Mailbag

Yesterday I received a rejection on a partial from Berkley on a proposal they’ve held for 2 years. To be honest, I had given up on that proposal long ago. I had the complete book written, but something felt–”off” about it. I couldn’t tell what it was. I’m not surprised it was rejected, so yesterday I didn’t mind so much. I laughed, more than anything else.

Then I got an e-mail from a visitor to this website. She had read some of my excerpts on the site and did a search on Amazon and B&N to find my books. When she couldn’t find them, she wrote to ask me how she could buy them. I have to say, that request made my entire day. Thank you, Akilah. Here’s hoping that I’ll soon be able to put a link to my books on this site! I have absolute faith that it will happen. It’s just a matter of WHEN.

In the meantime, I think I’ll send out a few more submissions. Surely then they will buy a manuscript if I keep hounding them.

The most romantic gesture ever

Some husbands give flowers and candy to be romantic. Mine just gave me the most romantic gift ever. He stayed home with our sick baby for two days, and this morning when I came home from teaching to take her to the doctor, I came home to a clean house. The living room was clean, the kitchen was spotless with counters wiped down, and the kids’ rooms were immaculate.

In the past, he’s brought home flowers spontaneously. But, in my book, this is the biggest bouquet he’s ever given me in my life–a spotless house and taking care of a sick baby.

What’s the most romantic thing your spouse or significant other has done for you?

The urge to submit

Every once in a while, I get this urge to submit something to a publisher. It usually happens when, like right now, I’m knee-deep in a new story and it’ll be a while before I finish it. I have a craving to mail something new, to get a wouldbeinterested (a request for a partial or full). Usually I mail partials. Sometimes queries.

Anyway, I was looking over old files and I came across an old cover letter. All of a sudden, the story sounded really cool. I had only written three chapters.

And the submission voice started whispering…you could mail it….you might get a request for the full manuscript…it’s just a quickie story, only 60,000 words…come on, do it….you know you want to…

This kind of thing always happens when I’m writing a fun historical. My inner contemporary voice wants out.

Of course, some day I’ll be really in trouble. Because I’ll get a request and suddenly I’ll have multiple books to write. And they’ll all be due at the same time! Cripes.

The truth about….

It’s always fun to relive the past. From yesterday’s post, many of you tried to guess which one was false. Here are the real answers:

A. I am a freestyle figure skater
This one is actually the false one, because it’s now past tense. I worked my way up to Freestyle 4, where you learn a loop jump and start working on sit spins. Then I decided to have babies instead. That was the end of my freestyle skating. Maybe I’ll take it up again to try and lose those pesky last 7 pounds.

B. I was one of the first people to get Prince Charles’ autograph
This was a complete fluke. I was ten and I made a poster. When he walked right past me, I ran ahead and leaned over the ropes until he came to say hello. Then I got all of my sixth grade friends to start chanting, “Sign it, sign it!” We made the headlines of the Bury St. Edmund’s Press. What fun.
C. I have eaten dog.
This one was totally against my will. It happened when I was 10 months old, so it wasn’t my fault. Blame the fact that we were stationed in Thailand, and my Thai nanny fed it to me. I was sick. I’m still sick to think of it. Hopefully one day this kind of thing won’t happen anymore. I can see why many people become vegetarians! However, I do like spicy foods, even now.
D. I worked for a count in a castle.
This happened when I was 18, and my family was stationed in Germany. It was an inherited title–his name was Graf Reischach (literally, Count Reischach) and I worked for his consulting company. I was a glorified secretary, but I handled all his U.S. and British contracts. It was fun and I learned to speak German. It’s rusty. Gibt es jemand hier, die Deutsch spricht?
E. I played the xylophone for the Pope.
I was part of World Youth Day in 1993, as a choir member from the University of Notre Dame. A good friend of mine in the percussion section had a xylophone part that he couldn’t play. I filled in. And let me say, I am so grateful to have been a part of that Mass. I have the deepest respect for the late Pope John Paul. I will truly miss him.
F. I have typeset music in Catholic hymnals.
I worked for World Library Publications freelancing after I graduated from Notre Dame. I typeset twelve octavos from the University of Notre Dame Folk Choir series.
G. I work part-time as a corporate spy.
I am a mystery shopper for Bare Associates International. Hey, they pay me to travel and eat food at the company’s expense. Gotta love that.

Anyway, probably more than you wanted to know about me, but I’d love to hear your stories!

Strange and Unusual Facts

Everyone has secrets. :batman: There are probably some weird things about yourself that are too strange to be believed.

So here’s a quick quiz:

Which of the following statements about me are false?

A. I am a freestyle figure skater
B. I was one of the first people to get Prince Charles’ autograph
C. I have eaten dog.
D. I worked for a count in a castle.
E. I played the xylophone for the Pope.
F. I have typeset music in Catholic hymnals.
G. I work part-time as a corporate spy.

What’s something about you that no one else knows, that’s too weird to be believed?

New Look

You might notice I have a new look. I’ll be changing the main page as well.

Some friends and I were discussing copyright and website use. The images I had were, I believed, free images. I’m now not so convinced after doing some googling.

To be on the safe side, I’m going to use photographs I took myself. That way I know there isn’t any kind of problem.

Fun in Victorian Times

I took a break from writing tonight by doing online research. One thing that is wonderful about researching Victorian times is the availability of primary resources. Instead of reading about what Victorian women cooked or how they amused themselves, you can go online and read Godey’s Ladies Book. I spent an hour tonight reading an 1855 magazine, and I feel completely comfortable about this research.

There was sheet music for ladies to play on the piano, patterns for embroidery and clothing, poetry, humorous stories (I read one about an English housekeeper who had a drunkard for a maid–it actually was pretty funny, particularly her dialogue…I may have to steal this as a plot point), and recipes. They called them receipts back then. What I thought was fascinating was the information about poisons. Yes, not only did they have recipes for stewed pears, but in case your family happened to ingest arsenic, opium, or some other poison, they listed the antidotes. Who knew this was what Victorian ladies read? How fun. Here’s a link if you want to read more. Keep in mind, you’ll need to wait until a little square pops up in the lower right corner. Click on it, and it will make the page larger so you can actually read it.

The main website was http://cit.uvm.edu:6336/dynaweb/godey/ in case anyone wants to read further. Great information!

Research

I was fighting to get my 3 pages tonight and I realized that I’m at the point in the book where I need to immerse myself in the time period. Research, research, research. I’ve been sliding by on story alone (now, don’t panic–I always go back after I’ve researched and start layering in the setting details, I double-check my clothing, etc. etc.) I learned that lesson the hard way when I first started writing medievals and had my hero running around in braies. Yeah, that’s underwear. Duh.

Anyway, it reminded me of when I first started writing my Irish medievals. I joined an online yahoo group of scholarly researchers who specialized in medieval Ireland. I asked questions, got book recommendations and read as much as I could. You know what I found? A lot of the historical records of that time period were destroyed. Even the scholars don’t know all the details. This scares me because while, on one hand, it’s very liberating (you can make stuff up)–on the other, you don’t have the benefit of checking your facts with multiple sources.

My compromise was to look at Celtic traditions and use those. I figured, most likely they would continue the traditions of their forefathers before moving onto newer things. But I’m still nervous. What if there’s a book out there with information that I need? What if I missed something critical? Some reader is going to call me on it.

I even used Irish Gaelic in the book to add more flavor. While I love the way it sounds, and while I’ve taken a university course in the language, there’s still that seed of doubt. What if, when my hero is calling the heroine mo chroi, it really means–my pulsating organ that pumps blood….instead of my heart, my soul?

Now I’m researching Victorian times. Just for fun, here are a few things invented during that era:

The sewing machine (1846) by Elias Howe
The telephone (1876) by Alexander Graham Bell
The toilet (1885) by Thomas Twyford
Coca Cola (1886) by Dr. John Pemberton

Okay, now here’s a challenge for you. The can opener was created the year my manuscript takes place. Can you name the inventor and the year of my book?:wink:

Cut, cut, slash, slash

I cut an 8 page synopsis down to 1 single-spaced page tonight. I decided to enter one of my historicals into the Editor panel for the PRO retreat at the RWA National Conference, and you aren’t allowed to do more than a page. Let me tell you, slashing that synopsis was quite the experience. A terrifying one. And a good one. I’d recommend that everybody try it at some point.

It forces you to cut out every last bit of fat from your synopsis. There is no room for subplots, period. You have room for the GMC (goal, motivation, and conflict) of the hero and heroine, one paragraph for romance, and one paragraph for resolution. I’m still amazed that I managed to do this. Yes, in Courier 12 pt font, one inch margins.

Now I’m wondering if I should just use this shorter synopsis in future submissions. Maybe that’s the way to go. Who wants to read 8 pages of plot summary, anyway?? I’ve always wondered how to write a 1-page synopsis–and now I’ve actually done one. Some people do character sketches and a blurb about the conflict, but to me, that’s not really a synopsis–it’s back cover copy. I mean, what do you do? Write this killer blurb, then write a sentence that says…then stuff happens…then it all comes out right in the end?? I don’t think so.

Anyway, I hope the editors on the panel don’t look at the synopsis and scream–”My God! Could she have packed in ANY MORE DESCRIPTION???”

Nice Editors Day

I have deemed today to be “Nice Editors Day”

Too many times we gripe about form letters, editors who never respond to partials or fulls, etc. etc. Today, I want to recognize the romance editors who have truly been nice people. Maybe they wrote an encouraging rejection letter. Maybe they helped you through a difficult time when you were in the middle of copy edits, etc. Who has been a huge support to you?

For me, there is one editor I’d like to recognize: Tanya Starratt of Harlequin Temptation/Blaze. I sent her a proposal aimed at Flipside (before the line died) and she wrote the most positive, encouraging rejection letter I’ve ever received. Basically it said something to the effect of–you’re a great writer, I love your voice, but this story doesn’t fit Flipside. Send me something else. I think I reread that rejection letter 40 times, because it didn’t feel like a rejection letter. So she’s an editor who is a Nice person.

I’m hoping that Emma Dunsford of Mills & Boon will get back to me soon on my complete. Then, depending on her response, hopefully I can put her on my Nice Nice list, too!