Making Beanies, Making Stories, Listening to... Christmas Music?

I've been making a lot of hats. To sell. Remember?

I've been averaging about 2 a day. I would like to be able to do a little bit more, but I have to do other things like entertain my child and fix meals and clean. It's a travesty, I know. Fortunately, E thinks that cleaning is just about the most fun a kid can have, so at least the latter (lattest?) is entertaining. She gets a big kick out of stealing her baby wipes with which to clean various surfaces . Apparently, it takes half a pack to clean her Little Tykes car (sigh). And tonight I had a much-needed coffee group outing with the other ladies from S's battalion. I always look forward to those, and this one was especially fun because A) I didn't have to host it, B) the colonel's wife hosted and she always has the most fun foods--I swear, that woman is a pinterester's dream. She also had the entire house smelling like apple cider and it was decorated like a Martha Stewart orgasm. Loved it. C) We had some new faces--it's usually the same 6-8 of us that show up to those things, but this time we had like 13 ladies in attendance (and one 7-year-old and one 6-month old). And D) because it helps me feel like a real live human being.

So, yeah... Another reason why I am not cranking them out. Here are the two I did yesterday, though:

Ooh, looks like I missed a stitch--need to go back and fix that (oops). I really like how this one looks, but boy did it take a long time to make!

This one was commissioned by a friend for her nephew.

Please excuse the fact that I look the pictures with my cell phone and on the sink in the master bath. I was crocheting in bed and then felt the need to take pictures immediately upon finishing. Voila. Now you know what kind of crappy counters we have.

I'll post the ones I worked on today when I get around to it--I did some newsboy caps which are particularly adorable, especially on cute little toddler heads. Let me know if you would like to commission one--remember, anything I make from them is going directly into our adoption fund.

And, before going to sleep, I have gotten back into the habit of writing before sleeping. Which is weird, because my writing hour used to be first thing in the morning. Now, that seems like some sort of personal brand of torture. No more for this night owl. I'm only doing about 1000 words a night, which isn't bad, but isn't great. But, because I am working on something that takes place in the dead of... snow... there is lots of Christmas music. I know, I know, it isn't even October yet, Halloween hasn't taken place much less Thanksgiving, but I roll on the Costco timeline. Which roughly translates to: the Christmas season begins at the end of July.  Thank you, Costco, for keeping the spirit ever alive. (And I say this with not a hint of sarcasm).

Anyway, when I originally came up with this story, it was sometime in the November/December plane of existence, because the radio stations were playing Christmas music (which I am a total sucker for). I had gone with S to work for something or other, and while he ran inside (this had to be winter of 2007 for anyone who's counting), I listened to the music and came up with a story to go along with it. I kept meaning to write it down, but never really did. And now that I am ready for it, I need the music to get me in the mood. And it's working like a charm, I might add. Go Mormon Tabernacle Choir/Air Force Band. You guys rock.

Apparently, I have a long Novel...

It seems that I have a very long novel. I'm not entirely sure why it's considered long, since I have always operated under the assumption that 100,000 words was about average. So why, pray tell, is 115,000 outside the realm of publishability?

I don't get it, ya'll.

So, I have been reading back through the book and making a few slight changes. I've gotten all the way through, made a few alterations, and tried to keep my word count par with the original count given to agents/publishers. And then, just for good measure, I looked into submitting with another press or two, only to find out, their absolute maxes are 100,000 words.

I really don't think I can cut The Blood Child down by 15,000 words. And I certainly don't want to without some in-depth conversation about why it would be a smart marketing decision to do so. In reality, I am struggling to not add 15,000 words. There is so much more I could write--a few more battle scenes, for example--but I'm holding back, since that appears to be undesirable for the gods of the publishing world.

Sigh. Why must this be so difficult? I mean, Twilight got published. Why shouldn't The Blood Child?

So, I guess I'll give it a go again late this week. Seek out some new names to bother with my incessant querying. Really. This would be a lot less annoying for everyone if they would just decide they want to take it and give me a hefty advance

So, while I do that, it's forward with The Storyteller. I'm trying to jump in, but it's always those first few chapters that give me the most trouble. I can see what is happening clear as day, but that makes it so much more difficult to write--I can't just let it fall out of me, I actually have to get deep and thoughtful like a real human being... If only the pictures in my mind could write it for me, right?

When Inspiration Strikes

Until a couple days ago, I hadn't read a book in well over six months. Not because I don't like reading... because I love it. I discovered reading when I was 11, and haven't stopped. I skipped over the whole young adult (not that they called it that)/tween fiction thing and went right to literary fiction. I was big into historical women's fiction; long, family sagas that dealt with a deep, dark secret. When I exhausted the public library's stock of such awesomeness, I somehow made the transition over to mainstream, popular romance like Nora Roberts and... well, I don't remember who else. That led to more genre romance: lots of suspense, mystery, historical, contemporary... You name it. I always had a book with me at school  so there was something I could read when I had finished my work (great incentive to not procrastinate). It opened up my world. I learned so much (not because genre fiction is filled with "things to know," but I would go research the things that caught my attention while I was reading).

But my love for reading wasn't what transitioned me into writing. In fact, it was the other way around. I have been dreaming up "stories" in my mind since before I can remember. As early as second grade, one of my best friends and I would sit out on her back patio and write stories for one another. I would take mine home and finish them. I kept writing journals (though, I didn't call them that), jotted down my ideas, and lived in my own little world (anyone who knew me in those days would probably agree... miss popularity/social butterfly I was not). I took a creative writing class as part of the gifted program in high school, but it wasn't until I went to St Andrews University in Scotland that I really learned how to harness some of those ideas into real works. I think going to that program was quite possibly one of the best things I ever did for myself.

I finished my first novel when I was a junior at Georgia Tech. I had a lot of half-baked ideas and manuscripts, but that was the first time I finished one. Not going to lie... It probably isn't that great. A place with Harlequin it might have, but that may even be pushing it. Perhaps, someday, I will go back and workshop it into something marketable, but for the time being, it's just... an accomplishment of minor magnitude. It got me writing, however, and I haven't stopped since. I finished my second full manuscript the next year--it's been workshopped multiple times, but it still isn't right. I started working on it again at the beginning of the summer, but got stuck, again, and have let it go dormant once more. My first semester of graduate school, I began another one. It was supposed to be YA fiction, but it has morphed into something more adult in the last few writings, and once again, about half way through, I got stuck.

The Blood Child is the first manuscript I have finished and been happy with as a whole. It has done everything I wanted it to do, and I think it can become something great (if only I can find someone who believes in it as much as I do). I started writing it in the winter of 2008/2009, and, for all intents and purposes, it has remained fairly true to my original idea. It feels good. And with a finished product I feel good about, I thought it was time to go back to one of my favorite past times: reading.

Having been out of the reading loop for awhile, I have a lot of free Kindle books I have been stocking up on. But when it came time to read something, I picked up the one book that has been buzzing around social media since I quit reading. You guessed it: Shades of Grey.

I almost feel embarrassed at admitting that, but I really just wanted to see what all of the hype is about. My assessment: it's a bit long, it needs some editting (what doesn't?), Ms. James is a much better writer than Stephenie Meyer, and the sex is far tamer than everyone has made it out to be. I've been reading it pretty quickly, but not just because I want to see how it ends (I only have 100 pages left), but because I want to get back to writing.

When I read, I miss writing. Perhaps more than I miss reading when I stop to write (I can't do both at the same time--reading kills my imagination). I already have a wonderful story ready to go (something I have been playing around with since 2007 that I have been able to work into The Blood Child storyline). I started writing it--really writing it--a couple weeks ago, but put it on hold when I came to visit my parents, but reading has really gotten the creative juices flowing.

Wow, that sounds crass... especially when coupled with the fact that I am reading 50 Shades.

Anyway, I find it rather amusing that erotic romance has inspired me to write a sci-fi military epic/romance. It's going to be epic, ya'll.

Rejected

I received my first rejection letter today. It really surprised me--not because I received one, but that it came so fast.

It reads:

Thank you for considering "Agency" as a potential
agency to represent your work. We have reviewed the material you sent
and we regret that we will not be offering to review your work further
at this time. Please know that we are very selective with the
materials that we request. We encourage you to keep writing and we
wish you every success. Please forgive this impersonal note. We
receive a tremendous number of queries and are forced to focus our
attention on a limited number of projects.
Kind regards,
Agency

So, they were pretty nice about saying "your query letter put us to sleep, please go away, we like other people more, you insignificant slug." I'm just glad the first one came from an agency that was incredibly low on my list. I almost didn't query them at all, but decided "what the hell?" and sent it anyway. Well, I guess my first instinct was the correct one. I think the disappointment would have been a little harder to handle if it had been one of the agencies I was really excited about.

I just wish this had come from one of the agencies who got the comma splice. Fail.

Agents: Consider Yourselves Queried

I sent 11 agent query letters out this evening. I will be sending out one more, but the agency only accepts hard copy (snail mail) queries, and I will have to get that together. I am really quite pleased that I was able to send out so many queries through "green" means (i.e. I don't have to pay for ink, paper, envelopes, or postage!), and I will be searching for a few more victims tomorrow. Right now, I am just proud that I actually did it. How many manuscripts have I written? 4. How many times have I queried before tonight? 0.

So... Go me.

I will admit, sending that first one was pretty nerve-racking. And the second one was a little easier. By the fourth, I was feeling pretty good... Until I realized I had a comma splice at the end of my letter... One that I missed at least a billion times! Ugh... I guess I can really only count 7 of those queries (head/desk). Oh, well. At least I tried. I just hope I get a few nibbles. I know that's a lot to ask, especially since it's my first time, but it would be so nice to feel validated.

After sending out the agent queries, I did drop a publisher a query--they, too, are super nice and had electronic submission (they published two of my friend and classmate's, Ray Atkins, books. He is amazing. Like OMG, amazing. You need to read his stuff, or your life will never be complete). If only one of the queries grabs interest, I hope it's that one... Or there is a bidding war. Either way....

And, in case you were wondering what a query letter looks like, I have a little treat for you. Here is my winning (or losing) query letter:

Dear Agent:

Aelith has known only Dragon Isle, but with the deaths of the aunts who raised her, she yearns to seek out the family she has never known. When a small scouting party arrives on her island in search of Elderlend’s most sought after future-criminal, she is presented with the means to see her desire fulfilled.

Tannus, Tyne of Rhowenne and son of one of the most powerful men in Elderlend, is grasping at straws when he arrives on the small island with his companions. The High Ruler has commissioned many before him with the task of finding the Blood Child, the prophesied usurper of the High Ruler’s throne, and Tannus knows that to do so will not only cement his own claim to the position, but earn him the respect he craves from his father. His own curiosity induces him to agree to accompany Aelith to the mainland and nearby kingdom’s capitol.

As they travel through a world in which the human race is struggling to reassert itself as the dominant people, Aelith is exposed to a reality that quickly shatters her naïveté. Tannus, in turn, comes to find that the High Ruler might not be the almighty savior Elderlend thinks he is. Though the two are forced onto very different paths, they find themselves fighting to fulfill the prophecy of the Blood Child.

The Blood Child is complete at approximately 115,000 words; it shares similarities with George Lucas’s Willow and Jeff Wheeler’s The Wretched of Muirwood trilogy. It will appeal to readers of epic fantasy, romance, and women’s fiction. May I send you a partial excerpt or full manuscript?

I am a graduate of the Georgia Institute of Technology.  I am a co-author for a university textbook, Fitness for Living, published by Kendall-Hunt Publishing Company and used by Kennesaw State University in metro-Atlanta, Georgia. I am married to a U.S. Army officer and currently reside outside of Seattle, WA.

Sincerely,

Yours Truly

Oh... And now you know what it's about. (Thoughts?)

I'm On Twitter

I know... It's pathetic. I really don't understand Twitter--the appeal OR how to use it, but I figure it might be a good way to pick up some tips during the agent/publishing house query process. So... Follow me? I guess?

You can either click on the little button to the left, or you can do the easy thing and click this link instead:

Follow @Quartermisses

Today's been a busy day. Last night, S helped me refresh my manual transmission car-driving skills, and while E napped, my mom let me drive her to pick up a new collar for one of her dogs (did I mention I was not in WA? Well... I'm not. And it's glorious!). I am proud of myself: I didn't stall out or squeal the tires once. Success!

After doing some shopping with the madre, I came home and got to polishing my query letter. I have a good friend who used to work for a publishing house who said she would read over it for me before I send it out (in case it wasn't obvious, I will be taking her suggestions to heart before sending it). Wish me luck and speed and all of that! I am nervous--not that I will get a ton of rejections, but that this will take a long time to get an interested agent and/or publisher. I need speed, people, speed!

I feel like it is me against the clock... And I need the clock to take a time out for a few months while I get everything taken care of. Well, that just isn't going to happen, is it? So please, send me the fairy dust. Give me suggestions. ANYTHING!!!

Desperate here.

(Thank you!)

Draught 1 of Manuscript: Done!

I finished last night at around 9pm. I'm not going to lie: the last couple chapters need a lot of work. In fact, the whole thing past about 40,000 words needs a lot of work (that first portion has been rewritten several times, and even bits of it have been work shopped). I've compiled the whole thing, and will be working on the editing bit while I am visiting my parents. Then, once I receive some feedback from a few people, I will begin query letter writing (also, going to talk to a friend of mine who worked in publishing about that bit... I am hoping she has some fantastic pointers, because, well, I need them!)

So, how did I celebrate this momentous occasion? you ask.

Well, I started writing the prequel. 2000 words in, baby.

I know, that's probably not Kosher, but I need to step away from the first manuscript for a few days and get my thoughts for the second one down before I forget. It's fun, it's exciting, and while it isn't new (like the first, this storyline has been mulling around my head for at least as long... perhaps longer), it's fresh.

And because I'm excited about it, I'll give you a little taste of what all of this is about:

Manuscript 1, which I have tentatively entitled The Blood Child, takes place thousands of years in the future. The world has greatly changed, the carbon cycle decimating civilization as we know it, and setting humanity back greatly.  New "peoples" have evolved from homo sapiens in this new environment, but the humans remain at the top of social hierarchy. Humanity has replaced deities with worship of a human man, known only as the High Ruler. This man, who is said to be all-knowing and all-seeing, the protector of the realm over which he presides, has become corrupt, and encourages discrimination of the Other Peoples.  A renowned prophetess  predicts the end of the High Ruler's reign at the hands of one with blood-red hair... And that's where the story begins.

Manuscript 2, the prequel, is about how civilization came to be destroyed and how humanity manages to survive it. It starts in the present-day United States.

Yey!

Rethinking Adoption in an Unconventional Way

I don't know why I have been the biggest blog slacker in the history of the world, but I have been. I'd love to blame the fact that I am finishing the last chapter of the novel, but that's been just as slow-going. I blame S and his 3-day weekend--wonderful to have him home and around, but it really messes up my online-routine. My friend Kerry just bought her domain name, something I have been contemplating doing, and I wonder if that would give me the push to be less... douchey about my blogging.

Yesterday, we had our final yard sale; it was also our most lucrative. E and I went to a birthday party, and while we were gone, S brought in about $60. We got back, and he made another $15-ish, bringing our total yard sale earnings somewhere near the $100 mark. I'm a little disappointed--I would have thought we would have done much better, especially with the baby items we had. No one who came by even looked at the two strollers we had, much less the toddler clothes we had with the tags still on. Unused jar candles from Yankee Candle and Bath and Body works? All now at Goodwill. I would have sold them for $1 each, but no one wanted them...

Oh, well. Hopefully, Goodwill will be able to do some good with them, and when I write it off my taxes, I will just put that money in the adoption jar.

Blogger refuses to make this photo right-side-up.... which it is everywhere else. Oh, well... E goes shopping. Ironically, she is doing to with 2 Victoria's Secret bags that were free-with-purchase on Black Friday and were some of the only items we sold (they were tagged as being $75... but... yeah).

 

Having finished up the yard sale, we had some quality adult time after putting E to bed last night. It gave us a chance to talk about adoption, our plans, etc. Part of this came up after S learned some new information pertaining to his own adoption. I'm sure I have mentioned it before, but he was adopted as an "older child" through the foster care system when he was about a year-and-a-half-old. He has an older biological brother and sister who were adopted by a different family, but remained together. We found them about 7 years ago, and they have all struck up a sort of relationship. What little information he knows about his biological family has come from them and the snippets his own parents have released, which isn't much at all. Very recently, the three of them have gained some additional insight into the events that led up to their adoptions, and to say that it was the complete opposite of what everyone believed is a bit of an understatement.

Anyway, that's his story to tell, not mine. I would love for him to write a guest post or two about his own experiences as an adoptee, one with attachment issues, and what it is like to be an adult adoptee... Whatever... But I'm not sure he'll do it. We shall see, shall we not?

Back to my point. So, while talking about it all, I asked if this changed his mind about adoption at all. He said yes; that it made him more certain that he does not want to do a domestic adoption. This came as a surprise to me since only a few hours before he heard "the news," he had said he wished domestic adoption was a more attainable option for us as a military family, since it was how he found his family. I'm not sure what his reasons are for feeling this way, and I don't wish to speculate, but the whole thing has me considering the whole process in a less than glamorous light.

It's easy to get caught up in the idea of  "saving" an orphan. Articles like this one make it easy to forget all of the stuff that led a child to become an "orphan," and that all of that just doesn't "go away" when they are adopted into a new family. Even when a child is as young as a year-and-a-half, their past will come back to "haunt" them, whether it is in a good way or a bad one. Living with S has shown me that, and even then, it's easy to forget. "Saving" a child from a future that is not much of a future is only a small aspect of adding them to a family.

Because the family they had before doesn't just... disappear. If we adopt from Eastern Europe like we plan, it is very likely that child will have other siblings, whether they know it or not. It's very likely their parents will still be alive, that they were released from their biological family for similar reasons as my husband was released from his. It's likely that we will never have much information on that family to give to our child. We'll also be taking them from the only family they are likely to know--the other children and caregivers of their orphanage. And that must only add to all of the fear an anxiety of being an adopted child.

So... yeah. I don't know how to end this.

I'll go with a question... Do I order another Wittlebee Box? Or not? Because I really can't decide...

The Novel

I am closing in on finishing the novel. As of last night, I had 106,000+ words, and I still have some pretty major events/scenes to write. This is incredibly exciting for me; I have written two other novels, and neither of them have been this long, or this marketable (at least in my opinion). And, for the first time, I am actually thinking "this could happen. This story could make it."

So, I have been considering the next step, the difficult step... The one that is a heck of a lot harder than just writing the dumb thing and work shopping it... Getting it published.

The plan is, as of right now:

• Finish the book this weekend (Argh!)
• Workshop (I am hoping I can foist it on some friends for some good feedback)
• Write a query letter (ugh)
• Send out query letters (blah)
• Hope for results.

If I receive no bites, I guess it's time to start attending writers' conferences (blah....). The big one in Seattle isn't until the end of next June, so I suppose I have plenty of time to get over my anxiety of A) going to that sort of event and B) having to act social.

Which means, in about a week, all of my anxiety can be focused on the query letter (I'll worry about the workshop business after I get some feedback). I hate bragging about myself, and I have no idea how to sell anything to anyone, much less a story.

Anyone have any suggestions? Know any agents who are DYING to get their hands on an epic fantasy? Publishers looking for fresh meat? If so... send them my way, and I will send you a box of kitchen sink cookies!

Higher Education and the Military Spouse

Every few months, I toy with applying to a PhD program. Having those three letters behind my name has been a personal goal since as far back as I can remember, but in more recent years, it's held less... appeal. PhDs are good for researching and teaching, and I'd probably much rather teach than research, but after working for a university, I have found I have little taste for the politics that go with such a career tract. But then I think back to my time in writing programs. I will always regret not sticking to creative writing for my master's degree, and I will probably always wonder why I didn't pursue a creative writing undergraduate degree. Because I really learned so much in those programs, and they were some of the most fun I ever had.

I could do that on a daily basis and be happy, I think; workshops and writing exercises and thinking creatively. I could do that. But there are so many reasons for not going after it:

(One)
I can write without a PhD. I can write without my M.A. and I can write without my B.S. I don't need any of those degrees to be a writer, though I am sure they contribute greatly to my craft. All I have to be is a great writer (and an even better query-letter author).

(Two)

There are very few Creative Writing PhD programs.

(Three)

There are even fewer Creative Writing PhD programs even remotely close to Army installations. As in: one (on a good day).


Number three? Yeah, that's a huge issue. It's really difficult to pursue a degree when you can't physically be there to pursue it. And the U.S.? Not so much with the distance learning PhD programs, either. Or even reputable universities who offer distance learning to graduate students. Period.

My Ga Tech graduation in 2008

My M.A. graduation in 2010 (that's my boss shaking my hand)

As a military spouse, I feel I am inundated with "higher education" opportunities in all aspects of life: email, Internet, on post, everywhere. Would I like higher education opportunities? Hell yes! Are any of them geared towards the military spouse who has already been awarded a Bachelor Degree or higher? Um... Not so much. Are any of the geared towards a military spouse who is married to an officer? Hell no. I very much appreciate all of the hard work and focus that has gone to educate military spouses... I just wish someone would recognize that there are some of us that don't fit into the "bubble."

I think some reputable U.S. universities could really take advantage of an untapped demographic if they marketed a hybrid/distance-learning program to military spouses who are looking to complete a master's degree or higher. It's possible to do--I've found several in the United Kingdom that would suit my needs (and are actually more affordable than a required-residency program here in the U.S... No, I don't get how it's cheaper to be an international student, either). The University of Lancaster and the University of Birmingham (Birmingham 1.0, that is) both offer distance learning PhD programs in Creative Writing.

Am I considering one?


Maybe. We'll see how number one works out for me. And what kind of funding I can get... Cause this having 2 degrees and no college loans whatsoever? Totally working for me.

Someone's Missing

You know how a Simpson's episode always starts off with something that has absolutely nothing to do with the rest of the episode? That's how I am going to play this blog.

Last night, I hit 100,000 words. When I started writing this particular story, my goal was to write something that was 100,000 words, total. Well, I think it's pretty safe to say I am going to exceed that (especially since I currently have 100,013. Oh yeah!). For the longest time, I was convince I would never be able to make it to 100,000 words, but I have done it! I am a little proud of myself, even though I have no idea what is going to happen next (well, I do, but how it's going to happen... well, we'll just have to see what the characters do next, I suppose).

That accomplishment totally reminds me of the fact that we were able to acquire the very last under-30lb life jacket at Costco... That's quite an accomplishment, too, you know (if you didn't get it, I'm going to tell you: this is my horrible attempt at a segue). We needed that life jacket for E, because our friends (and neighbors!) asked us out on their boat this afternoon! We had a blast, and just as I knew he would, as soon as we got in the car to leave, S said "we need a boat."

Well, rest assured, no boats in our near future. I am not averse to getting a boat, especially when we are in the Chesapeake Bay area (in fact, it just might be a requisite to living there!). But we had a really great time, and I know a lot of that has to do with the fact that we were with friends!  We got the kids in the water and did some swimming (E.... not a fan). I was surprised at how un-lake-like the lake actually was (we were out on American Lake, which borders Fort Lewis). It had no lake smell and the water was very clear! We then rode around the perimeter and looked at all of the houses. E loved the wind in her hair--it had me on edge, because she kept trying to stand up to get more. I was continually yelling at her to sit on her bottom. Then they broke out the knee board. The adults all had a go... with the exception of me. After watching everyone else, I recognize that would not be  my shining moment, and they would have to rename the activity "face-boarding," so I declined. But they did talk me into tubing (we doubled up) and that was great, if also excruciating on the hands. Wow!

It really was fun, and I am so thankful we got invited to go. Thanks, M-family!

However, while the boat was skimming through the water, E cuddled up on my lap, wind in our hair, this feeling that someone was missing washed over me (get it... water? wash? Har har.... man, I am so NOT funny. Anyway....). It was like we had forgotten someone, our child--not E, but another one--and she just wasn't there. Like she was somewhere else, just not with us. It made me sad and anxious. Where is she?

She... that's weird, isn't it? I don't know why I thought of a she. It was just the image that I saw (not that there was a face...) and felt. We're missing a little girl somewhere, and after doing some reading these past few night (I know, I am bad!) I am afraid we won't find her or we'll be too late. I'm afraid we will wait too long, dragging our heels waiting for the right time. She could be out there right now, desperately wishing for her mama and papa, while we are talking about everything falling into place for us.

So, if you're someone who hopes or prays or crosses fingers, perhaps you could do that for us? Hope I can finish my book and find a publishing house for it quickly. Hope that we can do that so we can find our girl, wherever she is, and bring her home before it's too late...

Post #90

Obviously, I have no good titles up my sleeve. Sorry.

I ordered my first Wittlebee box last night! If you have no idea what that is, it's kind of like Birchbox, but for babies/toddlers. Once a month, for $40, they will send you over $100 worth of designer clothing for your little holy terror/sweet adorable munchkin. You will be asked to fill out a style sheet, which helps them coordinate a box that will fit your needs (long sleeves, short sleeves, polka dots, lady bugs... you name it), and then you get a fun little surprise in the mail. I'm excited to see what we get this first month. Now, if you're anything like me, you're probably thing OMAGERHD, $40!?! Yeah... Well, if you use my link, you can get $10 (and I will, too, for subsequent orders!), and if you sign up, they will send you additional coupons. I was able to place my first order for just $19.99. If it's good stuff, I couldn't do much better at Gymboree or Gap (my usual baby store haunts).

I'll let all 4 of you who might care how it goes.

In other news:

• I have a water baby! S got home early, so we took E to the splash park on post. It's kind of like Centennial Olympic Park in Atlanta (for all of you who know what that's like), so there is no standing water, so it gives her some independence in playing in water. We have tried to visit a few times this summer, but today was the first time it was actually warm enough to allow her to let loose. She loved it and we had to drag her away kicking and screaming (literally. kicking and screaming).
• We are learning Russian as a family. E: not interested. S and I are chugging right along, although neither of us are great yet (but, keep in mind, we just started re-learning yesterday). I am really hoping we can get E into it... It would be wonderful if she got even a little bit of another language (or two or three), just so it makes it easier to learn later in life. Besides, aerospace engineers need to know Russian--she's getting a head start. I am wanting to have somewhat of a grasp of the language for when we adopt sometime in the future.
• I need to remember to add the $0.97 S put in the adoption fund jug this evening.
• I have 96,000 words, but I didn't write tonight. I needed a break. I know what's going to happen next, I just have become too consumed by the Olympics to really get anything good down, so I just decided to take a night of rest.
• It's going to be hot here in the Northworst this weekend: we're talking 90 degrees. That's hot in Atlanta where they have air conditioning. I'm going to just go ahead and let you know: if you haven't heard from me in the next couple days, it's probably because I have melted.

Selling the Yard

We have almost half a percent of what we will need to adopt. Yey!

Or... er... wow.

Anyway, I think we're also going to have a yard sale. Not because we think it will pull in a lot for the adoption fund (maybe we will double what we have!), but because I am desperately hoping we will PCS in the near-ish future, and we have GOT to get rid of some stuff. I'm just no longer "into" keeping around things we got when we were first married and have yet to use. Or two irons... Why are we keeping around two irons?! I can honestly say the one I took to college with me was used... once at most. I don't need two rice cookers, I don't need five million plastic white bins (thanks, S), and I don't need fifty pounds worth of Yankee Candles I have never once burned.

It's time for them to go.

Unfortunately, we don't have a lot of furniture to get rid of... And that seems to be the big crowd pleaser at a yard sale. We've been pretty good about keeping that to a minimum (ish). So, S sent an email to our neighborhood organizer guy and asked if anyone else was planning on having a yard sale in the near future. And if he knows of anyone who has a "Goodwill" pile who wouldn't mind donating it to us first for the adoption fund. If we can't sell it, we'll take it to Goodwill for them.

I'm also writing every night for at least 1,000 words in hopes of finishing up my damn book! As of this moment, I have just under 90,000 words and my original goal was 100,000. I am going to have to increase that by quite a bit, but I am hoping I can have it finished by the end of September at the very latest. Then, query letters are going out. I am extremely nervous about that portion of the whole process, as I know absolutely no one who has had success in this particular area. I'm hoping the whole been published before thing helps, but I am guessing that won't really help my case much... Maybe I should mention that any money I make from it will go to my adoption?

No?

Didn't think so.

So, that's where we are with that.

Blogging Challenge: Intro!

This seems incredibly cheesy, so I am going to apologize in advance. But what it all really boils down to is: I need something to do while I procrastinate from working on my writing, and writing is the only thing I can think of. Ironic? Yeah, I thought so, too.

So, I was talking with a few of my lady-friends (and no, not in the 70-year-old man in a nursing home sense of "lady-friends") and it has been decided that a blog challenge is in order. I've never actually done a blogging challenge before, and the ones I have seen seem kind of lame, so we're coming up with our own.

Here are the rules:

• The blog-every-single-day thing seems to be a little... scary for a lot of people. So, we're shooting for once-a-week blogging for 8 weeks.
• Blog challenges will be "due"/rollover on Sunday nights at midnight. I know this sounds a lot like a class project, but hey, we're all gluttons for punishment, anyway, right?
• Post the challenge/challenge rules before you write your first blog-challenge blog, and link back to it with each blog-challenge post (then say blog challenge ten times fast!). This way, your readers can join in on the fun.
• And, just to shake things up, at the bottom of each blog challenge blog, post the link to another blog you read regularly. Think of it as a grab bag for your readers. Or just utter ridiculousness on my part.
• Try to comment on other blogs doing the challenge. Let the blogger know you're reading and doing the challenge, too!
• Take the topics as seriously or as lightly as you would like.
• Write as much or as little as you would like.
• Use visuals if and how you see fit.
• Have fun and share!

Now... For the topics!

• Week 1: Compare and contrast: yourself now vs. yourself ten years ago.
• Week 2: How are you like your parents? How are you different?
• Week 3: Who and what makes up your "community?" How do you define that community?
• Week 4: A social situation you struggle with and why.
• Week 5: How do you define yourself?
• Week 6: What is a goal you have or want to set for yourself? How are you going to achieve it?
• Week 7: A funny story about something dumb you have done.
• Week 8: Where do you see yourself in 5 years?

Music to Write to

When I'm writing, the right music can really set the tone for the scene I am writing. Since I've switched gears from the fantasy I have been working on (stuck! writer's block! Argh!) to the urban fantasy that I started writing about three years ago (it's been redraughted and redraughted and workshopped several times, and it still doesn't feel "right." I think I am almost there), I have had to switch around my music playlists.

The new playlist (in no particular order):

• Manchester Orchestra: Virgin
• Kent: Revolt III
• Kent: The King is Dead
• Civil Twilight: Letters from the Sky
• AWOLNATION: Sail
• AWOLNATION: Not Your Fault
• The Airbourne Toxic Event: Sometime Around Midnight
• Athlete: Wires
• Biffy Clyro: Living is a Problem Because Everything Dies
• The Black Ghosts: Full Moon
• Blue Merle: Every Ship Must Sail Away
• Coldplay: Violet Hill
• Coldplay: Cemeteries of London
• Coldplay: Spies
• Embrace: Gravity
• Innerpartysystem:Don't Stop
• Kevin Rudolf: In the City
• Muse: Plug in Baby
• Muse: Showbiz
• Remy Zero:Prophecy
• Stereophonics: Dakota

Don't worry. I don't expect you to care. But in the event that you find yourself drawn to any of these songs, purchase the song and support the artist[s]!

This Person Is a Slacker --->

Obviously, I have been slacking with the writing of the blog. I would use the excuse that it's been a crazy week, but really, it hasn't. E and I flew back to Washington late Monday night, and have really just been hanging around and running errands the last couple days. We've already been to Costco, the PX (post exchange), Costco, and the Commissary twice. We're like Super Shoppers.

When I have had a chance to sit down at my computer, I have used the opportunity to re-write and edit one of my older novels. I actually wrote it about four years ago, finished it, workshopped it some with one of my novel writing courses, and then walked away. It was probably a much needed break, as I was sick of it and really didn't like it, anymore. I liked a great deal of the story, but it needs a lot of work, and I wasn't really up to it until now. I really should be working on other things right now, but I felt the urge to work on it, so what better time than now?

Also, I finally bought myself Scrivener. It's writers' software that I absolutely adore. I highly recommend it for anyone and for any project. You can see the software and activate a free trial here. It makes the writing experience fun.

And tomorrow, I have an appointment with the head of endocrinology here and a clinical psychologist. Because, apparently, wanting adequate and consistant treatment must mean I am crazy. I am going, anyway, because I think there has been a huge breakdown in communication between the doctors and me, the patient. I am hoping that I will be able to convey that my current prescription has helped, I just think there is room for some adjustment. So... wish me luck?

To DO

My list of things to do is entirely too long. And it's unlikely that I will get to them all.... So, what should be the focus? Should there be a focus? Is me focusing on there being a focus blurring the focus of my focus?

How many times can I type gocus in one small paragraph?

...

I want to go back to Scotland. I would live there forever, if life allowed for it, but life doesn't allow for it. And, unless some miracle manages to work out, it is probably a chance of zero to none that the Army would EVER send us there. I could do with a trip, but that would be thousands upon thousands of dollars, and only for a vacation.

We want to buy a house at the next duty station. We're saving for that, and putting money away for E and any-additional-siblings-she-may-have's education. Which means the house saving isn't as quick as it could be (I mean, it's good, just not oh-we-could-pay-you-in-cash-for-this-whole-house! Unless I can talk S into buying something in the crumbling category).

We're planning on having one more biological child; the plan is to do that in the next year.

We want to adopt. And don't want to wait too long. Problem? See savings.

I want to get one of these stupid novels published.

I want to lose the remaining weight I have hanging around from pregnancy number one before starting on pregnancy number two. I have like... 4 months. Hands? Meet hair. Yank.

And that's just the DOMESTIC stuff. I don't even want to think about the rest. I really wish/wonder if there is an alternate universe in which I am managing to live all of the dreams, wishes, etc. I have. Anyone seen Sliding Doors with Gwenyth Paltrow? It's kind of old, and I can't tell you who all was in it, but it was definitely an interesting concept--one small event causes one woman's life to split, and she (unknowingly) lives two different lives. Eventually, they merge, but I often think of that movie when I am agonizing over life and choices and... stuff. It seems like the only logical way to live all the lives I want to live.

And by logical, I mean completely illogical.

...

Where do I come up with this stuff?!

BIWNNR: A YA Fairy Tale

I'm a huge fan of fairy tales. I love them, even when Disney decides to destroy them with crazy departures from the original stories and meanings (this could possibly end up being a huge rant about the real role of fairy tales in European history, but I am going to try to control myself and not go there). In fact, I am attempting to write my own for an adult audience. And since I have taken on the task of writing in a genre in with which I am not particularly familiar, I have been attempting to read more fantasy.

Now, the book I just finished, Awake by Jessica Grey, was a modern Young Adult fairy tale, so it isn't really even that close to what I am writing, but I was floundering with what to read after finishing my last BIWNNR (Book[s] I Would Not Normally Read for anyone who missed my last BIWNNR post) and this looked like it had potential...

Potential is definitely what this book had, in my opinion. But, to be fair, I am an adult reading a novel geared towards girls in their mid-teens. If you look at the reviews of other readers, they liked it enough to give it 4.5 stars (no one gave it anything below 3 stars). I would probably put myself in that 3 star area, myself.

The book had an interesting enough premise. It follows a girl, Alex, who is in the transition between high school and going off to college as she starts a summer internship with a geology museum in Los Angeles. The story begins with her attending the intern orientation, even though she has interned with the museum the previous three summers, as well. When she arrives, it's to find--to her surprise--one of the most popular boys from her high school and MLB draftee, Luke, also interning with the gem and minerals museum. The two had been best friends as children and drifted apart in high school.

A few days later, Alex and Becca discover Luke "asleep" (and unable to wake up) on a massive jewel- and gold-encrusted bed that was newly arrived in the museum, and a beautiful blonde girl awake in his place. The girl, who is the princess of a fictitious Medieval country located to the southeast of France, explains that she is a demi-fairy and was put under a spell by her aunt. Asleep for almost a century, the girl was awakened by a kiss--however, because Luke, who kissed her, didn't love her, the curse was transferred to him.

The story continues to make twists on the Disney version of Sleeping Beauty, and of course the three girls must figure out how to release Luke from the curse without transferring the curse, again. It managed to keep my interest simply because I wanted to see where the author was going. The story was interesting enough, but in the end, it still fell flat for me--like I said, based on the other reviews, apparently teen aged girls loved it.

So, why was this not a five-star book?

A few things:

• The author relied heavily on Disney's re-imagining of Sleeping Beauty for her story. There was some mention that there was a book in which the story could be found, but the only element of it divulged to readers was something along the lines of: "well, it could be worse. In some fairy tales, the princess wakes up to find herself pregnant." Otherwise, only other departure was the prick of a rose thorn, not a spinning wheel.
• The characters spent a lot of time arguing with one another rather than doing something. There was one conversation that took almost three pages and be summed up with: "I'm going." "No, you're not." "Yes, I am." "No, you're not." "Yes, I am." "No, you're not. "Yes, I am." Etc. Etc. It was as though they had to repeat the same thing twenty times before they "got it." In other words, the characters were thick.
• The characters were thick (ha), especially the main character. It didn't matter what kind of "proof" they had, they refused to believe it.
• The pace was rather slow.
• Overall, I really think the story could have used a few workshops to work on a few of those things. It just felt... un-tried.

It was definitely a different take on the Sleeping Beauty story, especially while adding a modern twist. I liked that the female characters were strong, they were smart, and they were relatively resourceful. It was refreshing to see female characters who were more interested in their education, research, and intelligence than how to be popular, get a boyfriend, fashion, or how to deal with their vampire/werewolf/ghost/shape-shifter boyfriend. I really did want to see what was going to end up happening, which is why I kept  reading. I would definitely recommend this story to a teenage girl over some of the other popular YA fantasy fare. And I would recommend an adult pick it up free/at a library if she needed something light and slightly magical to get lost in for awhile.

Query Letters

I guess I need to write a query letter... And then send it out to agents.

I have one that I wrote a few years ago, but I hate talking about myself, my writing... etc. I just feel like I am bragging, and that makes me uncomfortable. But, I guess I just have to face the fact that it's something I have to do if I want to find an agent... Which is really pretty much the path towards publication in the fiction world (well, you CAN go straight to a publisher, but that is rare... And self-publishing is just frowned upon). (Could I have used "which" any more times in this paragraph?)

I'm feeling a little more optimistic about my fantasy novel. I sent it to my mom to read (well... most of it. I've written more since I sent it) and she's a couple chapters through and likes it. Part of me wants to believe that's just because she's my mother and she has to say nice things--yes, I am that pessimistic. But then I remember that she really doesn't do that well... If something sucks, she'll tell you (not in those words, but she'll make a face, say "eh..." and tell me that it needs to be fixed). Which is better, because then I know she means it when she's being supportive. She even said she "likes the language."

So, that makes me feel like I am doing something right. I mean... at least the language is good, right?

Ok... Query letters. They are supposed to be short, sweet, to the point... And have a hook. I guess I need to do some research (the last one I wrote was in 2009, and it was for a YA novel... One that I have since reworked into a non-YA novel), so I know what a "good" one reads like. I have this desire to be humorous, but I really think my sense of humor really just tends to fall flat with most people. Yet, I feel like serious is dry and boring.

Frankly, if it were up to me, it would be an illustration. That's it.

Ugh... And I need a title.

Damn this sucks.

Anyone want to write one for me?

No?

Sigh.

I Have Nothing Exciting to Say

I promised myself I would try to blog once a day. Unfortunately, I can't come up with anything good to write about for an entire post, so I am just going to make a list of random shit.

You're welcome.

• I started writing a new novel based on my dream the other night. Dangerous, I know, but I can't get it out of my head. Might as well make use of it.
• I have a whole stack of 18-24 month summer clothes my child doesn't fit in. Well... They fit around. But they are too short. Yet another reason I need to have another girl: make use of all the unused clothes.
• We're catching up on Season 3 of True Blood, and randomly, one of us will growl "Sookie" like Bill does.
• I'm flying back to GA and nervous that my plane will crash; I am a horrible wife, because if I die, I kind of don't want my husband to get remarried.
• 20 lbs down, 30 to go. I just wish it would go faster. Next pregnancy, I am not allowing myself to have cravings.
• I don't understand the whole juice/shake diet fad. It's a liquid diet, dude.
• I miss the south; the way the trees canopy over the road, the fireflies, the sound of the insects in the twilight. However, I don't miss the roaches. Eww.
• I miss Scotland. All of it. If it had roaches, I would miss them, too.
• I think I have really bad taste in television. I get a kick out of the teeny bopper shows on ABC Family (except Secret Life... It's dumb and the acting's bad), My Big Fat Gypsy Wedding, and 16 & Pregnant. But I do watch good stuff, too. Like Smash and Once Upon A Time. Among other shit.
• I really have to pee, so....