I like grocery shopping. Really, I do. I cherish it even more now than I did before. Having used grocery pick-up services back in 2020, I appreciate the chance to actually hold produce in my hands. Maybe food selecting is also enjoyable for me because it reminds me of past times with my mom. I’d tag along with her, pick fruit from the bin and maybe even weigh them on those nifty silver scales. If I was really good and well-behaved, I’d get a treat from the bakery (usually a roll). Or Tic … [Read more...]
Patience
August 13, 2021 Leave a Comment
I'm on the Chicks on a Case blog talking about patience. That's the writer's life in a nutshell! https://chicksonthecase.com/2021/08/13/the-patient-writer/ … [Read more...]
My First #Pit2Pub
July 17, 2017 2 Comments
"An unexpected event will soon bring you fortune." Twitter is alive with a lot of publishing opportunities. Different hashtagged events allow access to agents and editors. Some examples include #PitchWars, #SFFPit, and #PitMad. Last week, I decided to participate in #Pit2Pub. This is a chance to get a 140-character pitch in front of editors at various publishers. If it's hard to whittle a novel into a synopsis, it's insane to do so into a tweet. But I tried. I wanted to provide a sense of … [Read more...]
Short Story Stats
June 19, 2017 2 Comments
"Don't let statistics do a number on you." Interested in finding out how much of writing involves waiting? Look no further. I've been trying to shop around a 2100-word short story for a while. No bites so far. Here's my record of numbers: First date submitted: October 2016 Number of submissions: 5 Number of responses: 4 Quickest response time: 7 days Longest response time: 8 months Extra notes: Two personalized rejections, one form rejection. One of the customized rejections went … [Read more...]
Gone Publisher
May 2, 2016 9 Comments
"Failure is the chance to do better next time." It's like Gone Girl but without the twist. So my publisher (Booktrope) is closing its doors at the end of May, after having launched almost 1000 books into the world. It was definitely a shocking and heart-wrenching announcement. Where does that leave Dragonfly Dreams? Great question. There's an option of republishing or just leaving it on the curbside. I'll have to sort out all the legal terminology and tangles before making a final … [Read more...]
Official Release Date
October 12, 2015 4 Comments
"Loving is sharing rainbows of happiness." I'm very happy to announce that my upcoming YA novel, DRAGONFLY DREAMS, will be officially released on November 24, 2015. It's been an exciting journey with my publisher, Booktrope. All along the way, I've had direct access to the major players on my team (whom I selected through a vast network of freelancers): book manager, editor, proofreader, and cover artist. The excellent Booktrope staff has also been really supportive and helpful. Extra … [Read more...]
Molting like a Cicada (or Self-Publishing)
January 12, 2015 10 Comments
"Courage is the hallmark of a warrior." I remember visiting Taiwan and hearing a repetitive whirring from the tree above me. It was the song of a cicada. Cicadas are known as "tree crickets" and live on branches. While their cousin crickets on the ground produce music by rubbing their wings, cicadas actually have built-in noisemakers (tymbals) that can be manipulated by using their muscles. In Chinese culture, cicadas are a symbol of immortality (because of their long lifespan) and rebirth … [Read more...]
