Writing on Thursday

A Book Review
Lisa Tucker's THE WINTERS IN BLOOM

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Everyone has a secret, but can they keep it?

Oh, no they can't...``````````Maroon 5, Secret

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photo from
simonandschuster.com 

Thus is the crux behind Tucker's latest novel, her sixth.

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David and Kyra Winter are happily married. Life and work and parenthood are all they've ever hoped for. In their son, Michael, they have everything they need.

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But then Michael disappears from their backyard, and they are forced to recall their pasts, from before they knew each other. Somehow, this tragic circumstance will be traced to that secret of David's. Or maybe that secret of Kyra's.

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THE WINTERS IN BLOOM, through comfortable and beautiful writing, asks these questions: How protective can a parent be? How much do our personal histories play into the way we relate? And does the past ever stay in the past?
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So who is responsible for Michael's kidnapping? And on whom does the blame fall?

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Read THE WINTERS IN BLOOM to find out...
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You can learn more about Lisa Tucker, this and her other books, by visiting her website.

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Thanks to Goldberg McDuffie Communications for my ARC of the book.

Nail Your Novel

Author and blogger Roz Morris, she of Dirty White Candy, has a lot of experience. Not only have several (almost a dozen) of her novels been published, she freelances for a huge critiquing firm in London, too.

Me thinks she knows what she's doing. And now she wants to help others do it!


Roz graciously says:

I'm giving away FREE copies of the pdf of my book, Nail Your Novel.

Many writers fail to complete their novels because they don't know how to organise the work or solve the inevitable problems they encounter. Nail Your Novel tackles this problem head on. It's a complete methodology for writing a novel. It's aimed at any writer, experienced or not, who would like a coach to take them from the blank page to finished manuscript with submission documents. At around 100 pages, it's about half the length of other writing books - for effective writing advice without the waffle. Readers are telling me it's helped them battle through with manuscripts they thought they would have to abandon.

In theory the process should be simplicity itself - no registration, no need to give any email addresses or personal details - just download, save the file and start to enjoy! (If you try it and find otherwise, do tell me - and that includes the enjoyment part too...)

Sounds great, right?

To take Roz up on this fantastic offer, or learn more about her, visit her Nail Your Novel site. (Peruse her sidebar to find out why Dirty White Candy.) You can also see warm and informative advice from Roz, here, where she talks about writing, revising, and going on submission.

Thank you, Roz! You're great.

Firsts

Kiss. Paycheck. Baby. House. Grandchild.

Novel.

Mine took a year to write. Three months to edit. Three months of queries (and no agent bites) before Avalon showed interest by requesting the full. They turned it down for their reasons, and I've been sitting on Bliss Lake ever since. I thought about more edits, some embellishments. I considered reworking the format, deepening the plot, adding another POV. I even spent some time giving it another go, trying to make it work.

But I recently decided to shelve it. Bliss Lake and I are cutting ties for now. Maybe for always.

It was shorter than most agents and publishers choose to consider. My characters, much as I loved them, weren't fleshed-out enough. The story, as I thought it was meant to be told, didn't have emotional depth, no pulling weight.

It just wasn't good enough. Not as my writing needs to be. As good as I want it to be.

But it was worth it, because I learned so much. I delved into the craft, started finding my voice. Experienced the rush of words, the effort of discipline, the draw of the story. I learned I can write a novel. All from my first attempt.

It was excellent practice.

What ever happened to your first novel?

[F]oto Friday

Good fiction is hard to find lately. At least, it has been for me, as I've torn apart my shelves for that next book to sink my teeth into.
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First, I tried this novel. Certain content did not sit well with me.

I'd had high hopes for the next one; the author is one I've enjoyed before, and the premise sounded exciting! Yeah...

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How's this for excitement? (Watch out, I drool.)

And then this one! This one seemed so original, with a main character I could potentially relate to.

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*sigh* At least I got some good daydreaming done.

But wait! What's this? Why, I believe it's Kathryn Magendie's new release, Tender Graces, in my mailbox, of all places!

Color me giddy!

So, good fiction? I found it, in Kathryn's story of Virginia Kate. The back cover blurb is this:

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The death of her troubled mother and memories of her abused grandmother lure a woman back to the Appalachian hollow where she was born. Virginia Kate Carey, the daughter of a beautiful mountain wild-child and a slick, Shakespeare-quoting salesman, relives her turbulent childhood and the pain of her mother's betrayals. Haunted by ghosts and buried family secrets, Virginia Kate struggles to reconcile three generations of her family's lost innocence.
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Virginia Kate's story, so heartrending, snatched my attention up immediately (and still holds it hostage). And Kathryn's writing? Powerful. Each sentence, so fresh and full, lifts from the page to swirl around me, so I feel it.

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Are you looking for good fiction?

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I recommend this book. Get you a copy.

Tuesday's Stuff and Things

The crickets. They still reign.

As the mornings become darker and colder, it's harder for me to get out of bed. (I LOVE my snooze button.) Getting around to take my oldest to school is increasingly difficult, but we're making it happen. And I'm hopeful we'll fall into a better routine with several days' time.

I sit here at my computer, an iced mocha within reach. Seriously, it's one of the best parts of my day, that iced mocha; savoring the smell, the flavor, because it's something that in that moment is only mine. And something even as simple as a favored drink brings joy... thought... inspiration.

My youngest, who's decked out in her favorite dress and tiara, uses her wand to transform me into a princess every few moments. "Bibby bobby doo!" *sashays* Aren't I pretty?

But as for my writing... It's as though I'm sitting in the middle of a large triangle, and each of its three corners holds something I reach to grasp. In the first corner sits my novel, Bliss Lake. Having been my baby for almost two years now, from conception through writes, edits, rewrites, betas, queries, rejections, it's what feels most tangible. But I've put queries on hold. Why? Because I don't know what to do. I continue to (most days) have faith in myself, confidence in my work, but I don't want to fall just short of all I can do. Maybe my query letter needs reworked again? I've done a little brainstorming, made a few notes. But also, something I've always known but blazed on despite, my manuscript is short for its genre. My ms is 51,000 words, whereas many in contemporary or women's fiction are closer to 80k. That's a huge difference! But all this time I've stuck with my story as/is, knowing there are shorter works of fiction out there, and with belief that adding to its word count would only mean padding and filling. And I don't want to take away from the story. But now, as I stew over rejections, I wonder if it's hurting me. Though no single rejection, even personalized, has mentioned my word count, I don't want to continue querying if it's making things harder. So how do I know? The large part of me wants to believe that MY agent, MY moment is out there, regardless of those factors, because my story and my enthusiasm and my faith will stand alone. But how do I know?

The second corner holds the proposal for my narrative non-fiction. Being that non-fiction is most times easiest to find representation for and get published... which could then better facilitate novel publication... perhaps this one is the most tangible. My proposal rocks. And after what pushed me to write it up, I don't dare abandon it. But if I'm to focus on this, doesn't that mean putting Bliss Lake on the back burner? After all I've put forth for it, I'm not certain I'm ready to do that. But I don't know how to do both, either. I can't query one agent with both at the same time. But is it realistic to query them individually, simultaneously? Especially when I want an agent who'll represent both books - my whole career? And so then which do I query for an agent who seems perfect? The narrative non-fiction? Or the novel? BAH!

And the third corner, there in the dark, is my WIP. The story of Tate, whose wife turns his world upside-down by making poor, selfish choices, leading him down the path of severely tested faith. I know once I'm deeper into this story, I'll believe in it, too. I know I will. But I can't let myself go there yet, not with my questions over the other two projects.

So I sit here, stranded. In the middle of the triangle, unsure as to which corner I should proceed. I pray and I wait for signs, sometimes thinking I have it figured out. But then the uncertainty settles in again and I dare not step closer to any one corner, lest it be the wrong one.

What would you do?

And do you have a cricket problem?

A Merry Weekend

Independence Day has never been a favorite holiday of mine, and I'm not one who, I'm sorry to admit, thinks on its historical symbolism a great deal. But still, the gathering of family and friends, good food and amazing fireworks make for a super day.

The lake where we live always has day-long activities, concluded with a full fireworks show, the Saturday closest to the holiday. To coordinate with the fun we invite family and friends up for time together and fun on the water.

This year was especially cool, and yesterday couldn't have been more perfect. The weather was cooler and breezy - incredible for a midwest July - and I relished kicking back with dear ones near. I let go of all my writing-related stresses, and just existed, plain and simple.

But you wanna know the single coolest aspect? Sitting out on the lake in the dark, a sea of boats around ours as we watched fireworks explode. It was a poignant moment for me because not-so-long ago I wrote about that very thing...

My novel, the one I'm querying, ends on the Fourth of July, with lake celebrations much like ours. And, the very last chapter, the very last page, ends with a proposal under the fireworks. I'd drawn on my own experiences to write about the water, the sounds, the colors, and to watch it play out again was indescribable.

Someday. Someday it'll be in print, and you all can read it. Then you can share the experience with me.

How It Works

I know most of my readers are writers, but for those who aren't, here's where I'm at...

I've polished my manuscript until it shines. I've written my query letter (the letter asking agents to consider reading, and then representing, my book) and synopsis (a comprehensive summary of the book), rehashing and revising until my mind is fuzzy. I've researched agents and the best way to get my foot in the door, to be given even half a chance.

Some literary agents get at least a thousand queries a month. Mine will be added to their piles.

I've submitted my query (with synopsis) to 6 agents so far, all of them in New York City. It will likely take weeks, maybe even months*, before they read just that much, at which point they'll decide if they're interested in looking at any portion of the manuscript.

Should one (or more) choose to read my entire book, that could again take weeks to months. If they'd agree to take me on as a client and represent me, they'd begin their job of trying to sell my book to a publisher. Yet again we're looking at months and, if a publishing house actually bought my book, it could be a couple years before it went to press. *exhales* So, after the year I spent writing the book, and the 3 months editing, my journey has only just begun.

Did you catch all those IFs?

Some writers query upwards of a hundred agents, and I still have many, many more to consider, even if one I've already contacted should like to represent me.

In the meantime... I'm corraling thoughts for novel 2...

*Especially since the later summer months are slowest in the literary world, what with conventions and vacations and such.

I Did It

I just finished editing my novel. I was giving myself until the end of the month, but I just did it. And I wrote THE END.

Fanflippin'tastic!

I am SO stoked. :D

Inspiration At The Lake

I've mentioned before that we live in a lake community. And, like so many writers, I draw inspiration from my surroundings - which is why the larger part of my novel is set around a lake just like ours.

Today, eager to get out in the beautiful weather, my daughters and I went in search of some fun. We had a picnic at the park, played on the slides and merry-go-round, and soon after headed to the beach with new buckets and shovels.

The girls busied themselves in a search for "treasure" as I stretched out and soaked in the scenery. From my sandy patch I enjoyed a perfect view of the water: Passing boats and jet skis, a spring breeze with fresh smells and contented sounds of outdoor activity reminded we why I so love where we live. And why I chose to write about it.

On a basic level, today's experience moved me to a renewed surety; I have to keep up with the edits of this book and proceed with finding representation. Then, even deeper, it gave me a kind of stirring, a kind of drive to sink further into my revisions. To really make sure I capture the essence of this life, this lake, so the reader can grasp it in full.

I hope I can do it justice.

The Fiction Class - A Book Review

To begin, here's the passage from the back of the book The Fiction Class by Susan Breen:

"On paper, Arabella Hicks is more than qualified to teach a weekly fiction class on New York's Upper West Side: She's an author herself; she's passionate about books; she's even named after the herione in a Georgette Heyer novel.

So why do her students seem so difficult? And why can't she find an ending to the novel she has been working on for seven years? Arabella's beginning to suspect that it's because her mother, Vera Hicks, is driving her insane. After each class, she goes to see Vera in a nursing home outside the city. Every visit turns into an argument. Arabella can't figure out how to make peace, until one day she discovers something surprising: Her mother wants to be a writer.

Slowly, cautiously, Arabella begins to teach her, and as the lessons progress along with her class, Arabella discovers that it is she who has a lot to learn about writing, and about love."

And now for my review:

As The Fiction Class, the story of Arabella Hicks, began, I was seemingly unaffected. Susan Breen's protagonist was dull, dissatisfied. Her affect as the teacher of an uninspired class, and the friction between she and her mother, Vera, didn't create a character I was readily able to connect with.

Formatting of the novel, which jumped from writing class to visit with Vera back to writing class, felt jarring to me. And the flow of Breen's more formal prose seemed stuffy, surreal.

But then, before I knew it, I realized with surprise that Arabella had grown on me. Through Breen's turns of phrase, which eventually came to resound so poignantly within me, I'd become used to Arabella's eccentricity. She was a more relatable character than I'd expected, and I found myself invested in her story. I felt sympathy as she faced her class and visits with Vera, and just as she began to see once-hidden layers in her students, and in her mother, I saw the same in her.

All said and done, The Fiction Class was a satisfying novel. The dynamics between Arabella and the supporting characters - particularly a love interest - made for an entertaining read. And the closure reached by book's end, made the discomfort between Arabella and Vera strangely worthwhile.

Susan Breen is one whose books, should she write more, will grace my nightstand.



You can view other reviews for The Fiction Class, by visiting Blog Stop Book Tours.

New Ideas For The Back Burner

I spent some much-needed time with two friends today. During the lunch we shared, one told me she'd had a dream a few nights ago. In the dream she seemed an outsider, as we've all likely experienced before. A story unfolded in front of her and, subconsciously, she told herself, "I have to tell Janna of this. What a great book idea!" And as she relayed the dream to me, I had to agree. I absorbed all she could recall and quickly jotted down the most pertinent details. Maybe someday I can transform her dream into a novel.

It makes me feel good, as a writer, to place new ideas on the back burner. It means my inspiration and imagination are still intact, and I enjoy looking ahead to the publication of my current novel (it WILL happen!) with the reassurance that there's work to be done afterward.

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The family and I'll be taking a short roadtrip over the next couple of days (yup, the one we had to reschedule due to snowy blizzards). As always, I'll be armed with my notebooks and pens, and I hope to do some handwritten work on the WIP... Which leads me to believe it's time to invest in an AlphaSmart, a magical word processor that weighs 2 lbs and lives on batteries for up to a year. Write on the go, then plug it into your PC at home, adding the new stuff to your WIP. Oh man, am I coveting one (I use that term 'coveting' loosely).

Sure, a laptop would do so much more, as my husband points out. But doesn't it stand to reason that a laptop would provide more distractions? And just look at how cute and compact the bugger is. One day, AlphaSmart, you will be mine. Oh yes, you will be mine.

Cripes!

It's the first time I'm admitting it...

Writing this novel of mine is hard, hard, hard. I'm getting frustrated with the process. Once again I'm stuck. Afraid to move on because I might fail. As if what I've been building toward isn't going to have enough pay-off.

How do I get out of this slump? I pull up my current chapter and stare at the few pages I have on the screen. I see in my mind the characters, sitting there, having their conversation, and it's so boring. How do I move past it? How do I get to the next exciting part? How do I continue working toward the end I know is coming? I still believe in it; I still want to see it come together for my characters. I just can't get there. Does it mean I'm hopeless? Has part of me given up? I certainly hope not.

I've been heavily active in the writing forums over at AW. On some levels it's encouraging, on others it's discouraging, to find how many writers JUST LIKE ME there are out there. Yes, I still believe in myself, but what gaurantee do I have that an agent will represent me? That he/she will succeed in selling my book? That my words will actually be read by hundreds, thousands, millions of people? Is my goal unrealistic? Have my dreams gotten too lofty?

Criminy.