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November 1st, 2006
08:25 am - It's the final countdown....
Now that song will be in my head all day.
Okay, there is no Writing Question Wednesday today. And that is because I have officially joined the ranks of The Jaunty Quills. If you've never been there, it's a great, fun site! And I'll be blogging there from now on. Doing the daily thing just got too overwhelming for me. BUT I will be taking my Writing Question Wednesdays in the queue over to Jaunties and be answering them over the next little while (and you'll get the opinion of other fabulous authors).
This blog I won't be updating anymore. :( I know, I'm sad too. I will still be doing a weekly update at Passionate Pen.
http://www.jauntyquills.com
Today I'm doing a contest to win an ARC of DESIRE NEVER DIES, so come on by, post a comment and join in the fun!!
Thanks to everyone who visited here and commented over the past year and a half! I really had fun having you visit my neighborhood. :)
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October 31st, 2006
08:41 am - Mary Castillo tagged me
Thanks to Mary and Jen who let me know who tagged me, and didn't point out that I'm a goober. So Mary tagged me to list five interesting or unique things about me. I'll try to think of five:
1. I don't like feet. I feel that feet should be neither heard, smelled or seen whenever possible. Summer is a nightmare (Sandals). You know, this might be a weird thing, not an interesting or unique thing.
2. I got married in a hot pink house in Burien, Washington. It was called The Enchanted Chapel. It was not particularly enchanting. I should have read closer. But the marriage took, so it's all good.
3. I once had strep throat that moved into my tongue. I'm like the third person in the universe who has had that happen. I do not recommend it.
4. The last time I dressed up for Halloween, I was a she-devil. It was also 1995 and I was on a boat.
5. In my senior year of high school, I made the finals in Original Oratory for Speech/Debate at every single tournament. But I only placed once.
God, that was a stretch. Turns out, me: not that interesting. :)
Happy Halloween Ghouls and Boys!
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October 30th, 2006
08:10 am - Ridiculous SPAM Monday
Before I post this week's ridiculous SPAM subject line, I wanted to say that someone emailed me to tell me they had tagged me for one of those fun blog games. And I somehow permanently deleted the message and I can't remember who it was. If you're around, can you post a comment here! Many thanks and apologies. This may be why no one ever tags me for those things.
Okay, this weeks ridiculous SPAM subject line is:
twig retirement
It really is time for the twigs to retire. They're really not capable of fulfilling their twiggy duty anymore. Do twigs get Medicare?
Passionate Pen was updated today!
http://www.passionatepen.com
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October 28th, 2006
11:05 pm - I'm so excited
It's 11pm on a Saturday night. I'm in my pajamas (white flannel with penguins AND I'm missing a button. Sexy). But I'm so excited! Why?
Because I am starting to think about Monday. What happens Monday? I get to officially start my next book. And I'm getting very excited. Okay, so I already have six pages on the new book (not from totally recently, they came out a bit ago). But pretty much I have a whole book laid out in front of me. And it's sooooo cool. And soooo overwhelming. But I'm still excited.
I should also say that Avon approved the title for the erotic romance that will be out next September. So it is now OFFICIALLY Everything Forbidden! Yay!!!
Then they paid me. Score. I love not having to fight about money. It's so refreshing.
Alrighty. I'm excited. Yay! Nighty-night!
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October 27th, 2006
08:28 am - beep.... Beep.... BEEEEEEP!!!!!
So last night El Guapo was supposed to get home from his latest business trip, this time to the love city of Nashville, TN. Excerpt, there were apparently weather issues and his flight was canceled so he won't be home until later this morning. Which I was sad about, but this is sometimes what happens in the wild world of business travel, so I can deal. Only, the thing is, when he's not around I don't sleep well. That's right, everyone "awwww", we are quite cute.
I have always had very vivid dreams, which I think I've mentioned here before. When he's not home, I have recurring dreams about people being in the house. They aren't scary people, really, they're just annoying. Sometimes I yell at them to go away in my sleep (which normally wakes me up) and they do. It's like they don't realize it's impolite to bug a girl while she's trying to get her 8 hours.
Okay, but last night I got past the first couple of hours of 'people are in my room' sleep and was in a lovely, deep dark sleep of the dead. And then I started to hear the beeping.
beep... Beep.... BEEEEP
Silence
beep... Beep... BEEEEP
At first I thought I was dreaming of the microwave. Shut up, this is the kind of crap I dream about, whatever. It took about ten of these beep repetitions for me to realize I was awake and the beeping was really happening. So I leaned over and tried to turn on the lamp. Click, click... nothing.
Okay, the power is out. Which explains the beeping. El Guapo got me a power box that allows my computer to run on battery power for up to, I think it's 45 minutes in a power outage. When the box loses power, it beeps to alert you to the situation so that you can run in and turn the computer off and not lose your stuff. Except it beeps to alert you even when the computer is OFF, which mine was. So I staggered into my office to figure out how to make the beeping stop.
I'm fumbling with the box, try to find a switch or a plug or something. I could have grabbed a flashlight, but it's leaning on the wall behind the tower of ten thousand books To Be Read next to my bed. I could be buried in the avalanche if I risk it. I'm hitting everything, but it's still BEEP BEEP BEEP BEEP BEEP until my head is going to explode. And just when I'm ready to scream, the lights came on and the beeping stopped. Sigh.
It was 3am. So I reset the alarm (the guy who is servicing our treadmill was scheduled to arrive at 8am, so I had to be up before that to shower) and got back into bed.
And then, the cat came up and wanted to comb my hair for me with her claws (gently). Oh well. Sleep is overrated.
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October 26th, 2006
09:08 am - The girl with glasses gets invited
Okay, I'm over at Squawk Radio http://www.squawkradio.com today! I feel like the geeky girl who the prom queens took under their wing. And not in a Carrie way. Just a nice way. So come see me try to pretend I'm awesome.
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October 25th, 2006
09:48 am - It's Writing Question Wednesday
Hello!
Well, I'm working through Ye Olde "To Do" list, so that makes me happy. And the treadmill guy is coming today to do a tune up. Apparently, walking to train for my walk put a little hitch in our rolly thing. So it shall be fixed, lubed, whatever you do to a treadmill, this afternoon. Yay!
Today's writing question is a really common one, so I'm glad someone asked here:
Is it imperative to have a college degree before or while attempting to become a published author? Which college subjects would be good for someone wanting to write their own novel?
Nope! Most definitely not!! This is one of the few careers you can take on where no one really cares about your educational history. You could have a PhD or just a high school education (or less, just so long as you can write) and no one will EVER ask. The only thing required is that you can string words together coherently (I know sometimes people think their editor will 'edit' all their grammar mistakes, but that is really not true. If you have difficulties with basic grammar, definitely take a class so that you give yourself a better chance) and tell a compelling story.
I have a degree in psychology from University of Washington. I think it's useful, since I write from a character standpoint. Virtually all my conflict comes from the motivations and pasts of my characters. I know other writers who have technical degrees. Others who used to be (or still are) lawyers, have advanced degrees relating to that. I believe Debbie Macomber only went to college AFTER she was successful (I could be wrong on that, check out her site for more info).
So don't be discouraged if you don't have a college degree or you feel that degree doesn't 'fit' romance writing. You're definitely not alone on that!
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October 24th, 2006
05:56 am - It's 6am and I've been up for an hour and a half
Why? Because El Guapo had to go to the airport and off to Tennessee today. Sniffle. But it's a quick trip. He'll be back Thursday night. I have large plans this week, including:
1. Updating websites for uploading next week (MANY Jenna Petersen ARCs will be given away in November... be sure to check the site!!!)
2. Cleaning house, including digging out a path to the treadmill so the nice man can service it Wednesday.
3. Buying a new cordless phone with caller I.D. for downstairs. The one down there right now has no caller I.D. Heathens!!
As you can see, ye olde schedule does not include ze writing. Mostly because, like Ross and Rachel, WE ARE ON A BREAK! But I'm starting to get itchy about the next historical. Wife posing as courtesan? Reunion story? Hello! HOT. I'm very excited about writing it. Victoria and Justin. Yum. Just wait, you'll be very excited. I mean, it won't be out until some time in 2008, so this is just cruel to mention it, but you know. I'm sadistic that way.
I do have to say that yesterday I dug out my office. Mostly. I think this week I might also go and buy all new hanging files and reorganize my desk file cabinet that has all my writing stuff. Right now there are some very organized files and some really messed up files. And a few of the files have broken and all their stuff has slipped down to the bottom of the drawer. So that is on my list, too.
I guess it's Fall cleaning. What is it about the change of seasons that makes us want to clean and reorganize and re-evaluate life in general?
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October 23rd, 2006
09:15 am - Ridiculous SPAM Monday
Hellllllo! Hope you all had a lovely weekend. I laid like broccoli, it was fabulous. Here is this week's Ridiculous SPAM subject line for you to enjoy:
Fw: Re: mannie bewhisker
I love several things about this. First, the obvious. Mannie Bewhisker. Is that the name of someone's kitten or what? I swear, next cat I get is going to be Mannie Bewhisker because it's awesome. Another thing I like is that it's a FW: and a re: Almost as if I wrote the original mannie bewhisker email and someone is forwarding an errant reply back to me. Yes, I had forgotten I wrote an email about the kitten Mannie Bewhisker. Thanks for getting back to me on that.
Okay, so Passionate Pen was updated this morning:
http://www.passionatepen.com
Please to enjoy.
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October 20th, 2006
03:39 pm - Running (but not with scissors).
Sorry I'm so late in posting today. I've been running since I got up. :) Had to mail contracts back (yay! I love contracts). And had to get groceries. And take El Guapo to get his hair cut. And shop for MIL's birthday present. And then got home and had RWA Conference workshop submission stuff to take care of. AND then got the email about cover conference from May for the erotic (whose contract had just gone back LOL).
So I was busy.
Oh, and I might be writng a short article for an upcoming issue of RT. Yeah, I have a to do list in my mind and I'm not very good at keeping track of it. That's why God invented paper and pens.
I'm feeling scattered lately. Normally I'm very organized. I have my schedule and my lists and my goals all laid out and I chug through them. But for the past week, I've felt all discombobulated. Like I'm forgetting something constantly. So any thoughts on how to um, REcombobulate?
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October 19th, 2006
10:08 am - And there you were, minding your own business...
Yesterday I was following a link line. Okay, what's a link line? I just made up the term. It's when you are online somewhere and you click a link. And then you follow a link from that new site. And then a link to another. Eventually you're on a site and you don't know why you're there. Link Line. Wow, that's good.
Okay, anyway, so I was following this link line and I ended up on another writer's site. I don't know her, she doesn't write anything remotely close to what I do (inspirational versus erotic). Her name is Robin Cynclair (http://www.robincynclair.com). So I went to her site somehow... and then I went to her blog. She sold her book... yesterday. I mean, I stumbled right into the middle of her big celebration.
It was so cool. I don't know her, she doesn't know me (probably, maybe she might know The Passionate Pen), but I walked into this huge moment in her life. And she was describing the moment on her blog for her friends and future fans. It was basically a 'I was minding my business and the phone rang and my agent told me she sold two books to Steeple Hill.'
That's how it happens, too. I know probably most of you are writers, so I'll tell you... this is probably how it will happen for you. Sometimes you kind of know it's coming. Like I had an email from the owner of my first publishing house that said the editor would be calling me 'soon' (11 days later!!!! ELEVEN!!!!). But I had no idea. No inkling from Avon. I was sitting in my pajamas, celebrating the fact that the husband who had been on a very scary rafting trip the day before, wasn't dead. So when Miriam called me, I really wasn't thinking about selling books. Until I heard her tone. And you know the rest.
I think that's part of what makes this profession so bewitching and so frustrating. The idea that you could be shocked by a sale at any moment. Or your book could randomly perform magnificently and change the entire line of your career. Stressful (I'm a mess right now), but rewarding.
So congrats to Robin Cynclair. :) The lady I don't know. :)
Current Location: How to Save a Life by The Fray
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October 18th, 2006
08:01 am - Writing Question Wednesday
Here is your writing question for the day:
I know most publishing companies have a specific word count. What if you fall short of that word count? Will they automatically reject if your MS falls short of that word count?
The word count is all about the cost of putting a book together. They want it long enough that people don't feel like they got ripped off. They want it short enough to keep costs down without using size 8 font. So in the end, the word count is more of a guideline than an undisputeable law.
When you say short of wordcount, it probably depends on how short. For instance, Avon asks for 90-95k for their books now (leaning more toward 90k is their preference). If you turn in a manuscript that is 85,000, you're probably okay. If you turn in a book that is 70k or 75k, you might be in trouble. Aside from the fact that have you really told a single title story if you're only filling up a category length? Normally those extra words are part of secondary character and storyline development, conflict resolution, whatever. There's a reason to have 90k versus 60k.
Anyway, if you're within a reasonable range and your book is marketable and the editor loves your story... they probably won't turn you down for word count (unless, like I said, you're talking 25,000 words short). I think SCANDALOUS was 88k when we originally pitched it. It ended up being about 93k in the end (I added in revision). But no one said, "We love this, but you'll need to add 2k words before we can do anything." :)
Extra long is also a problem, though. You get into the 120k, 130k, 150k range and you might get an auto-reject just becuase the task of cutting may seem daunting to an already overworked editor. So try to be close to word count, but in the end it's all about story.
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October 17th, 2006
10:09 am - Ultimate Fighting Championship
Here's something you might not know about me. I am a UFC fan. Ultimate Fighting Championship. It's basically mixed martial arts, which means you put two guys in what amounts to a cage (they call it the octagon) and let them fight. There are rules (some people think there aren't, but there are). They stop the fights if they get out of hand (losing conciousness, not being able to intelligently defend themselves, etc). But they can use kick boxing, boxing, submissions, etc. It can be blood and it can be brutal, but it is a fascinating sport filled with fascinating fighters.
If I ever write a contemporary, I think my hero will have to be a UFC fighter. Actually, I have a book plotted out with a UFC fighter as the hero. But I write historical, so it will sit nicely on the shelf for a while until I decide if I want to write it some day when my deadlines aren't all over me. :)
I think the thing I like most is that a lot of these guys are really thinking fighters. In the octagon you can actually see them playing out the chess match in their mind. What will he have to do to get from this to that? How can he escape this hold or get out from under his opponant? It's fascinating.
So, do you have any pleasures others might not know about? Or maybe you're a UFC fan? If so, which fighter interests you most?
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October 16th, 2006
03:05 pm - Late Monday SPAM
Sorry I'm so late. I am not feeling so hot and then I've also been out all day. Sigh.
Okay, your ridiculous SPAM subject line for the day is:
Re: Seymour begetting
Ah yes, the little known Seymore section of the Bible. And Seymore beget...
Passionate Pen was updated today:
http://www.passionatepen.com
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October 13th, 2006
02:50 pm - Eeee eeek!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
It's Friday the 13th. Are ya scared? Hiding under your bed and cowering?
Yeah, me neither. I'm actually running around getting ready for El Guapo's return from the Windy City. He'll be arriving on the train in a few hours (yay!!).
Anyone have any fun weekend plans? I think we're going to be working, sadly. EG has a project due for his class on Monday, so I know he'll be working on that Saturday. And he has a book his manager wants him to read for a meeting this week, so that's in the queue to be done, too.
So I guess I'll be fiddling with an epilogue for EVERYTHING FORBIDDEN (my wonderful agent read the book in record time and made that one small suggestion, but she liked it!!!). I'm having a hard time conveying what I want to get across there. Also, I am going to put some stuff together to write a synopsis for the second erotic romance in my contract. I want to write a story about my heroine's sister, who has gotten herself in a bit of a situation by the end of the book. I'm going to go a bit in the direction of "Dangerous Liaisons", I think.
Anyway, I would love to be able to email that to my agent next week and have it go to my editor in the package with EVERYTHING FORBIDDEN. So, a working weekend. But my husband will be home!! We can at least smile at each other from across the room. Yippeee!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
See you all next week. :)
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October 12th, 2006
01:53 pm - Archaeology Magazine
Well, sleep was tempting, but went out the window when I got distracted by something else. LOL But I might take a little nap today after I mail the book off! Woohoo!
I subscribe to Archaeology Magazine. In another life, I think I would have liked doing that kind of work. Although, it's quite meticulous, of course, and I am not great with that kind of thing. Still, I love this magazine. I just want to bounce up and down when I get it. It's fascinating. Written for the layman, but with in-depth looks at new archaelogical finds and the latest news in the industry. I learn so much about history from it. Little tiny glimpses into the past in places I've sometimes never heard of.
And then there are the strange little connections. While coming back from New York, I was reading my latest issue, which contained an article about when African gorillas began to be exposed to bananas, which are not native to Africa. Research on bananas lead to a hypothesis that Asian and African trade began long before scientists first believed.
Now this theory still lives in controversy, but I was sitting on the plane thinking, "All that from a banana."
Just goes to show you, little things mean a lot. In life and in history.
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October 11th, 2006
10:53 pm - I rule.
I am printing my book as we speak and tomorrow will be mailing it off to my lovely literary agent! YAYAYAYAY!!!
Okay, so how should I celebrate? I'm considering a few possibilities.
One: Gifts. I bought myself a CD on Tuesday, but perhaps I should get something else.
Two: Sushi. Mmmm. Sushi.
Three: Sleep.
Four: Movies.
Or maybe I should do all of them? Any thoughts of self-reward?
Current Mood: ![[mood icon]](http://p-stat.livejournal.com/img/mood/neko/kaokitty/bouncey.gif) bouncy
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09:46 am - Writing Question Wednesday
Hello and welcome to Wednesday. It's actually rainy and cold here, so it's the perfect day to tackle... say, reading one's book out loud in its entirety with the hopes that it isn't utter crap and that one could send it to one's agent so that she could send it to one's editor. But that's just a thought.
Anyway, today is Writing Question Wednesday! So here you go:
I'm about to become a member of my local RWA chapter, I wonder what to expect from the first meeting. Am I expected to bring what I've written with me? I'm so nervous.
Congratulations! Joining RWA is something I think every serious romance author should do. If you want to be published, RWA won't make that happen, but it will give you more tools to put you on the path. Plus, you'll learn about the industry, the craft and just meet other authors, which is always good.
As for what to expect, that will really depend on your individual chapter. Some of them do critique at their meetings, but I'd say a larger majority don't. So I'd leave your work at home this first time. It's more likely that there will be a short business meeting, introductions and a program. A local author often presents a mini-workshop for the program or there might be a Q&A with a bookseller or librarian or something. It so depends on the chapter, their size and their make-up.
I'd go, bring a notebook, be ready to introduce yourself and talk very briefly about what you write ("Hi, I'm Jenna and I write historical romance set in the Regency period and erotic historical romance." is okay. "Hi, I'm Jenna and I wrote this book about such and such, and such and such is my hero and so and so is my heroine. And then I wrote another book, but this time it was about such and such's brother and...." is NOT okay).
Don't be nervous. Most chapters are inviting and friendly and are excited to get a new member. You'll get the feel about the group dynamic and also what to expect each month from the meeting. If there is a break or mingling time during or before or after the meeting, take advantage. Say hi to people, don't hide in the corner. After a couple of meetings, you'll be more comfortable. :)
Oh, and if your chapter has a website, check it out! They'll most likely give some indication of how their meetings go and if there is a workshop topic for the night you're attending. Doing a little research will make you more comfortable.
Good luck!
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October 10th, 2006
10:57 am - The Secret Language of, er, We?
Hello everyone and thanks again for all the nice congrats on finishing that revision. I celebrated by mowing the lawn for what I hope will be the last time this year (come onnnnn Fall).
Today, though, I am not going to talk about revision or mowing the lawn or what I had for breakfast. Shocking, I'm sure. I'm going to talk about Secret Languages.
I've been married for nearly ten years (Mar 21, 2007 is the Big Ten) and I have come to realize that El Guapo and I share our own secret language. Little code words that refer to specific things, people, places and times that only we share. Sometimes the language changes. Pet names fade or alter or we just plain forget them. But the language thrives on, added to in scenarios that are especially meaningful to us.
It's not just marriages where these secret languages develop. I also have a much smaller secret language with different friends.
And yet, we hardly ever see the 'secret language' in the romance. I can only think of one book that touches on this. NEVER A LADY by Jacquie D'Alessandro. In that book, her hero and heroine do combination words. Like they add incredible and wonderful for increderful. It's sweet and a personal touch.
So, who do you have a secret language with? You don't have to reveal the secret language because... well, then it wouldn't be secret. But who shares your code and why?
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12:09 am - Exhausted but accomplished
Yay! At 12:09am I finished the first revision on EVERYTHING FORBIDDEN. It's due November 1. That means I will probably take tomorrow (er, today) off and rest and maybe read or clean up the disaster that used to be my house. Then tomorrow (Wednesday) I'll start the brutal process of reading this puppy out loud and making final changes. Assuming I don't come across anything shockingly bad, I will probably send it off to my agent to be passed off to my editor by Friday or Saturday!
And then I will have one more book in the works.
If I weren't so tired, I'd give a Yippee!
Aw, what the heck. YIPPEE!!!!
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