my novel on paper

Thoughts: It looks like they reduced my manuscript to fit, probably because I write with zero margins to conserve paper when I print a chapter out for myself. It's double-sided, so that makes up for their crazy margins. For some reason some spacing is off on the first page, but other than that, I kind of like seeing it "in print!"

For the first time ever, I have placed my manuscript completely into the hands of another. Sure it screams ROUGH DRAFT so loudly you have to cover your ears, and I've given the receiver of it a jillion disclaimers about how it's not all there because it was printed without my supervision, and I have so many scenes not assigned to a chapter number yet--like the entire ending chapters since when I wrote them I didn't know what chapter they would be--and it didn't all get copied, and I'm still rewriting some stuff...

But nonetheless, it's out there.

I needed a deadline and she gave me one, so I worked like crazy moving sticky notes around my storyboard and then moving scenes around in the manuscript and spent a good bit of time wondering what the fajita I'm doing.

I'll have to admit though when I read my opening paragraphs I got a bit emotional...then about halfway through the chapter I was so tired of it. I've read this chapter a thousand times before, people. I had to skip ahead, but I'm hoping when you get the chance to read it, you won't want to skip ahead. You'll want to be there with Taryn every step of the way.

I thought after the grand printing of the manuscript I would lay off writing for awhile. Maybe get a spa pedicure, read the stacks of books on my TBR list, and make toast with abandon. My daughter's getting married two days after Thanksgiving, so with all of that and then Christmas, it's a great time to take a break.

But, no.

I haven't written since I dropped off the manuscript a week and a half ago and last night I had another baby dream. You don't know how much I was priding myself for not having any baby dreams since the Baby Terror Dream Weeks of August--Ha! I thought. I'll show you who's nurturing her creative self! And then, boom, it shows up again, and it's hungry and needs nurturing. (Click on "babies" in the archives to see my baby dream history)

So today I wrote 1172 words.

Take that, creative self/baby person in my dreams! I'm going to go make myself some toast.

Oh, Say Can You See by L.C. Lewis

NEW RELEASE!!! HISTORICAL FICTION!!!

Don't you just love the cover! I think I want fireworks on my book cover...though I guess technically these are "rockets red glare" and "bombs bursting in air."

Here's the backcover blurb:

Although the British raids have left Washington a devastated, blackened city, the battered Constitution has held and the presidency has survived! But the struggling government has no home. The British saw to that.

Gone is the Capitol and her magnificent library, the chambers of the Supreme Court, the President’s House, and every relic and document not secreted out of the city.

Next on the list of British prizes—the rebellious port city of Baltimore! A victory here would assure the Americans’ defeat, but a loss would dilute the importance of the destruction of Washington.

But has the raid on Washington stiffened the backs of the Americans? This is the question gnawing at the leaders on both sides.

The Willows women are mourning their absent men—gone to war, or wounded, or captured—as they await the birth of a blessed child.

Mere miles away, attorney Francis Scott Key embarks on a diplomatic mission that will leave an everlasting mark on America. Proving that a pen can be more powerful than a sword, Key records his fears and hopes—the fears and hopes of his embattled people—as he watches the bombardment of Baltimore while detained in the midst of the British fleet.

What changed in this noble man’s pacifist heart, empowering him to pen the powerful anthem, known today as “The Star Spangled Banner,” an epic poem that rallied a shattered nation to rise from its knees to claim the dream of “one nation under God?”

Experience the personal sacrifice of five families placed in the firestorm of the War of 1812, citizen heirs of the sacrifice of the Founding Fathers.

The first three books in the series are:
Volume 1, DARK SKY at DAWN, introduces the complex story of the six lead families--three American, two British, one slave--and the devastating prelude to the war.
Volume 2, TWILIGHT'S LAST GLEAMING, carries readers into the harrowing events at Hampton, Virginia, and illustrates the toll the war takes on civilians--women and children. But through it all, a new tenacity begins to strengthen the young nation's spine as Americans rally to the cause of their nation.
Volume 3, DAWN'S EARLY LIGHT, throws our characters into the attack on Washington and the events that prove the mettle of the the Constitution and the Presidency.
http://www.seagullbook.com/lds-products-594646.html

Written under the name Laurie Lewis, the author's most recent release was in April—a women’s novel titled, “Awakening Avery,” which is currently nominated for a Whitney Award. (http://whitneyawards.com/wordpress/about-the-whitney-awards/)

You've been warned...

[Found this on my daughter's funny blog at missipson.blogspot.com]

Perilous by Tamara Hart Heiner & don't forget the GIVEAWAY, people

*CONTEST details at the end of the post!!!*

This is my Perilous blog post where I see how many times I can use the word perilous while I blog about Perilous author Tamara Hart Heiner's book Perilous and don't forget the Perilous Giveaway of a Perilous Kindle. I guess the Kindle is not necessarily Perilous, it would all depend on the sort of books you download.

Here's Tamara Hart Heiner (THH), looking all not perilous, unless that's a roof she's sitting on, then I would say "Be careful, that's a perilous situation, THH."


I wish I would have asked her what perilous things have happened in her life, but no matter, my novel is about a student body president who loves Flamin' Hot Cheetos--two things I cannot relate to. I only hope THH has not faced anything as perilous as the girls do in her book. Kidnapping and other intense and scary things--totally perilous. YIKES! I think that's where she got the title.

Here's the backcover blurb:

Jaci Rivera has plans for her sophomore year: Go to regionals with the track team, make the honor roll, and eat too much pizza with her best friends, Callie and Sara. Her biggest concern is Amanda, the pushy girl who moved in a few months ago.

What she doesn't plan for is catching a robber red-handed, or being kidnapped.

The desperate thief drags her and her friends 2,000 miles across the Canadian border. They escape from his lair, only to find that he has spies and agents watching their path home, waiting to intercept them and take them back.

Then Jaci finds something out about her family. Something which irrevocably connects her to their kidnapper, and makes her question their chances of escape.

There's enough twisty-turny events and who-are-we-going-to-trust situations to keep you hooked till the end. It ties up neatly, but I hear there's more to come. A Perilous sequel, perhaps?

Here is the ebook link: www.amazon.com/dp/B0045JLQCI

Here are the pre-order links:
http://www.amazon.com/Perilous-Tamara-Hart-Heiner/dp/0979607086/ref=sr_1_1?s=gateway&ie=UTF8&qid=1285706174&sr=8-1

http://productsearch.barnesandnoble.com/search/results.aspx?WRD=perilous

http://tamarahartheiner.com/books.html

Visit THH's blog HERE to read an excerpt from the book. AND check HERE to find all the stops on her blog tour. Why, you ask? Because she's giving away a KINDLE!

!!!Here's how YOU can win it:
The contest is point-based and begins Oct. 15 and ends Dec. 15. Whoever has the most points wins the Kindle. There will only be one Kindle given away.

Here how the points add up:
1 point: blog comment (can comment on all the blogs, multiple times on the tour)
1 point: follow THH's blog (again HERE)
1 point: retweet
2 points: blog about the blog tour
5 points: purchase the book (ebook or paperback, must email Tamara, the author, the confirmation email)

Add up all your points as well as your proof (links, etc) and email it to THH at the end of the blog tour (tamara at tamarahartheiner dot
com)

You can earn an infinite number of points!

That's anything but Perilous!

WIN A KINDLE!

I'm part of the Perilous blog tour that is already underway. I'll be blogging about Tamara Hart Heiner's novel on Thursday, but till then you can start racking up points to win a KINDLE! Go to the author's blog HERE to find all the spots along the blog tour. It's basically a Perilous Kindle Giveaway!

Kindle giveaway (sponsored by Tamara Hart Heiner): The contest is point-based and begins Oct. 15 and ends Dec. 15. Whoever has the most points wins the Kindle. There will only be one Kindle given away.

Here are the points:
1 point: blog comment (can comment on all the blogs, multiple times on the tour)
1 point: follow THH's blog (http://tamarahartheiner.blogspot.com)
1 point: retweet
2 points: blog about the blog tour
5 points: purchase the book (ebook or paperback, must email Tamara, the author, the confirmation email)

Add up all your points as well as your proof (links, etc) and email it to Tamara at the end of the blog tour (tamara at tamarahartheiner dot
com)

You can earn an infinite number of points!

Way exciting!

WIN-A-T-SHIRT-DAY CONTEST WINNER ANNOUNCED!

YOU! YES, YOU, Sheila...

YOU ARE A WINNER OF A T-SHIRT

Please email me your address, plus your specs for a t-shirt--like, size, color, phrase wanted (and even vinyl color and font for the phrase if you have a preference). Email is in my profile.

Thanks everyone for playing and visiting my daughter's blog.

It was fun to read your comments and it made my daughter's day.

Now a t-shirt is nothing.
I'm part of a book blog tour where you (yes, you) can win a KINDLE!

I'll get some info up about the tour tomorrow and then Thursday

I'll be reviewing the book right here on my blog.

wRitinG iS FuN?

Oh, what a tangled web we weave...

when we attempt to write a novel!

I've been moving a few things around in my novel during the revision stage, but the thing is, when you somewhat innocently move one scene to another spot because you decide it will make the story better, it affects all these other scenes, and then you have this big tangled mess. Now my story board is looking like this...

and my brain is looking like, well...yeah... Let's just say when I'm done with this I can stick my brain in a giant pickle jar and loan it out for Halloween parties or psychiatric study.

Despite pickled brains I'm SO excited to update my current word count--now appearing on the sidebar: Da, da, da da... 74,696!!!!!!!!!