Thursday This n That

Earlier, I saw some silly ditz 'digital content creator' saying that you don't have to be a writer to be an author.  Wuh?

Yesterday, I read a headline that went something like 'law students think tests are discriminatory' because they're too hard.  Like the person who posted the link said 'tests are supposed to help discriminate between the capable and the incapable', so yeah.

What is with all these words that people are putting asterisks into now?  I write a bunch of crime fiction, but words like rape, murder, killer, etc. are forbidden?  I don't even like putting asterisks in when I type fuck, I'm sure as hell not going to do it when I talk about rape or murder or killers.  Pardon me, but fuck that shit.

I wrote a note to FB in answer to their limiting my number of marketing posts.  Now, I don't seem to be getting the block, but I'm also not getting any reach.  Brilliant.  Wish in One Hand has traditionally flown out the door when I run a freebie.  I got 21 downloads the first day, then I wrote FB that note and the next day I got 4.  :eyeroll: :facepalm: :headdesk: 

Just got our Brightspeed 'final bill' thing.  They owe us $24.  It would've been nice if they'd just put in a check.  But no.  I'll most likely have to call them and struggle to get my credit back.  Fun.

I've been watching The IT Crowd.  It's pretty funny.  If you're a nerd, which I am.

I'm up to 50 miles walked for the year.  I posted that to FB and one of my friends (someone I've 'known' since like 2006 when I got my first blog) said something like 'well, you better turn around and go home'.  This is why we're friends.  LOL

If I wore jeans, I'd be buying myself a pair of American Eagle right now.  Sometimes I miss wearing jeans.  :shrug:

Dollar General has the best ice cream.  It's Caramel Swirl.  Caramel flavored ice cream with a ribbon of smooth caramel.  No chunks.  It's awesome.  I'm not a fan of chunks in my ice cream.

Got anything to add today?

Thursday This n That

First thing this morning, I read an inspiring story about a guy who did some amazing things in WWII.  Joseph Beyrle.  They need to make a movie about HIM.  Except I fear Hollywood would find a way to mess it up.  Anyway, it's good to start the day with something positive.  

Speaking of positive, my friend-editor was talking on FB about how hard it's been to get and stay motivated.  I said something about how we should try to push each other and maybe invite our mutual friend, too, so we'd be like a triad, but then we'd need special names like superheroes.  So she created a private group for us to do just that.  She's awesome like that.  

Of course, not too long after I joined the group and made my statement about what I'd like to accomplish through the end of the year, I received an email with four spreadsheets to do.  By the time I got those done, I was too pooped to accomplish my daily goal and I said so.  Then she poked me.  I didn't get two pages of edit notes entered, but I did get one done, so the poking was definitely helpful.

Things have been blerg lately, but I'm trying to get positive.  Getting positive isn't easy, but where I'm really falling down is staying positive once I get there.

I saw a funny on FB this morning.  What's the difference between Lebron and Kyle?  When he's under pressure, Kyle makes his shots.  LOL.  Yeah, if you don't think that's funny, can't help ya there.

I have a sink full of dishes that I don't wanna do.  I will, but not just yet.

Hubs and I went fishing yesterday.  It had been a pretty nice day so far, and even though we knew a cold front was coming through, we thought we'd give it a whirl.  On the way, we stopped for nightcrawlers and it was getting cloudy, but still quite nice.  Another five minutes to the lake, parked the car and started to get the stuff out of the backseat when WHOOSH.  Big, cold wind out of the north hit us.  Blew my hat right off.  (I saved it.)  Screw the wind, though, I wanted to fish, so we went to the kinda-sheltered side.  When I took the lid off the worms to get one out, the lid blew into the water and away it went.  My tackle box tipped over and scattered stuff.  I was laughing like an idiot.  Hubs was grinning.  We fished for about an hour and then gave up because we weren't catching anything and the temperature was dropping hard.  Eh, it was still better than an hour sitting here.

My camera battery died.  Not just needing a charge, but dead-dead.  So I put it my backup battery.  It was also dead-dead.  I ordered new batteries that came with a charger all their own, so here's hoping they work and that my camera isn't the problem.  I'd hate that.  I mean, the camera is 11 years old, but come on.  The batteries should be here tomorrow.

In order to make a big enough purchase for free shipping, I also ordered two CDs I've been wanting.  The Fray and The Head and the Heart.  Yes, I still listen to CDs.  I still listen to tapes, too.  =op

And on that note... after dragging myself away from the distraction of watching music videos... I'll let you get on with your day.  Unless you want to take another moment and leave a comment, of course.  

Thursday This n That

I'm at 80% on making edit notes on this book.  The end is near.

I keep finding old metal things on my property.  I have a horseshoe, part of a pitchfork, a piece from a saddle buckle,  part of a hitching post.  It's like a little museum of rusty things.  I also have a totally rusted set of pliers I found at the lake that looks as old as the things I've dug up out of the ground or found in the woods, which amuses me greatly.

Why is it 'set of' with pliers when there's only one?  I tried typing 'found a pliers' but that was just wrong, man.  

Hubs sawed up the cedar that tipped over. Every bit of it but like 4 ft of the stump are now stacked on pallets under the house drying for when we have a woodstove.  Now we're dragging other limbs and trees up and he's sawing those up, too.  Excellent exercise.  We're taking a few days off, though.  It's raining and we need the break.  Cuz we're old and junk.  Teehee.

Woodstove should be one word.  Jus' sayin'.

"Coffee is a potable plant." - Hubs

I only had two in-person friends.  One of them moved away.  The other retired from where I always saw her.  Yesterday, I ran into the latter friend.  It was nice seeing her again.  I just happened to pull into a parking spot across from where she was talking with another friend of hers.  She waved like mad and I waved, and then I walked over and chatted with her.  Like old times.  But yeah, that's about the extent of me hanging out with people these days.

The person my friend was chatting with... well, I didn't know her... but she was all like 'you must know my dad, everyone knows my dad' and I was all like 'Nope, I don't know anyone.  I'm a hermit.'  

I'm making chili today.  I bought the stuff and was going to make it yesterday, but by the time I recovered from the shopping, I was tuckered out.  I was also going to make pizza this week, but I forgot the damn mozzarella.  Dollar General, here I come.  But not today.  Cuz rain.  

For years, I've heard about the movie 'The Big Lebowski'.  I tried to watch it yesterday.  Nope.  Not for me.  :shrug:  I did catch a weird little thing - cuz we have free pay movie channels right now - called "Pieces of April' that was strange but nice.  I also watched a movie called The Quartet that was nice.

Okay, well, that' probably enough out of me this morning.  Have a great day wherever you are. Drop a comment if the mood strikes you.

A More Civil Place

My tolerance level for other people was bad before, but this year it's hit all time lows.  So, in order to maintain some level of sanity and not find myself constantly on edge, I've been culling the herd.  In real life, I don't have much to cull.  I don't know that many people and the ones I have contact with are in my life for a reason.  Usually, the reason is that I like those people.  My online life is a whole other story.  Sometimes I find myself faced with comments or posts, and wondering 'who the hell are these people?'  Which is usually followed by 'why are they even here?'  Which makes culling them exceptionally easy. 

Unfollow. 

Sometimes that isn't enough, though.  Then I whip out the Unfriend.  And more often than not, Unfriend is followed by Block. 

I keep seeing this meme thing making the rounds on FB.  It goes along the lines of "I'm an adult, so I can still have friends I don't agree with'.  :shrug:  I prefer the 'I'm an adult, and I choose not to be friends with specific individuals for whatever reasons without guilt or shame'.  Or even "I'm an adult, so I can be civil to people who don't share my basic philosophies.  But I don't call everyone my friend."


I'm not even sure how to be friends with people whose ideas of life and philosophy are antithetical to my own.  Civil.  Cordial.  Friendly, even.  But actual friends?  Umm... nope.

If I call you 'friend', it's because I can talk to you without worrying whether I'm going to offend you or you're going to piss me off.  If I can't feel that way around you, how could you ever be my friend?  Friendship isn't about having to walk on eggshells or sit on pins and needles just to be around someone. 

I know that I could walk into my best in-person friend's office right now and tell her anything without fear of censure or repercussions.  And I could shoot an email off to my best online friends about anything and feel the same way. 

To me, that's friendship.  The rest is just acquaintance-ship.  I'll be nice.  Until it's time to not be nice.  And even then, I won't be rude, I'll just let you go on about your life without me in it.  Buh-bye. 

I don't do conflict.  I won't confront anyone about anything.  I'll just walk away.  Seems to me if more people took that stance, the world would be a more civil place.  And maybe that's what we need right now.

Jus' sayin'.

Thursday This n That + Chaos Diary Stuff

For some reason, I decided to test the done-ness of the French bread pizzas last night with my bare hands.  Which would've been fine if I hadn't accidentally brushed my finger against the pan, too.  Only one spot on one knuckle got burned and blistered a bit, but man, that one spot... Blerg.  I burn myself at least a couple times a year, so I should be used to it.  Does one ever get used to burns? 

I had some banking to do again yesterday.  As I was standing around chatting with my friends - 6 ft away from them (virtue signal lit) - one of them mentioned a little blue bird she'd been seeing.  My BFF and I said at almost the same time 'indigo bunting'.  See?  This is why she's my BFF.  We get each other.  Man, I missed her during the MO lockdown.

Making progress on Cinder Ugly.  Slow progress, but progress nonetheless.  I expect to reach 100 pages today.  Not hard since I finished yesterday on pg 99. 

I never dreamed I'd reach the age of 50 only to find myself monitoring the potty habits of a geriatric cat.  She's pooping along like a champion, btw.  Yay. 

Okay, I'm not fifty.  Yet.  Next week, I'll be fifty.  Umm, yah.

It was time to order more catfood again, so I trotted over to Amazon.  Yay all the types I wanted were in stock.  I also need new socks, so I thought I'd tack them onto the order.  Socks?  They're on back order.  Socks.  On back order.  Who would've thunk it?  For the record, I am rough on socks.  My feet chew through the heels at an alarming rate.  They didn't used to.  Older feet?  Cheaper socks?  My funny gait getting funnier?  :shrug:  I'll pick some up at the Dollar General next time I'm there.

Also for the record, I hate having to think that far ahead on buying catfood.  Just over two weeks worth left?  Time to order more, in case the shipment gets held up.  Blerg.

I have heard Amazon's not being as snappy with their shipments and deliveries as they were.  Stupid chaos.

What's on your this n that list today?  Got any chaos things to report? 

Sunday Update - Week 12

Well, there went another week in 2020.  Week 12 of the year, Week... what?  2?  3?  of the madness. 

Still unable to think about writing or editing.  I had hoped that once I got the Kid here and settled in, the flow would start again.  Umm...

Also, no marketing.  I can't seem to bring myself to jump into the fray of 'hey, your world is falling apart, but here's a book to entertain you while you wait'.  I know books help take everyone's minds off this, but...  :shrug:

Speaking of reading, I finished three books last week with no DNFs.  Which is kind of amazing since for the first half of the week, I couldn't seem to focus on anything.  Actually, I finished two of those books on Friday, so if not for the last half of the week, my reading would've been sad.

In other news, you might have seen that the Kid is living here now.  So far, so good.  She's spending most of her time doing her college course work and keeping in touch with friends online.  Yesterday, she baked us up an apple Bundt cake that was pretty good.  I keep having to remind myself that while she is MY child, she is no longer A child.  She's been living on her own for 7 years.  If she doesn't do dishes the way I do dishes, so what?  "Chill out,you control freak,," I says to myself, "at least she's doing the dishes." Which is what I'm doing - chilling out.  =o)

In case you haven't guessed, we're now under self-isolation.  It really sucks not being able to go anywhere.  Sure, I've had 7-10 day stretches where I didn't leave the house.  But that was by choice.  And sure, we're able to take walks and junk.  But not being able to get in the car and scoot over to the store is driving me crazy.  I did manage to finally see my bestest in-person friend on Thursday.  It was through the drive-thru window at the bank, but it was better than nothing.  We chatted until someone pulled up behind me.  She and her husband and their extended families are well.

So far, I still don't personally know anyone who's sick and only know two people who know people who are sick.  Fingers crossed it stays that way.  Of course, the number of people I communicate with on a regular basis dropped precipitously in 2016, so my numbers are only anecdotal.

Got a call from Mom on Friday.  Which is weird - she never calls here, I call her and we'd spoken that morning.  She's fine.  She was making my chocolate oil cake and I forgot to put in the recipe whether to grease the pan.  You can, but you don't need to.  

Okay, that's probably enough out of me.  Hopefully, I'll have more interesting and writerly things to talk about next Sunday.  :fingers crossed:

How are things with you?

The Journey

Back in 2006 I discovered blogs.  I made my own, of course - the now idle version of The Writing Spectacle - and began seeking out other writerly bloggers.  I found a list of writing blogs on a website and began working my way through the list, checking out them all out and bookmarking the ones that looked interesting to me. 

One of the blogs I followed then was Karin Tabke's.  Hers was awesome and really seemed to strike a chord.  Of course, she was also a member of a group blog - Murder She Writes - and I tagged along behind her over there.  And I found a bunch of new books to read and authors to follow.

I also encountered a group of awesome individuals - both contributors and commenters.  That's where I met my friend, Silver, as she commented there.  And where I met my friend, Jenn, a contributor there. 

Through Silver, of course, I met my friend and editor, JC. 

Funny how that happens.

The other connections are mostly gone now, but I learned the other day that even though I haven't spoken to some of these people in years, we're still friends.  I mean, I still follow most of the MSW contributors on Facebook, even if I don't interact with them.  I still want to know what they're up to.  I still feel joy for them when good things happen and sorrow when bad things occur.  They're good people.

It's been a long road and I'm honored to have met so many good people on the journey.  This writing thing can be pretty lonely, as we all know.  People come and people go.  When I think about how many I've lost touch with for one reason or another, it makes me kind of sad.  But that's life.

Anyway, I wanted to thank you for being part of this journey.  I hope you'll stick around and maybe 14 years from now, we'll still be hanging out and having fun, sharing the joys and the sorrows along the way.

:hugs:

Thursday This n That

The other day, Hubs got a call from someone he went to high school with.  He hasn't seen or spoken to the guy in 45 years and out of the blue... bam.  It was pretty cool.  And they had a nice conversation.  The whole thing led me to thinking about the people I went to high school with.  Which led me to the FB page for alumni and teachers who've passed away.  Some of it was decidedly depressing - like seeing that a long-ago friend of my mom's had passed away.  But two teachers I had despised also passed away, which made me happy.  Yeah, I'm that kind of person.  What can I say?  They were mean to me.  Googling, I also discovered someone I was friends with in HS is alive and well and teaching 6th grade at a local (to where we grew up) private school.  I tried calling her after our 10 year class reunion, after which we went out and talked for a while, but she never called back, so meh.  Glad she's doing well, though.  I tried googling another friend, but I only know her maiden name and she's dropped off the radar entirely with that name.

I'm in a slump with regard to writing again.  In fact, I found myself asking if I really want to do this anymore. Again.  I expect this too shall pass.  It usually does.  Right now, though...  Meh.

So, I got something in the mail from someone I haven't seen in 4 years, and it was a graduation announcement for one of their children.  Which left me wondering a couple things - 1) were they doing a blanket announcement to everyone they've ever known trying to get grad prezzies?  2) since they never sent my kid a grad prezzie or card, what exactly was my obligation?  Yeah, I'm that kind of person, too.  I sent a card.

I'm connected to a cousin's wife on FB - and she keeps asking me where I live... on FB... as if I would blurt it out there.  Other than 'SW MO', I don't really like telling people on social media exactly where they can find me.  Yep, that kind of person, too.  If she wants my address, she can ask my mom. 

BTW, my mom is total awesome dipped in awesomesauce and covered with awesonesprinkles, so I fail to understand why anyone would want to lose touch with her.  I talk to her as often as our schedules allow.  And I'm hoping she lives at least as long as her grandmother, which would give me another good 20 years with her in my life.

Well, that's it for the this n that today.  How's 'bout you?

Thursday This n That

This year's Christmas presents for Hubs and I are joint presents - fishing gear.  We spent yesterday morning looking at stuff on Amazon and picking out what we figured would be a good mix of stuff to catch bass.  Should be fun this Spring.   

Right now, I'm reading Robinson Crusoe.  Or as I put it to Hubs last night, "I'm finally finishing Robinson Crusoe after 42 years."  This is the book I picked up when I was about 4 and started 'writing' it by copying the words down on a piece of paper.  So I read probably a paragraph worth back then... well, 'read' as much as a four year old can read anything.  I can't wait to see how it turns out.  ;o)

Back in October when I was reading up a storm, I adjusted my Goodreads goal to 90 books.  Then November hit and I read like one book.  I'm pretty behind now.  I've read 79 books.  I don't think I'll make it to 90, but I made a rule that I can adjust my goal up but never down.  Cuz that's cheating.  We'll see where I end up.

Yes, I believe that cheating on yourself is still cheating. 

Way back when, in another life when I was a younger me, I had a best friend.  We were thick as thieves, Mags and I.  Then life happened.  And we drifted apart.  Long story short, I haven't seen or spoken to her in like 27-28 years or something.  I started looking for her pretty much as soon as the internet was born.  Not every day or anything - I'm not a psycho - but like whenever the idea struck me.  I found her Facebook page last night.  I sent her a message and a friend request*.  Now, we'll see if she replies.  If so, cool.  If not, oh well.  At least I found her.  She's alive and she looks happy in the pics she's posted.  That's the most important thing I wanted to know. 

*Ever see that Sonic commercial where the two guys who star in those things are sitting in a car next to two guys who look similar to them, and they want to make friends, but the blond guy gets all weird?  Yeah, in retrospect, I think that's probably how my message reads.  Total loon.  :shrug: 

What's on your this n that today?

This Morning's Blogroll

For kicks, I thought I'd post the first ten links from my morning blogroll (you know, before I refresh it and see what else is out there)...

Happy Release Day! from Confessions (by Suzie Townsend)

REVIEW: Planesrunner by Ian McDonald from Book Chick City (by Melanie)

Muse Takes Over from Janet's Journal (by Janet)

Teaser Tuesday (March 5) from Alli's World (by Allison Kirk)

Tell Me a Story from Random Thoughts (by Cynthia)

Lucy the Wonder Weenie - Book Review from Pearls Cast Before a McPig (by Sullivan McPig)

How to Find Public Domain Photos, Music, Etc. from Jenna Scribbles (by Jenna)

*SHIVERS* Death's Awakening (Cover Reveal) from Writer's Alley (by S.A. Larsen)

Author Spotlight: RaShelle Workman's Blood and Snow Series from Christine Fonseca, Author (by Christine Fonseca)

Apropos of Nothing from Murderati (by Gar Anthony Haywood)

These are in the order they posted and not in anyway meant to show which ones I liked best, or even the ones I commented on.  (These days I read more blogs than I comment on.)  Lots of release news and reviews - but of course, since it's Tuesday.

What's on your blogroll this morning?

Sticky Notes

I'm surrounded.  Sticky notes to the right of me.  Sticky notes to the left of me.  All of them staring at me, waiting for me to do something.  Make a call.  Write a check.  Research this.  Delete that. 

Aarrgghh.

And mixed amongst them are non-sticky notes*.  A half-finished to-do list.  A note to call some guy about some things.  Notes on some other calls I made.  A list of blog topics.  A whole square of paper about a particular topic I need to write about. 

I'm drowning in little squares of paper over here.

(We won't talk about the pile of big papers sitting in front of the file cabinet.  That's a whole other kettle of fish.)

Is your desk covered in notes or are you more organized than I am?  What are your notes telling you to do today?

*I'm using the back of torn off Dilbert calendar pages as scrap notes.  Works pretty well and keeps me from having to buy notepads.

Oh, and if you haven't wandered over there, Silver James is guest posting again at The Unpublished Writers' Guide to Survival.  She's talking about Getting Physical.  Stop on by and join in the conversation.

Or stop by The Killer Chicks and learn about My First Crush.

Unexpected Positive

So, I was sitting around the house this weekend when an email arrived from a friend of mine.  It was in regard to that Twitter thing I did on Friday.  She was asking if I had any bites.  When I told her I hadn't, she expressed surprise - natch - and wondered why a particular agent hadn't snapped me up.  Then she suggested I query this particular agent directly. 

Needless to say, I was hesitant.  I've got lot going on, and... okay, I'll come right on and say it... I was afraid.  This gal seemed awesome, but her querytracker listing didn't say she wanted suspense.  (And the last thing anyone needs is another rejection.)  My friend kicked me in the ass nudged me to send a query anyway - pointing out an article where it specifically says the gal's looking for my genre. 

I hemmed and hawed, but promised to send a query.  I had planned on waiting until Monday, but Sunday night, I got a wild hair, gathered my materials together, tweaked the query letter and sent that puppy off.  I wasn't expecting anything to come of it.

I got a reply around lunch on Monday.  She wanted a full!  Coulda knocked me over with a feather. 

Anyway, after the Hubs went back to work, I sent out the full and the synopsis she asked for.  Keep your fingers crossed.

But well wishes isn't why I'm writing this post.  (Well, they're always nice, but not my main goal here.)  I wanted to let you know so you can maybe see that sometimes, when you least expect it, good things can happen.

So, send those queries out.  Even if you're crazy busy.  Even if you're pretty sure they're not the right agent for your manuscript - because the information out there says they aren't.  Even if you don't think you can take one more rejection.  Because you never know.  You could get a request for full.

And who knows?  It might turn into an offer of representation.  Stranger things have happened.

I'm not holding my breath, but I am crossing my fingers.  ;o)

My Baker's Dozen Submission

A friend of mine told me in a private email that I was allowed 24 hours to wallow over my not making it into the Baker's Dozen, so I did.  Now that the proscribed hours are up, it's back to life.  And with a return to reality comes showing what I sent that didn't quite make the cut.

Here's how it would've looked if it made it onto the site:

Title: Djinnocide
Genre: Urban Fantasy

Jo Mayweather vowed years ago to free her fellow genies from those three little wishes that enslave them, but after a murderous being starts tormenting and killing her brethren, she learns there are worse things for an unlucky djinn to face—like an ungrantable wish.

No one ever asked me if I wanted to be a genie. I never even thought such a thing was possible. I was a modern woman living in the Roaring Twenties. Against my mother’s wishes, I wore my hair and my skirts short. I drank at speakeasies. I danced with gangsters. Hell, I even smoked for petesakes. After surviving for almost two whole decades, I had certainly aged too far to believe in fairy stories anymore.

My father, Reggie, he was the dreamer in the family. He was the one always looking for the next big thing and if he could steal it? Well, even better. Me, I spent years looking for the next big party. In fact, I’d been prepping for my own birthday extravaganza when the package arrived. The shipping label said ‘Constantinople’, but whether my thief of a dad could still be found there was anyone’s guess. Odds were he’d moved to the next port of call and his next score. At least he’d bothered to think enough of me to send a gift. After all, it’s not every day a gal turns eighteen.

“Marriageable age,” my mother mumbled at me that morning in lieu of a more sentimental greeting. She’d meant ‘well past the age of finding a husband’ if her previous birthday greetings were any indication. She wanted me married and out of the house before I could graduate high school.

The first paragraph is the logline and the next three represent the first 250 or so words of the book (less because I didn't want to stop mid-paragraph).  

If you're going to comment on the quality of the above, please remember 'If you don't have anything nice to say, don't say anything at all'.  I'm willing to put my work out there on MSFV for public shredding, but I don't need to get kicked in my own house.  Besides, mean comments don't make it past my internal nastiness filter to post to the blog.  So there.  =op

You're an Agent And This is Crazy...

...But here's my query, so call me maybe.

:smirk:  I couldn't resist jumping on the bandwagon with this one.  Hey, if the Olympic swim team can borrow the song for their video, I can at least snatch the line for my blog post title.  ;o)

Okay, so I was talking with a friend of mine (who shall remain nameless unless she decides to out herself in the comments).  She's been reading a book I sent out for query a couple years ago, that I got discouraged about.  I didn't send it to her to critique.  We were just chatting and I said 'Hey, you should probably read my suspense one of these days'.  She found a free spot in her busy life and asked to see it.

Last night she wrote me to tell me she's almost done and asked the eternal question.  "WHY did you stop querying this?"

So I told her the long, sad* stupid story.  Actually, the short version is Jessica Faust rejected my full and then I got all defeatist. 

And Ms. Faust's comments weren't bad.  They were actually really nice.  I just got all tangled up in my head with my own self-doubt and decided 'You have no business writing suspense'.  After which, I stopped production on the half-edited book I was tweaking and the half-written WIP I was working on. 

They sit on my hard drive giving me the stink-eye every time I scroll past their folders.  And I don't blame them.  I deserve a little stink-eye from those books.  They're good ideas.  They ought to be finished and sent out into the world.

As for Dying Embers (aka Manhunter - if you've been around the blog that long), I never should've walked away and left it lying in the dust.  After all, as my friend pointed out, Ms. Faust requested the full for a reason.  So, as soon as I screw my courage to the sticking post, I will send it out into the world again. 

What about you?  Have you ever let a little discouragement stop you from going after something? 

PS.  If you haven't seen that video of the swimmers lip-syncing to 'Call Me Maybe', it's hilarious.

*sad as in pathetic, not depressing... well, unless you count that being pathetic is often depressing.

Six Degrees of Writerly Separation

As I was writing a comment on another blog recently :waves at Jeffe Kennedy and the other Word Whores:, I began to think about how I've come to know the authors I love now.  Way back when, I would find new authors by browsing through the bookstores or at the library.  And it was pretty much that way until I became an author myself and started to look for other writer to connect with.

I remember early on, I stumbled across Karin Tabke's blog.  And from there I was introduced to Murder She Writes gals Allison Brennan, and Jennifer Lyon, and later Roxanne St. Claire (or maybe I found Roxanne through another of my early blog friends - Kristen Painter).  I know somehow or other, I followed one of those awesome gals over to a romance blog (I forget which - it's now defunct) where I found Monica McCarty.

Not only have I found awesome authors this way, but I've found new friends and critique partners.  Through Monica McCarty, I found my friend, Natalie Murphy :waves:.  Through MSW (or through Jen Lyon's blog - I forget), I found Silver James and through Silver, I found Janet.  :waves at both of them, too:

The web is such a great way to find new authors to read.  It's also an awesome way to meet people (even it's not face to face), make friends, and find people to read your work.

Who have you met online?  How many degrees of separation can you trace?  (Now that I think about it, we're probably all within six degrees of Nora Roberts.  For whatever that's worth.)