New Story!

My newly published story, "Hansel and Gretel : The Teenage Years" is available today at Bewildering Stories!  What if Hansel and Gretel weren't the innocent children the Brothers Grimm imagined?  Check out this fractured fairy tale as well as many other amazing stories at www.bewilderingstories.com!

New Novel Alert! Cindy James -- Their Highland Trust

Check out my cousin, Cindy James's, debut novel, "Their Highland Trust."  If you like time travel and steamy romance, this novel is for you! The story follows a strong-willed American research scientist, Eleanor Grant, and a hunky Scottish police officer, Conall Cameron, through the highlands and back in time on a journey they, and you, won't soon forget.

Beautifully written, witty and very hot, this book is an addictive read!  The novel is available in ebook and paperback at the following locations:

Amazon
Paperback -https://www.amazon.com/Their-Highland-Trust-Cindy-James

ebook -- https://www.amazon.com/Their-Highland-Trust-ebook

Barnes and Noble
ebook --http://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/their-highland-trust-cindy-james


Also, be sure to check out Cindy James's author page (BiokmstWrites) to get information on this and future installments of the Cameron Laird Series!

Starting from Scratch

Anyone who writes knows that the most common piece of writing advice echoes the sentiment of a popular shoe company.  To paraphrase -- You have to sit down and do it.  It doesn't matter what else is going on in your life, if you want to be a writer, you have to devote a whole lot of time, and a little (or lot) of blood, sweat and tears.  It's what you might call Writing 101.

Well, I've been failing Writing 101.

About a year and a half ago, I relocated from central Ohio (Go Bucks!) to sunny, northern California. It was a huge move!  As I packed boxes and then unpacked boxes, I had visions of new sights and sounds stimulating my creative juices.  I thought views of the Pacific, rugged mountains, dry heat and new cultures would cause my imagination to kick into overdrive.  Once the house was unpacked, the children enrolled in school, a new job procured and new routines developed, I did thoroughly enjoy exploring the new place I was learning to call home.  I found myself constantly amazed by the beauty before me -- the clouds hanging on the mountain tops, the rugged cliffs which jutted right into the sea, the sunsets over the bays.  I met and continue to meet wonderful people and absolutely love my job as a Paraeducator in a special needs classroom. I've been happy.  I've been intrigued.  But most of all, I've been tired!

It's only after a year and a half that I'm starting to feel like writing again.  Until very recently, the thought of sitting with my computer on my lap after a full day of living and working seemed like a pipe dream.  I've missed writing. I miss my characters.  I miss the stories.  But stepping so far out of my comfort zone and having to completely learn a new place has just sapped my creative energy.  I think about writing all the time.  I come up with new angles and ideas for the stories I was writing before I took a break.  And it isn't as if I've written nothing.  On the rare occasion I've attempted to write, however, I generally end up asleep with my laptop perched precariously on the edge of my lap.

So here I am, finally, ready to give it a go again.  The biggest problem I've noticed as I revisit my old work is that it truly is like starting over.  I feel like I'm at step one as I agonize over word choice and question whether the story I'm trying to tell even has any merit.  Rejections sting a little more as I wonder if I would have done something different with the story a few years ago when writing was apart of my routine.  

I'm enrolling on Writing 101 again.  This time, I hope with a whole lot of work and a little more of that blood, sweat and tears, I'll get my groove back!

Con(viction) --- Anthology of the Con #2

Good news!  Gothic City Press, the publishers of the anthology, "Con(viction) -- Anthology of the Con #1" are at it again with a 2nd installment!  In case you are unfamiliar, the original anthology included fiction with a darker slant for people who attend cons by people who attend cons and included my story, "Decisions, Decisions."  The second installment, "Con(viction) -- Anthology of the Con #2" will include a follow up to "Decisions, Decisions" titled "Consequences."  Mark your calendars!  The the official release date of "Con(viction) -- Anthology of the Con #2" will be October 18th, 2013!

Confessions of a Former English Major

I have always had a fascination with language.  Always.

From checking out foreign language books from the elementary school library to, as my husband likes to say, majoring in a language I already speak, language usage is something that I find interesting.  I'm that person --the one who silently corrects you in their head when you use the wrong tense or wrong word.  I also re-write my Facebook statuses, tweets and emails multiple times until I'm sure they say exactly what I'm trying to say.  In fact, you don't want to know how many times I've re-written this paragraph. I'm a geek. I know.

An advertising executive gave a speech my senior year of high school in which he suggested majoring in English if a career in advertising interested you.  A job where I get to play with words all day? Yes please!  I enrolled in college, set my major and plodded along, just waiting to graduate and start my new exciting career.  A few quarters in I began looking at starting salaries in advertising.  Realizing the pay was minimal and my college debt was not, I abandoned course and picked up a paying internship in recruiting.  Despite changing gears, I stayed with my major, set my focus on business writing and began studying the ins and outs of language.  Grammar classes, linguistic classes, history of language classes -- by the time I graduated, I felt I was one hell of a writer.  I knew all the rules and could write like the dickens when it came to a well thought out, dry and information packed business letter, email or directive.  Ok, time for the confession -- I'm not sure I can do that anymore.

I left the recruiting world, had a family and began writing fiction.  I couldn't be happier.  I sit on my couch and write whatever comes to mind.  Edit.  Rewrite.  Edit again. Submit.  I still get to play with words, but I don't have to follow rules.  I write what I want.  My characters generally aren't English majors.  They swear.  They stutter.  They use inappropriate grammar.  It's awesome.  And when I'm not writing dialogue?  I write however I need to in order to express a feeling.  It may be a fragment. It might be a run-on. The beauty of it is that it just doesn't matter as long as its well done and flows. 

When I began writing fiction, it was so hard for me to break the rules.  Each and every character sounded the same and had my passion for correct grammar.  It was horrible.  I actually had to concentrate on not being so stuffy.  I can't even tell you how long it took me to feel comfortable using contractions.  But once I broke free, there was no turning back. The freedom went straight to my head.

I didn't realize this was a problem until a few weeks ago.  I started looking at the Praxis prep books, just to see how much brushing up I needed to do before I test.  The math was of course a nightmare.  I can't tell you the last time I even thought about sine and cosine and I haven't taken the square root of a damn thing since high school.  I expected the math portion to be rough and was actually pleased that it wasn't quite as bad as I expected.  And then came the language portion.

Let me start of by saying it wasn't horrible.  As a writer, I know what sounds right and what doesn't. I can still pick out the correctly written passage or tell which part of the sentence is written incorrectly.  What I wasn't prepared for was how unsure of myself I'd be. Thinking it would be a breeze, I cockily sailed through the first few questions, never once thinking I'd be stumped.  Guess what -- I was stumped a few times.  Once I saw the reason behind the correct answers, it jogged my memory, but that didn't make me feel better.  It gave me yet another thing to worry about -- how will I do come test time?

The good news is that the second part of the language section went fine.  I'm sure part of problem was the fact that the last multiple choice test I took was over a decade ago.  And maybe all it took was a few reminders of some of the more persnickety rules of the language to kick my brain into gear.  Regardless of the reason, I'm thinking a few grammar books from the library may not be a bad idea -- once I return the geometry and algebra books of course.

In the meantime, I will continue writing my characters as they want to be written -- even if they refuse to use the correct verb tense or abide by subject/verb agreement.

Chapter 3 of Neverwell Falls Now Available!

Chapter 3 of Neverwell Falls, "Schenks and Pomeroy Plan a Party" is now available on JukePop Serials!  Click on over and give it a read (and a +vote).  https://www.jukepopserials.com/home/read/380/?chapter=3&p=0&sl=757

Where Has All the Stationery Gone?

Want to write a letter on pretty paper to an out of town friend?  Let me save you some time -- don't bother looking for stationery at any of your local stores.  You'll not find any.

For Valentine's Day this year, I decided that instead of buying a card for my husband and kids, that I would write them each a little note.  I'm a writer for goodness sakes! I should be able to formulate some type of passable letter describing my feelings for them. Plus, it seemed like a good idea to expand my horizons and use my words to create beauty instead of just describing insanity or conflict.  So, I set off in search of beautiful stationery on which to scrawl my feelings of love and devotion to my loved ones. I came away empty handed.

After a trip to four stores (one "big-box" store, one office supply store, one greeting card store and a craft store), I found that the only items sold that were considered to be stationery were invitations and thank you cards.  And even the supply of those items weren't large.  I know there are actual "stationery stores", but thinking I'd have no problem at the local stores, I didn't leave myself enough time to go in search of one. But the lack of easy access is my point.

Now you might be asking yourself, why does it matter? Why would I be spending time on a predominately "writing" related blog, waxing philosophical about the demise of stationery? I can say that the difficulty in locating what I would call traditional stationery isn't at the crux of the problem.  It is merely symptom of a much larger disease.

Written language is dying.  It's imminent death isn't because of an aggressive disease, attacking words without warning and wiping it out in a matter of years.  It is a slow disease.  One that lies dormant before slowly feeding on the ways in which we communicate. And the disease is being perpetrated on the human race because of a need for expediency in order to live at the speed modern life requires.  As writers and readers, we should all be concerned.  The degradation of language as we know it hits everyone one of us where we live -- on each and every page.

Why write a letter when you can email?  Why send an email when you can text?  As the years progress, the words we send to one another shorten, even to the point of not being words at all.  Even sadder, these abbreviated forms of words then become spoken. Where is the beauty in "BRB ILY?"  Shakespeare is probably rolling over in his grave.

The problem is when we begin to see this impatience in our literature.  Look at classic texts versus modern ones. Authors used to be able to spend time formulating beautiful sentences in order to make the reader feel something. Modern authors are forced to focus on pacing, even at times, to the detriment of the story. We consume information so quickly these days that we expect the same from our literature.

I am not speaking to you as a fire and brimstone preacher, warning you to repent and change your ways.  I'm giving this diatribe as a fellow sinner, addicted to Facebook, Twitter, email and the like. I'm certainly not suggesting that we give up these conveniences or abandon all modern technology. The world keeps turning, changing and moving forward.  We can't expect it to spin backwards, nor should we want it to. But we also shouldn't abandon our past in order to live at the speed of light.

What I'm proposing is a renaissance of sorts.  I believe the two movements can coexist, it just takes a little work.  Our daily lives require our easy and speedy technology.  Email your co-workers. Text your husband to tell him you love him.  It's these modern advancements that have helped us interact with each other on a different, efficient level.

But maybe, once and a while, write something down, by hand and, dare I suggest, in cursive?  I type most of my stories because my brain works faster than I can write, but when I'm having trouble trying to make something sound or feel a certain way, I take out the good ol' pen and paper and have at it.  I think it makes my brain slow down and forces me focus on the words instead of the idea.  It's the same with a letter versus an email.  The pen to paper, at least for me, makes the process feel more artistic, as I focus on the language.

So, what I'm asking is, maybe instead of sending a text once in a while, send an email.  And possibly, instead of sending and email, on occasion, write a letter.  Perhaps, if we all do this, our children's children won't end up speaking and writing a language that resembles an eye chart.

Chapter 2 of Neverwell Falls Now Available!

Chapter 2 of my serial, "Neverwell Falls," is now available on JukePop! "Monsters and Antique Armoires Don't Mix" pits Annie and Dave against their portal-rific basement and has them wondering just what to do about their possible monster "problem".

If you haven't been on JukePop before, the process is fast, easy and free. Simply register your email address to have access to some of the best serial fiction available today across a wide range of genres. While you're there, be sure to give "Neverwell Falls", chapters 1 and 2 a +vote!

Access "Neverwell Falls" Chapter 2 here: https://www.jukepopserials.com/home/read/380/?chapter=2&sl=644

Neverwell Falls

So, I've entered the world of serial story writing...and I am ridiculously excited about it!  In the same way that Sir Arthur Conan Doyle delivered the stories of Sherlock Holmes, I will be uncovering the secrets of Neverwell Falls.  The good folks over at JukePop Serials have published the first chapter of the Neverwell Falls saga, "What Happens in the Basement".  Click on over, if you'd be so kind, and give it a vote.  And stay tuned -- more things are guaranteed to go awry in Neverwell Falls.

http://www.jukepopserials.com/home/read/380

Conviction: Anthology of the Con - #1 (Volume 1)

My short story, "Decisions, Decisions," is now available in the anthology "Conviction: Anthology of the Con" through Gothic City Press.  Check it out on Amazon http://www.amazon.com/Conviction-Anthology-Con-1/dp/0985200316/ref=sr_1_1?s=books&ie=UTF8&qid=1357909322&sr=1-1&keywords=conviction+anthology

A New Year

Happy New Year!

Everyone knows the drill. Somewhere between opening presents on Christmas and eating our pork and sauerkraut on New Year's Day we get it in our heads that we need to make a change in our lives.  Whether it's the fact that we have to start writing a new two digits on the year (which I'll be used to sometime around July or August, I'm sure) or the fact that we have some time off where we are able to contemplate life, about the time we sing "Auld Lang Syne,"we start to take stock in where we are and where we'd like to be.  Sometimes our resolutions are small, like wanting to read more or take some time for ourselves.  Other times, our resolutions are huge, like weight loss or job change.  Regardless the size of the resolution, through self-reflection we can all come up with something we think we should do better.

Writers do the same thing.

Sure, I have other resolutions -- lose weight, worry less, have more patience.  But the first thing I began to reflect on when the urge to take inventory struck was my writing career, such as it is.  Where did I want to go from here?  Where did I feel 'here' was?  What was I doing well?  What could I do better?  Here's what I came up with: Write more.

Seems obvious, doesn't it? If I want to be a successful writer, I need to devote more time to it.  Practice makes perfect of course.  It's something that probably every writer says every year.  Heck, it's probably something that most writers say daily.  The "what" however, isn't my focus.  The 'how' is where my struggle lies.

There are all sorts of tricks and suggestions out there to help writers sit down at the computer and write.  To the non-writer, this may seem silly.  What the non-writer doesn't understand is that there are certain "traits" that seem indicative of most writers.  One of those traits is procrastination.  While the story is right there in your head, ripe for the picking, sitting down at the computer, blocking the world out and letting it all flow is one of the hardest things to do.  Most of all, it can be downright frustrating.  I cannot tell you how many times I find myself so excited to sit and write something I've been working out in my head all day, only to set the computer down in frustration when the story on the paper pales in comparison to the vision in my head.  This leads to another trait -- self-loathing.  The self-loathing then combines with the procrastination and, before you know it, you're on your second glass of wine, belting out "Hero" on Rock Band 3.  It's a vicious cycle and one that I am trying to overcome this year.  But how?

Well, folks, I can only see one way to accomplish it --the Nike way.  In other words -- Just do it.  In my case, I need to schedule it in like laundry, bills and the grocery store.  So, my resolution for the following year is this -- Block out two to three hours in the morning between getting kids on the bus and lunch and write. That's it.  The beauty is in its simplicity.  Instead of fitting it in where I can (which has not been working), I'm going to make it a priority like the other important things in my life and schedule it in.  Wish me luck.

Let's just hope it goes better than the weight loss resolution I've already screwed up.

The Grass is Always Greener

New story published today!  Check out The Grass is Always Greener, available at Fiction365!

As this will probably be my last post before the holidays, I'd like to wish you all a very Merry Christmas and a blessed and happy New Year!

Kickstart a New Anthology!

A few months ago, my husband began explaining to me a new trend in the video game world.  Kickstarter.  He said individuals who wanted to create a game would take to the internets and raise money for their project.  The movement seemed to be gaining steam even to the point that one of his favorite game creators was doing his own Kickstarter project.  I found the phenomenon to be fascinating.

I learned about a week ago that I am way behind the times and that this phenomenon was not new, nor just limited to video games.  I opened up my email and was pleased to find a much coveted acceptance in my inbox from Gothic City Press.  The acceptance is for an upcoming anthology titled, "Con(viction) -- Anthology of the Con."  "Con(viction) -- Anthology of the Con" is a Kickstarter project and I am very excited to be apart of it.

So click on the link below and check it out.  Give $1.  Give $100.  Or, just read what the anthology is all about and get really excited for its release.  My story, "Decisions, Decisions," will be included along with the stories of a number of talented authors.

 http://www.kickstarter.com/projects/gothiccitypress/conviction-anthology-of-the-con-0

Toasted Cake Podcast

Just wanted to provide the link to my next story.  It's my first podcast! Thank you to Tina Connolly at Toasted Cake for doing an awesome job.  It sounds just the same as it did in my head when I was writing it.

Anyway, click on over and check it out.  It's easy, it's short and, best of all it's free!

http://toastedcake.com/2012/11/toasted-cake-47-super-psych-by-j-m-vogel.html

Short Story Writing vs. Novel Editing -- The Eternal Battle

And the final consensus was(drum roll please)...not to NaNo.  A week long vacation and a large number of submission responses combined with a backlog of editing culminated in the final decision of skipping NaNoWriMo this year.  I'll miss doing it but with all that's going on, I'd never be able to maintain a healthy word count.  But good luck to all those who are NaNo'ing!

So now that my November has opened up, I have a decision to make -- write more short stories or edit?  My vacation to the the gulf has given me a ton of fodder for new short stories.  An interesting ride on a nighttime trolley with inebriated party goers, an airport with a futuristic tram that transports you from the terminal to the baggage claim and many, many interesting people are keeping my brain a-buzzing with story potential.  All of that combined with an unprecedented number of acceptances this week (4 in 1 week!  It's a record!) have left my short story bank a little anemic and in need of new tales to submit.  But what of the novels?

If I submerge myself in short story writing, the novels that need editing and the one in my head begging me to write it will be left in the dust -- again.  As I've discussed before, I again find myself in the throws of Writers' Attention Deficit Disorder.  If I were more organized, less of a procrastinator and didn't have other responsibilities, I could do it all.  But, I am not organized and I am a procrastinator and do have a plethora of other responsibilities, so a decision must be made.  Problem being, I still don't know what that decision should be.  Perhaps it's time to break out the old Excel and create a schedule/spreadsheet breaking it all down.  I do love a good spreadsheet.

***Want to see where to find my newly accepted stories?  Check out my Published Works tab.  More information (including publishing dates) to follow!

To NaNo or Not to NaNo...

November is just around the corner.  The mention of November generally conjures up images of Thanksgiving turkeys and Christmas shopping, hot apple cider and pumpkin pie.  While writers of course love these things too, the mention of November means something a little different to us -- NaNoWriMo!

While the word sounds strange and imaginary, it actually stands for "National Novel Writers' Month."  The thirty days of November act as a ticker, each day causing you to race against the clock to churn out a 50,000 word story by the time the calendar strikes December 1st.  Stressful, masochistic, yet strangely exhilarating, NaNo gives writers a chance to put their inner editor to rest and write their hearts out.  It is all about the process, leaving the characters, plot and pacing to be addressed by the aforementioned inner-editor during the second draft.  It is such a rush to upload that story for the final word count on November 30th.  The sense of accomplishment you feel is second only to actually being published.  I've participated twice in the festivities and have thoroughly enjoyed (while of course hating it) each time.  NaNoWriMo causes you to confront your inner control freak who wants to re-start the story every time you read through and dislike what you've written.  With NaNo, there is no time to re-read and re-write.  It's the beauty of the whole process!

So, the question is, should I participate this year?

I keep going back and forth on that very question.  The fact is, I love the process.  I am never as productive as I am during those thirty days, staying up late, getting up early and stealing every spare second I have to meet my daily word count.  NaNoWriMo is the sole reason that I have two novels waiting to be edited (again, having edited each of them at least twice each already).  But there in lies the problem -- do I want a third novel to edit when I'm not even done with the first two?

Part of me says, "Sure!"  After all, I have an outline ready to go and a story I've been mulling over for the better part of three months.  I'm excited to write it, and without the deadline, I'm not sure when I'll finish.  A procrastinator from way back, I always find something else to that requires my attention.  This story could sit in my head indefinitely as I complete my daily mother-wife-self tasks.  And then there are the short stories that pop in my head which offer a much quicker satisfaction than the long, grueling novel process.  Why wouldn't I knock this novel out and then keep it on the shelf until I can get to editing it?

The sane part of me asks, "Are you crazy?"  NaNo takes a lot out of you.  It's almost like the rest of your life comes to a stop while you type and type and type, hoping to hit at least 1700 words each day.  While you're characters are running amok on the page, your children are doing the same in your house and your spouse is counting down the days until December.   

What's a girl to do?

Even as I'm writing this, I've changed my mind twice.  NaNoWriMo is not for the faint of heart, but can be a very fulfilling endeavor should you see your challenge through to the end.  I guess I'll know my answer on November 1st.  Good luck to all those participating!  Maybe I'll see you at the finish line?