The good news is: I got the official logo for Alabama Girls from my wonderful editor! Now I'm busy trying to create a business card. Yay!
The bad news: My laptop is in pieces on my desk. I'm using hubby's computer while he works on my poor baby. It doesn't know it has a hard drive. :(
And it's raining.
That is all.
My southern view on life, writing, and whatever.
Friday, October 28, 2011
Thursday, October 27, 2011
I'm baaaaaack!
And I have lots to blog about.
The weekend of October 15-16, I attended Southern Breeze's WIK conference down in Birmingham. Met lots of nice folks, reconnected with others, and learned a lot. A special thank you to Lisa Yee and her writing excercises. Loved them!
Waiting on an afterward from a local archivist for Huntsville, 1892 Clara. Then, it's off to the press for my novel! Not the final printing. I'm getting ARCs! Want one? :P And when some nice people provide some nice blurbs, then the book goes off for a final printing. Hurray! The end is in sight!
And so is the beginning.... I AM NOW UNDER CONTRACT FOR A SECOND ALABAMA GIRL NOVEL!!!!!!!!
Yep. Birmingham, 1933 Alice is being written as I type. Well, not really, because I can't type a blog and a novel at the same time. Anyway... More details to follow.
Met the librarian of Lacey's Spring Elementary school. She wants me to visit her kids and tell them all about Clara. Imagine that! I have a school visit before I have a book in hand! I'll get to see them all in March if everything goes as planned.
In the meanwhile, life goes on and so do I. Can't wait to share more of my journey with you.
The weekend of October 15-16, I attended Southern Breeze's WIK conference down in Birmingham. Met lots of nice folks, reconnected with others, and learned a lot. A special thank you to Lisa Yee and her writing excercises. Loved them!
Waiting on an afterward from a local archivist for Huntsville, 1892 Clara. Then, it's off to the press for my novel! Not the final printing. I'm getting ARCs! Want one? :P And when some nice people provide some nice blurbs, then the book goes off for a final printing. Hurray! The end is in sight!
And so is the beginning.... I AM NOW UNDER CONTRACT FOR A SECOND ALABAMA GIRL NOVEL!!!!!!!!
Yep. Birmingham, 1933 Alice is being written as I type. Well, not really, because I can't type a blog and a novel at the same time. Anyway... More details to follow.
Met the librarian of Lacey's Spring Elementary school. She wants me to visit her kids and tell them all about Clara. Imagine that! I have a school visit before I have a book in hand! I'll get to see them all in March if everything goes as planned.
In the meanwhile, life goes on and so do I. Can't wait to share more of my journey with you.
Thursday, March 10, 2011
Wanda - you've got some 'splaining to do!
Ok. So I kind of got distracted. But I think you'll forgive me when you find out
I SIGNED MY FIRST BOOK CONTRACT!!!!!!
The news is out! Late in January I met with my editor, signed the contract, and received my official deadlines. Isn't that great? I have a deadline! The book has been written, it's in the polishing stage right now.
What's it called? Still doesn't have an official title. Yet.
What's it about? Clara Landers wants a bicycle but, in Huntsville, AL 1892, two things stand in her way: bicycles cost a lot of money and it's not considered 'ladylike'. (in a nutshell)
When can you buy it? Not until January 2012.
Other distractions:
I went on a week long writing retreat with three awesome ladies. We are the "Beach Babes" and we are awesome! Talk about a productive week!
and
I've been part of the writing community at writers-bbs for a very long time. We're talking at least since the mid to late 90's. The posters have come and gone and so have the moderators. Well, I find myself the new moderator of the Writing for Children and Young Adult forum. Me! And it is an honor. Come find me. I use the name wandering1
Besides all that, I'm waiting impatiently for the sun to shine again and the air to warm up.
I SIGNED MY FIRST BOOK CONTRACT!!!!!!
The news is out! Late in January I met with my editor, signed the contract, and received my official deadlines. Isn't that great? I have a deadline! The book has been written, it's in the polishing stage right now.
What's it called? Still doesn't have an official title. Yet.
What's it about? Clara Landers wants a bicycle but, in Huntsville, AL 1892, two things stand in her way: bicycles cost a lot of money and it's not considered 'ladylike'. (in a nutshell)
When can you buy it? Not until January 2012.
Other distractions:
I went on a week long writing retreat with three awesome ladies. We are the "Beach Babes" and we are awesome! Talk about a productive week!
and
I've been part of the writing community at writers-bbs for a very long time. We're talking at least since the mid to late 90's. The posters have come and gone and so have the moderators. Well, I find myself the new moderator of the Writing for Children and Young Adult forum. Me! And it is an honor. Come find me. I use the name wandering1
Besides all that, I'm waiting impatiently for the sun to shine again and the air to warm up.
Saturday, January 15, 2011
SnowBound!
This is probably the second biggest snow that I remember in my 43 years. Pretty to look at, but I'll be glad for spring.
The girls were out of school all week. Except for a couple of doctor appointments, I've stayed close to the house. I was born in Alabama. I don't drive in this stuff! I got the truck stuck in my daughter's friend's yard. That was mortifying! I'm over it now and I learned to appreciate my car's front wheel drive.
Writing? Well, not until yesterday. I messed around with my YA talk radio story some. I think it has potential. In the light of the terrible knews from last weekend's shooting, I think it might even be relevant. but I won't try to ride a tragedy's coat tails to success. I had my idea long before the shootings in Arizona and all the hoopla will be over before I ever finish my story. Just to set the record straight, here.
Anyway. I'm sorry I let the blog languish for so long. Not sure if anybody missed me, but there you go. You're caught up on my life right now. Hey! I didn't promise you excitement. :-)
Saturday, January 1, 2011
New Year's Day
If you came here looking for Resolutions, you've come to the wrong place. I mean it's not like I don't want to improve myself, drop a few pounds, join back up with karate and achieve my blue belt, write the next best seller and read at least 100 books this year. Really. But I'm not going to write up a list and then cringe when I look at it again this time next year.
So I had the burning desire to join the Polar Bear Club. You know - those crazy folks who jump into a huge natural body of water on January 1st. Unfortunately I decided this a little too late to joing the group in Decatur. Did that change my mind about the crazy thing I'd set my heart on? Of course not! And I'm evil enough to drag my poor teens with me. <insert evil laugh here>
So, and you can verify this on Facebook if you so desire, I called out the challenge to meet at Talucah Landing at 1 pm this afternoon. One crazy person morphed into six crazy people. Only one of us was of legal age. And off we ran into the freezing Tennessee River.
IT WAS COLD!!!
Yes. Well, now I can cross that off my to-do list. And I might even do it again next year - we'll see. Meanwhile, I wonder if that will be the craziest thing I do this year. Who knows? 2011 is young yet.
So I had the burning desire to join the Polar Bear Club. You know - those crazy folks who jump into a huge natural body of water on January 1st. Unfortunately I decided this a little too late to joing the group in Decatur. Did that change my mind about the crazy thing I'd set my heart on? Of course not! And I'm evil enough to drag my poor teens with me. <insert evil laugh here>
So, and you can verify this on Facebook if you so desire, I called out the challenge to meet at Talucah Landing at 1 pm this afternoon. One crazy person morphed into six crazy people. Only one of us was of legal age. And off we ran into the freezing Tennessee River.
IT WAS COLD!!!
Yes. Well, now I can cross that off my to-do list. And I might even do it again next year - we'll see. Meanwhile, I wonder if that will be the craziest thing I do this year. Who knows? 2011 is young yet.
 |
| I'm a polar bear! |
 |
| Joe, Alex, Tyler and Natalie. Nyssa was on the shore already! |
 |
| Natalie hurrying to shore. |
Saturday, December 11, 2010
Writer's Envy
I get to read incoming manuscripts for my friend the Editor. Lots of times I'm terribly disappointed. This last day and a half I was entranced, fascinated, totally in to somebody else's world. My poor kitchen was a wreck when I went to bed last night because I had to stay up and finish reading the story.
This author, in my humble opinion, has written a great story. Her main character was believable and I followed him through his adventures from page 1 to page 316 and 80K words. Her characters' antics made me smile and a couple of times I even laughed out loud. No raw manuscript is perfect. This one had a flaw or two. But all in all, the book deserves a second and third look.
I find myself hoping that someday my characters will hold a reader's attention and keep them turning pages into the night.
This author, in my humble opinion, has written a great story. Her main character was believable and I followed him through his adventures from page 1 to page 316 and 80K words. Her characters' antics made me smile and a couple of times I even laughed out loud. No raw manuscript is perfect. This one had a flaw or two. But all in all, the book deserves a second and third look.
I find myself hoping that someday my characters will hold a reader's attention and keep them turning pages into the night.
Wednesday, December 1, 2010
NEWS FLASH
**cue the official sounding music**
I have just completed my first draft of Clara's Story.
Hurray!
Break out the Diet Coke!
Break out the chocolate!
Break out the Snoopy music!
I have just completed my first draft of Clara's Story.
Hurray!
Break out the Diet Coke!
Break out the chocolate!
Break out the Snoopy music!
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