FRIDAY STIR FRY - Busy Weekend

http://www.morguefile.com

Well, this is it. Today is my first book signing. I think I'm ready. I have books, swag, and table decoration. I need to remember to get change at the bank just in case I actually sell a book. I don't have a smart phone with one of those things you can swipe cards with. Yep, I still have a dumb flip phone. Quit laughing. It does what I need. Answering the occasional call from my son and I can call 911 if needed. And it costs like ten dollars a month. Beat that Apple.

I'll be in good company today. Here is a very small list of the authors participating.

Lisa Medley - https://www.facebook.com/lisamedleyauthor?fref=ts
Shirley McCann - https://www.facebook.com/shirley.mccann?fref=ts
Candace Havens - http://www.entangledpublishing.com/category/candace-havens/
Heather Snow - https://www.facebook.com/AuthorHeatherSnow
Barbara Bettis - http://www.barbarabettis.blogspot.com/
Allison Merritt - https://www.facebook.com/allisonmwrites?fref=ts
Holly Atkinson - https://www.facebook.com/hollyda1?fref=ts

As you can see, there are many different genres represented. It should be a lot of fun. I have pens, charms and candy to give away. Nobody will leave my space empty handed.

And then Saturday is ORACON - Ozarks Romance Author's annual conference. Always fun, informative, and inspirational. I may never have a published novel if not for this group.

Then Sunday, I really need to get started on a top secret project. More on that later.

Here's to hoping my knees survive. Or if not, my pain medication works.

FRIDAY STIR FRY - Big News!

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Notice something different to the right? It's a new e-book for your reading pleasure. I jumped into the Amazon and self-published my first book. The process was much easier than I thought it would be. Priced at a very reasonable 99 cents, how can you pass it up?

It's a collection of eight stories I've written over the last fifteen years including the first one I ever penned. Disclaimer here: I had to re-write that one and a few others. It's amazing how much I've learned about writing since that first attempt. Who says you can't teach an old dog new tricks? I'd be remiss if I didn't credit some of my education to both writing groups I belong to - Sleuths' Ink and especially Ozarks Romance Authors who conduct a monthly critique group. I've learned so much from having my writing evaluated and by critiquing other members' work.

I think you'll be surprised at the variety. It's not all happily ever after. I have a bit of a dark side. A few have won or placed in contests. The others have just been sitting on my computer waiting for somebody, anybody to read them. I had to grant their wish.

A special shout out to Allison Merritt who designed my cover.

And don't forget, the best way to make an author happy is to leave a review.

Be sure and come back next week when I'll be hosting and interviewing a very talented author, Tierney James. She writes thrillers and will be giving us a taste of her new release.

FRIDAY STIR FRY - Conference Time!!!

2013 ORACON



It's conference time for one of my writing groups http://ozarks-romance-authors.com/conference-2014/oracon-2014/

I love going to this event. We always have great presenters, inspiring and motivational content and great networking opportunities. It helps rejuvenate my muse. 

The last few years I've helped with the planning because I've been on the board - two years as secretary and this year as treasurer. It's fun and exhausting at the same time. But we have great volunteers and everyone wants this day to be a complete success. 

Four years ago I pitched to a New York agent and she requested my manuscript. What a thrill. I was so nervous, my voice shook and cracked as I gave her the summary of my novel Beyond The Horizon. After she said she wanted to see it, I walked on air the rest of the day. Unfortunately, she ended up leaving her publishing house and they sold and my book came back. But, I will never forget that thrill.

The next year: 

Not so good.
The agent I pitched to was less than thrilled with my story.
In the critique session with a published best selling author, she ripped me a new one for my choice of language and references to characters in a bar scene.
And then the final blow was a critique of a query letter I submitted for the Query Letter Gong Show.
It also got ripped apart.

But, I learned something even from that conference. I better get a thicker skin if I was going to succeed in this business. 

This year, I'm not pitching but I am getting a professional head shot from http://www.davisphotodesign.com/        Wish her luck trying to make me look pretty. :-)

Do you enjoy conferences or do you see them as a waste of time?

FRIDAY STIR FRY - Musings From The Past Week

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RIP Robin Williams

Like most everyone else, I was shocked at the news of his death. I don't own many movies, but one I have is The Bird Cage. I laugh out loud every time I watch it. One of my favorite interviews is from Inside The Actor's Studio. Classic. Please take time to view. And pay attention to the end when he talks about heaven.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0IDy5GlUuf8


We also lost a great film actress, Lauren Bacall. Her passing signals the end of an era; when movie stars were glamorous - not attention seeking, bat shit crazy, like many today. RIP

Other musings: I've had back trouble this week, so not much writing done. I've mainly just been sitting in my recliner with a heat pad. I even had to take a sick day off work. I hardly ever do that. But, I think I'm on the mend. Knock on wood.

Plans this weekend: I've been kinda lost on where to go with my work in progress (WIP). Part of the problem is I've cobbled it together in bits and pieces. So, my plan is to sit down, read through what I have, rearrange things, and try to write it in a more linear fashion. When I get a handle on it, I'll post more excerpts.

I also have three blog stops I need to complete before they all give up on me. And with our writing conference coming up in about a month, I have stuff to do for that. Here's a link if you want to check it out.

http://ozarks-romance-authors.com/conference-2014/oracon-2014/

Leave your musings in the comments. All are appreciated.

FRIDAY STIR FRY - This and That

              

         Another edition of this and that. No theme, just observations from the week past. 

http://www.morguefile.com



What has happened to human intelligence?
I'm not claiming to be the smartest roll in the basket, but compared to some people, I'm a genus.
We have a lot of forms where I work. Way too many. But they are pretty self explanatory. Sign here, date here, answer yes or no. Do I ever get a correctly completed form? Maybe 1% of the time.
Don't get me wrong, I'm not talking about people who are truly challenged. I'm talking about people who appear to be fully functional. They drive, they have kids, they work. Some of the worst offenders are caseworkers helping their clients. Scary. Filling out forms seems to be a true challenge for them. Like the sign says on my desk. "There is no life guard in the gene pool." Man oh man, I wish there was.
Enough about the hell I call work.

I participated in my first book signing last week. Technically not a book signing, since my novel is e-book only. I was next to three other talented writer friends, which made it easier. I didn't feel like a total pimp. I gave away an origami book featuring my cover, the first 1000 words and buying info. At least half were gone at the end of the night. I did have a bump in sales ranking on Amazon over the weekend. So, maybe my efforts were not for waste. I might participate in another one down the line.

As treasurer for Ozarks Romance Authors, I'm really busy gearing up for our annual writing conference. Collecting registration fees and compiling lists. Have I mentioned I'm not a number person?

If you are interested in attending a great conference, find more info here: 

  http://ozarks-romance-authors.com/conference-2014/oracon-2014/

Oh, and somewhere in all this mess, I need to write. 

How was your week??