Meeting Margaret McMullan

This past Saturday I met Margaret McMullan at her book signing, where I picked up a copy of her latest YA novel, Cashay. Margaret was charming, and the book, which I have recently finished, was wonderful. As it is not the type of book I normally read, I wasn't sure what I would think, but it was great. She really captured Cashay's voice and pain, yet the book was never depressing and blah. It was very hopeful, and I really enjoyed it.

I also flew through Neil Gaiman's The Graveyard Book and am currently reading Jonathon Stroud's Heroes of the Valley.

I have also been busy getting a few poems and queries ready to send out this week, and I wrote a new poem, which I haven't done in a while! That was fun.

Congrats to Kristi Valiant!

Congratulations to Kristi Valiant, whose first trade picture book is due in stores this month!! Kristi beautifully illustrated Cora Cooks Pancit, as everyone will soon see! I can't wait to show it off to everyone.

I am working on final edits for an article on USI grad student Kristi Scott and will be sending that to the editor later this week. Kristi was very sweet to interview. Though she was full of cutting-edge thoughts on technology and society, she was very down-to-earth and easy to talk to.

I am also working on editing my book's first 50 pages to get sent off this week for an Indiana SCBWI conference critique.

During my moments of relaxation, I am rapidly devouring the fourth book in George R.R. Martin's A Song of Ice and Fire series. Unfortunately, that will mean I'm caught up and anxiously-awaiting publication of the fifth!

March Update

I will soon be busy writing (for a living) again. After a self-imposed hiatus from article-writing, I have an interview to do this week and an article due next week. I'm also ready to get to some serious editing on my book. Now that I have let it sit without looking at it for a few weeks, I should be able to go over it a little more objectively. With an SCBWI conference coming up in May, I need to get the first 50 pages in great shape for the paid critique that is due in April. I am also spending the first part of this week editing a manuscript for one of my online critique group members. Due tomorrow--back to work!!

A Finished Book!!

I can't believe I have not updated my blog to celebrate the fact that I finished my book!! I actually finished a couple of weeks ago. I guess I was too busy spending a week in San Antonio and just relaxing to do any more writing--even blog writing!

I have begun to receive comments from my online critique group. I will spend the next few days going over their comments and responding. I hope to choose one agent to go ahead and submit to later this week. Then I will set the book aside for a few weeks before going back to really edit. That will give me a little perspective.

I know there is work that needs to be done on it, but overall, I am very happy with it and excited about it's future--and mine!

January Update

With the holidays I'm a little late, but I have just posted links to my three latest articles--two for the Westside and one for January's Evansville Parent. Amazingly, I have no article assignments at the moment, which is wonderful. I did nothing on my book through the holidays, but am happily back to working on it this week. I hope to devote most of January to that welcome task. I'm also busy reading manuscripts from both my online and Evansville critique groups, but that's a lot of fun.

Let's see, I'm at 28,000 words today. Hopefully, that number will change dramatically over the next couple of weeks!

Articles and Procrastination

Well, I am trying unsuccessfully to get motivated to work on an article that is due tomorrow! Sure enough, it's Sunday evening, and I have less than 300 words (needing 1,000). Every time I write 50 or so, I think, hmmm, I haven't checked my email in a while...or, wow, I haven't written on my blog for a couple of weeks! Sigh... In my defense, the article is on USI's Madrigal Feaste, and I had to attend dress rehearsal and the first show this past Wednesday and Thursday, so I couldn't work on it before then. And what's my excuse for not getting more done this weekend, you ask? Hmmm.... I'll get back to you on that one.

Anyway, attending the Madrigal dinner was a lot of fun. I Interviewed several fun college kids and Professor Craig, all of whom were very nice and helpful. Hopefully, they will enjoy that article--you know--the article I'm working on right now! It will be the cover story for the Westside this coming Friday, the 12th.

My previous cover story, from November 28th, was about Matthew Overmyer, a Coast Guard airman in Alaska. Matt was super nice and so interesting to interview. That one was all done on the phone, for a change. I also turned in an Evansville Parent article and pics last week, this one about the foster care program at the Vanderburgh Humane Society. I felt privileged to be able to write about that one and hope the article brings them more volunteers. It will be out in the January edition.

As you might guess from this article activity, as well as holiday activity, work on my book has slowed down considerably. I hope to get a lot done this week...once this latest article is done. Oh, yeah, I'm supposed to be working on an article right now...

Update on Novel and Articles

The article writing finally slowed down, for which I can only say, thank goodness! The last couple of weeks have seen much writing on my book, and the results show it. I hit 23,000 words yesterday, when just a couple of weeks ago, I was at 11,000. It's been great to work on Everett and all that is happening to him! I love it.

I also mailed the synopsis and first 10 pages to Catherine Onder at Harper Collins and Lisa Cheng at McElderry last Friday. They were the two agents at Indiana's SCBWI Conference in May, and November was the deadline to submit to them.

The articles are starting up again. I had an interview Sunday by phone with a very interesting Coast Guard airman in Alaska, have an interview tomorrow at the Vanderburgh Humane Society, and have one Thursday at Mt. Vernon General Baptist Church! As always, my subjects run the gamut. My regular Westside readers have been noticing that I haven't had any articles in the last couple of weeks. Several people have mentioned it to me, which is nice.