Stellar Cloud Poll, Weight Loss and Search For Knowledge

What a long week! I don't even know what I've been doing to be honest. Well, whatever it was, I'm ready for the weekend and visiting with my mom and sister who will be here this evening.

On Monday Amazon gave away 130 copies of STELLAR CLOUD (with my permission) and now I'm just hoping one of those people will be brave enough to write the first review for it. I'm really curious to see what people think of these stories.

I also hope those of you who wanted a copy grabbed one. If you did, Yay!! After reading it can you vote for your favorite story? I've put a poll over in the sidebar ---> Some of these ideas might become full length novels one day (and they might not), and I'd love to see which stories people connected to better. Consider yourself my guinea pigs!

 *sidenote--There are some really disturbing pictures online if you google guinea pig images*

And....moving on.

Last night I finished the weight loss portion of the MRC program and am now slowly adding new foods as I move into maintenance. Here are the numbers.

Total pounds lost (Since May 3rd of this year)--21.25
Total inches lost--------------------------------32!
Total percent body fat lost----------------------5.4%

No wonder I feel so much better. I'm going to try and get a copy of my before and after picture for you guys. And for myself as a reminder of what I CAN do and how I'd rather look and feel forever more.

Yesterday I also started a new chapter one to Search For Knowledge. Yeah, it's back on the table! I finally figured out why I didn't like it, and how to fix that. The conflict was "meh". Then the solution hit me. It was so simple and LOGICAL! See, my crazy erratic emotions simply mean it takes me LONGER to reach rational solutions, not that it's impossible.

I had Talia and Landry going off to find Orek (Jaron's homeworld) in search of answers all by themselves. In my mind I thought it would be best to keep things simple character wise by not adding people to the quest. DUMB! There questions are way too important and affect an entire planet. What government would send just two people to retrieve such information?

Now there will be a handful of people going with them (all still to be fleshed out and named), and of course at least one will have a slightly different agenda than our heroes. This will further complicate the problems already waiting for them on Orek.

Don't you just want to tell me DUH! Simple, STANDARD even, kind of fix. Now all I have to do is find a new and fresh way to do it.

Cute Pictures of My Puppies

Well, I'm busy over at Unicorn Bell this week and next. Here's a little something to make you smile in the meantime.

I know I mentioned funny cat photos in my post about what should I blog?, but I'm really more of a dog person. For the last month I've been training my mom's new puppy Bandit. At first my dog Chewy didn't want anything to do with him, but since then they've become quite the brotherly pair. Playing, fighting, getting into stuff they shouldn't...

However, they really know how to live the good life. Most of my pictures are of them sleeping. Next time I hear someone talking about the dog's life this is what I'll think of.

 Chewy sleeps in comfort.

 Bandit the contortionist.

We weren't doing anything. Promise, but uh, you might not want to go in there. 

How An 11 Year Old Sees His Sisters

Okay, I just had to share this because it was so funny. It also goes to show that a man's mind is just as complicated and unpredictable as a woman's.

Conversation while driving around town:
Son--Isn't it funny how two sisters can be so different?
Me--Yep. How do you mean?
Son--Well, I can see K riding around in a Volkswagen bug, but I see A dressed in a red dress and heels riding in a Lamborghini.
Me--Interesting

Yeah. 

Very interesting look into the mind of a young boy. 

Is this really how it works?

What's Written on the Scars of Your Heart?

I know it's been quiet around here. I've been busy with the process of buying a house and life in general. The good news is I'm ready for the A to Z Challenge to start next week. I've written most posts from A to Q and have drafts of the rest started. My goal was to try and keep them short (there are one or two that got a bit long) and always ask a question at the end so there is a reason to comment. :)

The second thing I've been working on blog wise is the appearance. I'm trying the new dynamic template. It cleaned everything up nicely, but I sort of miss the sidebar. It's there, but it's a bit harder to notice the follow and RSS feed sign up. However, I like that my readers can select how they view my website. This makes it more interactive and personal for each viewer.

What do you think?

And lastly, I'm a fan of the new Pink song "Give Me A Reason."

My favorite line is--"It's been written in the scars on our heart". That one thought can take you so many places. So, as we head into the weekend...

What's written on the scars of your heart?

Here's one layer of heart scars for me.
This is what happens when your book is free on Kindle:
Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #133 Free in Kindle Store (See Top 100 Free in Kindle Store)

• #3 in Kindle Store > Kindle eBooks > Literature & Fiction > Genre Fiction > Science Fiction
• #11 in Kindle Store > Kindle eBooks > Science Fiction & Fantasy

This is super! Now I just hope some of those people will write a review. Any kind of review. As for the scars, Talia's story will never really be good enough on paper to match what's in my head. I MUST stop reading it because there are so many places I wish I could fix or flesh out. Deepen the world and character development. But I can't so I should move on.

I need a write in!

The Sleep Deprived

Yep. That was me this week. All of the above--except for the guy with his eyes closed. I had all of the "effects" by yesterday and I was desperate for some sleep.

When bed time came, I took 2 melatonin and 2 allergy pills. And it worked. I slept all night and it was wonderful. My morning went sort of like this:

4:40AM woke, ate, went to seminary
7:14 AM returned home, woke son for school and climbed back into bed fully dressed. It's a raining day and perfect for sleeping.
8:04 AM woken from sleep by hubby's phone. Didn't know what it was, but found myself standing by the desk holding it and wondering how I got there. I didn't answer, but crawled back into bed.
8:45 AM woken again from a deep sleep and weird dream when daughter yelled up the stairs that she was ready to leave for school.

Weird dream--I was with lots of my friends sitting in a circle talking about pets. We currently don't have any, but they all had lots. Including a white and black spotted pot belly pig. Then they disappeared and only one couple was left, and we were sitting out in their front yard.

The wife laughed and said her whole family had worms that they caught from their dogs. "Oh, look, there are some now. Don't touch it or you'll get them too."

I look down and my hand in the grass is next to a pile of dog poo with wiggly worms. After freaking out and saying I needed to get my shoes on (because I'm a true southern country girl who rarely wears shoes) my hubby went to get them for me. As he walks back into the room (we are magically inside again), I notice a skunk walking down the hill through the front window. I comment on it.

Hubby laughs, opens the door, and throws my shoes at it! There is also a dog out there chasing it with a Star Wars blanket tied around its neck.

I woke up mad at hubby for throwing my shoes at the skunk.

My big plans for today?

• Finish the costumes I've been sewing for tomorrows play.
• Cook my contribution to a huge dinner tonight at church.
• Take a nap.

What are your plans?

Note: I have no idea why I wasn't sleeping.

Science Fiction or Fantasy? RL cool stuff

I don't have a Birth of a Novel Report for you this week. The file was opened several times, and then I would get distracted by other things. I did finish the short story and have had three people critique it for me. The plan is final polish this week (today or tomorrow) and then enjoy the holidays.

In fact, I'll have at least 14 hours in the van over the next few days and I won't be driving. Maybe I can finish that novel I've been avoiding? Until then, here are some of the things that distracted me.

Why can't my life be this cool?

And here are a few other "neat" things that have caught my attention in the last month. I blame them for the lack of progress on my #wip.

Heck, my space ship was ready a long time ago! This is what it looks like. My very own, one man space ship.

How about this? (Confession: I couldn't finish the new Tron movie. It just didn't pull me in, but the bike is cool.)

And finally, because Sendek is always orbiting in the back of my mind...

Don't forget to come back tomorrow and find out who won my Giveaway. Three prizes, three winners!

13.1 Miles of sheer determination

Well, I survived. Running is one of the easiest things to use as a metaphor for writing. Saturday I learned a new angle to take that comparison.

A month ago, my friend Laura and I were well on track to run a full marathon the second week of November. We ran our 14 mile long run and felt pretty good. Then I went on that wonderful cruise and fell off the running wagon.

In fact, I quit all together. Lots of excuses and 'reasons', but it boiled down to the fact I'm lazy and was depressed that I couldn't live full time on a cruise ship and be pampered like royalty.

Yeah, I'm like that.

Anyway, my good friend knew I needed some motivation. She also understands that money motivates me.

A lot.

Sad, but true.

So, she signed us up for a 1/2 marathon that took place last Saturday. For three weeks I told myself I should go run. I finally did. Once. For two miles. Yeah, not enough preparation for running thirteen.

But, early Saturday morning I was standing in line with my good friend. Thinking the whole time I was bat crazy and would probably not be able to walk for the next three days.

We ran together for the first four miles with a 2/1 group. They trained together and their strategy was run 2 minutes and then walk 1 minute. After four miles I told my friend to keep going with them and not worry about me. I kept them in sight for another three miles and then slowed down considerably.

Here's where it relates to writing.

Lesson #1:What works for someone else may not work for you. Laura has a knee that gives her problems. This 2/1 thing really worked for her and helped her knee not hurt so bad. I have problems with my lungs (long story get some of it here) and the 2/1 thing put me on the edge of hyperventilating. I couldn't settle into my rhythm and had a hard time regulating my breathing.

I think it would have been the same even if I had been running regularly before Saturday.

Lesson #2: Sometimes you can bully your way to your goal by sheer willpower/determination/stubborness. Heaven knows my body was not in the mood to run/walk/hobble 13.1 miles Saturday morning. But, by golly, I was determined to get to the finish line as fast as I could so I could go home and take a nap.

I ran slow and steady for as long as I could. Then I walked. Usually up the steepest hills. And through all the water stations.

Lesson #3: A friendly word can push you another mile down the road. Seriously. I wore these really cool mismatched zebra print knee socks. Every time someone yelled, "I love your socks!" I felt better and pushed forward with renewed strength.

I also wore a shirt that read, "Run Like A Mother". This also garnished lots of fun comments. I guess my point is sometimes we have to bring attention to ourselves to keep our egos fed. Yeah, I'm like that, too. :)

And finally, Lesson #4: Sometimes you have to let your friends and family drag/push/pull/encourage you through that last hundred feet. There is no shame in breaking down. Just don't push away those who are trying to help you. Sometimes you just need a moment of someone pulling you to remember that you are strong enough to do it yourself.

I took my shoes off for the last mile (nasty blister), so this is me holding the timing chip down to be scanned. I gained 20 minutes by not being prepared. My PR for a 1/2 marathon is 2:32:33. 20 minutes in racing is a LONG time!

Thanks, Laura and family!

Weekend Epiphany?

First, in the last seven days, I've made three cakes. They've kind of been last minute, and I think a bit lack-luster.

My daughter's death by chocolate cake. It was really yummy.

A neighbor's movie themed cake.

My son got the left over fondant from earlier in the week.

So, what about that weekend epiphany?

It seems my emotional well being has been more of a roller coaster lately than normal. This could be due to living on an average of four hours of sleep, or it could just be that it's time to re-evaluate my life.

There are two desires in my life that are at odds with one another. The writing dream and my family. For the last three years, I've struggled to find that balance to keep both sides happy. And failed miserably. It seems I must sacrifice one for the other, but I know it doesn't have to be that way.

I thought about the posts I've written lately about not quitting. Then I realized something. Maybe it's time to tweak the dream.

I'd already decided that one day I would be willing to go the small publisher route. But I wanted to exhaust my agent list first. This weekend I realized that in order to keep my family in tact (and happier than it is now), I needed to move this writing thing along.

My agent querying is even slower than the publishing world. I've only queried 23 agents over the course of a year. I know a lot of people do that in a month. I don't know why I'm so slow. Perhaps it's the underlying fear of actually succeeding? Or the fear that I'm just not ready--for whatever reason.

But I am ready. And this weekend I realized, I don't care how it happens. I just want my book out there so other people can enjoy it.

This week I'm attending the Muse Online Writer's Conference and pitching to one agent and three publishers. If one of them says yes, and their vision fits with mine, I'm going to say yes. I know there will still be a lot of work before the actual release date, but at least things will be moving forward again. I also have three agent queries ready to go. I might send them too, since I've already done the work. I dunno know though. My heart just isn't in it this week. (Update: I think its because when I pitch I make a much better impression than I do in my queries. With one pitch down, I have a request for a full. I guess I answer questions in a way that gets people excited about Sendek. Now if only they would see that in the MS...)

It might be the wrong decision, but for the first time in a long time, I feel at peace. At least I decided something.

What do you think? Should I stick it out, or go with a small publisher? Say anything you want, this is a free blog and you won't hurt my feelings. :) I also know several of you are with small publishers. Please share your favorite thing about going this route.

Rejection vlog Part 2

Well, this was kind of a mess. I'll remember to do a lighting check next time. And turn off my washer and dryer. :) I left it as if for a reason though. This blog does say its about me "unedited". This is probably one of the first real unedited looks into my life.

Running and Writing

Let's talk running first.

Not me...yet!

On Saturday I headed out bright and early for a 14 mile run with my best friend. There are some things you just can't do by yourself, or more accurately WON'T do by yourself. Running 14 miles is one of those things for me. However, chugging uphill the last four miles (all up BTW), my friend was right in front of me. I kept my eyes on her back and somehow kept moving. There were times I slowed to a walk during the last four miles, but I picked my feet up because I had to get home one way or the other.

Writing is a lot like this for me. I love the blogging community and how we collaborate to improve our writing. I know I would not revise/edit as many times as I do without my wonderful critique partners.

When I'm tired and ready to give up, someone always gives me a kick or shove and says, "You can do this, keep going!"

There have been moments over the past two years where writers in front of me caught agents or sold and released their debut novels. My iPod might have been playing This Song (embedded at bottom) by the Plain White T's (it did play on that uphill climb Saturday and I was sending dark thoughts Laura's way for not letting me quit). I might have thought for half a moment it was about them, but after that moment passed I could say that I'm really grateful for those in front of me. They are the proof that if I keep writing, revising, starting over (picking my feet up over and over), one day I'll reach my goal.

So...This weekend I worked through the first fifty pages of Sendek...again. (I also worked on some short stories.)

I finally let go of the last hold out 'thing'. I don't know what to call it really, but for years I've clutched my 1st person POV for Talia close, even though my 3rd person POV reads smoother. No longer! This last revision before hiring an editor will change all those 1st person sections to 3rd person.

I have to be honest and say I'm really excited about it. The change is simple, but the results so far have astounded me. What if this is the only thing that's been holding me back?

Who is your best cheerleader? Who gives you that kick in the backside to get moving again?

I have so very many that I can't list them all. Suffice it to say that my best writing kick in the pantsers (<--pantsers!) are friends I've made through blogging. Not my family. There are certain people who read my stuff, give honest critiques, and send me emails that say "you need a kick in the pants!" I hope you guys/gals know who you are and how much I appreciate you.

Thanks!

I'm counting hours now...

The kids go back to school tomorrow!

I'm so excited because it means I'll be back on a schedule. And that means WRITING time!

You have no idea how many ideas have come and gone at times when there was no paper or pen to be found! (Ok, you guys probably do know.) And at 11:45PM. Yes. And I've been bad, I didn't get up and jot them down. Oh, the sorrow!

But this week I've been dreaming details into my Fallen Angel story. Figuring out the back story, the motivations, fleshing out the characters, and I've almost figured out where I want to take that little piece I wrote so long ago. Some things will have to change, but I'm getting really excited again.

And you know, that feels really nice. I've missed the joy of just sitting and letting my imagination flow. Escaping into a  new world. That's my favorite part about writing. Trying to find the words to convey the pictures playing out in my head. Isn't it wonderful to have a good working imagination?


How is your writing going? Is it easier for you to write in the fall and winter or do you get more done in the summer?

I Write Like...

Today is the first day of Girl's Camp. That means a whole week without internet access!!! Hope I survive.

But, I'm not leaving you high and dry. I've scheduled some posts for the week. Enjoy and I'll reply to comments as soon as I get back.

I know you've seen these before, but have you plugged in your writing?

This is what I got when I plugged in Sendek: Arthur Clarke

This one blows my mind because I don't see it. Faerie Wings: William Shakespeare

Then I started plugging in my short stories and got more Arthur Clarke (Continuation, Elina's Tale, Shadows) and these.

Online: Anne Rice

The Chosen (This one also made me excited): Isaac Asimov

It's nice to see that most of my writing falls into the Arthur Clarke category. That makes me feel like his name wasn't a fluke, you know? Now if only I could use that in my query letter.

Dear Agent,

I write like Arthur Clarke. The website says so four out of seven times. He's considered one of the "Big Three"* in science fiction so don't bother to read my book. Just pick up the phone and make that offer.

Charity

* For those who don't read science fiction, the Big Three are Robert Heinlein, Issac Asimov, and Arthur Clarke. BTW, I've read and love all these plus: Orson Scott Card (My brother-in-law served part of his mission for our church with Card's son. Wish I was brave enough to use that small connection), Linda Nagata, Larry Niven, and David Gerrold.

In fact, I need to share some of my favorite titles from these authors with you in the next blog post. They are stories that I find myself thinking about years after having read them. Now that's good writing!

Blank Pages

My mind is blank.

Not really, but the writhing muddle of thoughts and emotions are so tangled that I can't form a single word. 

Images flicker behind my eyes like a vintage VCR on fast forward. Characters, scenes, lists, real life to-dos, plots thickening.

I need a moment. 

Silence.

A breath.

I reach in, eyes closed and pull a thread from within. The words flow through my fingers and onto the page. 

One

Word

At

A

Time.

Laundry and Harry Potter

Ever worry about the names you've picked for your characters? I have, but I never worried about Landry's name until last night. Here's a sample of the family conversation.

Child #2: Dad, what actor would you like to play opposite of in a movie?

Hubby (after much debate): Mom's boyfriend from Star Trek, then she'd see I'm much better looking than him.

Me: I only like him is Star Trek, his other movies he's kind of scuzzy.

Child #1: Spock?

Me: (Internal thought: Yeah Spock was nice looking, oh! she means the Karl Urban AKA McKoy) You mean McKoy?

Child #1: Oh, yeah.

Hubby: What? You liked McKoy??

Me: Yeah, but not really McKoy. The actor is the one I chose to play Landry in the movie.

Child #2: Every time I hear his name I think laundry.

I go into instant terror mode--Oh, no people think it's pronounced laundry, why would they think that? I can't have my hero making people think of piles of dirty clothes! Then I remember she's only 12 and no one else has mentioned the Laaaandry vs lawndry problem before.

Do you ever freak out like this over little things?

Ok, and now...I finally made it to the theater to see Harry Potter the last installment. It was really sad the whole time because I kept thinking, "this is it. The last one ever."

I'm not going to go into detail, but I did want to comment on my good friend Michael's post from last week. I didn't comment there because I hadn't seen the movie yet.

He brought up a lot of valid points for things he felt let him down in the movie--but he also didn't read the last four books. So, I wanted to answer some of his problem areas. Go read his post to understand my answers. :)

Possible Spoiler Alert

1) Bellatrix Lestrange. This is the scene I was waiting for and I agree I felt a bit let down, but not as much as you because I have read the book. That's also why I was so looking forward to it. This was the Mama Bear moment for Mrs. Weasley and I felt the movie rushed through it. There was so much emotion and I imagined a much more epic battle than what the movie portrayed. There is more dialogue in the book, more...just more in the words. This is actually the first spot in the book where everyone learns Harry is still alive. Voldemort is there fighting and Harry throws off his invisibility cloak (which is one of the deathly hallows but you never learn that in the movie.)

2) J.K. Rowling's World. I didn't have to think about this one long. The reason you don't see massive death tolls on the Deatheaters is because that's not how the good guys fight. There are more deaths in the book, but just on principle they would try and take the enemy alive.

3) Voldemort. For this one you just need to read the books. The movie is different than the book. Neville actually attacks Voldemort and is knocked down with a curse. Voldemort then says "we need your kind, Neville." Neville replies when hell freezes over and Dumbledore's Army!" That's it and then Voldemort starts torturing him in front of everyone. Then... oh, just read the books already!

During the last week I've read tons of posts on the movie and there were other discussions I want to comment on.

In the end, Neville was the real hero not Harry. A lot of people like to harp on Harry and say he isn't a hero, but what I loved about the books was that it proved a hero never does anything alone. Everyone gets to be the hero at different moments in time. The "hero" is usually the one people are following, but a good hero accepts that he can't do it alone and lets others reach their potential as well. In the end, Harry was willing to die to stop the killing. He had no idea he wouldn't die. This was his hero moment.

No one watched the final duel. This bothered me too. He kills Voldemort and then walks in and everyone's just  hanging out. No cheering or anything. In the book everyone is there and they watch the duel of words. They hear the conversation about Snape, Dumbledore and love between Harry and Voldemort. To me that was an important part of Snape's redemption--not just in Harry's eyes, but everyone else that was around to hear. (Snape was secretly one of my favorite characters all along and I never thought he was the bad guy! Glad I was right.) And when Voldemort falls there is the "one shivering second of silence, the shock of the moment suspended: and then the tumult broke around Harry as the screams and the cheers and the roars of the watchers rent the air." Then there is the giant group hug where everyone is determined to touch the Boy Who Lived.

Ah, now I'm all teary.

Complete and Utter Randomness

Ok, my mind is mush. All I can think about is the fact that in three weeks I'm going to be at our church's Girl's Camp! I'm really excited because its one of my favorite places to be, but I'm also terrified.

I will be in charge of cooking for 150 people all week long. There are some wonderful ladies who are coming to help me, but I don't really know most of them. It's like a week long blind date. My guess is we will be best friends by the end of it.

Last Year

Anyway, I'm cooking stuff every day now in preparation for that week. Cook and Freeze. That's the only thing running through my mind now. Cook and Freeze and find time to send more queries.

I only sent three last week, but have five more almost ready for this week. Some require me to get to Kinkos and make print some copies. My goal is to do that during my daughter's (K) viola lessons today since they are right next to each other.

This morning I ran/walked two miles with my other daughter (A1). It was wonderful to be moving again and we had some interesting conversation. I learned the real reason she wanted to switch bedrooms. Let's just say she didn't want to be by her parent's room any longer.

I don't think I've laughed so much with her in a while because last night her brother (A2) banged on the wall and called out "I can hear you!" It was funny because we were just praying together and then discussing all the things we are worried about with our family.

So anyway, I guess I'm trying to warn you that until Camp is over you shouldn't expect anything deep or amazing from me. :) But I'll be here babbling on as usual.

BTW, I'm still looking for a great vlog idea.

Friday Randomness

This has been a really long week and I don't know why. I did accomplish lots though.

For instance, I went through the first 114 pages of my novel twice this week considering the comments of two beta readers. Each time I sift through and catch those typos and awkward sentences I get more and more excited. The end MUST be getting closer each time. My goal is to have this thing out again in the slush piles by the end of June. (My dental hygienist gave me six months to bring her some positive news.)

Which brings me to my second thought. I love that people know I've written a book that I'm hoping to get published. I'm very lucky to be surrounded by people like those at my dentist who are excited for me even though they haven't read a word of the book. They hope I make it. I hope I don't disappoint them.

Next!

Don't forget that the critique blog Unicorn Bell will be live/up and running/whatever you call it on MONDAY the 23rd.  Head over now to follow and fill out the survey to help us know what you would like to see/participate in on the blog.

You can also check out the other contributors: Carol aka Huntress and Marcy.

Is it a full moon tonight? I passed two police cars and two ambulances in a three mile stretch of road on the way home this morning. What's going on?

Thunder Always Follows Lightning

Don't you love it when you are deep in revisions and lightning strikes?

That thing you just couldn't figure out is suddenly crystal clear. And it ties things up oh so nicely. It makes you feel good. It makes you feel all brilliant and sparkly.

A day or two goes by and this bolt of lightning has time to simmer and spread. It's still perfect, but...

something starts to nag at you.

Say for instance, you find a way to resolve a major problem in book 4 of your series. Its heart warming happy making while still being a bit sad. Its the perfect feeling you want. There's hope for the MC finding joy, but there's a built in distance/time frame to achieving it. That perfect bitter sweet sigh. But...

You start to ask yourself:

1. Am I taking the easy way out?

You answer no.

2. How am I going to pull that off?

3. How will each of these little technical details affect the delivery and final payoff?

And it's these details that roil and pound the inside of your head. Then you ask yourself:

4. Are all these details back story? Do I even need to know these details? Will anyone else care? Will someone put the book down and say, "Wait! Why is he a hatchling instead of a fully grown dragon?" *waves magic wand of confusion*

5. If he's fully grown how do I deal with the time differential between planetary travel? Will the worm hole portal be sufficient?

6. Who/how/when decides who ascends and who doesn't?

And on and on.

Suddenly that bolt of lightning is no longer beautiful and shiny because it has charred your brains. Maybe it isn't such a good idea after all and you should scrap the whole thing. But it feels right for this story.

Then you groan, tug out a few strands of hair and type a blog post because you need to know if you're completely crazy.

Question for you: When you are writing or plotting (which I'm actually doing!) how detailed to you get? Do those details drive you nuts?

Ya see, I worked out this elaborate spell with ingredients and everything for book one and I'm not even using it in the MS. I worked out all the rules of magic for book two and then moved some of them into book one. Now I'm trying to figure out the details of ascension in my universe. Am I over thinking this whole thing?

In other news, this is what I'm listening to in order to calm down a bit.

A Little Clarification--Geocaching and Sendek

I want to shed some light on two things that came up this week.

Geocaching
The first is easy. Several of you wanted to know what in the world Geo-caching is. Well, I'm no expert since I've only been once, but it was pretty cool.

My good friend Laura has this nifty little GPS device specifically for geocaching.

We went to a park, she turned it on, and three "treasures" showed up. (We were with 4 year olds) Anyway, anyone can create a cache, upload it to the network and then other people can come find it using the coordinates you entered and any clues you may provide.

The "treasures" are hidden and you try to have them blend into the surroundings as much as possible. See the box under the big rock?

When you find the box, you open it up and there should be a list where you can sign in that you found it and leave the date and maybe your hometown. Some have little nick knacks as well. The idea is you can take something, but you put something back in its place. This is what the 4 year olds LOVED. I thought it was neat to see all the names of those who came before.

The coolest part is you can do this all over the world. Laura is going to Ireland next week (LUCKY!) and she's hoping to do a bit of geocaching while she's there. If she can convince her hubby.

Sendek

I can't remember if I found this on google, or if I added the stars. I've been playing with photoshop all week.

For some reason, and this keeps coming up with different people, my WIP is confused with YA novels. Critiquers leave comments such as "for a YA book this is...", "I wouldn't use this word in a YA  novel, it's jarring", "even in a YA novel you could..." and so on.

Sendek is NOT a YA novel. I don't even understand how this is happening. My MC is 28 years old and well established in her career. (Don't worry this isn't a rant, and I am looking to see if there's a way I can make this clearer on the first page.) But, I'm writing in first person and she doesn't think like a teenager.

Anyway, the second concern I have from various critiques is the science fiction question. My novel is a science fantasy. I found this term and genre during my months on Nathan Bransford's forums. It simply means I have elements of science/speculative fiction and elements of fantasy.

Several people have said I should think beyond our current technology for a science fiction story. Perhaps the problem is I'm grouping science fiction and speculative fiction together. My understanding of speculative fiction is that the novel idea originates from a question.

What if a logically minded scientist also had mage blood running through her veins?

This doesn't mean her science has to be more advanced than what we currently have on earth. In fact, since the novel isn't specifically about the technology, I don't think it matters what level they have reached.

Remove the rubber bottom and make it fly.

A little about Sendek's technology--I believe science progresses more quickly in the areas of importance for society. For instance, Sendek was more concerned about saving the environment than reaching the stars, so they spent time, energy and resources in developing fast, fuel efficient planetary transportation. They also developed food replicators to cut down on planetary hunger, wide net systems for communications, and the military has developed utility belts equipped with personal cloaking devices (society at large is unaware of this). Because that is what they felt would benefit them the most.


Now they are turning to the stars, but starting at the beginning. Trial and error, scrambling for the funds to test theories, etc. They're not ready for sky hooks or elevators, transporters or anything else. However, by the end of book one they find themselves in possession of two interstellar ships ready to be studied. The "jump" in technology approaches.

Perhaps my biggest problem is that I see the big picture. The ebb and flow that I want between science and magic over the course of the four books. In the end it all makes sense, but I need to keep the reader with me until the end so they can see it.

In the end, science and magic will enhance each other in such a way that an entirely new universal order is born. It's way cool. But I guess you'll just have to trust me on that for a while.

Until then, what are your thoughts? Is it hard to fit your novel in accepted genre labels? (I didn't even touch on the strong romance thread in this post) Do you find yourself at odds with the accepted thought and worry if that's going to kill your novel in the end?

On top of all that, I'm terrified I'll never find the right words to translate the vision in my head to the paper. Well, I guess it'll never happen if I keep sitting here. Off to move words around on the page until I find the perfect order. :)

Weird Humor and Blogfest Winner

Don't believe me? Well, let me share some of our home made jokes. I guess I should preface these with how they came about. We try our best to all sit down together for dinner and lunch on the weekends. During that time we love to make stuff up, yeah, I have the best family ever for a writer.

We make up stories, we make up jokes, we play "what if" (what if ___happened, how would you react?) and "would you rather" (would you rather have your eye lids pinned open or have your fingernails ripped off with pliers), and sometimes we do the continue the story thing.

Anyway, here are some of our originals, simply highlight the space under the question to see the answer:

What is a vampire's favorite beer?

Bloodlite.

What do you get when a tornado goes through a farm?

A Jr. Bacon Cheeseburger with lettuce and tomato.

google images, I thought it was hilarious.

What was Darth Vader's wife's name?

Ella Vader...get it? (that's what my kids always say after they tell this joke.)

What is the preferred mode of transportation in Star Wars?
Ewoking

What do you call a thief who's losing his skin?

A leper con.

What do chairs say when they get hurt?

Couch!

What's an iron's favorite dance?

Crimping

What would you get if Big Foot was a gardener?

A Harry Potter

What kind of bread would Atilla be?

Atilla the Bun

Ok, do you believe me now? 

Fast and Furious Friday

Thanks for signing up for the  Hone Your Skills Blogfest! Spread the word so we can have a great turn out next month. I just wanted to remind you that the "working toward publication" of your short story part of the blogfest is OPTIONAL. Don't let it scare you off from participating. 

Well, I feel like I have a ton of stuff to catch up on.

1. I'll get back to the post Nano revision series next week, I promise!

2. I didn't make it past the pitch stage of the ABNA (Amazon Breakthrough Novel Award) contest, and I'm okay with that. 4 out of 5 entries were cut in the first round based entirely on the pitch. My pitch is almost exactly like my query, which I know needs work. Since the judges did not read any of the actual book, I don't feel down about not making it. I've also reworked a few things in the last month that make the story better and now I can start querying again.

Did any of you make it through? I know a few of you entered, and I'd love to cheer you on.

3. I have some awards that I need to give out next week. Yeah, I've been collecting again. :)

4. I just found a new blogfest! It is the Now Starring Blogfest! where you get to cast your novel as the next motion picture. It's hosted by Alexis, another crusader. It sounds like a lot of fun, because who hasn't picked out movie stars to play their characters?




5. Answers to my Crusader challenge--

• one secret--I'd love to learn how to play the cello.
• one lie--my child did not fall in the lake thank goodness!
• one interesting quirk--I really do enjoy running! A lot. But then again you can't tell because I enjoy eating a lot too.
• one annoying habit--I talk in my sleep.
• one of your best character traits--I really am a good listener. For instance, on the drive home from Myrtle Beach we stopped to eat. This complete stranger comes up to me in the bathroom and starts telling me all about her daughter. This kind of thing happens to me ALL THE TIME! My hubby makes fun of me for it, but I guess there is just something about me that makes people think they can tell me things. I should have become a shrink.
• one of your favorite things in the whole world--music, that's why I included the YoYo Ma clips. :)

6. I'm working on following all of my lovely new followers. If you haven't seen me come by yet, please leave me a message and I'll get there. Thanks!

I'm sure there are a few more things I'm forgetting, but this is a good start.

Have a great weekend everyone!