The Last Day of March

It's hard to believe this is the last day of March. Where did it go? It seems like yesterday it was snowing, well it could be doing that again even now. My tulips are blooming and they are beautiful. We are watching for the bluebirds to come back. Did you know that their wings are a transparent blue? They are so much fun to watch and we have several blue bird houses.

In just three weeks we will be flying out to Scotland. I can hardly wait. This is a trip of a lifetime and we have saved to take it. There are several places that I want to see and I am sure my nephew will show us everything that he can. It is going to be a great vacation.

I have polished half of my book. I will get six chapters to my editor today and then when she finishes with them, I will send six more. I like working with six. She has a better chance to know where I am going in the story and I keep busy correcting. I work as long during the day as my eyes will let me. Today they feel tired already, but I will get more chapters finished.

Last night in the middle of the night, I realized I was making Callie a stronger person. Isn't it funny how all of a sudden something hits you. I realized in one chapter I had done what I had been wanting to do all along. I still need to put a little more doubt in her mind. She is such a sweet character, or that's what I think. You can all make up your mind when the book is published.

So Much Happening

I don't know what happened Friday, but I just never got around to write my blog. I was working on the proposal to send out, so I guess I can use that as an excuse.

Yes, I did send it out. It is such a big step for me. Now I am polishing the rest of my manuscript and praying that they will ask for it. I know my hubby will be happy when it is finished and sold. I will too. I've lived with Callie for a long time. I'm ready to have something new happen in her life. Yes, she is a real person to me.

This is my day to write. I have to get the rest of the book edited, so I have a lot to do. I am also going to Nashville Thursday for Goodpasture School's Grand Parent Day. I am a Grand Parent, I think. This is the first year that my granddaughter has had a grandparent there and she is excited. Since I left part of my clothes in Kentucky when we were there last, I will travel there to pick them up. That way I will see all the grandchildren.

We leave for Scotland in three weeks. It is getting exciting. My suitcases are laid out and starting to have a few things put in them. We are both excited about the trip. I'm working harder to build up my strength up for the trip. I am sure we will be doing a lot of things.

Busy, Busy

This is a busy and exciting time for me. Last night I finished my synopsis and sent it to be edited. Today I will clean up my query letter and my plans are to send the query letter and the synopsis by snail mail to Steeple Hill Love Inspired.

This is a big step for me. It has amazed me how fast this part of writing has flown. I felt very good with my little writers group when they told me they felt my books was saleable. Now to see it getting closer, it is a little frightening.

I'm excited and scared at the same time. We call our books our "baby" and that is exactly how it feels. I think I am going into labor right now. I hope they don't call my baby ugly. I am anxious to get started on the other two books that are in this series.

Since I did not get to write yesterday, I wanted to get this done first thing this morning. I have a dental appointment later in the day and then I will be reading and correcting and reading more. 

Have a good day. We are getting some much needed rain.

Internet Lost, Internet found

Last week-end our little writers group had a workshop. It was so much fun and we seemed to gel with each other. We all had a wonderful week-end and learned so much. I feel blessed to have these women around to encourage and correct me.

While I was gone, I tried to hook up to the hotel's internet, but couldn't. There was a Best Western behind our hotel and their internet was unsecured, so I hooked into them. Well, I should have paid more attention when the warning came up that it might damage my computer, because I have had trouble since then.

I have finally gotten on the internet  for the first time since Friday. Now, internet withdrawal is not a good thing. I was lucky that I could get on the other computers, but I have everything set up so good here with my blogging and website. It's just a click away.

What am I thankful for today? Internet! It's really stressful and I have a lot to do in a few weeks. I'm getting ready to send a query letter to a publishing company. I do so want to publish my book and I am praying that I can sign a contract. 

I am also so thankful to have a wonderful mentor in Tiffany Colter. I have been working with her for about two years now and she is a gem. She finds my mistakes and guides me along the way. I don't know what I would do without her. 

I started taking her Writers Career Coach classes and now she is editing for me. I could not ask for a sweeter, nicer woman. If anyone is a beginning writer, I highly recommend her. 

Well, I have a lot to do now that I can get on the World Wide Web. So, I'm off until tomorrow.

Today is Friday

I don't like to wish my life away, but I am so glad today is Friday. Our little East Tennessee Christian Writers group is having our first workshop this week-end. I am so excited about the ladies wanting to learn more about writing and then I will be glad when this is over.

I am speaking on beginning writing and agents. The beginning and the end, so to speak. I will be glad to get this over so I can go back to my book and work on our Ladies Day at church. I haven't gotten to my website this week, but I hope I can Monday. I want to add a Faith page.

My friend and fellow speaker at our Ladies Day is wanting to try to do have more speaking gigs. We work together as a team so well. This year our Ladies Day is "It's Not About Me." How true that is in our Christian life and there are so many Christians who think the church and everything else should revolve around them. This can be geared to teens or adult women. I think it is a much needed subject.

Today is a busy day, so I must make it short. Everyone have a great week-end. 

I'm Early This Morning

Good Morning. I am up early to get some things finished before days end. Tomorrow I leave for Knoxville, TN for a workshop with writers. I am excited because it is our first workshop with our little group of writers. 

Although I am not an authority on writing, I am speaking on a couple of subjects. One is getting started and the other is about agents. I have gotten started on several books, but only have the current one finished, or at least a rough draft. I am still working on it, but I did have a lot of discouragement along the way. 

Right now I am in the process of searching for an agent. I've seen the good, the bad and the ugly. It is hard to pick one that gels with you. I think I have picked out one, but I need to know them better. That will happen at conference in September. I know what I want in an agent and what I expect, now to fill my expectations.

Last night, or rather this morning, I finished reading a book that I am reading for an author. I want to write about it tomorrow. It has a very good plot and kept me interested. I would also like to do an interview with the author if she will agree to it. 

Much to do today. I am still writing my presentation for Saturday. I hope everyone has a wonderful day.

Slap My Hands, I Missed Again

Before my sweet niece calls me to see if I have quit my blog, I'll give you my answers for not writing. It just did not get done yesterday. Busy, beautiful day, company, rushing around, anything else you can think of.

It was beautiful and warm yesterday and it is supposed to be more of the same today. My daughter and granddaughter came Sunday night and left yesterday morning. A short visit, but a good one. 

We went to town on Monday. I had to get medicine at the drug store, a small town still has a drug store. One of the women that works there is a friend and I guess I have known her since she was born. When we were leaving, she came up and asked my daughter and granddaughter if they knew they would ruin their reputation by running around with me. My daughter went along with her, but my granddaughter had a funny look on her face. That was not the end.

We went to our favorite hamburger place, locally owned, and one of the owners took my order. The first thing he said was, "Do you know who you are running around with? She can ruin your reputation." We kidded for a few minutes and he really gave me a hard time as always. I don't think my granddaughter knew what to say. We had to explain in a small town everyone knows you and you can kid a lot when you can't in a city. They live in Nashville and they are lucky if they know who lives two houses down from them.

Small towns are wonderful and I put my characters in small towns. That is where I am most comfortable. We do know most of the hometown folks. I feel comfortable speaking to everyone I meet in the grocery store and on the street. 

I love my small historic town. I walk on the same places the Davy Crockett, Andrew Jackson, Andrew Johnson and James K. Polk walked, to name a few. I know there are others, but they don't come to my feeble brain right now. I love talking to people that I have known all my life and feeling comfortable and proud when I walk by the courthouse and see the eternal flame for those lost in service to our country. The historic district is beautiful. The houses are still well-kept and the store fronts look like they did a hundred years ago. The only difference from 100 years ago is paved streets and brick or concrete sidewalks.  My home town is the best.

Back Home

Last night I received a call from one of my blog readers to remind me I had not written in a few days. We have been gone for a few days. 

The doctor had given my husband a leave of absence because of his "great toe" and we decided to visit our children. The doctor did not want him to lift or drop anything on the toe. Since it was his left foot that he injured, he decided he could drive.

We had not seen the devastation of the ice storm in Kentucky. It was a land of topless trees. We've had tornadoes and have seen what can happen to trees, but I had never seen so many trees without tops before. Enormous trees had been uprooted. Some of the roots are talker than I am. It was something to see.  People have piled their brush on the side of the highway for the county to come by and mulch it. It was something else.

Did the grandchildren want to stomp their grandfather's toe? Yes, the four year old tried, but Granddaddy was quicker than he was. 

My husband did return to work last night. I think he was a lot more tired than he would have been and his foot hurt him when he came in. He will adjust.

How is my book coming? One thing about writing is the re-writes. I am correcting today to send the first chapter to the Genesis contest with ACFW. I hope I get a better score this time than I did last time. I should, it is a lot better. 

It is good to be home. I enjoy visiting the children, but there is no place like home.

Writing and Dieting

Is that not a good subject? It really is because when we write, we are not active. When we are not active, we gain weight. How can we overcome that?

One way is to eat less, but that makes my belly growl. Another way is to exercise, but I get so sore when I do that and my knees won't let me do some exercises. What am I to do?

Tuesday I was waiting for my husband to see the doctor and picked up one of the medical magazines in the waiting room. There was an article on dieting and losing weight, I naturally flipped to it first. There I may have found my answer.

Someone had written an article about their grandmother who lived to be ninety-six and never was fat. They said she always said to, "eat like a king at breakfast, a prince at lunch and a pauper for dinner." Good advice I thought.

Our biggest meal is dinner but two hundred years ago, it was lunch which they called "dinner." For some, it would be a table laden with meats, vegetables and fruits in season. There would be biscuits and cornbread and then dessert. When you think about it, that's not a bad idea. Because of the way we live today, it is impossible unless you don't work. 

My husband and I both love a big breakfast, a good lunch and a small dinner. That is what I am planning today. I prepared plenty of carbs this morning so we can work them off during the day. For lunch, there won't be as many and for dinner, we will probably have a salad.

I am not forgetting exercise. I feel better if I exercise an hour each day and I firm up and lose weight. I have neglected it lately, but today I start back. This also clears my mind and my brain can function better. I want to live to write several more books and this is one way I feel I can do it.

Writing is Becoming More Fun

Isn't it wonderful to do something you really enjoy. I do enjoy writing so much, even when I have to do a lot of re-writes. That is something I hate, but when it is finished, I am so proud of what I have done.

It is hard for me to think of different words all the time. My biggest problem right now is having a lot of -ing words. You have to rearrange sentences to take them out. Sometimes I get so tired to think of other words that my brain feels dead and I have to walk away, do something else and then return to the computer.

Speaking of -ing words, they tell me it's a sign of a weak writer. As my editor says, "I know you can do better." Yes I can and I want to. It is time consuming (another -ing word), but I will get it finished.

My editor wants to finish the edit today and then I will get it back. I will be glued to the computer for a few days. I don't know what I would do without my Flip Dictionary. It is a life saver for my word search.

My husband's toe is a little better. He has to take this week off and he still cannot stand on it for a long time. I'll change the dressing in a little while and see how it looks today. 

Not much time today

I have a busy day today. My husband has an appointment with a doctor to check his toe. It is not healing like it should and the toe nail will probably have to be removed. 

I wrote a little yesterday, but not as much as I should have. I am waiting for the last edit to see what all needs to be corrected on it. I hope the first chapter is ready to submit to Genesis Contest. I get excited thinking about it.

I don't have many words of wisdom today, just write every day. Try to improve and enjoy what you are doing. I've had a problem with the title of my book and thought I should change it. After talking to several people, it will remain, "Callie's Mountain."

Got to do several things before we leave, so I will make it short. Have a good day.

Writing News

The writing news is not about me, but about a friend of mine. I first met Crystal when she first moved to the US. She was looking for clothes and the sizes threw her for a loop. Sometimes we meet people and we feel like we have known them all of our lives and that was the way Crystal and I felt. She was a nurse while she lived here and when my mother had to have home health care, Crystal was one of her nurses.

She came in one day and announced she and her husband were moving back to Australia. I knew Mother's care would not be the same because we both had grown so comfortable with Crystal. She left before Mother passed away, but we kept in touch.

In one email from her, she told me she was taking a class in creative writing. I told her she would have to write now. Saturday night when I went to turn the computer off, I had a message from her and the subject was "My Book." At that writing she had 8,000 words which is a good start. I am anxious to know more about what it is about, whether nursing or Australia. It should be interesting.

As for my book, I am waiting to receive my latest edit. This is like birthing a baby and not knowing whether it will be a boy or a girl. I feel the pains and hope there are not too many mistakes, but I am sure there are. I get so bored correcting, but it has to be done. I think that when I finish this book, I will know more what I am doing. These people who can pump out a book in twelve weeks have pumped out so many of them that it is easy to do. 

I must get busy. I have the whole day to myself.