Sunday Summations

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I write books...er, manuscripts. Stories, if you will. When exactly does a manuscript become a book? Perhaps when it's assigned an ISBN number? In any case, I don't drone on about my writing here because I don't want to bore people to death. I don't want to rant about the ups and downs of publishing and submitting and story plotting. But, I have stories. And I want people to buy them...eventually.

Whether I sell to a publisher or sell on my own in the new world of epublishing. You just might be my reader. That's intimidating for me. There has to be at least one follower on my blog who read a post one day and thought, "That woman is nuts!" :D Or, even worse, "Booooring!"

But you know me a little if you've been around at all. I'm a romantic. I'm down-to-earth. I might be considered liberal in one circle yet conservative in another. Laid back, I'm more likely to aim for leisure and a good novel than success and the next best how-to book. My laundry gets done once a week because no matter how often I tell myself that doing a load a day would be easier in the long run, I rarely look that far ahead to worry about it.

Sunday Summations is my new way of incorporating some self-promotion. This week, I find myself waiting on two submissions. One full length ms and one novellita [a small novella. I just made that up!]. Keep your fingers crossed for me. I also have a novella that I've sent off to an editor. This one is going up Amazon style [or perhaps Pub It (BN) style] in June. JUNE! Seems so far away, but there's so much to do. Editing to happen. Covers to shop for. Formatting magic [and I do mean magic! or a miracle, God help me.]. Bottom line is... unless I acquire an editor at a publishing company who says, what have you got? I want you. Then I'm taking my novella, Spring Leave, to the stores. That's a little bit exciting, don't you think?

Last but not least, I've been looking for drive.
I keep seeing the stuff out there for kids, like my 12 yo daughter, to read.
And I wonder if I could write something for that audience.
Now there's a challenge. Just something simmering in the back of my mind... I might have to use a pen name, because you can bet your last dollar my 12 yo won't read a book I wrote. :P Maaahumm! <--since when is Mom a three syllable word?

I'll keep you posted.
With Love,
Bethanne

Saturday Sweets

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The boys want to learn to make cookies so I picked grandma's recipe. it's simple! and fun!



Grandma's Chocolate Chip Cookies
Beat 1 stick margarine
Add 1/2 c sugar and 1/2 c brown sugar
Add 1/2 tsp vanilla and 1 egg
Mix
Add 1 1/2 c flour and 1/4 tsp baking soda
Add 1-2 c of chocolate chips
Mix

scoop tablespoonfuls onto pan
bake at 350 for 8-10 minutes unless you are baking with stone.
mine go in for at least 12 minutes.



Oh my, that boy is getting so handsome... *sigh* they grow up so fast!

Going into the Desert

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Sometimes being in the Army is like going into the desert.
And isn't it ironic that at the start of lent this year, I am struggling with these feelings of solitude?
It'll be my year of remembering that no matter what, I'm never alone.
God is with me. My faith sustains me...

and lucky me, I have an awesome husband who--even when he has to answer the phone while I'm pouring my guts out to him in an emotional outburst--is, at the heart of it, always there for me. When I go to bed at night, I know he's there to hold my hand through these crappy feelings. We're in this together, even when we're not together.

That's all I need. Thanks Babe for being such a great husband. I hope you get out early some time soon, so we can watch a Burn Notice together before the kids get home from school. :D

Back from the Sunny North

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It doesn't matter how little sense that makes. That's exactly where I came from! Just a smidge of snow on Saturday morning, but that's it. Forget Lake Effect, forget that it was February. Felt like April up there, when things are just getting ready for spring and teasing us with a warm weekend. Thank God for the nice weather!

Tomorrow is the start of my church's Lenten Season. So I gotta start thinking of ways to sacrifice. What can I do? What can I give up? One thing I want to do [and I'm hoping this 40 days of fasting will motivate be to actually do it] is to stick to a schedule. Like this morning...

Pray a little.
Blog.
Get kids on bus.
Write.

If I can get those three things done every morning, it seems like the rest of my day should be wide open!! I often find myself trying to squeeze or make time for these most important activities. Could it be so hard to just do them?!

Apparently...

because it's been years, and I have yet to do this as if it's easy. :/

Miracle Monday

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I've started a half a dozen blog posts only to delete them. Grrr. So frustrating.
Topics and whatnot...talking about me, about writing, about life.

What next?

Question: When did you find you?
Sounds nuts, doesn't it?
I found me at about 30.
THIRTY YEARS!
I applaud you if you are one of the strong individuals who had a true sense of yourself before 30.
I only thought I knew me.

Meeting my husband and having him like me and want to marry me while I was in college? MIRACLE.
I knew my intrinsic value as a daughter of God, a friend. But I was always measuring myself against other people. Other people were prettier and smarter. I'm pretty sure I lacked confidence.

There's something I know.
A confident woman is attractive.
I must have had it deep inside me or something...
Or maybe I just needed my husband to Make it all Gel--like gelatin!
That makes sense since he's my other half. :D

Love that Man for helping me be the woman God wants me to be.

Who are your Friends?

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It really struck me that I have to surround myself with people who make me a better person and who inspire me to be a better person. Sometimes I wonder what kind of balance I have to have in order to maintain character status quo.

I have to want to work hard, play hard, succeed,  and pray. Not necessarily in that order. When I'm on Facebook too much, I know the play side of my balance is going to be too heavy. If I hang only with my writing group in a week, I'll probably find myself focused on work more than I should.

Perhaps it has to do with accountability as well. Easy to hide under so many hats! Sheesh. I'm serious about that. For what it's worth, there's nothing like my husband to keep me grounded, though. My husband and kids. Heck, yeah. :D

My new journey involves time management. haha. This year, create a better balance.

BORED

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Today, I'm bored.
I worked on a bio for my sister who is an awesome photographer.
My daughter has been sleeping for over three hours.
I'm on my second episode of Firefly--yay!

I'm thinking about how there is so much I've learned from books. Not school books! Fiction. How it's way better to read a story about the Civil War than it is to sludge through chapters of facts and dates. I still get dates, but this way I can think...oh yeah, that's what happened in of '64 after Nathaniel ran from home to go find Sally who had travelled south.

My legs are starting to cramp, so I'm going to take a walk. Wake the baby and get some air and sunshine. :) It'll be nice. Then maybe I'll bake something because tonight is leftover night and even though it's leftovers, it's still nice to have something fresh.

You know you're bored when nothing new is happening on Facebook or Twitter!! :D LOL
Happy Hump Day.
Bethanne

Saturday Sweets

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Friday, late afternoon, I made a banana cake. I started the project, forgetting that I did not have any eggs. Believe me, you can't make cake without eggs. So I sent my son next door to borrow a couple of eggs. I made the cake...and let me tell you, this cake is the best cake EVER. (if you plan to link to the recipe, I added a little plain yogurt to the banana. The recipe is unbelievably moist and yummy. Other recipes I've used have been heavy, more like banana bread is. Anyhooo...

I had a plate ready to take over to the neighbors, but they haven't been home since shortly after we borrowed the eggs. And now the cake is gone!

GONE!

In 24 hours, that cake is MIA. That is a recommendation you can't deny. Tomorrow, when I go shopping, I'll buy eggs and make cookies. Those will go to the neighbors... because I'm so thankful for having such wonderful people in my life.

IM much?

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I dropped a BTW in my manuscript.
You know what's even more funny than that?
Only one person caught it. :D I read that manuscript a dozen times and my eyes just flew right past without a second look. Crazy.

I guess I need to stop texting and IMing so much.

UPDATE:
Submission for Spring Fling Anthology is completed and sent on its way.
When it came right down to it, I didn't think the story fit Fling Protocol. Fling being a short unintentional relationship between two people. When my hero shows up in town, he definitely intends on forming a relationship with the heroine. So, instead of throwing it in the Anthology pile, I threw it in the general submission/wishlist pile. Now comes my favorite part of the writing process--WAITING!

Actually, I don't mind it that much. I have so much to do, once I toss a ms out there, I hardly think of it again until a note pops up in my inbox. Which is a total blessing! Some people think and think and think and worry and wait and think and obsess. I don't have that in my personality, I guess.

It's 10am here and already sixty some odd degrees. Going to be a scorcher! :D
Enjoy the day.
Happy writing.
Bethanne

Bible Study Today

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Who knew?! I actually go to a bible study now! haha. It's very unlike me.
In case you're curious about the world's state of affairs, it's already been determined.
I know, getting all thoughtful on you...
but we read today that Jesus said, "I do not come to bring peace. I come to bring division."

Huh.

That made me think. It's so easy to shake a fist and wonder what the heck is going on around here. And I sometimes wonder if there isn't some kind of solution to the debates, the wars... No peace! But I guess what it comes down to is that we weren't promised peace in this lifetime.

What we should all do is just chill then. I mean, what's the point of fighting about stuff if the divide has been set?
Let's all have a drink! Cheers!

....Have I taken this lesson too far? LOL :D

Write Something Fun

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As writers, we spend time--even if it's not acknowledged as such--finding a niche, finding our voice. Making our writing special. Even the same story isn't told more than once the same way. I've had some fun playing with my voice and experimenting with stories.

When I've wanted my voice to be pretty dark, I've found that it leans toward sarcastic. Maybe not all lighthearted, but definitely not DARK. When I think of it in a visual sense, I get more of a Psych reference than a Psycho reference. :D :D

Plus, I've even written a couple of contemporary romances in the last few years that have absolutely NO MYSTERY OR SUSPENSE AT ALL. *gasp*

I know!!

Crazy. But those seem to flow really well for me...and that makes me suspicious that there in lies a strength. So, what about you? What's your strength? And if you could put your voice to TV what show or movie would it be?