Over the weekend I was pondering the state of my blog. Where is started, where it is now, and where it's going.
I started this blog over two years ago as a way to detail my journey through the query trenches. The ups of requests and the downs of rejection. But, along the way something changed. My world changed.
Thanks to Pitch Wars, WFWA, and Book Splash my world suddenly became a lot larger. I wasn't fighting in the trenches alone anymore. Suddenly, I had a whole tribe that I didn't realized I'd been needing for a long time.
As that tribe grew my need to help them grew as well. Giveaways and promos started working their way into my blogs and twitter. It became a little less about me and what I was up to. And that's fine. If we don't grow and shift then we became stagnant. Who wants stagnant people?
I don't know how the blog's going to grow going forward. You'll find out as I do and I'm looking forward to discovering what's just over the next crest. 2016 has been a year of great change for me. Over the summer I became co-guardian to my handicapped sister. My role in her life hasn't changed but I can now legally make medical and legal decisions for her. I've also been working on pushing out a lot of the old - both physical and less so. I've also made decisions on how to deal with the negative in my life. We'll see how that last one goes.
In the meantime I do have a giveaway coming up - I just don't have all the deets yet. Hopefully in the next week or so. I'm thinking about doing it the rafflecopter-ish way where every like/follow is an entry. So, keep your eyes open for that.
Just a few shout outs for today: My friend Cristin launched The Notable Woman - a blog and podcast "for women who are making big impacts through volunteering, education, art, science, religion, civil rights". Have something to say? Get with Cristin! I met Cristin when we both worked in the theatre's scene shop at Cedar Crest College! A few years back she was presented with Cedar Crest's alumni volunteering award (I may have nominated her) thanks to her work for Superstorm Sandy victims. Cristin's husband has launched The Actor CEO Podcast which features interviews from industry pros. If you're an actor or just writing a book about one be sure to check it out. If you're looking for something more about the issues be sure to check out The Ty Johnson Show over on Soundcloud. Ty is the husband of a former middle/high school classmate of mine. In a few weeks time Victoria Wyngate will have a few new releases and I'm hoping to have something here to celebrate it. Stay tuned!
On Friday, July 1 I decided I was going to get ahead of the curve. Shortly after arriving home after work I started the laundry in the hopes of getting it done early. Enjoying the three day weekend was a priority.
As soon as I opened the door to the basement I knew something was wrong. It smelled hot and damp. The further down I went the more humid the room became. I started to wonder if a Hellmouth had formed down there and I'd need my own Scooby Gang. Finally, I found the culprit - the water heater was spewing water. Puddles of it were forming on the concrete floor and condensation was dripping from the air ducts. I don't know how long it had been ejecting its water but it couldn't have been too long since I'd been down there Thursday evening..
Keep in mind this was Friday evening before a three day weekend. We were able to get someone out to stop the leaking and drain the tank. But, a new tank wasn't going to happen until Tuesday, July 5. No hot water until then. Fun.
But, we survived and on Tuesday someone came out to install the new water heater. Everything was going well until the dishwasher was turned on. Sadly, the nineteen-year-old dishwasher had joined the water heater in Silicon Heaven. Annoying and expensive but no big deal.
Upon hearing about the second mishap my coworker commented on how things happen in threes. Well, I wish I could things didn't happen in threes. But, they did.
On Wednesday our neighbor was home having a new fence installed. When I got home from work it was off to Lowe's to find a new dishwasher. Everything was okay until the phone rang. It was our neighbor. The AC unit was on fire. Yup, FIRE. If he hadn't been outside who knows what would have happened. Along with an electrician who just happened to be in the neighborhood they managed to put the fire out with a garden hose. It was contained to inside the unit and there wasn't even a mark on the siding.
We managed to get someone out the next day but it took them until Monday to finish the job. Sometimes we had AC - sometimes we didn't. A lot of time was spent out of the house (with PLENTY of water left for the cats).
All of this forced me into clean up mode. Stuff had gotten wet or knocked over in the basement. Some stuff was tossed but I decided I needed to give online yard sales a try.
Slowly, I started listing various items on Letgo and Facebook and I've had some success. So much success that I was able to replace the laptop that fell on the floor last year. Entirely paid for with yard sale money.
Also, I've come across an interesting cast of characters. People always looking for a deal. Scammers. Crazies. Of course all of these people led to something else - PLOT BUNNY!
Not only have I been able to start unburdening myself of clutter and the past but there's a new manuscript in the works thanks to all of this.
Bad things may happen in threes but the silver linings come in sixes.
Recently a member of the book community said this to a fan:
"you should go eat your last Dairy Queen Blizzard and then hang yourself in the closet".
Just no. Absolutely no. He made this comment to a woman because he felt she was overweight. And, it was his place to say so in the most disgusting way possible. I won't say his name because he has gotten enough attention at this point. And, his career is circling the bowl thanks to this comment and the many that followed.
The rest of the community could not stand by and let this happen. Blogs were written, people offered their services for free to erase this man's presence from any upcoming releases, and Harper Sloan and Felicia Lynn even had an "Ice Cream Social" at their local Dairy Queen.
Out of all of this madness Blizzards Against Bullies was born. Founded by author C. L. Champlain the group's goal is to get Dairy Queen to take a public stance on the issue of bullying through a petition. The movement is growing every day with people reaching out to authors with larger followings and celebrities.
We all live in glasses houses - every single one of us. No one is perfect. So, to stand back and suggest someone take their own life because they don't fit your idea of beauty is horrific. Suicide shouldn't be offered as an option.
I was thirteen when my cousin took his own life after battling with manic depression for twenty-three years. I saw the ripple it sent through my family. The son of my godparents. The godson of my mother. Anyone who has been touched by suicide can tell you what it's like to try to pick up the pieces later. The pain. The questions.
To suggest it so cavalierly boggles my mind. There's enough ugliness in the world. Let's not add to it.
Not too much to report these days. I got a "not for my list" rejection the other day that I'm not overly heartbroken about. I put up my bonnet and it got left behind. No worries. We all know what happens to that the owner of the hat in the end.
I've spent my morning tidying up my query list at querytracker.com and as soon as I got notes and edits back from readers I'll be tumbling back into the query trenches. My goal is to be ready before Pitch Wars.
There's another giveaway cooking but I don't have all of the details yet. But, once I do I think you'll be pretty pleased with what For the Love of Books and I have in store for you.
The Book Splash Cruise now has a pretty and...uh...splashy website. I definitely recommend checking it out. There are only 38 cabins left for the the 2017 sailing on Princess. The current list of authors, models, and photographers is listed (subject to change) as well as the itinerary. Don't dawdle.
I have a few other things on simmer that I can't put out there yet but I'm always thinking about what comes next. Giveaways, projects, or whatever. Stay tuned!
It's been over a month since my last post which was my birthday giveaway. Once again I want to thank all of the people who entered and everyone who was highlighted in the giveaways. Once again they are - Derek Keeling, Steffy Rogers, Phoebe Fox, Carlos R. Savournin, Sherri Crowder, AngelWingsEmbroidery, Allthingsessential, Weina Dai Randel, Victoria Wyngate, Susan Haught, Ryan Kelly, and Normandie Fischer. Give them some likes, shares, reviews, and of course sales! And also a huge shout out to my international partner-in-crime for all her help. Shenanigans go global with Rosie! Speaking of Susan Haught - I recently had the pleasure of diving into her A Promise of Fireflies. I think I was up until about 5am reading it and I didn't want to put it down. I had to keep going forward to see what was going to happen next. The book became slightly personal when it was revealed one of the characters had served in Vietnam with the 101st Airborne - the Screamin' Eagles. My late father was in Vietnam with the Screamin' Eagles. I don't know much about his time there as he never spoke of it. He might have revealed more as we got older but I was eighteen when he passed. The opportunity simply never came. However, the book did spur me into doing a little Googling and I found this. That's my dad on the far right.
Speaking of my late father - he died of cancer on December 26, 1997. The doctors had told us to call the family on Christmas Eve but he rallied to make it through Christmas. I'm bringing this up for an important reason. While my father was a rather heavy smoker his lungs were actually clear when he was diagnosed. Not that his smoking wasn't part of it - it does damage your immune system after all. But, his cancer started out as skin cancer. It's hard to tell in this black and white picture but my father was what is known as "Black Irish". Meaning his complexion had more of an olive base than the "traditional" rosy one (like my siblings and myself). We're warned that those who are "pale" (or porcelain as I prefer) are at a heightened risk for skin cancer. While that is true it doesn't mean those with a darker complexion aren't at risk. I know I've blogged about this before and I'll blog about it again. My father had the lymph nodes removed from under one arm on October 18, 1996. I remember the date because it was my sister's 12th birthday. By Easter 1997 he was back in the hospital and he was gone in December.
People often don't take skin cancer seriously since it seems "trivial" when compared to other cancers. And, it can be easily taken care of. But, as my father's story shows it can be as deadly as any other cancers.
I had my annual visit to the dermatologist last week and I am pleased to share that no problem spots were found. That makes it six years since my last "abnormal" mole. And that's something I hope to never go through again. Make sure you get checked as well and use protection if you're going to be outside.
I don't have much else as far as news goes. Things have been quiet. I have some queries out but I'm not pounding the pavement the way I had been in the past. I'm waiting to get some notes back from readers. After that it's back to the Fortress of Solitude to do some editing. Then, I'll be diving back into the shark-infested waters.
The next episode of PubTalkTV is on May 2 and I definitely recommend anyone battling through the query trenches to check it out. There's always good information to be had.
