Thanks

My newest book, The Reckoning (Worldcastle Publishing), comes out May the first through Amazon. I’m so excited ! The editing process went very well.

Which leads me to answer a question I received about book dedications; an aspiring author wondered who should be included, specifically, if the publisher and editor should be.

When a new book of mine is about to be released there are tons of people to thank…friends and family, and others who have been such a tremendous influence I also feel they should be acknowledged. Not a bad thing, but I didn’t want my dedications to resemble those Oscar winners who drone on an on, thanking each and every person who touched their lives.

But then, I don’t want anyone to feel bad. So what to do? I finally decided on the personal level I would thank two people: my husband, who understands and sympathizes with a writer’s lifestyle not to mention he’s my husband and if you're not thanking your mate, um...why wouldn't you, and my sister, who reads every single book I’ve ever written and is my first editor. If I were to choose these two as bridesmaids hopefully everyone else would understand why they were picked. Can’t imagine a dress that would look good on both though. :-)

Professionally speaking, I always include the publisher. They believed in my book, and for me that goes without saying. The editor is a different story. Do I thank them? Of course. Editing is hard work and a talent. My books are always better after editing, and I acknowledge that to each editor I work with. Often.

Do I include them in every dedication? That depends on how I perceive our relationship. A thoughtful, collaborative, communicative editor I do. A mean spirited, autocratic, and non-communicative editor I don’t.

Happily, I’ve had more good than bad; this time a resounding yes…Maxine Bringenberg was fabulous. That didn’t mean I got my way every time something came up, but she was willing to listen and compromise. I know editors get their share of cranky and diva-ish authors. An editor like Maxine who is willing to go that extra mile is a treasure indeed…and she is most certainly in the dedication of The Reckoning.

Something Quite Atrocious

As you may know by reading my blogs I abhor snobbery in any form. I also am not much of a rule follower, mostly because rules and social mores change with the wind so I might as well follow my own heart as much as I can.

I include the English language in my diatribe. I understand there has to be rules; we all must read other people’s work, after all. And I do admit that I have a rebel streak. But I’ve worked with enough publishers now to know that 1) even “accepted” rules are not always interpreted the same and 2), English rules change. Language evolves. It has to, even if we don’t like a particular slang word or what we might perceive as laziness. Language is of the people and reflects who we are in this moment.

But sometimes a word so captures the heart and soul of a people that it stays long after its trendiness has faded. Take "Supercalifragilisticexpialidocious." It originated within a song from the musical Mary Poppins decades ago. I sung the word when I was a kid and still do. I think most people would, at the very least, recognize it as a tongue twister from an old movie.

This word embodies everything I love about English: brash, sometimes silly, complex, and often poking fun at pompousness. The creator of this word, songwriter Robert B. Sherman, died the other day. He and his brother wrote many memorable songs, but this one will always be my favorite.

Supercalifragilisticexpialidocious!
Even though the sound of it
Is something quite atrocious
If you say it loud enough
You'll always sound precocious
Supercalifragilisticexpialidocious!

Who You Talkin’ To?

I talk to myself all the time. Sometimes out loud. I always have, and didn’t think too much about it until graduate school. My degrees are in psychology. Yeah, that’s right, the major that gives names to everything you do. So when I got into school I did a lot of contemplation on just who am I talking to when I speak to myself, and who is driving the bus I call Kelly?

A little background: shrinks that focus on the physical brain call this part of us the primal brain, or the reptilian brain. It’s really old and concerned with our survival. When you pull your hand away from a hot stove that’s the old ‘gator mind in action. It can also show up in more subtle ways, like distrust of a stranger. You can kind of see its point in Neolithic times; better to run or take the first swing than to risk your own head getting bashed. Psychologists who focus less on the brain itself and more on that fuzzy concept, the mind, call this part of us the inner child, the id (Freud), etc.

I think it’s all the same. Whatever you want to call it, most people in the field would agree that 1), it’s ancient, and 2), it’s concerned about your welfare. Unfortunately, sometimes that inner voice doesn’t always mesh with what you want in your life; instead it chatters away about unreal threats, tempts us down an easier path, or can be downright mean, all in the name of protection.

Writers can feel this acutely. Constantly have one’s work evaluated and rejected can take a toll on the most resilient inner child. So here’s what I’ve done; I’ve named mine. His name is Dude. He looks like a cross between Carson from the Queer Eye TV show and Felix from the Odd Couple (TV show from the 70s for those of you too young to remember). Dude is constantly berating me for not writing enough, not editing effectively, he worries that I may never have huge sales, and comes down hard if I make a mistake like sending something twice to the same agent. He wants me to be perfect, because perfection will make me safe.

NOTE: Not that either of these two would ever do such a thing, they are simply the images that popped into my head of what Dude looks like.

When he gets on my nerves I tell him so. I start out nice: thanks Dude, but I got this covered. I progress to a bit more firm if he keeps it up: Dude, get a grip! If he still persists I say Dude, SUCK IT UP AND MOVE ALONG. I rarely have to get to level three.

Actually, we get along pretty well. The reason for that is I acknowledge Dude is just trying to help. And he does get my butt in gear if I’m having a pity party and he helps me consider how I could have done something better. All in all, I appreciate him, but just as I respect Dude, Dude has to respect me. Which is weird, because Dude IS me.

So anyway, my sister and I were talking about our inner person and she named hers too and said it helped. I had several more conversations with my husband and some friends and they were all delighted with the concept. So…I thought I’d throw it out there for all of you. Try it and see. What’s your inner child’s name? What does he or she look like? Sound like? What does your person say about your writing? What’s valid? What’s not?

And BTW, it doesn’t have to be a human. My sister’s isn’t. But it does have teeth.
:-)

New Book Signed!

I'm very excited to be signed with World Castle Publishing...new book is The Reckoning. No release date yet, blurb is below. Yeha!!!

Lillith Brown's a daimon muse, a fairy creature who inspires humans to be the best they can be. Her job used to be a lot easier when humans thought muses, like all fey, were imaginary. But then something happened that changed the world forever; all fairy creatures became visible to humans. Now Lillith functions as a counselor while she finds and inspires humans. It doesn’t help that humans confuse the word daimon with demon. It also doesn’t help that Lillith looks the part. In her free time she assists the local police in cases involving the fey. Her life is complex, but pretty humdrum; that is, until her newest client is murdered. Lillith, along with her friend, Sergeant Frank Peters, are sent into a whirlwind of excitement and danger as they discover the murder is only the tip of the iceberg.

http://www.worldcastlepublishing.com/home.html

Yes Is Not A Requirement

When I first started submitting books and shorts to publishers I would do two things: one, I’d check them out on my favorite site Editors and Predators to determine if the publisher was legit, and two, I’d make sure my book fit with the publisher’s guidelines. If they wanted me then I wanted them, no questions asked. On my part, anyway. Over the years I’ve had mostly good experiences.

I’ve realized along the way that just because a publisher wants your book doesn’t mean you have to say yes after you understand all of their requirements. Two encounters have been good examples of this. A publisher wanted one of my YA books. I did extensive rewrites. Some I agreed with, others I didn’t, but I did them all because I wanted it published. THEN I discover my book would be on hold, which at the time would have been a wait of two years. If the publisher would have been, say, Random House, I would have waited. But this publisher, although respectable, was a small to medium one. I took out the rewrites I didn’t agree with and sent my book elsewhere and just signed it.

Another example comes from one of my mystery books. The publisher was very excited but wanted so many rewrites to me it would have been a completely different book. (The publisher was mainly romance expanding into other genres and…no surprise…wanted more romance.) Again, if Random House I would have done it, but since not a huge publisher I sent my book somewhere else. The small plot catches were appreciated and I did fix those. (I always consider every bit of feedback I get…just because I didn’t agree with all of it doesn’t mean some wasn’t valid.)

NOTE: Both of these publishers were very nice and said they would understand if I decided to place my book elsewhere.

So anyway, all of that to say that in this day and age there are lots of publishers, especially small to medium sized one. You don’t have to say yes if something doesn’t feel right to you. And you can ask questions. For example, before I signed my most recent contract I asked for a description of the editing process. I got a wonderful response back which told me I would be involved every step of the way, which is exactly what I want.

This leads me to answer a question a reader asked. If I am so happy with Wild Child/Freya’s Bower why would I look elsewhere? Why go through all the stress of somewhere new?

That’s a good question. I do love this publishing house. Everyone is professional and nice. They know their stuff. They communicate. They are helpful. I’ve made modest sales. But I want to see what else is out there. I love to write for its own sake, but I’d like to make more money. What I’ve learned is the publishing biz is subjective and quirky, thus bumping into just the right person could be all it takes to send a book soaring. I do what I can marketing-wise, but I don’t have the income to go hog wild.

I don’t know if a new small to medium company will be better for me, but what I figure is that they know different people in the business, have different readers, or different marketing techniques. Any one of those could expose my books to just the right person.

And that could make 2012 a very good year.

A Good Airing Out

My grandmother used to say this every spring; she’d take out all of her rugs and beat them over the clothes line, a year’s worth of dirt, dust, and skin cells soon wafted over the countryside. She would also scrub everything within an inch of its life, the proverbial spring cleaning.

I don’t do it in the spring. Actually, I don’t do it at all, not like she did. And spring never seemed the right time. I’d much rather be tidying my garden. I clean in the winter right after the holiday stuff is put away. I also sort my closets, eliminating what doesn’t work for me anymore.

For example, my dancing clothes. When Gary and I first started dancing I thought I’d be dressing in ball gowns with lots of glitter. Still do the glitter, but we are way too jumpy and dippy for me to wear long dresses, so out they went.

I clean in other areas too. For writing, I go through my records and make sure all my manuscripts are out. I send reminder notes to publishers or agents if they haven’t responded within their stated time frame. Along with my usual tasks this year I’ve realized that perhaps some publishers and agents just don’t work for me.

At this point in my writing career I know I can write; I wouldn’t have published as much as I have nor would I have agents asking to read manuscripts if I couldn’t. However…I think because my stories often don’t fit within a prescribed genre big publishers and agents don’t want that kind of risk in today’s market. I say that without pride or regret, as my dad would say, just an observation.

So I’ve decided to focus on boutique publishers; these are small to medium houses that focus on something out of the mainstream. I sent my Malaysian story, Chimera, to a publisher who only takes books with protagonists of color. I sent my after death story, Albatross, to a “new age” publisher. And so on. There are places that do unusual. They may not be big, but perhaps like Goldilocks and little bear’s bed, they will be just right for me.

Happy New Year.

The Space Between

I recently finished a book. It's been edited by me and is now in the capable hands of its first external editor, my sister Quinn.

This is the first time between books that I've really relaxed. Always before I was unsettled. Out of sorts. Worried I wouldn't be able to come up with anything else.

Maybe I'm simply in the holiday mood, but right now I'm OK with not being in the throes of a story. A new one will be there soon. So for now pass me another cookie, and say, does white or red wine go with sugar? :-)

Happy holidays.