8 Cool Facts about Hallowe’en.

1. Aside from dressing up and getting free candy, Halloween is a festival of the dying year, and the evening before All Saints Day. Legend has it that as ancient Celtic farmers believed there was one day a year when the season of life meets the season of death. As vegetation dies off, spirits that have been kept down all year rise and make their presence known amongst the living. This day was known as Samhain, the Celtic word for the end of summer.

2. The costume tradition dates back to Celtic Ireland, when people lit bonfires and dressed in disguises to confuse and scare away evil spirits believed to walk the earth. They did this on a day known as Samhain.


3. In the eight century, Pope Gregory III established All Hallows Day to celebrate all saints, known, and unknown. This day was held on November first, the day immediately following Celtic Samhain.

4. Over time, the two religious festivals/traditions became mixed among accepting Europeans, and soon Samhain became All Hallows Eve (the evening before All Saints Day).


5. Hallowe’en (the evolved name) was not celebrated in America until the mid 19th century, when a potato famine drove shiploads of starving Irish to America looking for a better life. They brought their beliefs and traditions with them, where those traditions were thrown into the mixed bag of other cultures also brought into the country.

6. As traditions were melded and changed, roaring bonfires became lanterns carved from pumpkins and gourds, and the Celts demonic disguises became modern day costumes.


7. Trick or Treating is believed to have begun in as poor people traveling from home to home, offering to pray for dead family members in exchange for small cakes.

8. In modern times, Halloween is one of the most profitable holidays on the calendar, though curiously, it is not technically considered a holiday (as in close government offices and schools), but a tradition.

Happy Hallowe'en everyone! And good luck to all the NaNoWriMo participants. Midnight comes fast, so be ready!

**Information gleaned from the History channel. You can find several clips about this topic here.

The Professional Face

(Here I go again, blogging about writing. I realize that I blog about this more than anything else. It’s what I do. Even if you’re not a writer, I hope you realize there is wisdom for all professions within the writing industry, and keep reading anyway.)

You know that whole first impression cliché? I’ve been thinking about that, and I kinda want to talk about an important part of our image as professionals.

When first we encounter someone in our industry, chances are it will be online, rather than in person. Not that the in-person part isn’t important—because I cannot stress enough HOW big it is to have that personal contact—but realistically, when we submit work to agents or publishers it’s generally cold. That means first impressions are formed solely on the quality of our query and sample pages.

If you’ve ever read an article on submitting, you should already know how important it is to send only your very, very best work. So I’m going to skip that lecture. Also the query lesson. (But if you need help in those areas, you can look here or here.)

So we work and work and work on our sample pages, and then we work and work and work on our query, and then we think…ahhhh. Now we can submit, right?

Actually, you’re just getting started. I mean, yeah, you can submit, but if you want to make a good impression, it’s also important to do some research first. I know, I know, we write fiction to AVOID research.

So what do we have to research and why?

1. First, research any potential agents/publishing houses to find out if they represent or publish the type of work you have.

2. While you’re there, look to see if they have something on their list similar to yours so you can mention that in your query. Trust me, it looks good for you.

3. Finally, (and people, this is the BIG one, I think) check their submission guidelines. Every company and every agent is a little different. Some want just a query, some want five pages, some ten, some three chapters, etc. Some have questionnaires, some want just a twitter pitch.

There are a bazillion different quirky things these professionals might expect. If you do it right, you have a chance. But if you don’t, it’s possible your submission will be deleted unread.

The good news: the majority of publishers and agents have websites where you can go to find the pertinent information. Really, truly, there is no need to email them individually to ask (although, in extreme circumstances, that might be okay, depending on who it is—most agents prefer not) because the frequently asked questions are generally covered in one section or another.

Your query package is the first part of you these people will get to meet. So IMO, it’s uber important to put on your proverbial conservative makeup, spray down your “stray hairs”, and wear something nice to the party. Make a good impression, and you will NOT be sorry.

Have a great time at the query party. And hey, while you’re there, find me and say hi.

Happy Friday!

Speaking of Winners...

I bet you thought I forgot to draw a winner for the October Give-Back Giveaway, but I didn't. I just made you wait in suspense for two extra days. I have just drawn a winner using the random generator on the sidebar, and am going to tell you who it is.

But first, I want to give you a few highlights of the incredible things some of my readers have done this month:

Assisted neighbors and elderly.
Gave diapers and baby food to a family in need.
Donated blood to the Red Cross.

And I know there were many, many other acts of kindness and giving, small and large. I just have one thing to say to that. Keep it up, people. That's all. I adore you for who you are and how you choose to give.

And this month's winner is...

Carolyn V. 

Clapclapclapclapcheerdancecheerclapdancearoundtheroomcheerclapclapclap.

Carolyn, I will get your information and mail your copy of Angela Morrison's Taken by Storm to you asap. Or see you soon and hand it to you. Something.

Thanks to everyone who participated. Stay tuned next month for two or three--or maybe more--awesome giveaways.

When News is Made of Win

Did I ever tell you guys my recent news? Life has been a tad on the crazy side for me, so I can’t remember, but I think I didn’t. (Please forgive me if I repeat myself.)

A couple weeks ago, I got two bits of good news. First, I found out that the beginning of one of my manuscripts won second place in the Romance Writers of America Heart of the West contest. (Translation: a really COOL prize from a way cool organization.) It’s been a long time since I entered a manuscript in a contest, so it felt really good to not only place, but place high.

*does happy dance*

Maybe my writing doesn’t always suck.

Second, I have officially been asked to present at a local conference hosted by the LDStorymakers this coming spring. I haven’t done a lot of presenting up to this point, and since both my published books are through small-ish presses, I am beyond flattered by this development. And completely pleased.

*does happy cartwheels and other feats of bravery*

But I have to point out that neither bit of happy news simply fell into my lap by chance.

To place in the contest, I had to first enter. And to enter, I had to research the contest, judges, guidelines/rules, and also polish and perfect the manuscript segment I hoped to submit. (Once I clicked send, I put the entry out of my mind and literally forgot about it—hence my absolute surprise when I found out I was a finalist.)

To present at the conference, I had to fist come up with an idea, create an outline/lesson plan/proposal, and then research to whom I should sent that proposal in order for them to know that 1) I am willing to teach and 2) I will be prepared with a class that will help others in the writing process. (After I sent the proposal, it was several weeks before I heard back, but I was so happy when I did.)

So, lessons of the day:

1. Research
2. Prepare
3. Submit/ propose/ enter
4. Have faith enough to move on once you’ve clicked send.

What would you add to this list?

Trying Something New

Have you ever watched that show extreme couponing? Last week, on a night when I couldn’t sleep due to my excessively stuffy nose and awful cough, I stayed up late watching episodes, and was astounded and amazed at how much stuff those women could get for either a very small amount of money, or completely free.

So I asked the only expert I know—my daughter—if people really get into couponing like that. Turns out, daughter has a friend whose mother does this and who has accumulated rooms and rooms of food storage.

Me: Huh.

Her: Mom, we should totally try it. They have all kinds of good stuff and they let us eat as much as we want cuz it was free.

Me: ??

Her: Really, I’m serious.

Me: You act like I never feed you. And that looks like a lot of work, which requires a lot of time and thought and calculations.

Her: But they save thousands of dollars. Please, let’s just try it. I’ll help. It’ll be a project we can do together. It will be fun.

This is how I have come to be considering attempting a single shopping trip in which I try to cut my grocery bill in half with the use of coupons. That it can be done, I have no doubt. The question is if it can be done by me, and if I can come home with grocery items my family will actually eat or use, without spending my week obsessing over sales and coupons when I should be writing.

What do you think? Is it possible?

Stay tuned next week to find out how it went.

**Don’t forget to enter my October Give Back Giveaway. The deadline has been extended to midnight tonight.

Own It

There was a time, back when I was not as wise as I am now, when I actually worried about stupid things like appearances. What other people thought of me, why they thought such things, and how those thoughts might come to be.

And it was a crazy, stupid way for me to think because, as we all know, the thought processes of others are completely out of our control. Also, worrying about that was unhealthy and cumbersome to my self confidence and well being.

Since then, I have learned a better way.

Own it.

When you end up taking your kid lunch money still wearing your sweaty gym clothes and no makeup, own it.

When the neighbor comes to your door at 2:00 in the afternoon and you’re still in your pajamas with a fist full of tissues and bed-head—own it.

When you’re on your way to a formal benefit and need to stop by a book launch to support a friend (even though you’re vastly overdressed in a gown) own it.

You are who you are, even when the public perception might be somewhat…less flattering than you’d prefer. I’m not saying you should let yourself go and never try to look and be your best. On the contrary. Looking our best for certain occasions is very important (hence the formal dress in a casual setting).What I’m saying is we’re all human, and occasionally all humans are seen in a light different from what they would normally prefer to be seen. If, by some odd chance, that different light makes people stare a little bit, just smile and wave. It’s all good.

Be glad they didn’t walk in on you naked. Or did they?

Smile and wave, peeps. Just smile and wave.

**Don't forget to enter to win my October Give Back Giveaway. The deadline is extended to Friday at midnight!

When You’re High on Cold Meds

You really shouldn’t make important online transactions.

For the last two weeks I’ve had an ongoing, long-lasting cold that I just can’t seem to get rid of, despite my doctor prescribing an antibiotic and my going a little nuts on vitamin supplements and probiotics. It’s all good, though. I have an economy size box of Sudafed, another one of Nyquil, and an ample supply of tissues.

As it happened, last week was a really busy one for me, and while I canceled a number of things, I couldn’t cancel or rearrange them all.

For example, paying bills. None of those big companies cared that I was dying, as long as they got their money.

Apparently, sometime on Thursday, at a time when I must have been high on cold meds, I paid my mortgage. Saturday, I had no recollection of such an event. (Even today, I have no recollection of it.) And so, worried that I had forgotten, I went online and made the payment.

It wasn’t until I thought to double check my bank balance that I realized my massive error.

I paid my biggest, most overwhelming bill twice.

Oops.

And still, I have no idea when on Thursday I made that payment. But according to my online statement, I did pay it that day.

Note to self: When you’re living on cold meds, you are not as lucid as you think. Just. Stick to email and Facebook and don’t do anything else, okay? Okay. Oh, and also, you should call the bank now.

**Because of last week’s illness, and my lack of publicity attempts, I have decided to extend out the deadline for the October Give Back Giveaway until midnight, Friday Oct 21. Enter here if you’ve done something nice this month.

Cheerleading

A friend of mine once called me a cheerleader for writers. At the time, I wasn’t sure it was a compliment, but in the years since, I realize that friend was probably right. I have a tendency to want to encourage others, cheer them on, make them remember why they should keep trying when they’d rather quit.

I wish I could tell you why, other than it’s just the kind of person I am.

Everyone needs a little encouragement once in a while, and we all want to succeed at something, so of course we’re going to try. Sometimes we fail. Sometimes we work harder than we’ve ever worked and lose. But sometimes we succeed, and those are the times that keep us moving forward, keep us working hard. This is why we try.

But it takes faith.

And patience.

And every so often, encouragement from a cheerleader who believes in your ability to be the person you are.

I’m willing to be that cheerleader for you. For all of you. So if you’re lacking faith in yourself, I will have faith in you. If you’re lacking the patience to keep moving forward, not knowing when or if you’ll ever succeed, I’ll loan you some of mine. And if you need someone to shake pom-poms in your face and scream and cheer while doing cartwheels, I’ll do that too. (Well, maybe not the cartwheel part—I’m getting a little old for that.)

In the meantime, here is a little something to remind you what it means to be strong. (By the way, this is the true story of my cousin Jodi—who is also a cheerleader, apparently. I guess it runs in our family or something.)

Now you have no excuses left. Get to work!

Everneath by Brodi Ashton

Remember a few weeks ago when I mentioned that I'd read Everneath and promised to review it? Well, today is the day!

*cheers, dances, and claps*

Debut author Brodi Ashton is about to make a splash on the publishing world with this breathtaking, heart-wrenching, beautiful story of love, loss, and sacrifice. This story is unlike any I’ve read recently, with a unique format that essentially tells two stories at once, and characters that start out raw and aching right from the beginning.

Oh my gosh, you guys, I loved it. Seriously. It’s not even out yet (January—count down with me) but I can’t wait for the next one in the series. The main character Nikki (great name, don’t you think? *winks*) starts out the story as a complete mess, and throughout the whole thing, all you want is for her love interest, Jack, to take her in his arms and make her better. Except really, he can’t. And the hardest part is when you realize he would. That he would do anything to help Nikki, even with Cole pulling at her using every means at his disposal.

Check out the Blurb:

Last spring, Nikki Beckett vanished, sucked into an underworld known as the Everneath, where immortals Feed on the emotions of despairing humans. Now she's returned- to her old life, her family, her friends- before being banished back to the underworld... this time forever.


She has six months before the Everneath comes to claim her, six months for good-byes she can't find the words for, six months to find redemption, if it exists.


Nikki longs to spend these months reconnecting with her boyfriend, Jack, the one person she loves more than anything. But there's a problem: Cole, the smoldering immortal who first enticed her to the Everneath, has followed Nikki to the mortal world. And he'll do whatever it takes to bring her back- this time as his queen.


As Nikki's time grows short and her relationships begin slipping from her grasp, she's forced to make the hardest decision of her life: find a way to cheat fate and remain on the Surface with Jack or return to the Everneath and become Cole's...

Doesn’t it sound just fantastic? I assure you, it is. If you’re smart (and I know you are) you’ll put Everneath at the top of your must read list for 2012. In fact, you should just pre-order it here. It’s even a great price.

To hold you over until then, you can learn more about Brodi Ashton by reading her blog or the Everneath page on the publisher's website.

October Give Back Giveaway!

I know I just did this a couple weeks ago, but I can’t help it. I loved hearing the results for my last charity-related giveaway, and this month is extra great, because there are so many great causes from which to choose. You, my readers, should know me by now. I believe in karma, and paying it forward, and also I believe that my personal success is absolutely dependent on my willingness to give of myself to people or causes in need.

Also, I like to see others give as well, which is what started this experiment in the first place. So, yes, I’m giving away another prize. Before we get to the details, though, let me tell you a little about my charity of choice for this week.

Clear Horizons Academy is a private school for children with Autism. By private, it means not-publically funded, which means all the money for treating these kids has to come from other sources. Most of the families with children enrolled in Clear Horizons are middle class working families who struggle with expensive tuition payments. Every year they hold a dinner and auction in an attempt to help raise funds which go toward the education of these very special children.

I’ve donated items to and attended the auction for several years, and intend to continue doing so for years to come. This year’s auction falls on Saturday, October 15th and once again, I will be there. (If you’re my friend on Facebook, you’ll be seeing pictures.)

This is the charity I’ve chosen for October. However, it is one of many great causes, and among great competition for worthwhile charitable events. October is also Breast Cancer Awareness month as well as Down Syndrome Awareness month, and I know there are countless small and simple causes, needs, and people whose special needs can be taken care of with just a little effort on our part.

*climbs off the soapbox and clears throat*

For this week’s give back giveaway, I have a paperback copy of Taken By Storm by Angela Morrison, accompanied by a signed bookmark for Angela’s other book, Sing Me to Sleep. To enter, I only have three requirements:


1. If you aren’t already following this blog, hurry up and do that. Invite your friends, too, if you like. I won’t complain.

2. Donate to a charity of your choice (but if you donate to the same one as me, I will be ever-so-grateful). **Donations do not have to be financial. Service to a greater cause is also acceptable. (Run a 5k, paint your neighbor’s house, donate food to the food bank, etc.)

3. Leave a comment here in which you tell me about the charity to which you donated, why you chose that particular one, and if possible, share a link that I can pass on to my readers.

This will be an on-your-honor giveaway, because I trust you. But just so you know, if you lie, Karma will send cold and flu germs through your computer where they will jump onto your hands and face and give you a nasty, icky sick-bug that will last at least a week. And fairies will hide your car keys so you’re late to your next important appointment.

You don't want to bring Karma down on your head. Just sayin.

I’ll keep this giveaway open until midnight on Saturday, October 15, 2011, and announce a winner sometime the following week.

Go forth and give, my friends. Eventually, it will come back to you.

All the Time in the World

I think Jack Bauer said it best. “We’re running out of time!”

I used to love watching 24. Every episode, I’d wait for that line, then count how many times he said it. It was, by far and long, his favorite thing to say. But oh, Jack. How right you were. And are.

I don’t know about you, but lately it feels like there’s just not enough time in a day. Or in a week. Or a month, for that matter. How’s a person supposed to keep up?

So here I am, looking at my fall schedule, trying to fit in something fantastic that I am absolutely stoked to do, and wondering where I’m supposed to put it. I shouldn’t be surprised. Seems like it happens every year, and every year, I am somehow blindsided by it. Go figure.

Also, besides the things already on my schedule, I’m planning to write a novel in November. (See this post, if you missed that announcement.)

Don’t get me wrong. I love my life, and all the things in my schedule are things I CHOOSE to put there. I am well aware of this fact. But I am also aware that I will have to CHOOSE to cut some things out, or put them off, or rearrange them. It’s just life, I guess.

Oh how I wish I could borrow Hermione Granger’s time turner for just one month.

Which brings up the question. If you had the opportunity to borrow a time turner for a month, which month would you choose, and why? And what would you accomplish during that month?

Do You NaNo?

And by that I mean do you plan to participate in the once-yearly National Novel Writing Month held in November? I’ve participated for two years in a row, and have to say, it’s a blast. Not only does it give me the freedom to write crap (which I do, but which is also much more easily fixable than a blank page) but it also forces me to pound out a rough draft in record time, without allowing me to think too hard about plot.

For a pantser like me, it’s completely exhilarating. And absolutely fulfilling. Because normally, it takes me a lot longer to complete a manuscript—even a rough draft. I just have too many distractions in my life, and pushing myself hard for one month of the year helps narrow my focus just long enough to accomplish something seriously awesome in a short amount of time.

So yes. I NaNo. And yes, I’ve figured out that it goes a lot smoother when I do some advance planning. And by some, I mean a small amount of plot structuring and some character developing.

This month I have goals to:

a) Write an outline that consists of maybes. (Because even a pantser needs a page of ideas that tell her where the story might go if I get stuck.)

b) Figure out my main characters, who they are, what they want, and why they can’t have it. (Because if I do that, maybe I won’t need the stinkin outline.)

c) Decide on a general location where this story might be set—even if it’s fictional. (Because that just makes it easier to see in my head.)

d) Figure out how in the heck I’m going to fit writing an entire 50,000 word novel into November this year, because my schedule’s already looking INSANE. This might require making a writing schedule that works around everything else. *gulps* Can we say challenging?


Writers: I recommend you try this once-a-year exercise dubbed NaNoWriMo, if for no other reason than to stimulate your brain.

Non-writers: Is there something you do once a year which stimulates you into temporary mass productivity? Tell me about it.

The Births of Many Books

Holy cow. In case you haven’t been paying attention, fall is one of the biggest seasons of the year for releasing new books. There are so many new books coming out this fall (or that have already been released) that I almost can’t keep track. Therefore, if I happen to miss one in the following list, please forgive me. (But do tell me so I can add it.)

Being an avid reader, I can’t help it. All of these books have gone on my to-be-read list, which is growing enormously long, but which I am slogging through as fast as I can, while also preparing outlines and character sketches for National Novel Writing Month in November (but that’s another blog altogether).

Check out the following NEW books:

Indelible (book 2 of the Yara Silva trilogy) by Lani Woodland
With a Name Like Love by Tess Hilmo
Variant by Robison Wells
Slayers by Janette Rallison
The Death Cure (book 3 in the Mazerunner series) by James Dashner
Monarch by Michelle Argyle
Shifting by Bethany Wiggins
A Beautiful Dark by Jocelyn Davies
Armor of Light (book 2 in the Wolfchild series) by Karen Hoover
Lydia by Wanda Luce
Identity by Betsy Love
No Angel by Theresa Sneed
Pride and Popularity by Jenni James
Hang Em High by Tristi Pinkston
Defenders of the Covenant by Angie Lofthouse
Bound by C.K. Bryant (11-11-11 release)
Become by Ali Cross (11-11-11 release)
Exiled by RaShelle Workman (11-11-11)
Pigments by Angela Kulig (11-11-11)
Breathe by Melanie McCullogh (11-11-11)

Yeah, I know. It’s a LONG list! But oh my goodness, you guys, I’ve read some of these already and am working my way through the list. If you’re looking for something great for the upcoming winter days when you’ll feel trapped inside due to snow and other icky weather, here you go.

Consult the list. Hope it’s helpful.

Happy October!