What a weekend for sports!
My beloved Detroit Tigers are pushing through the ALCS series with mixed results. It's frustrating to watch games that should be in the bag get lost in the final innings. Yes, I'm a little bitter this morning. :)
On a higher note, my somewhat beloved Detroit Lions are 4-2! They look more disciplined this year, and I am very happy with the addition of Reggie Bush. I still watch with one eye open and one eye shut, but it feels good to win some games.
Unfortunately, my beloved University of Michigan Wolverines have struggled all football season, and Saturday broke their winning streak. *sigh* Unless the offensive line gets better, I don't see us winning key games.
Autumn is my favorite time for sports. This year both my kids are involved in fall sports too, and they had a great weekend. We've been blessed with incredible weather this year. No sitting out in pouring rain for this mom. :)
Right after Halloween my brain switches to all things Thanksgiving and Christmas, so for now, I'll embrace baseball and football. And who knows? Maybe this year will the be year one of my teams wins the big championship!
Do you watch fall sports? Who is your favorite team?
Have a fabulous Monday!
Showing posts with label 2013. Show all posts
Showing posts with label 2013. Show all posts
Monday, October 14, 2013
Wednesday, October 2, 2013
The Disappearing Key: Interview with Wendy Paine Miller!
I am SO excited to host Wendy Paine Miller on my blog today!! Wendy and I "met" online years ago through our blogs. I was immediately drawn to her deep, lyrical writing style, not to mention her humor. We became friends. Critique partners.
Earlier this year we chatted, and she mentioned her idea of releasing this off-the-wall novella. I read it. Was BLOWN AWAY. My goodness, this woman can write! Wendy graciously agreed to answer some of my questions, so let's get to it!
2. You took a break from writing
full length women's fiction to write this novella. What did you like about
writing shorter fiction?
3. What surprised you the most about
preparing this piece for publication? Did you have a favorite moment? (I love
your cover!!)
Gabrielle Bivane never expected parenting a teenager would be this hard, but she never expected stillborn Oriana to live to see fourteen, either. The night of Oriana's birth, Gabrielle and her husband Roy fused their genetic and engineering geniuses to bring back all that was lost to them—at a cost.
The secret must be kept.
Oriana Bivane senses she’s not like the other girls her age, but the time has come for her to change all that. She’s tired of secrets, but does she confide in the wrong person?
The life-giving key, suddenly missing, must be found.
.jpg)
Wendy is a native New Englander who feels most alive when she's laughing, reading, writing or taking risks. She's authored nine novels and is currently writing what she hopes will be your future book club pick. Her work has been published in numerous anthologies and online sites. Wendy lives with her husband and their three girls in a home bursting with imagination and hilarity.
She's represented by Rachelle Gardner of Books & Such Literary Agency.
The Disappearing Key may be a novella, but it packs the punch of a full length book. Wendy Paine Miller explores ethical choices about life, stillbirths, and the secrets we keep. Told from three very different viewpoints, the story of Oriana's mysterious birth and ongoing "treatments" unfolds with breathtaking intensity and will have you questioning until the very end.
Ms. Miller excels at lyrical storytelling with an honesty prized in modern fiction. Her word choices remind me of music, but her control over the tension impressed me the most. This story just does not let up! No spoilers, but be prepared to turn pages way past your bedtime!
A remarkable debut. I can't wait to read more by this talented author!
Thanks again, Wendy, for being my guest. Congratulations!!!
The Disappearing Key is available now at Amazon (click to purchase!!) and other online retailers!
Do you have a question for Wendy? Chime in!
Have a lovely Wednesday!
Earlier this year we chatted, and she mentioned her idea of releasing this off-the-wall novella. I read it. Was BLOWN AWAY. My goodness, this woman can write! Wendy graciously agreed to answer some of my questions, so let's get to it!
1. The Disappearing Key has a twisty concept. What sparked the idea?
I almost feel like answering this
one with if I told you you wouldn’t believe me. Life is stranger than fiction. A culmination of experiences and
ponderings I’ve wrestled with intersected, and so the concept of The Disappearing Key was born. Things as
routine as my mom getting vitamin B shots in her ear to help with her Ménière's disease,
to having to turn my daughter’s orthodontic palate in the roof of her mouth every
night, to knowing what’s it’s like to love someone with a brain tumor. Like I said, a random combination of things collided in my
brain to trigger the idea for this novella.
2. You took a break from writing
full length women's fiction to write this novella. What did you like about
writing shorter fiction?
The pressure. And the challenge. Let
me explain. I felt strongly about crafting fully developed characters with
intricate storylines. But doing this in half the length of a novel can get
tricky.
I also did it to experiment. It’s
exciting for me to explore new methods of writing.
In this particular work, I loved how
the point of views unraveled, how each of the main characters had an
opportunity to share.
3. What surprised you the most about
preparing this piece for publication? Did you have a favorite moment? (I love
your cover!!)
What a
phenomenal question. Seeing the cover for the first time was certainly a
highlight. I was also surprised at all the details that go into launching a
successful work.
Lastly I
must admit I never imagined how rewarding it would feel to receive feedback,
from the professional edits to the initial endorsements. It made the entire
experience more real and reminded me of the beauty behind why I write—to reach
others.
***
Wendy, I love your last point that as writers we long to reach others. When our manuscripts sit on a flash drive or in a file cabinet, our spirit cries out because we want to share our stories. I'm so glad you're sharing yours!
***
The Disappearing Key
Gabrielle Bivane never expected parenting a teenager would be this hard, but she never expected stillborn Oriana to live to see fourteen, either. The night of Oriana's birth, Gabrielle and her husband Roy fused their genetic and engineering geniuses to bring back all that was lost to them—at a cost.
The secret must be kept.
Oriana Bivane senses she’s not like the other girls her age, but the time has come for her to change all that. She’s tired of secrets, but does she confide in the wrong person?
The life-giving key, suddenly missing, must be found.
***
.jpg)
Wendy is a native New Englander who feels most alive when she's laughing, reading, writing or taking risks. She's authored nine novels and is currently writing what she hopes will be your future book club pick. Her work has been published in numerous anthologies and online sites. Wendy lives with her husband and their three girls in a home bursting with imagination and hilarity.
She's represented by Rachelle Gardner of Books & Such Literary Agency.
***
My Review (5 Stars!!!)
The Disappearing Key may be a novella, but it packs the punch of a full length book. Wendy Paine Miller explores ethical choices about life, stillbirths, and the secrets we keep. Told from three very different viewpoints, the story of Oriana's mysterious birth and ongoing "treatments" unfolds with breathtaking intensity and will have you questioning until the very end.
Ms. Miller excels at lyrical storytelling with an honesty prized in modern fiction. Her word choices remind me of music, but her control over the tension impressed me the most. This story just does not let up! No spoilers, but be prepared to turn pages way past your bedtime!
A remarkable debut. I can't wait to read more by this talented author!
***
Thanks again, Wendy, for being my guest. Congratulations!!!
The Disappearing Key is available now at Amazon (click to purchase!!) and other online retailers!
Do you have a question for Wendy? Chime in!
Have a lovely Wednesday!
Monday, August 19, 2013
My Best ACFW Conference Tip
Every September hundreds of Christian fiction writers gather together to bond, learn, pitch projects, and worship together at ACFW's annual conference.
Attending a conference is a big decision. Many writers are introverts, and the thought of conversing with so many people stresses them out. Others wonder if their manuscripts are ready for agents or editors. Some face travel concerns or family issues that make going to conference daunting. For everyone, the cost is a factor. Going to a conference isn't cheap!
But if you've made the decision to go, I have a tip for you. It's not just any tip. It's my best tip.
Before I share it with you, I'm going to be very honest. This tip does not come naturally to me, and I have to remind myself of it often. I've been to various conferences, and sometimes I've left this tip at home and later wished I hadn't.
Here it is, my best ACFW Conference tip.
See, I had the wrong idea when I started writing. I thought if I worked hard enough, studied enough, built my platform, continued to write daily, got an agent, went to a conference and pitched my story, and you-fill-in-the-blank--I would, of course, be published!
My mind-set would naturally focus on "doing things right" at conference. Practicing my pitch. Being engaging. Having a fabulous one-sheet. Not making a fool of myself.
But God doesn't need my help. I'm not saying working hard and preparing and persevering aren't important--they are!! It's just, too often I've put my fate in MY hands. Then I would be miserable when my perfect pitch fell flat, an editor barely glanced at the one-sheet, or I talked too much and made a fool of myself.
We all have different writing journeys, and when I first started writing I was under the delusion whoever was published first was best. It's not true.
God has it worked out. My job is to show up, do the work, and leave it in His hands.
This year at ACFW, I plan on looking for God-opportunities that in the past I may have overlooked by being too focused on my own agenda. I will still talk too much. I will still be nervous pitching. And editors will barely glance at my one-sheet (I'm convinced they could care less about these papers!). But I'll pray each day for the good Lord to show me where to go, what to do, who to speak with, and when to rest.
God, Your will be done. Not mine.
Are you going to ACFW this year? Is there anything I can pray about on your behalf?
Have a wonderful day!
 |
| R-L: Cynthia Herron, Jessica Patch, Me, Ruth Douthitt, Lindsay Harrel, Michelle Masarro, Gabrielle Meyer, Keli Gwyn, and April Gardner |
Attending a conference is a big decision. Many writers are introverts, and the thought of conversing with so many people stresses them out. Others wonder if their manuscripts are ready for agents or editors. Some face travel concerns or family issues that make going to conference daunting. For everyone, the cost is a factor. Going to a conference isn't cheap!
R-L: Julie Jarnigin, Susan Crawford, and guest
But if you've made the decision to go, I have a tip for you. It's not just any tip. It's my best tip.
Before I share it with you, I'm going to be very honest. This tip does not come naturally to me, and I have to remind myself of it often. I've been to various conferences, and sometimes I've left this tip at home and later wished I hadn't.
R-L: Melissa Jaegers, Gina Conroy, and me
Here it is, my best ACFW Conference tip.
Pray for God's will to be done, not yours.
See, I had the wrong idea when I started writing. I thought if I worked hard enough, studied enough, built my platform, continued to write daily, got an agent, went to a conference and pitched my story, and you-fill-in-the-blank--I would, of course, be published!
R-L: Amy Leigh Simpson, Katie Ganshert, Gabrielle Meyer, Cynthia Herron, and Sarah Forgrave
My mind-set would naturally focus on "doing things right" at conference. Practicing my pitch. Being engaging. Having a fabulous one-sheet. Not making a fool of myself.
Me and Jessica Patch--prepare yourself, lady! (You, too, Cindy H.!!)
But God doesn't need my help. I'm not saying working hard and preparing and persevering aren't important--they are!! It's just, too often I've put my fate in MY hands. Then I would be miserable when my perfect pitch fell flat, an editor barely glanced at the one-sheet, or I talked too much and made a fool of myself.
Two of my favorite ladies! Lindsay Harrel (top) and Melissa Tagg (bottom)!
We all have different writing journeys, and when I first started writing I was under the delusion whoever was published first was best. It's not true.
God has it worked out. My job is to show up, do the work, and leave it in His hands.
Still wish I could convince this lady, Wendy P. Miller, to come!
This year at ACFW, I plan on looking for God-opportunities that in the past I may have overlooked by being too focused on my own agenda. I will still talk too much. I will still be nervous pitching. And editors will barely glance at my one-sheet (I'm convinced they could care less about these papers!). But I'll pray each day for the good Lord to show me where to go, what to do, who to speak with, and when to rest.
God, Your will be done. Not mine.
Are you going to ACFW this year? Is there anything I can pray about on your behalf?
Have a wonderful day!
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