With very little time left before I head home to Canada for Christmas, I’d like to wish you all a wonderul holiday season and a healthy, happy and prosperous New Year!! Enjoy all of your family gatherings, give thanks for all that you have, and strive to achieve your fondest wishes.
Happy Holidays to all!!!
According to my grinch of a weatherman on TV this morning, tonight Indiana is expecting its first snowfall, ice and sleet of the season. Bah humbug. No…triple bah humbug! Yeah, yeah, I know…it would be the perfect time to snuggle into a cozy corner with the laptop and knock out the latest of your books. Yada, yada, yada. But how can I concentrate on writing when I can literally hear every horrid snowflake hit the ground with a thud? I’ve made the statement before and I’ll say it again – snow should gently fall in big fluffy flakes on Christmas Eve, lie in artistic drifts on the ground sparkling in the sunshine all Christmas Day, and then totally disappear in the early a.m. of December 26th and never appear until again next year on Christmas Eve. Now, that’s a present to put on my Christmas Wish List!!! Instead I’m putting plastic mats on the floors in the new van to keep the carpet dry, looking for extendable snow scrapers and brushes at the auto store, checking the level and temperature rating of my antifreeze and making sure that the battery is okay. At least it’s not as bad as some areas in Canada where people actually run an extension cord and plug their car in for the night to keep the motor warm. Yeah…bah humbug.
The ironic thing is that after all of this grumbling, whining and downright loathing of snow, in a couple of weeks I’m heading to Canada, the Great White North, for the holidays. They’ve already had their 1st snowfall this past week. Okay, I just added snow boots, scarf, gloves, wool hat, and parka” on my packing list. Hmm…I guess I’d better get a bigger suitcase.
This coming Saturday my RWA chapter is having our annual holiday and end-of-the-year party. It’s hard to believe that the year has slipped by and we’re facing 2008 just ahead of us. Hopefully the publishing market will soften up and solid romances with solid plots and solid characters will be back in solid numbers. Some of the latest trends are fine for those who like them, but there are many, many readers who are still avidly looking for the more traditional romance reads. I’m sorry if I’ve offended anyone with that statement, but it’s just my opinion – you know, it’s the one I’m entitled to.
I hope that you’re all enjoying your holiday shopping trips to the mall, the shoving crowds, harried sales clerks and jammed parking lots. I spent about two hours or so on the Internet, completed all my shopping, and everything I chose will be delivered to my door in time for Christmas. So, now I can kick back, maybe spend some cozy time with my laptop and at least get a good start on a new book. Oh yeah, and there’s that batch of cream cheese brownies I promised to make for my RWA chapter’s holiday party.
Like most of you, I have a shelf in my bookcase that is stocked with nothing but my favorite reads, books that I’ve kept for years or new ones that I’ve added to the collection, books that have a special place in my heart. Not all are romances, not all are fiction and not all are non fiction — but all are books I’d highly recommend, each for different reasons. Of course there are some of the classics — Harper Lee’s “To Kill a Mockingbird,” Edna Ferber’s “Showboat,” and even some of Kathleen Woodiwiss’ early books such as “The Wolf and the Dove,” Sandra Brown’s hot, hot, hot ”Slow Heat in Heaven,” and even a few of Stephen King and Dean Koontz’s books. Another favorite on my shelf is a book I’ve read at least once a year for the last 8 or 9 years, Ellen Reckner’s “Me and the Boys.” This book is like a taste of spicy salsa after eating tapioca pudding.
There are some newer authors on the shelf as well, including everything that Lisa Gardner has written (try “The Perfect Husband”), a few of Kathleen Eagle’s, Linda Howard’s “Son of the Morning,” yes…there is even a Nora or two. There are some books that I’ve bought and read and don’t mind packing up and taking to the used book store, but my keeper shelf is only “added to,” and rarely, if ever, subtracted from. Of course there is a major problem with having a shelf of favorite books — when you loan someone one of your favorites…you end up having to buy another copy to put back on your shelf because the one you loaned has disappeared, never to be returned. Hmm…obviously its taken up residence on someone else’s keeper shelf.
The amazing thing is that one of my all time favorites since it was first published many years ago, was just “discovered” by Oprah and is her latest bookclub choice — Ken Follet’s “Pillars of the Earth.” It’s a wonderful medievel tale, rich with fabulous characters, some romance, a solid flavor of the time period and the overall theme of one man’s obsession and the price he pays to realize the success he seeks. Take my and Oprah’s advice — read it.
The wonderful thing about favorite books is that you enjoy spending time with them, reliving the memories of the story, and spending time with the characters as though they were real, breathing people that you know. There are characters in these books that I remember perfectly as though I’ve known them personally for years and years. My sister, Faith, is like that with her Julie Garwood historicals. I swear she has read them so often that she could probably recite each one by heart and name each character.
Just looking at your favorite books lined up on the shelf can give you a warm, fuzzy feeling. I’ve even reached for one of my favorites as a panacea for a lousy book that I’ve struggled through. Okay, so now it’s confession time — also on my favorite-book shelf is a collection of Walter the Farting Dog books. I’m into electic reading but…no comments, please :>)
Ha! Right! I’ve decided that there is very little about my life that falls into the “normal” category. Yesterday there I was sitting on my couch with my laptop in place, adding another chapter to one of my proposals and KABOOM, another story idea hit and nagged at me until I opened up a new file and put down the gist of the story along with some ideas. I love the “what if” syndrome when it strikes, but it always seems to pick the most inopportune moment to come knocking. You can’t ignore these messages from your Muses – they have the innate tendency to plague you, shove the characters you’re working on aside, and butt into your thoughts, your dreams and conversations. But I’ve discovered over the years that Muses can be very insistent and rude, determined to be number 1 in priority and yet…oh so very giving and generous. For anyone who doesn’t write, or paint, or do some sort of creative work that relies on “original” ideas and a sense of plotting something, explaining the foibles of our Muses is next to impossible. The “girls” live in an untidy little office in the creative core of us, an office that is crowded with file cabinets, Rolodexes, scribbled notes and pieces of memories brimming with wonderful ideas and unfortunately some that are not so wonderful. I also forgot…there is usually a large bottle of creative juice as well. For romance writers the juice is usually in your favorite flavor – historical, contemporary, paranormal, suspense, and all the others. Some folks call this juice “genre.” Muses love to tease, sometimes sending you just a tiny nibble of an idea and other times, you get the full feast as though your mental table has been filled for Thanksgiving. Sometimes they make you suffer and struggle for each scene and plot point and other times they hand everything to you and all you have to do is supply the fingers that can type fast enough to keep up with their dictation.
I think all of us writers should set aside at least one special day a year, much like Valentines Day or Groundhog Day to celebrate our Muses and give thanks. Okay…so maybe I’m thinking it will probably help to “butter them up” a bit – make them feel appreciated and loved – and of course groveling doesn’t hurt – and who knows…our Muses just might reciprocate by sending you one of those wonderful ideas that can earn you a spot on the New York Times best seller list!!!
Oh yeah…and yesterday afternoon, my “oh so very normal” life had me wrangling cats…but more on that at another time.
October proved to be a hectic month with a number of events (outside of my writing world) going on. Of course this also cut into my blog time. Hopefully things will settle down now…at least for a while. This past weekend I had a fabulous time in Chicago with my sister, her husband and our daughter [hmmm…figure that one out :>)], Earl accepted the position of head singer for the White Bear Hethuska Society and Saturday was their annual Men’s War Dance. Faith, Jenna and I were busy sewing and fringing shawls and making sure he had other items he needed for his giveaway. Earl had carefully planned for the dance by handpicking each of the singers. Most of the men at the drum were head singers in their own right and the women singers were all strong-voiced and knowledgeable in the hethuska traditions. I was thrilled to be one of the five women singers who were invited. Three of the men singers were members of the Osage tribe and very active in their districts’ hethuskas in Oklahoma (2 headsingers and 1 whipman). It was wonderful to have Vann Big Horse, his brother Kenny Bob Big Horse, and Scott George with us. Vann’s wife Mary also came along and sang with us girls.
The hethuska and the songs came with the Ponca people when the tribe was moved from Nebraska to Oklahoma in 1877. Originally a warrior society, it was a time for celebration and sharing and these tenets are continued to this day. The Ponca “passed the drum” to other tribes (gave these other tribes permission to perform this dance) including the Osage, Kaw, Comanche and Omaha, to name a few. They also gave the right to hold the hethuska to a few groups outside of Oklahoma — White Bear, Texas Lone Star, California Hethuska, and A.I.S. in New England. Today the hethuska is a blend of the old and the new but the old customs of giveaways and collection of food for the elderly, infirm or those in need is still a large part of the event. Beginning with a mourners feast on Friday evening and the dance all day Saturday, it is a wonderful time of fellowship. It was great seeing old friends, making new ones and needless to say, we came home exhausted, a little hoarse after all that singing but can’t wait to go again next year.
This coming weekend is another society dance a little closer to home. Once again we’ll be singing. This time it is for the White Star Society’s gourd dance. This is another annual event and the monies collected go to help with scholarships for Kiowa students. It’s another good time with fellowship and yummy feast food (ahhhh…fry bread) with the society members and their families.
Hmmm…maybe I can get back to work on some of my writing by the 11th of the month. :>)
I hope that you are all enjoying the cooler weather and beautiful colors of fall. Winter is just around the corner (brrrrr) and although it is my least favorite season, I’ll just hunt up my long-johns, pull ‘em on, and survive the cold. I think the best thing about winter is that it’s a good time to snuggle in with a couple of good books, a steaming cup or two of coffee or cocoa and pamper yourself with a great read. I’m off to find my long johns, a great book and get out the hot chocolate…we’ll chat again soon…
With the summer temperaures still being enjoyed, I spent this past weekend enjoying one of my favorite passtimes — powwowing. Although the dance itself left much to be desired, it was wonderful singing both Saturday and Sunday with friends and family at the drum. The singing was fabulous!!! Some of the guys came in from Oklahoma and it was great seeing them again. The good weather held for Saturday afternoon, but rain hit just before dinner time and the evening dance schedule was cancelled. The evening was spent back at the motel catching up on the latest news and gossip with friends.
It was supposed to rain all day Sunday but the sun came out and the dance went on all afternoon. I really paid for sitting in the sun, though — i came home with a wonderful case of sun poisoning…again. And, it hurts!!!
The next great singing I have to look forward to is in Chicago in November for the Men’s War Dance (Hethuska). Earl has been asked to take over the position of head singer and Faith and I will be backing him up from the ladies “chorus.’ Hethuska is a special event — men only — and the tradition is a warriors’ society and goes back well over a hundred years. It is a “ceremony” that is celebrated by both the Ponca and Osage tribes.
I’ve been working up a new book proposal on an idea that I’ve had for a while. It’s a story about fiding your roots, finding out who you are, your family history, and finding peace in your discoveries. The proposal is still in its infancy, but I really like the characters who decided to show up and they are talking fast and furiously to me. There’s a little paranormal twist to the story — but a very little twist. The story takes place both in southern Oklahoma and in Texas and I’ll send it off to my agent as soon as the proposal is polished. Of course before it goes anywhere, my critique group, the fabulous Critters, will have a go at it.
Gotta go…I’ll talk with you soon!
I can’t believe that this weekend is Labor Day Weekend. It seems like just yesterday was the beginning of summer. It has flown by in less than a blink of an eye. We’ve been “enjoying” 90+ degree weather for the past 22 days or so, but the weather this weekend is promising to be in the low 80s and perfect for powwowing. And, that’s where I’m going.
This weekend is the 47th annual Tecumseh Lodge PowWow — the largest non-Indian sponsored powwow east of the Mississippi. It’s a wonderful time for friends and family to get together. A fabulous group of singers will join the head singer at the southern drum (my sister Faith and I will be singing with the ladies in the “chorus line”), the American Indian honor guard from Oklahoma will be there for our opening ceremonies each evening, and we can expect at least 300 dancers to take part in the grand entry on Saturday evening and possibly Sunday evening as well. Friends and family will be coming in from all over the U.S. and Canada — it’s like a family reunion.
The display of Indian clothes worn by the dancers is amazing, with outfits representing many, many tribes — Lakota, Ponca, Kiowa, Comanche, Cheyenne, etc. Some of the outfits are valued at many thousands of dollars. They can’t be bought off the rack in a store and are handmade from the exquisite silver belts and brooches, to the moccasins, boots and the men’s roaches. You’ll see some of the finest Indian craftwork in the country either in the arena or on Sunday a.m. in the craft display and competition.
About 30 traders’ booths will fill one building and outside will line both sides of the walkway to the arena and some will even span at least half way around the arena. You’ll find everying from Indian frybread (yummy) to antique beads, exquisite Pendleton blankets, books, artwork and craft supplies. My VISA card and I will probably visit some of the traders — who knows when you might need another Pendleton blanket, some beautifully done beadwork or turquoise jewelry. Actually a warm piece of frybread with honey and a buffalo burger sounds good, too.
I hope that you all have a great Labor Day Weekend, don’t eat too much at your family’s cookout, and stay safe while travelling.
About my writing…I’ll worry about writing a chapter or two when I get back.
You’re probably wondering what molasses and writing have in common, so I’ll give you a few clues…
As writers our patience is tested on a daily basis. We wait for the right words to fill our brains and spill out on to the paper. We wait for the edits and comments from our critique groups to help us get the proposal shining and ready for an agent or editor’s desk. We send the proposal off and begin more waiting while we wonder how long it is going to sit on the editor’s floor in a lush pile that is just one of many precariously tall stacks – like the Tower of Pisa. While we’re waiting we’re also dealing with our insecurities and angst — what if the proposal was accidentally pitched or lost and the agent/editor will never find it, what if they were was going to buy or represent your manuscript and somehow it mistakenly got put on the bottom of the slush pile? With all of these possibilities and many more bombarding our fragile egos, we then we wait, wait, wait for the divine and elusive call. Everything in this process is as slow as…well, molasses.
As the length of time from submission to either rejection or an offer to buy stretches into weeks and months — sometimes even years, we also have to realistically take a look at the industry, itself. Just like any business, publishing also suffers its low and high points and product/service changes. Any agent or editor will tell you that the last twelve months have been slow in the number of romances being purchased by the N.Y. publishers. A reflection of this is that the list of 1st buys published in Romance of America’s RWR magazine show very few N.Y. publishers are buying.
Other changes that affect the molasses for the author are changes in publisher lines — some lines cancelled, others combined with another line; the resignation of the editor to whom you sent your proposal can also send you into a tail spin. For published authors being orphaned by their editor or agent can also toss a glob of molasses on their lives as well. Your molasses jar overflows.
And then we have to look at the swing of popularity for genres within the romance industry that often is reflected in the closing or opening of lines. Erotica is hot (hmmm…no pun intended) right now, paranormals, special ops and romantic suspense are also still holding fast, but western historicals have faded, Civil War historicals are non-existent, traditional Regencies have disappeared and Chick-lit is losing popularity. Does anyone have a good recipe for molasses cookies?
A very wise agent recently told me that nonfiction and fiction markets are very closely tied together. If there is a popularity of certain types of books in the nonfiction market, there is an excellent chance that the settings/character types/plots will soon be mirrored in fiction. Something to definitely keep in mind when you have the time to plot your next project — while munching on those cookies.
So…grit your teeth, accept the fact that you’ve decided to dip your toes and ankles and knees in this writing business and accept the reality of slow pouring molasses. Well, at least it tastes good in cookies, on oatmeal, on toast, and on biscuits.
Happy writing!
I’ve been experimenting with some new book ideas, ideas that are very different from my usual type of stories. The experience is quite interesting and I’ve been thoroughly enjoying the new “voice” that it’s brought out. I’ve never written a series book, and i’m not sure if this is what it really is, but the manuscript just finaled in the Series category of the Published Author’s Special Interest Chapter’s (PASIC) Book of Your Heart contest. Chosen as a finalist in this contest with this particular manuscript is very exciting — we’ll see what happens with “Delicious” when it heads to Sihouette for the final judging.
I missed going to RWA’s national conference in July — first time in years that I’ve missed the shindig. It was hard to stay at home and hear about all the fun second hand, but doctor’s orders are doctor’s orders. Friends brought me stacks of books and great tales about all the super events and experiences and I’m certainly looking forward to heading for San Franciso next July.
So…what’s going on with my writing “career.” Well… The industry is being it’s usual slow, frustrating, and infuriating self but my agent and I are still hanging in with the proposals that we have out. The days in the calendar slip by so quickly as you’re waiting for the phone to ring with the call you’ve been waiting for. Patience is a required trait that is necessary for the majority of authors. God…please send me some more.
It’s hard to believe that August is here. The summer is slipping away so quickly and I hate the thought that in a few months we’ll be dealing with cold and snow. In the meantime, I’ll sit on my balcony with my laptop, work on whatever manuscript calls me, and spy on the hummingbirds as they zip in for a sip or two from the feeders that are less than 3 feet away from where I sit. The little devils dive bomb each other in battles that resemble the old aerial dog fights from WWII movies.
BTW…there are a couple of great books that I’ll recommend if you’re looking for something super to read — both were brought to me from the national conference. Try Lisa Kleypas’ great new book “Sugar Daddy.” It is a beautifully written story and has a very interesting and refreshing time span. My other recommendation is Debra Webb’s book “Traceless.” Wow!!! The hero in this book is to die for!!! And of course the best thing that you can be doing this summer is having your own super romance!!
Again, serious neglect has taken hold as far as writing in my journal. I hope that I can be more diligent in the months to come.
Since October of last year, life has been in a bit of a turmoil for me. There is something about your doctor sitting you down and saying “You’ve got cancer,” that can turn your life up-side-down. The gamut of emotions you’re assaulted with is almost unbearable. I already suspected the diagnosis before I even went for my 1st appointment, the symptoms were pretty clear, but there is still that little bit of “Pollyanna” that occupies a small corner of our brains. After a few more tests I finally got my doctor’s blessing to wait until January to have surgery so I could spend Christmas with my family in Canada. So many friends and family prayed for me and my name was on an unbelievable number of church prayer lists, Anglican, Lutheran, Native American Church, Dutch Reform, Evangelical, and on and on. I certainly received the blessing of those prayers. In the end of January after my surgery and the pathology reports were final, my surgeon told me they believe they got it all and I was cancer free — but the next 5 years will be the real test. I was definitely one of the lucky ones. I took a short rest from my writing and I’m still working to get back up to speed — where I was before October. It will take a while but everything is getting better and better each day.
My agent has a couple of new projects of mine and we’re knocking on a number of editors’ doors. I’ll let you know the moment the “good word” arrives. I’ve been toying with a couple of ideas for historicals — one involves Queen Victoria’s Jubilee, Buffalo Bill Cody’s Wild West Show, a handsome Lakota hero and a high-born lady of the Queen’s court. The other historical story that has been nagging at me to get busy and write it. It’s a Civil War piece involving secrets, deception and of course — romance. Civil War period stories are still a very hard sell to a publisher, but I’m hoping this particular story will tweak some interest and make it to publication.
The Natchez Powwow — the 19th annual — was wonderful this year. It was great to see everyone, enjoy the Southern hospitality, and smell the Southern air filled with the fragrance of wisteria. The azaleas and camelias were in full bloom and the weather was perfect! My sister, Faith and I spent all day Friday looking at houses that were for sale. Is it part of a life-changing plan or just wishful thinking? ;>) We even visited the beautiful old antebellum that we both love, that has been neglected for so many years, and is sadly falling apart. It’s a grand old lady with much of the original furnishings and draperies still inside. I promise you, this house is going to end up in one of my books — no doubt about it! Once again I designed the t-shirts for the powwow and they sold out. I’ve got the t-shirt duty for the 20th anniversary dance next year and it should be fun coming up with something special for the anniversary. Faith and I sang at the drum with Vann Bighorse from Pawhuska, Oklahoma and the other Osage singers he brought with him The music rocked all weekend long. Those boys can really sing!!! Of course there were the usual fabulous feasts — love those little mudbugs (crawfish) :>) – and blues-band events took place Friday and Sunday evening under a gorgeous spread of Spanish moss-draped live oaks. It was so good seeing friends from Texas, Oklahoma, Arkansa and points further away than those — such as Sri Lanka (hi Darsh). Faith and I also had our annual foray to the riverboat and it was another good evening for me. I found a wonderful little machine that loved me — loved me a lot. :>) Shhh — don’t tell the IRS.
I hope you are all ready to enjoy our summer months. Spring and summer are my favorite times of the year because I can sit outside in the evening and far into the night — just me and my laptop. For the last couple of evenings I’ve been sitting by the lake, enjoying all the sights. One Canada Goose couple have shown up with 18 babies — mother looks completely harried, a family of Mallards were almost as prolific with 12 little fluffy ducklings. My beautiful hummingbirds are back, the turtles are sunbathing on the rocks, the fish are getting ready to do what romantic fish do, and there’s been a little “muskrat love” going on as well. The blue herons are back and have been strutting majestically along the shoreline and yesterday two bald eagles came to fish for their dinner. I had the laptop with me and was so busy watching nature, I didn’t get a word written.
We’ll talk soon…I promise…
Proudly powered by
WordPress