just did an interview with me that is up on her blog:

http://mydeartrash.blogspot.com/2010/02/janette-rallison-young-adult-author.html

I think all of my followers should read it, because I can actually be insightful and witty when given questions I can write out and then revise. In real life, not so much. In real life, I can never think of the word I want and half of my sentences end with the phrase, " . . . you know, that, um, thing . . .(insert wild hand gesture to emphasize my point)"

So in order to entice you to read the interview, I'll give away a book (I'll let you choose which)to one person who leaves a comment on my blog about something they learned about me on Laura's blog. (No fair asking for My Double Life though, because I don't have copies of it yet.)

And the winners are . . .

2010-02-23T13:12:52+00:00

After my husband read my rejection contest blog, he stared at the screen and said, "Wow, those stories are really depressing."

Exactly. Welcome to my life. And yet at the same time I think we all have the right to congratulate ourselves, ladies--and you too Ms., I mean, Mr. Jensen. We're tough. We take this and keep trying. Really, you all deserve good things in life for pursuing your love of writing. I wish I could send you all books and boxes of chocolates and warm hugs.

The mighty Random Oracle over at Random.org chose Noble Standing as the winner, but I'm also going to send a book to Danyelle Ferguson, who showed us that getting a bad publisher is worse than getting no publisher at all--be careful when you accept a contract. Don't be so eager to see your book published that you accept a bad contract. It isn't worth it.

I have a friend who writes romances and was so excited to get a contract for her first book and the one dollar royalty she would make off of each book--until after she signed the contract and found out that the publisher's average print run for their books was about a hundred books. Yep, then she realized she'd make about a hundred dollars for all of her work. How much do you suppose that is an hour?

I'm also sending a book to Tiffany Dominguez. 72 queries and 4 requests for fulls on a book that already has an interested editor? There but for the grace of George Nicholson at Sterling Lord, go I.

So winners, send me your snail mail address at jrallisonfans at yahoo dot com so I can send out the books.

And I'll be giving away another book at my next blog, so be sure to try, try, try again!

Darkest Before the Dawn?

2010-02-23T08:35:46+00:00

A friend of mine, J. Scott Savage, is doing a class on writing at a conference. I'm not exactly sure what his class will contain, but knowing him, the class will be twenty shades of amazing. I have an inkling of what he might say at this class because he posed a question to our online writer's group. The question was, "Could any of you who found success at the brink of giving up on writing e-mail me personally with your story or respond to the list?"

Finding success on the brink of giving up . . .

I know a lot of authors who've found success at nearly the same moment they decided to give up. Because at the same time they've given up, they also decided to give it one last push, to take one last step, to try one more time.

It's a strange place to be when you know you write well, you know you have talent, you've workshopped your manuscript and edited the thing until you could almost see your reflection in its polished shine, you know your story is sound, and yet the rejection letters keep rolling in. It's almost enough to make a writer more crazy than writers are prone to be naturally. It's almost enough to make us give up.

Madeleine L’Engle decided she was done writing. She had a couple of books published and then went nearly a decade of rejection after rejection. Throughout her thirties, no one seemed to want to publish what she wrote. She covered her typewriter and walked away in a huge show of renunciation. She wrung her hands and paced in circles and cried over her lost career. As she paced and cried, she realized that she already had a plot forming of a woman on the brink of giving up, but the story arc would be that the woman DIDN’T give up and finally succeeded. She realized that even the act of quitting brought plots and characters to her. She realized this wasn’t something she could just walk away from. She uncovered her typewriter, and went back to work. A couple of years later, she won the Newbery for A Wrinkle In Time.

Jessica Day George had many rejections. She had been to countless conferences and writing retreats and editor meetings in her attempts to break into a seemingly impossible market. The last conference she attended before getting a contract, she’d decided she’d had it. She told her husband that she was done—no more. He told her she had to finish the conference she was at because they’d already paid for it. The next day at the conference, she was at a critique group. Someone whispered over to her that they liked hers best and would she be interested in attending a by-invitation-only editor retreat. At that retreat, Jessica’s editor offered her a contract. Jessica had said that she was done and she’d meant it. She felt finished competing in a market she *knew* she was good enough to be part of, but that rejected her at every turn. If she hadn’t gone back to that conference, she wouldn’t have been invited to the editor’s retreat. If she hadn’t been at that retreat, she would have never been offered the contract that gave the rest of the world Jessica Day George. Jessica's newest book, Princess of Glass, comes out in May and is available for pre-order on Amazon.

For myself, it does seem that every time I think I’m done, something happens—even if it’s a little something. I think I’m done—I can’t go further in this maddening career choice, and I get a request for a partial manuscript. I think I’m done and I get a request for a full. I think I’m done and an agent says she’d like me to sign a contract. I think I’m done and my local publisher says they want another book. I think I’m done and SOMETHING happens to keep me in the game. Something happens that makes it impossible for me to walk away. And I finally realized that, like Madeleine, the stories won’t leave me alone just because I walk away from the computer. They’ll still be there, waiting for me to write them.

And *what if* the day you decide to quit, what if THAT day is like Jessica’s day—where there is only one more step to take to make it to the finish line?

You know you're good enough to compete, you've worked your manuscript, you've taken the pains and efforts to really learn how to write, you know you're good enough to play in the big sandbox called the national market. You just have to take one more step.

Well? What are you waiting for?

If anyone else has darkest before the dawn stories, feel free to leave them in the comments. We'd love to hear them.

Personal Wagons

2010-02-22T19:29:00+00:00

In recent years, I've had a particular lesson hammered home many times:

Life isn't perfect . . . for anyone.

That's simply a fact, no matter what someone's life looks like from the outside. No human being will escape this life without their share of trials, unwelcome surprises, and burdens. But somehow, we either forget that, or we don't realize it, or, often, we simply don't believe it.

I've had people say to my face that I must have no clue what stress is like, that gee, I should be so grateful for having such an easy life . . . all because they see just a little piece of my existence from the outside.

While I might not have experienced their particular trial (one such commenter was divorced, and no, I've never been through that), I do have trials of my own. Everyone does. Just because I don't proclaim mine from the rooftop in neon lights doesn't mean they don't exist.

The same goes for other people. I continue to be stunned when I hear about long-time friends who have gone through this or that trial, really big things I never knew or suspected. But I shouldn't be surprised, because no one is immune to this thing called mortality, and most trials aren't obvious to the casual observer.

Instead, our private burdens are just that: private, personal and between us and the Lord.

About twelve years ago, when I had a 2-year-old and a baby, a neighbor apologized for not calling earlier about something, explaining she'd had a crazy, stressful day. I said, "Don't worry about it. I totally understand being stressed out."

Her reply: "No you don't. I have four kids. You have two."

In shock, I stood there with the phone to my ear with no clue how to respond. She had no right to assume anything about my life and its stresses, regardless of the number of children I had at the time. (So now that I have four children can I say I understand stress? Puhleese.) To this day, I can't think about her with warm fuzzies.

I had something similar happen recently, only it wasn't cruel like that other situation; it was simply an offhand remark from a friend who didn't know what she was talking about. I was with two friends, and they were commiserating about the problems their teenagers were wreaking on their families.

One turned to me and said something like, "None of your kids are like this. Aren't you glad that the only thing you have to worry about is promoting your new book?"

It was all I could do not to cry. As it was, my eyes stung, and I made some flippant remark before leaving.

Yes, I know I am very blessed. I know I have some things many others yearn for (among them: a publishing contract. Trust me, I don't take that for granted).

But that knowledge doesn't mean, by any stretch of the imagination, that I don't have trials. Daily ones. HARD ones. I just don't broadcast them. I'm willing to wager that any blogger who appears to "have it all" . . . doesn't. NO ONE DOES.

Some days, I envy bloggers who can dump their problems freely into posts. I can't really do that, because this blog, while very much an honest part of who I am, is only a slice of me. That slice is the professional writer/editor, and sometimes the mom. This isn't a forum where I put my problems out for the world to see. But that doesn't mean they don't exist.

I believe it's unfair for anyone to compare trials. "What I'm going through is so much harder than what she's dealing with. She has it so easy."

You know what? You can't know that. Only God can know the burden each person pulls in their wagons. They may have dozens of trials you haven't ever considered.

And even if you happen to know what all their trials are (which is unlikely if not impossible), what is excruciatingly heavy for one person to bear might not be so hard for another, but that doesn't discount the suffering the first person is going through.

Viktor Frankl, a Holocaust survivor, once compared suffering to a gaseous substance. He said that a gas will fill up any container it is placed into, regardless of size, and suffering is the same: no matter what type of suffering we're dealing with, the pain fills the person completely.

This means that if one of my daughters has trouble with her school friends, it might rock her world just as much as something so-called "bigger" rocks mine. As her mother, a more mature adult, I can look at her problem and see it as trivial or small (it would be small if I were to magically be a fifth grader again with the maturity of a 36-year-old). But to her, it's not trivial. It is a heavy burden, and the pain fills her completely.

As I said, this idea has been on my mind a lot in recent years, so I suppose it shouldn't have been a surprise when it showed up in Band of Sisters. Several of the women in there assume things about one another and about their individual struggles, or supposedly the others' lack of problems.

But the reader sees behind the curtain and knows that each and every woman in the story has a heavy load she must pull in her wagon, even though each burden is of a different stripe.

In real life, we don't have the luxury of seeing behind one another's curtains, but perhaps we can be more compassionate and give one another the benefit of the doubt.

As they say, if you assume that everyone you meet is going through a difficult time, you'll almost always be right.

6 Week Book Giveaway!!

2010-02-22T12:57:29+00:00

Since the time has literally creeped up on my for my next book's release date, Women of the Book of Mormon, we'll have to settle for a 6 week book giveaway.

So, in anticipation and celebration of my upcoming book, here are the RULES:

Each Monday, I'll post a random question here.

To be entered:

1. You as the blogger will make a comment (answer to the question of the week of course)

2. Become a blog follower (if you aren't already)

On Thursday of the same week, I'll pick a favorite answer or do a drawing if it's too hard to choose. I'll announce the winner here, and the winner can choose any of my novels as a prize.

Question of Week #1:

Since Spring Break is coming in April, I thought it would be fun to see what your favorite spring break vacation was, either with your kids or growing up. In Utah, we used to have short spring break's, but now they are a full week. Last year we went to Palm Springs with another family. It was great--read three books, did a lot of swimming and eating :) How about you?

My Book's Kinda Like...but not Really

2010-02-22T12:08:12+00:00

By Josi S. Kilpack

Do you write JUST like Dan Brown? Is your next book the NEXT Harry Potter? If so, my condolences. We already have Dan Brown and Harry Potter, and no one needs a replacement. However, when you get the phase of querying agents/editors you need to help them identify who you are and what you write, which is where comparisons come in. But there is a right way and a wrong way to make those comparisons.

Wrong:

I write exactly like Shannon Hale.
My book is better than Lovely Bones.
My book will outsell Twilight.
Have you ever wished you'd published John Grisham's first novel? Well here's your chance to do even better!

Saying things like that sounds a little like Vincini in Princess Bride, and we all know how that ended:

"Have You Ever Heard of Plato? Aristotle? Socrates? Morons!"

But agents/editors DO want comparisons, they need to know how you measure yourself against other books, and the books you choose says a lot about what you write, who your target audience is, and whether or not you are paying attention to your competition. Which brings us to the other Wrong way of facilitating comparisons:

My book is like nothing you've ever read before.
My book is a fresh new genre.
There's nothing like this on the market

Now, there are some books that really are unlike anything else out there, now and then someone does make up a new genre--but even THEY have something to compare to. Twilight was new to many of us, but vampire books have been around for a long time. The Firm was also unique, but there had been other books that used law as the backdrop to the story. Shannon Hale's adapted fairy tales were new and different, but they are based on fairy tales which have been around for a very long time.

Never mind that when you say you're "As good as...", or "The next..." you come across as arrogant and, probably, deluded. You are NOT Stephenie Meyer. You might write as well she does, and you might tell a similar story, but you are NOT her because you haven't sold 18 million books.

Is that horse dead, yet? Good, then we can continue.

In Real Estate, appraisers use other homes around you to estimate the value of your home when they work up an appraisal. Your home might be worth two million dollars...in Beverly Hills, but it's not in Beverly Hills. If homes similar to yours are selling for $300K, asking for 2 million will not get you the result you're looking for. Book comparisons are similar; you are pointing out the 'value' and 'market' and 'genre' of your book by comparing it to other books in the neighborhood.

The other benefit of comparisons is that it reflects your market saavy. You need to know the market you want to publish in, which is why when writers say "There's nothing like this in the market" industry people roll their eyes. There probably is something out there, similar in some way, you just haven't done your research. Agents/editors want to know that YOU know your market and your potential competition--comparisons show them that you understand this.

So, how do you compare the right way. Understanding why comparisons are important is the first step. Knowing your overall market is the next. The third step is finding the right comparisons. People (including me in this post) tend to go with very popular books most people are familiar with. This isn't bad thing, but keep in mind the people you are querying know that John Grisham isn't the only legal thriller writer out there, and Harry isn't the only kid with a wand. As you learn your market, look for books that might not be on the NY Times Bestseller list but have really good reviews. Look for books that might not have caught the spotlight in America, but sold well in foreign markets. Not only does this set you apart in that you're not the 39th writer that week comparing yourself to Angels and Demons, but it shows that you have really learned your market and that selling 400 million copies isn't your only goal; you also appreciate the power of good writing, and good reviews. Agents/editors know about the mid-list books out there, so you'll impress them in that fact that you're paying attention on a deeper level than most. And it's often in these mid-list layers where you'll find the best comparisons to your book anyway, better helping the agent/editor get a feel for what your book is about. NEVER say your book is "Just like" any other book, because if it's "Just like" another book, then why would they want to publish another one?

To find comparisons go to Amazon.com or your local library and peruse books by genre, ask a librarian, check out reader lists, or even google "Middle grade apocalyptic fantasy novel" and see what comes up. Be sure to read the books you choose to compare yours to. It would not do well for you to say your book was similar to a book is had nothing in common with. But don't overwhelm yourself. You should be able to find a couple books or writers that will work well for you--you don't want more than a few comparisons anyway because YOUR book is the focus.

In summary, the key to comparisons are:

"My book is similar to...
"but different in that...
Read the books you are comparing yourself to.
Be professional.
Be humble yet confident.

Happy writing!

Conversation with Son During Primary

2010-02-21T16:18:07+00:00

My five-year-old has a hard time sitting still during Primary opening exercises, so I sit with him. Today he caught sight of the picture of Jesus's baptism on the wall and turned to me.

"Mom, I want to get baptized."

"You do?"

"Yes."

"Okay, how old do you have to be?"

He thought for a minute. "I want to be as old as (his big brother) was. How old was he?"

"He was eight."

"Okay, I want to be eight." He pointed to the picture on the wall. "I want to be just like Jesus and get baptized."

Of course, my heart got all warm and fuzzy. We don't push the concept of baptism on our children, hoping they will gain that desire on their own, and because of the joy my membership in the Church has brought me, I'm delighted when they decide it for themselves. My moment of spiritual uplift was slightly shattered, however, as my son continued to study the picture, and then uttered in a too-loud-for-Primary voice:

"JESUS was BAPTIZED OUTSIDE????"

I Need Your Reviews Contest!

2010-02-20T09:11:23+00:00

I'm looking to increase my online reviews for my Sadie Books--Lemon Tart, English Trifle, and, especially, Devil's Food Cake. Reader reviews are one of the best motivating factors in book sales and something I can't do myself--well, I could, but that's kind of classless, isn't it?

Here's the rules:

1--Post a 'permanent' online review people will find when searching for a book title through a website. For instance: Goodreads, Librarything.com, Shelfari, Amazon, Deseret Book, Seagull online, Barnes & Noble, Borders, etc. (Not individual blogs or facebook please--I love the mentions, but I'm looking for reviews that are static and will remain linked to the books in a specific database)

2--The review must be for Lemon Tart, English Trifle, or Devil's Food Cake.

3--One entry per review (copying and pasting the same review in numerous places totally works)

4--Any reviews you've done for these books in the month of February count.

5--Deadline is Midnight February 28th

6--Leave a comment telling me where you posted reviews--you'll get an entry for each review at each location.

The Prize is a copy of any one of my books--your choice, signed and shipped to whoever you want. I'll be giving away two books and will randomly draw two name via www.random.org on March 1st.

Here are links to some of the sites I'd love reviews on, but feel free to choose others as well.

Lemon Tart:
Deseret Book
Amazon
Seagull Book
Barnes & Noble
Borders
Goodreads
Librarything
Shelfari

English Trifle:
Deseret Book
Amazon
Seagull Book
Barnes & Noble
Goodreads
Librarything
Shelfari

Devil's Food Cake
Deseret Book
Amazon
Seagull Book
Barnes & Noble
Goodreads
Librarything
Shelfari

In gathering these links I found out that Lemon Tart and English Trifle both have Kindle editions--so cool!

Thanks for your help! I appreciate it so very much.

When Is Writing Work?

2010-02-19T21:18:00+00:00

I get this question asked a lot: Do I ever get sick of writing, and/or does it ever become work?

The answer is messy and convoluted . . . pretty much like the writer brain is.

I don't think I've ever gotten sick of writing during the drafting phase. Sure, I've stressed myself out during it, trying to get it done or worrying that the story won't turn out right, or that maybe this is the time I'll fail at writing a whole book.

But as for actually getting sick of writing?

Absolutely not. Drafting and the initial stages of revision are the best part of this gig. Drafting is when you're in the act of creation. It makes me alive inside. I love hanging out with my characters and watching them do their thing. Generally speaking, the happiest seasons I experience are the ones in which I'm regularly drafting. (I think my family prefers me then too.)

Took me awhile to figure that out, though. I'd get into a slump and hate the whole darn writing thing: it had become work.

The slump would generally hit after revising a manuscript headed to press for the three thousandth time and proofing it for the eightieth. A slump hangs around after doing rounds and rounds of book signings and other promotional stuff. Basically it's when you want to torch your new book because you're so close to it that you can't see it objectively anymore and you're sure it's garbage, and it's been months and months since you wrote anything new.

At the darkest, most depressing part of the slump, I'd begin a new project . . . and discover the magic all over again. It happens every time: the sun comes out, I'm energized, and I love what I do, eager to get back to the book as soon as I can.

The slumps are the hard part. While they are filled with "writerly" things, they aren't what I consider writing. They hit after I've crossed the finish line of both drafting and initial revisions. I love revising (at least, at first; I hate it when it's #1,987) because I can take what's already there and make it better and better, like molding clay into the right shape.

It's when you're (or at least I'm) revising and editing it to death and can practically recite the thing in your sleep that you start to hate it, because it's no longer fresh. It's lost the magic for you.

Slumps also hit when you're so swamped with the business side of things that you don't have time for the creative stuff. The inner writer child needs the rush and excitement of creation to keep going, to not wither and die.

I'm withering.

I haven't written anything brand new in about a year. Band of Sisters was submitted October of 2008, and shortly after that, I finished the YA folktale. So this last year, I had revisions and edits for Band of Sisters. Then I worked on revisions for the folktale. I'm currently revising my old murder mystery.

The only new writing I've done (unless you count magazine articles and blog posts, which I don't, because although I enjoy them, they aren't my first love: fiction), is for my upcoming chocolate cookbook. While that was a tasty experience, it still wasn't drafting fiction. (Honestly, my favorite part of doing that book was writing commentaries on the recipes and having fun with the manuscript on the keyboard.)

I'm glad I can recognize the problem. After enough years of the cycle, I know that what I'm feeling isn't that I hate writing, but rather that it's been too long since I drafted a new novel. I'm particularly glad that I know what the real issue is because I have so many other pots in the fire right now that, unfortunately, it'll still be a spell before I get to draft full force on anything new.

But that new book is dangling out in front of me like a carrot. Or a chocolate bar.

And I can't wait to eat it up.

Make 'Em Laugh

2010-02-19T13:00:00+00:00

I was watching the film The Secret the other day, and one of the seconds talked about a woman who diagnosed with cancer. This woman decided to forgo the usual treatment and spend her time releasing stress by watching the funniest films she could find.

Now, I'm not suffering from cancer, or any other devastating disease that I'm aware of, but I do place myself under a lot of stress in my daily life, so I decided that maybe I needed to revel in a bit of humor from my own video shelves in the past few weeks. And I've found some doozies! Even after multiple viewings of each of these movies, they make me laugh right out loud every time I see them.

I know I always feel better after watching one of them. Maybe they can do the same for YOU!

Rhinestone

The premise of this one alone is enough to make me start to chuckle. Sylvestor Stallone as a country singer? Add the perfect timing of real-life country singer Dolly Parton and you have a pair you will fall in love with, if you don't laugh yourself to death while Stallone is singing --is that what we call it? And the moment he dons the Rhinestone cowboy outfit and hits the back of a horse straight from The Electric Horseman? Priceless! You gotta watch it! This one's funnier than the auditions for America Idol.

Galaxy Quest

If you enjoyed last year's new Star Trek film, and if you were ever any kind of a fan of the TV show, you'll appreciate the subtle parallels that Tim Allen and crew bring to this movie. Maybe not every fan at World Con is wearing a costume, but when some real aliens show up, Commander Peter Quincy Taggert gets taken on a ride that teaches him more about himself than he ever could have learned alone if he really had traveled the entire universe. I really loved seeing "Snape" play a character perhaps a little too close to Mr. Spock than Nimoy himself would have liked. Laugh out loud at this one without feeling the least bit guilty.

American Dreamz

Wait! If you're really an American Idol and Simon Cowell fan, then you have GOT to see this one! Hugh Grant is dead-right on spot in his Cowell-like personae as the host of American Dreamz--with a Z! Mandy Moore's performance didn't thrill me all that much, but hey, the rest of the movie TOTALLY made up for it!

In & Out

By far the most irreverent, but also the most absolute side-splitting movie in the bunch, Kevin Kline and Tom Selleck can actually make you believe they are gay, even while knowing in your heart they are not. Joan Cusack's performance is perfect, and Debbie Reynolds and Wilford Brimley deliver stellar performances as the parent of the now-outed English teacher played by Kline. Just try not to pee your pants when Howard tries out his manly man tapes by trying to keep himself from dancing a little Y.M.C.A.

WNW: Dangling Participles

2010-02-17T16:08:00+00:00

A couple of weeks ago, Michelle Jeffries asked me to address participial phrases. Since that's a giant topic, I thought I'd start with the way participles are most often misused: the famous dangling participle!

They're loads of fun . . . really! They're easy to giggle over . . . at least when you find the mistake in someone else's work (or before yours gets in front of an editor).

I originally wrote about them on the Writing on the Wall blog about a year and a half ago, so for those who have followed that blog a long time, you may recognize parts of this.

So what is a dangling participle?

It's a modifier, usually noun, pronoun, or phrase—basically any descriptor—that's in the wrong place for what it's supposed to be describing. Often that means it's too far away from it, or at least that something else is in the way.

Sounds confusing, so let's just ignore the definition for a minute and show some examples. They're the best way to learn anyway, right?

Try these sentences on for size:

Joe went on the ride with my sister called The Raging Flame of Death.
Hmm. That's not a sister I'd like to hang out with. Oh, wait! The ride has that name. In that case:

He went on the The Raging Flame of Death ride [or the ride called The Raging Flame of Death] with my sister.

Other funny examples:

Two computers were reported stolen by the high school principal.

(That's one unethical principal . . .)

The anchor reported a coming lightning storm on the television.

(Get AWAY from that television!)

Please look through the contents of the package with your wife.

(Must be one huge package if she fits in it.)

James hadn’t meant to let it slip that he wasn’t married, at least to his boss.

(Wait. His boss is Mrs. James?)

Quiet and patient, her dress was simple, yet stylish.

(Let's hope her dress wasn't loud and impatient.)

At the age of five, her mother remarried.

(Um . . . doubt that's legal in any state. And she certainly wasn't a mother then.)

These little nasties are painfully easy to drop into your work without you even knowing it. They happen when you've used an action and then the subject that belongs to the action is put into the wrong place.

The result is most definitely a meaning you didn't intend.

One of the most common forms is relatively easy to spot: look for sentences that open with an "ing" phrase:

Turning the corner on a bike, a huge dog startled him.

(Apparently that's a dog with serious coordination skills.)

Driving through town, the grocery store appeared on the right.

(Freaky store. And just how big is its car?!)

And here's one of my favorite dangling participles (which I found in a New York Times bestseller that shall remain nameless, even though it was just too funny):

Being my father, I thought he'd be more upset.

(Now THAT is one amazing genetic trick . . .)

You get the idea.

Dangling participles can sound scary and intimidating, but in reality, they're easy to fix. Just make sure the action in your sentence is really attached to the person or thing doing it.

For the writers reading this, it's something you don't need to worry too much about in the drafting stage. It is, however, one of those things you should try to catch in the revision stage.

One great way is to read your draft aloud. The stresses and pauses will make you recognize when something doesn't quite sound right. Pick some trusted readers to ferret out these kinds of bloopers as well.

Your future lack of embarrassment is most definitely worth the effort.

I've got a busy bloggy day:

I also posted HERE over at the AML blog and HERE at Writing on the Wall.

Show Not Tell Homework

2010-02-17T09:03:06+00:00

by Annette Lyon

I'm stealing from myself today. I thought some of the material from the creative writing class I taught last week might be useful for Writing on the Wall readers.

We talked about the old adage, "Show not tell" and how to apply that in your writing.

What I didn't know early on in my writing journey is that there are lots of ways to show. Had someone explained it to me clearly, I could have been spared a lot of grief (and likely, rejections).

Showing Scenes

Sometimes we need a mini scene to see and learn that this character is a workaholic or this one is a computer genius or that one is a great chef. Put your characters into the moment and let us watch them do their thing.

Let us see that Phil is the only person in the company who can find and fix the bug in the program. We'll figure out that he's the smart computer dude.

Alternately, if someone has a personality trait, a scene revealing that trait is far more effective than just telling us the person is kind or loud or simply a jerk. In other words, give the reader a scene where the character is interacting with others and behaving in a kind way or being loud or treating others like a jerk.

In other words, give your reader the breadcrumbs (the clues) and assume they're smart enough to figure out that this behavior in this scene means that Ashley is a snob. But you never ever used the word, "snob."

This does a couple of things: your reader isn't talked down to (you're assuming they're smart) and you're making the story alive. You're breathing life into the characters.

In other words, you're showing, not telling.

Specificity

I did an entire post some time ago about specificity. In short, it's a micro way of showing. In these cases, we don't need an entire scene or even a paragraph here. Sometimes all you'll do is replace a single word with one or two more specific ones.

A bird didn't fly overhead; a seagull did.

A car didn't drive pull into the driveway, but a yellow Jeep did.

Your character isn't enjoying a great meal; he can't get enough of the 3-cheese lasagna and garlic bread.

The more specific you are, the more your reader can be immersed in the story.

Sensory Details

Sensory details are another great way to show. They put the reader right in the same location with your POV character. The reader experiences the same thing vicariously because you made it so real.

Imagine a specific location: say parking garage, a hospital, or a cemetery.

What do you notice about it besides things you see?

Smell: The parking garage might smell of oil, the hospital of disinfectant, and the cemetery like freshly cut grass or flowers.

Sound: In the parking garage, you'll likely hear fans blowing out the exhaust fumes, car engines, squealing tires, the click-click of high heels on the concrete and maybe even voices echoing. Depending on the area of the hospital, you could hear beeps of machines, announcements over the intercom, elevator doors, beds squeaking along the halls, TVs in patient rooms, and more. And the cemetery could be silent save for the breeze in the oak over there (we're being specific, right? So it's not a tree) or maybe there's the hum of cars on the street in the distance or a single mourner crying next to a headstone.

Feeling: This one can go a couple directions, both toward emotions (what's the overall FEEL of the place?) as well as the actual sense of feeling or touch. The parking garage may be cold, with dim lighting, and feel claustrophobic. The hospital could feel sterile (in more ways than one). A writer could describe pushing open a heavy door to see a patient, the hard mattress, the thin blankets. And since a cemetery is outside, what you feel would depend largely on the season (summer versus winter, rain or hail, a breeze or sweltering heat, etc.).

Taste: A sense writers often forget about. It's a powerful one, so I don't recommend using it all the time, but it's one to remember because it can pack such a great punch. Think through the locations and what someone might taste in them: the parking garage (even the flavor of a person's gum might taste different with the fumes in there), the hospital (oy, the food . . .), and the cemetery.

General rule of thumb: Try to use at least one other sense besides sight on every page. And change up which sense you're using: don't always use sound, which comes in second behind sight. Be creative: try for taste and smell too, and don't forget touch.

A Challenge:

Here's the homework I gave to my class this week. It's a great exercise to learn how to show rather than tell.

Write THREE showing paragraphs:

1) An emotion. But you aren't allowed to say what it is. (For example, show fear without ever using "afraid" or "scared" or anything like them.)

2) A location or setting. Don't ever name the location; we should be able to figure out where you are by the fantastic showing description.

3) An act. Show a character doing something. We should be able to know what it is without the act being named. (Examples: baking cookies, changing oil in the car, putting on makeup, mowing the lawn.)

Ask Tristi, Part Three

2010-02-17T08:00:01+00:00

Today's questions all come from Regina.

#1 - Other than scriptures, what book have you read more than any others in your life?

Little Women. I have read it over and over again. Close seconds would be Heidi, Anne of Green Gables, and Rilla of Ingleside.

#2 - What do you think is better - a good review or a good vacation?

I never go on vacation, so I would have to say a good review.

#3 - What is the worst thing you have ever worn and do you have pictures?

When I was a little girl, I had these blue and white houndstooth pants and a red and white patterned shirt. I saw nothing wrong with wearing them together, and my mom (who should have been saving me from myself) saw nothing wrong with it either. I greatly embarrassed my sisters, and I probably owe them each an apology. No, there were no pictures.

#4 - Have you ever passed on a book that ended up being a big hit? Have you ever thought a book was a sure thing and it bombed? Valor has only been up and running since last May and we've only released one book so far, so we aren't far enough in to the game to know stuff like this yet, but now I'm really curious to see how that all pans out down the road.

#5- If you were not an editor but you still had to earn your pesos, what would you be doing right now? If I were not an editor. Hmmmm. Probably doing some other kind of writing job online. I've done media reviews for years, both for pay and not for pay, and I've been a professional blogger for two different companies. I imagine I'd be doing something along those lines, but I'm not sure.

Look out, I'm on a roll

2010-02-17T05:32:18+00:00

So I finished my book yesterday morning and sent it off. I spent all day thinking "Maybe I should have Sadie go to..." or "Ooo, I should fix that scene where..." and then I'd realize I didn't have the book anymore--no more changes for awhile. The big problem for many writers is that by the time you send the book off, you hate it. Key Lime Pie isn't any different. I'm sure it's the lamest book I've ever written, that my publisher is making faces at it and that in six months I'm going to have to brace myself for "I used to really enjoy Josi's books but something's...happened." However, lame or not, it's done and THAT is something to appreciate. So, what did I do with my newfound freedom?

Well, I got my eyebrows threaded, that was cool. I've been wanting to do it for months, since my sister in California told me about the process, claiming you don't breakouts or have to give up a layer of skin. Here's a youtube video about it http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rlxWQDgK0eg it was a very cool process. If you know any stylists who might want to learn how to do it, the lady I went to is going to be doing some training before she moves this summer. I hope, I hope, I hope someone learns how to do it. I liked it way better than waxing. At the first of the year I decided to reward myself with pampering for every 14 days I wrote for at least an hour, then I got so busy I didn't have time. I've got three saved up, and I used one yesturday, I'll get a pedicure within the next week and a haircut soon to follow. Those will be very happy days!

And then, after I got home I started digging in to all the projects that have been waiting for me all these weeks (Okay, years.) I reorganized my "gift wrapping" supplies and decided on a new home for them (I've been tripping over bags, tissue paper and ribbon in my closet and bedroom since Christmas) and then I pulled out my vapor steamer and took on The Grout. Yes, it is supposed to be capitalized as it is a fearful foe. Turns out The Grout really isn't black. Who knew? I spent hours, and 3 nylon and two metal heads, scrubbing, scrubbing, scrubbing, and I only got the kitchen (the photo is of the border into the hallway, proving I have more work to do) but it looks SO nice! And it felt so good to be sweating over something physical. Today I'm going to seal it, so it stays beige for awhile and then I'll be moving on to...The Master Bedroom Closet. Dun, dun, dun.

I've also put a home organizing book on hold at the library--I'm sure this phase will only last me a couple of weeks, but I'm prepared to take full advantage of this mood to deep clean, organize, and pamper my home in the meantime.

If you've got any fun little organization tips, I'd love to hear them.

A Happy List

2010-02-16T23:41:00+00:00

At times, a list just feels good.

Some things that made me happy today:

1) Making quite a bit of progress at digging the house out from under some serious messes.

2) Getting a freelance check in the mail (which was a bit larger than expected, so double smiles).

3) Husband taking the day off work and saying, "This afternoon, if there's housework you want help with, let me know." (SERIOUSLY? WOOOOOOT!)

4) Meeting Emily M of Segullah for the first time. Even though we've corresponded a lot via e-mail, this was our first in-person meeting; we swapped some Whitney finalists to read. It was like chatting with an old friend. She reminds me of one of my cousins. (Emily, that's a compliment!)

5) Seeing Emily's post over at Segullah. Kinda made my day.

6) Wearing pants that make me look smaller than I really am (pants that hide those extra pounds that recently sneaked onto my waist . . . grrrrr).

7) Getting my Band of Sisters pass-along cards in the mail. They turned out gorgeous . . . and seeing them made the upcoming release feel more real! (It's coming! It's coming! We're only two weeks out!)

8) NOT being on deadline. (Which allowed me to, oh, do some housecleaning.) I enjoyed the fact that there wasn't work and a due date looming over me like a cloud . . . because I'll have another deadline soon, self-imposed or otherwise.

9) I was about to say kids not fighting, but then two of them rushed into my office . . . fighting. So, yeah. Forget that one.

10) I won't be cooking dinner tonight. Always cause for celebration.

Up tomorrow: Word Nerd Wednesday, my day at Writing on the Wall, and my AML post for the month. (What was that about no deadlines?)

Reviewers Needed for WOMEN OF THE BOOK OF MORMON

2010-02-16T10:14:57+00:00

You guys convinced me. I'm going to do a blog tour for my upcoming non-fiction book, Women of the Book of Mormon. I'm looking for about 20 reviewers who are willing to post a review on their blog between the dates of March 15 and April 30th.

If you'd like to participate, please send me an email here: heather at hbmoore dot com

WOMEN Blog Tour:

1. I'll be emailing a PDF for you to read and write your review from. The book is not very long--about 90 pages, and it does have pictures! (if that incentivizes you)

2. Reviews should be posted between March 15th and April 30th. You can let me know which timeframe is best for you. Then you simply email me the URL when your review is posted, and I'll link it to my blog as well.

3.The hardcopy of the book won't be out until the first week of April. As a thank you, I'll mail you a SIGNED COPY of the hardcover gift book. You can then give it to yourself or your favorite person for Mother's Day :)

Ask Tristi, Part Two

2010-02-16T08:00:01+00:00

Thanks for joining me for our continuation of "Ask Tristi."

Connie asked:

You must be a very organized person. How in the world do you find time to do all you do? Do you ever sleep?

My Answer: I've actually weeded out a lot of things, but yes, I do still do quite a bit. I don't spend a lot of time on housework and I have given up all but a couple of my hobbies. I do it all in little chunks here and there, and somehow, they add up to completed projects when I'm done. Sleep? Not so much.

Kimberly asked:

What is one strength and one weakness we don't know about you?

My Answer: I've been thinking about this ever since Kim first asked it, and I have to say, it's one of the hardest questions I've ever been asked.

My weakness is that when I get stressed, I get very selfish and I shut the world out. I'll turn the kids over to my husband and go curl up and read, or I'll leave the house, or I'll stay up late and watch a movie, all by myself. I am very stingy about my alone time.

My strength ... it's pretty hard to look at yourself and identify your own strengths. I have the strength of listening to two people argue and being able to understand what they are both trying to say and aren't able to express. It's come in handy in negotiations and helping to solve disputes.

Stay tuned for more questions and answers tomorrow!

Rejection Contest

2010-02-15T17:39:13+00:00

My daughter worked at Putnam going through the slush pile a few summers back. She told people her official job title was: Dream Crusher.

A lot of agents could also put this on their business cards.

During my recent agent-quest, I only got one form rejection--which would seem pretty good until you realize that I had a manuscript an editor wanted (The sequel for My Fair Godmother) which was in need of a contract. In my query letters, I mentioned this fact. It's the equivalent of telling agents: Hey, you get guaranteed payment for signing me as a client.

I still got rejected. Heck, I still got agents that didn't even bother to reply with a polite, "No Thanks."

But due to the last post, I've heard a lot from other writers about their rejections. My favorite is from a very talented author who had an agent email her a form rejection while he was simultaneously watching Avatar. (She knew because she was following him on twitter.) That's got to make you feel special. The agent considered your life work during the slow parts of a movie. (If only the author had thrown in a kick-butt, anorexic looking, blue alien, she might have gotten farther with her manuscript.)

In my book, How to Take the Ex Out of Ex-boyfriend, rejection letters play a pivotal part in the plot. (This is why authors are sick; we take our traumatic moments and put them in books to make money off of them.) So leave a comment telling me your worst rejection moment and the random number generator will choose who gets a free copy of the book.

See, sometimes rejection pays off.

Ask Tristi, Part One

2010-02-15T08:00:00+00:00

Last week, I announced "Ask Tristi Week." Several of you responded with your questions, and I've had a lot of fun answering them. I've broken my responses up over several days, so get ready to learn more about me than you've ever wanted to know.

L. T. Elliot asked:

You have some books with different publishing houses. My question is, will you continue working with many different publishers now that you're so busy with Valor?

My Answer: I have published with a few different publishing houses, but not at the same time. Each came into my life at the right time, and then that time drew to an end. Right now I'm contracted with Valor and I plan to publish with them for the remainder of my career.

Jen asked:

Do you ever wear the pink bunny suit when no one is looking?

My Answer: If no one is looking, what's the point?

Queen of Chaos asked:

When are you gonna be my neighbor?

My Answer: You live in a very hot place. I'll be your neighbor when you move up here, or when I grow flame-retardant skin. I don't do well in the heat.

Join me again tomorrow for the next round of questions during "Ask Tristi Week."

Incredible Announcement

2010-02-14T22:48:56+00:00

Every so often, life brings a surprise that's so awesome, you just have to hold your breath and squinch your eyes shut for a minute to see if it's still there when you open them. Ever since I've started working for Valor Publishing Group, I've had several of these moments, from getting to work with Utah State Attorney General Mark Shurtleff to meeting people I've always wanted to meet. Today I found out that another amazing opportunity is coming my way. And it's coming your way, too ...

Before Cleon Skousen passed away, he wrote four additional books, and bequeathed them to his sons with the charge of finding a publisher who would take them on and do them justice. Valor Publishing, the company I work for, just signed the contract with the Skousen sons, and we are releasing the first manuscript in April of this year. How amazing is that—one of the most well-respected, knowledgeable spiritual scholars we have ever had, and there are four more books to add to his already well-established list of publications? And how amazing is it that I get to be part of it? I’m honestly so mindboggled by it.

The first book is called “Cleansing of America” and details the prophecies concerning America leading up to the latter days. In reading this book preparatory to editing it, I have been very touched by the power and magnitude of the words. I can’t wait to share it with all of you.

And … and … I have even more awesome news. First thing Monday morning, you can go to the Valor website and place your preorder for 10% off, and you will get your copy at least a week before the books hit any store shelves. Monday is going to be an incredible day for fans of Brother Skousen’s as we have the chance to get in line for this first book. We are preparing our website right this minute to handle massive amounts of traffic we know will come our way on Monday – this is so incredible, and so huge, we will be busy processing your orders.

Books ordered on Monday will not be shipped until the last week of March, but you will get your copy far in advance of any store. Please join us in celebrating this monumental moment in LDS literary history!

Click here to read what Valor Publishing Group's president, Candace Salima, posted about this.

UPDATE: The order page is now live!! Click here!

Chick Flicks and Valentine's Day

2010-02-13T22:28:24+00:00

February 14th, the day that used to be the most dreaded day of my life. Back in the days before I was married, I hated Valentine's Day. Why? I didn't have a boyfriend, lover, or special someone--a fact that was brought even more clear into my life and to the eyes of the world every Valentine's Day as flowers, candy, and special presents were delivered to the other girls in my classes starting somewhere when I was in grade school and following through for years of my teaching career.

Of course, all that changed for me when I met and married my husband, but I still found myself feeling the hurt of those girls who didn't get something special during the Valentine delivery parade at school on Friday. Oh, the student council tried to right the wrong by delivering candy-grams to almost everyone in the school (somehow a half dozen kids in my class got missed), but word soon spread who those secret admirer messages came from and those who got them still felt let down.

I understood their pain. Too many years of my own life found me hoping, wishing, praying that things would change. I was 40 before that happened. Even now, I think of al those years of looking for love and find myself ready for a good cry.

That's where a great chick flick comes in handy. If you want a great reason to cry without looking like you need to, find a film and settle in for the evening, tissues at the ready. My husband has been working out of town--although he will be here for the special day--but that hasn't kept me from hitting the video shelves and finding some great chick flicks to remind me just how special love is and how much I miss him.

Here's a quick run-down of the movies I've watched in the last couple weeks. Lucky for me, he was here for a couple to snuggle and remember just how much he loves me.

Who needs to go to a packed theater to enjoy a star-packed romantic comedy? Julie Roberts, Billy Crystal, Catherine Zeta-Jones, and John Cusack headline this hysterically funny film that hits perhaps a little too close to the world of movie-making and celebrity where my husband and I sometimes live. Funny or not, this one will still make the true romantic have a little cry.

Another laugh-out loud comedy, Greek or not, I still identified with screenwriter and star Nia Vardalos in this film as Toula made her search for the perfect man by becoming the perfect woman. Every time I watch the movie, I thank God my family is NOTHING like hers, well. . . almost!

I first saw this movie in the theater with my husband, and we both loved the rich beauty of Italy, mixed with the romance of relationships that don't always work out the way you expect them to.

Okay, so you might ask how does a story about a man who ends up in a "It's a Wonderful Life" scenerio classify itself as a chick flick? Because Tia Leoni makes you want to live her life and love this man so much that when she almost loses him it will break your heart. I had to call my husband late, late at night after watching this one, just to tell him just how much I loved and missed him.

I watched this movie this afternoon in the kitchen with a houseful of boys, and cried like a baby when it looked like all was lost. And no, the tears weren't because I was figuring out the paperwork for taxes at the same time! I knew the problems worked out too easy in this ghost-like relationship between Reese Witherspoon and Mark Ruffalo, and even though I was seeing the movie for a second time, my heart was broken when I thought, just for a moment, that nothing would work out right in the end. That's probably what hooked two of those boys to sit down and watch the movie with me to the very end. It's a good thing none of us walked away unsatisfied.

So, if you forgot to get your special someone a Valentine, or if your special someone hasn't yet walked into your life, I hope you have a great, romantic time anyway this Valentine's Day, and consider watching a chick flick sometime during the day. It will make you feel good about love, no matter what your current circumstances.

The writer and self-esteem

2010-02-12T22:44:47+00:00

Since My Double Life is coming out in three months, I've written a lot of emails to my editor, Tim, AKA the bow-tied one, about marketing stuff. (I want to hold some sort of celebrity look-alike contest, but more about that later.)

The bow-tied one didn't answer my emails for like, two months straight.

I admit right off that I'm a worrier. When I was first married, I had to have many talks with my husband about unexpectedly coming home late from work. My imagination kicked in at twenty minutes. By thirty minutes, I was planning his tearful funeral and trying to figure out how I would rebuild my shattered life. You just can't do that to a woman for very many days in the week.

Thank goodness for cell phones. Now I can call him when he's late. He doesn't pick up, but at least this way I can stop worrying about any demise that would also involve the vaporization of his cell phone.

I was okay at first when I didn't hear from Tim. I just figured he didn't want to talk marketing. But about the time that second month rolled around I started creating scenarios. Putnam was dropping me. He'd been fired. He was mad at me. He had cancer. The whole company was dissolving.

He finally called. I told him about my dropping me-fired-mad-cancer-company dissolving thoughts. "You shouldn't worry me like that," I told him. "Writers have vivid imaginations."

"Yeah," he said. "Vivid imaginations and low self-esteems. It's a deadly combination."

"Low self-esteem?" I repeated a bit aghast. "Nobody has ever told me I have low self-esteem."

"Well, they're not going to say it to your face," he said.

Apparently they wouldn't, but he would. This is just one more editorial service the bow-tied one offers.

I've thought about that conversation a lot lately. I don't think I have low self-esteem. Sure, I know I'm far from perfect. I could do a blog of all my faults. Heck, I could do a blog of all the things I've lost lately, and it would be a hefty list. (My Garmin, my car keys, my temper, the time.)

But that's one of the nice things about being a writer. I don't beat myself up over, say, being terminally disorganized. I just tell myself: I'm an artist. We're supposed to be different.

In general, I'm pretty happy with myself and life. I'll tell you my secret. I try not to concentrate on my achievements (which I think would depress anybody). Instead I aim for a clean conscience. It's amazing how awful I feel when I know I've done something wrong. I can't feel good about myself until I've at least tried to set it right. But when my conscience is clean, I like myself.

So I really wondered about Tim's comment about self-esteem. Did I have a poor self-esteem and I just didn't know it? Did everybody out there think a lot more of themselves than I did, and I'd just never noticed? Why was he so sure I had low self-esteem?

Then I left my old agent and went out into the harsh, cold cyber world to find a new one. Suddenly the writers and low self-esteem comment made sense. We're a bunch of people who pour our hearts into creating a story that we love. We not only do our utmost to create a nearly living breathing thing (at least it lives and breathes for us) but we quite literally put a slice of our mind and soul out there for people to judge.

And so many people find our best lacking. So many people find our souls not even worthy of their time.

What normal person could go through that repeatedly and not feel the pangs of a stabbed ego? Ditto for those revision comments that editors throw around like confetti at a Mardi Gras parade.

A normal person wouldn't subject themselves to this sort of treatment. Which leads me to believe that writers don't have low self-esteems. We're the ones with high self-esteems or we would have fled this business at the first rejection letter. Or the twelfth. Or the fiftieth. And certainly by that 1,000 revision comment. (My Double Life had 1,200)

Thankfully, I wasn't agentless for long. But to all of you in the trenches: hang in there, and hang on to those self-esteems. You're going to need them later.

A Valentine Post from #3

2010-02-12T19:04:00+00:00

My three oldest kids have their own blogs that their friends and family read. #2 and #3 update theirs more often than my oldest, and it's been a great writing exercise for them.

#3, who is in 5th grade, has created a second blog for an alter-ego named Bob. He's got his own personality, and my daughter has this wicked sense of humor she uses when writing in Bob's voice.

I'm hoping she forgives me for doing this, but first, I laughed myself silly when I read it and second, it's Valentines Day weekend. I couldn't resist.

These are her words exactly as they appeared on Bob's blog, unedited or changed by me at all, but inspired by the picture you'll see at the end.

Enjoy!

valentines day . . . It doesn't deserve to be capitalized

You all know what time of year it is right? It's not quite the winter wonder land it was but it's not warm yet. It's just, uh, awful. It's cold outside but is there snow? NO! All there is , is just soggy slushy dirt piles of ice. (I know, makes no sense.) And how do the people decide to cheer us up? With some holiday all about...(gulp)...LL...L....L...Lo..lo....LOVE! Whoof! Glad I got that out of me. Any who, it's a holiday trying to cheer us up but it's a stupid holiday! I don't care what you guys think it is! And for many different reasons!

1. It's stupid
2. It's Idiotic
3. It's dumb
4. It's worthless
5. It's all mushy gushy....BLAH!
6. It's REALLY stupid
7. It's REALLY idiotic
8. It's REALLY dumb
9. It's REALLY worthless
10. It's REALLY all mushy gushy...BLAH!

Now, besides that, the #1 reason why valentine's day sucks (Notice, not capitalized. It doesn't deserve it.) is....

CUPID!

That dumb little baby that was , "Sent from heaven above" is such a brat! First of all I think most people don't know the difference between heaven, and the underworld. (I've been studying Greek Mythology...) That little kid is flying around with arrows-Which may I add, so shouldn't be given to a 2 year old!-Shooting whoever he spots and then BOOM, they're in love. BLAH I say! BLAH! Why does he get to decide who gets to like who? Aren't we smart enough to choose? Or are we...I don't know I just hate that kid! I think I'm gonna go give him a piece of my mind. (It's piece not peace. I don't want to make peace I want to make that baby into pieces.) Well off I go!

1 HOUR LATER:

Okay, the whole Cupid thing didn't go as planned. I "accidentally" grabbed his arrows and shot him, thinking he would fall in love with the rock in front of him. But no... Apparently the arrows don't work on him. With most people they are love arrows, with Cupid himself, they are death arrows....

Is it to late for sorry?

Opening NIght Party in Review

2010-02-12T11:54:12+00:00

Thank you, thank you to all of you who came to the opening night, it was such a great turn out and I was pleased to only have a couple cakes come back home with me :-) In case you weren't here, this is the recap:

First off, yesterday was I-N-S-A-N-E. I'd been up til 3:30 writing at the office, and then up at 6:30. I was sure I'd have time to take a nap. Nope. Being that I am 4 days from a deadline, I finished up a reader evaluation (Thank you Annette!) and then got to work. I finished the frosting, frosted the cakes, and swore as I made about 200 chocolate curls. We were doing a total 9 cakes--I spared you the intermediate photos since my kitchen was far from pretty at that point.

I tried to make some dark chocolate decorating frosting, to make the cakes look two toneed and super fancy. It looked like wet coal dust and my kids thought it tasted like black licorice. So the triple batch of frosting went in the garbage. BUT, there was no time to cry about it so we carried on. Thank goodness I'd made the actual cakes over the weekend and for my fabulous helpers who came home from school and got to work so I could take a shower and run to piano lessons and a final trip to the store.

The one benefit of being a little bit late, is that people are waiting. And I wasn't really late, but I was only 5 minutes early, which is late when you're doing an event. But I have to wonder if part of it isn't psychological in that I like having a crowd when I get there. That doesn't say much about my character does it?

It's overwhelming to me when people come out to these events. I almost feel guilty that they took time to come see me, but I enjoy being able to catch up with everyone that I get over my guilt pretty fast :-) Reflections of Utah set up a whole corner of the store with tables and chairs, which was really fun.

My good friend Melissa (denim) came, as well as Becki and Ronda (Ronda's new book, Missing, is great, BTW) are part of my writer's group, which has been such a great blessing for me in many ways. They already had the book, but came out just to support me, which was so sweet of them both. Though not in the picture, my step-sister-in-law came with her little girl, Hannah. Her dad and my mother in law got married just a few months before Lee and I got married and so being as how all of us were grown, and our parents moved to New Orleans a few years after that, we don't see each other much, but it was great to see her and I was touched that they came out. Fellow author Frank Richardson came up from Fruit Heights and it was fun to catch up with him.

We had a steady stream of people coming throughout the night--my friend Heather B. came and about made me cry when she gave me a hug and told me how proud she was of me. She's been to every opening night party I've had and is always such a great cheerleader and friend. I didn't get a picture of her either :-( but it was highlight. Lee brought the two little kids toward the end--they get a little ballistic if they're there for too long, and it's always so nice to have them come and be all excited (it helps that I let them both have two pieces of chocolate cake). I had several other people stop in--Anna, Michele, Tiff, Denice, Marion, Tana, Pam, Jodi, Bonnie, Ashlea, McCall, Brenna, Wesley, Kate, Ilean, Leda--and several others.

Just as the evening was winding down, I got a couple more surprises. First, Julie Wright and Karen Hoover came all the way up from Provo. They'd been at a conference and must have flown out of it as soon as their panel was over in order to get there. Julie is...well, she's my Julie and is always front row to my life and career. And Karen is a solid, inspiring, and oh-so-positive person. I'm so glad to know her and so excited for her book which will be out in 32 days (check back on March 3 for my review--The Sapphire Flute) I did get a photo of them, but it was crappy. My camera isn't so good. So, if anyone has a better copy, please send!

Then, I look up and this guy walks in. My first thought was "Boy, he looks a lot like Don Carey. That's weird since Don lives in Texas." Then about .8 seconds later I realize it IS Don Carey! Don is a good friend, an inspiriting husband and father, and one of my test kitchen cooks. He just had his first novel accepted for publication and I couldn't be happier for him. Apparently he was up for work this week and so he made the drive from Provo to come be a part of the opening night. Is that not so cool? His mom came with him, and what a sweetheart she is--putting up with Karen, Julie and I and all our book and writer talk. The event was supposed to go til 7:00, but we were there to almost nine just chatting and catching up. It was such a great end to the night.

I came home and spent an hour making stupid valentines for stupid valentine's day, but that's another blog post so I'll refrain.

Over all it was a great event--thank you to everyone who came, everyone who sent good vibes, and thought about me last night. I have to say that this whole writing thing has been a remarkable journey for so many reasons. I love the Opening Night parties for many reasons, but one of the best is the reminder I have of how many people I'm connected to in this life of mine. It's a powerful realization, to see just how un-alone I am. The support is priceless; thanks for sharing these moments with me any way you can.

Writing a Plot Summary

2010-02-12T09:50:54+00:00

By Josi S. Kilpack

As with many elements of writing, a Plot Summary has different definitions. Some people use as an alternative title for a synopsis, other people think of it as the back liner of a book, however, most agents and editors (the people usually requesting Plot Summaries) typically want a quick and dirty explanation about the book. That's it. It does not require the same structure and chronology as a synopsis, but is not meant to ask a lot of questions or come across as "inviting" as a back liner, which is essentially written for promotional purposes. A Plot Summary is just that, a summary of the plot. It is usually short (100-300 words) and while it doesn't necessarily tell the ending, it doesn't simply ask question after question either.

So, how do you write it? Here are some tips:

1) How would you describe your book to someone else? What are the essential elements of your story you want them to know? This is similar to what people call your 'elevator speech', which is based on the idea that if you found yourself in an elevator with the agent/editor/publisher you wanted for your book, how would you tell them your book description between floors--realizing this might be the only chance you have to get their attention? Lucky you gets to write this down rather than be expected to come up with it at a moment's notice.

2) Be sure to include the essential elements of a novel: Character, conflict, climax. Conclusion, another foundational element, isn't necessary to include in a plot summary because people don't read for the conclusion, they read for character, conflict and climax.

3) Leave out the middle of your story. Most of the time, the middle of any book is about the character getting into and out of trouble. It certainly has it's place in a novel, but for a plot summary it takes away the "punch" therefore should be carefully considered when you're summarizing your events.

4) Keep it tight. Keep your Plot Summary to less than 300--150 words is an average size. You don't need to tell the story chronologically, or get caught up replaying any specific scenes, just overview.

5) Don't be seduced by "Why." Focus on the who, how, when and where, not the why as that requires details you simply don't have room to include. Of course some why is necessary, but don't let it take the focus.

6) Keep the goal in mind. You are trying to capture and keep their attention only long enough for them to decide if they want to read more. You are NOT telling the story, just telling what it's about. The more focused you can keep it, the better you will meet the expectations of the person who requested your plot summary in the first place.

7) Include author/work information. Be sure the important information about you and the book is included with your plot summary. Typically this is done at the top of the page in the left hand side.

I've included a few plot summaries I found to illustrate how they are often done, you can find more examples on Amazon.com, via book reviews, or through any other online bookselling company:

Hunger Games
Suzanne Collins
YA Despotic
(insert novel word count)

In a not-too-distant future, the United States of America has collapsed, weakened by drought, fire, famine, and war, to be replaced by Panem, a country divided into the Capitol and 12 districts. Each year, two young representatives from each district are selected by lottery to participate in The Hunger Games. Part entertainment, part brutal intimidation of the subjugated districts, the televised games are broadcasted throughout Panem as the 24 participants are forced to eliminate their competitors, literally, with all citizens required to watch. When 16-year-old Katniss's young sister, Prim, is selected as the mining distric's female representative, Katniss volunteers to take her place. She and her male counterpart, Peeta, the son of the town baker who seems to have all the fighting skills of a lump of bread dough, will be pitted against bigger, stronger representatives who have trained for this their whole lives.
(145 words)

Of Mice and Men
John Steinbeck
Historical fiction
(insert novel word count)

Two cousins who had grown up together set off to make their fame and fortune. they begin working on a farm where mischievous things go on. One thing that happens is George finds his cousin in trouble when he killed the bosses sons wife. George sends his cousin off to the woods, to hide. George and the other men go out on a man hunt to find his cousin. In the end, George ends up killing his cousin to save his life.
(82 words)

Ramona Quimby Age 8
Beverly Cleary
Middle grade
(insert novel word count)

“Ramona Quimby, Age 8” is about a girl in third grade. She started school with a surprise gift from her dad, only to have it stolen by a boy she called “Yard Ape.” One day at lunch she tried to be cool and show off for her friends by cracking an egg on her head and found herself in a big mess. When flu season hit she learned how awful it felt to throw up in class. As time goes on, Ramona and her family solve their problems, and learn to be more caring for each other. They also learn to be more considerate for each other when time alone is needed.
(113 words)

Happy writing!

WNW: Hopefully Unthawing

2010-02-11T03:19:00+00:00

Today's WNW is one of those fun ones where we look at commonly misused words submitted by my trusty readers.

Hopefully
This one is so chronically misused that it's pretty much taken on the wrong definition in casual conversation. That said, I'd be hesitant to use it that way in professional writing.

Hopefully is an adverb, similar to slowly, happily, and randomly.

In other words, it's the manner in which something is done. Correct usage would be something like this:

Sarah looked up at her father hopefully as she handed him her birthday wish list.

But of course, we usually see things like:

Hopefully, we won't be late.

From a grammatical standpoint, that doesn't make much sense. No one is doing anything in a hopeful manner; the person speaking is merely wishing, hoping. But we aren't told how or in what manner they are hoping. So an adverb doesn't work there, but we use it that way in speech all the time.

(Picture another adverb there instead: Tenderly, we won't be late. Sure . . . that makes sense . . .)

To be honest, I'm sure I've used it "wrong" a lot in conversation myself. But you won't find hopefully used in any way but as an adverb in my novels or articles.

Because I'm a control freak like that.

Concord/Concur
This submission confused me at first. Why would anyone mix them up? But when I thought about them a little longer, I realized that I have heard the two words mixed up myself, someone using concord when they mean concur:

Since we all concord, let's make the new rule official.

Not quite. I'm guessing the confusion is made by accidentally smooshing concur and accord into a single word.

Try concur: all acting or agreeing together.

Since we all concur, let's make the new rule official.

Champing/chomping at the bit
I learned a lesson on this one. I was so sure that champing at the bit was wrong and that chomping on the bit was correct.

To make my point, I looked up champing in my favorite online dictionary (m-w.com), and lo and behold, both words are used interchangeably with that very same phrase.

They're even linked together in the dictionary as alternatives.

So here's the interesting part: the OED doesn't list champing as a modern term. It was used with the same kind of definition ("chewing with vigorous action") until about 1880. But it doesn't even include chomping at all. Chomp is there as a modern term and "a widespread variant of champ."

Even though chomping on the bit sounds more natural to my ear (and, I'm guessing, to most modern ears), apparently it's a much more recent development in the language than champing on the bit, by a couple of hundred years.

Who knew? I sure didn't.

Thaw/Unthaw

I must admit, I do giggle a bit when I hear unthaw.

The prefix UN- reverses something or states that an item or condition is NOT something, right?

Like UNdo (reverse the doing), UNwind (reverse the winding), UNsteady (something is NOT steady), or UNstirred (the batter or whatever is NOT stirred).

So what are you saying when you plan to UNTHAW something? Make it NOT thawed? So . . . you plan to FREEZE it? That would be reversing the thawing process, right? (Hence, my giggles.)

Prior to my digging this time, I'd thought that unthaw was a recent invention. Turns out that the first use of it was around 1598. (That's when Shakespeare was alive!).

But here's the clincher: it hasn't been considered standard usage since 1895 (more than a century ago!).

So I was right in that it's not considered correct, but I was wrong as to when it was first introduced into the language.

Considering that old Bill's family didn't even have freezers and refrigeration, I'm having a hard time figuring out why they'd use the word in the first place except in spring when the ponds would unthaw . . .

(Giggle. They'd technically "unthaw" around, oh Christmas, right?)

"IF" Is NOT the Key

2010-02-10T21:53:32+00:00

by Annette Lyon

We all know the line Tevye sings in Fiddler on the Roof:

"If I were a rich man . . ."

That sentence is in what's called subjunctive mood.

It's a complicated topic, but today we're making it pretty simple and addressing the biggest mistake I see with it (even with professional copy editors who are supposed to know what they're doing . . .).

In his song, Tevye describes what he'd do if he had a lot of money. He's not rich. He's rather poor, frankly, but IF HE WERE rich, this is what he'd do.

What he's describing is CONTRARY TO FACT.

That right there is the key. He's NOT rich. Therefore, If I WERE a rich man rather than If I WAS a rich man.

The latter sentence is valid too; it just needs a different context that doesn't contradict reality.

The best way is to put reality in question. What if we don't KNOW whether Tevye is rich or poor? Someone could then remember good 'ol Tevye from the neighborhood and say:

"I wonder if he was rich."

WAS works here, because we're simply contemplating the reality. We aren't contradicting it.

The problem is that most people use a handy-dandy trick as their personal red flag for when things are subjunctive: they look for IF.

And that does work a lot, just like our opening sentence, and many others:

If I were a rich man . . .
If I were skinnier . . .
If I were in England right now . . .
If I weren't so impatient . . .

In each case, the speaker is contracting fact. They aren't rich, skinny, in England, or patient.

But here's where things get dicey and most people mess up with subjunctive: they see IF and, whether or not the sentence contradicts reality, they immediately assume, "YAY! SUBJUNCTIVE! I'll use WERE!"

WRONG:

He wondered if she were cold.
If she were going to get there on time, she'd better hurry.
She couldn't help but think about if he were attracted to her.
If it were a homemade pie, which she'd find out in moments, she'd surely she'd eat the whole thing.

In each of the cases above, we either don't know the reality (so it cannot be subjunctive) or we do know the reality. But the sentence happens to have IF in it, so heck, let's throw in WERE anyway.

Wrong, wrong, wrong.

CORRECT:

He wondered if she WAS cold.
If she WAS going to get there on time, she'd better hurry.
She couldn't help but think about if he WAS attracted to her.
If it WAS homemade pie, which she'd find out in moments, she'd surely eat the whole thing.

Teachers used IF as a tool to help students spot subjunctive and help them know when to use WERE. But it's not a foolproof method.

IF isn't the only time you'll get subjunctive mood, and it's not a guarantee that the sentence using IF is subjunctive at all.

Simply ask: Is this sentence contracting facts we know?

YES: Use WERE.

NO: Use WAS.

Easy, no?

Review Winners

2010-02-09T10:46:28+00:00

Thank you SO much to everyone who mentioned Devil's Food Cake in their blogs. I had the chance to lurk through most of them and just so appreciate everyone helping me to spread the word. I did the list of entries through www.random.org and sorted it twice, choosing the #1 position from each roll to choose the two free book winners.

Kristi from http://kunz-4.blogspot.com/http://kunz-4.blogspot.com/

*If you don't know Kristi, you should stop by her blog. She's a powerhouse and a woman worthy of the inspiration she shares. While I wish I could give a book to everyone, I'm really happy to give it to someone I admire so much.

&

Melbell from http://www.steinerstory.blogspot.com/

*I wasn't familiar with her blog until now, but she seems like a ton of fun--if I ever get called to YW I'm going to have her give me a crash course in how to make it a good time. I don't remember ever seeing her on my blog before now, either, so it's fun to give a book to a new friend.

If you ladies could e-mail me at kilpack@gmail.com with your addresses, I'll get those books mailed out as soon as I can.

Thank you, again, to everyone for playing and for the great support Devil's Food Cake has already received. It's #6 on Deseret Book's overall fiction list--which is awesome with it being so new. Remember, also, that your library might just buy the book for you :-)

Thanks again, you guys are awesome.