So, after a one-on-one critique with Dr. Dennis Hensley of Taylor University, I spent a few weeks debating whether to keep working on self-publishing Woman of Flames or to send out queries again in hopes of gaining an agent and/or traditional publishing. Dr. Hensley encouraged me to get the manuscript professionally copy-edited (commas are my nemesis) and try traditional publishing. I was greatly encouraged by his faith in my writing ability, but, after much prayer and consideration, still think I will self-publish this work. I am waiting to hear from an agency I queried about my YA trilogy before I go ahead and press the button, just in case they might be interested in representing me.

Spent a wonderful weekend at the NWG (Nebraska Writers’ Guild) spring conference. Lots of great information from Lee Hough of Alive Communications who discussed agents and memoirs. Jonathon Maberry, NY Times bestselling author discussed marketing and web presence. Joel Friedlander discussed the ins and outs of self-publishing. I’ll be working on a proposal to send to Lee Hough in a few weeks. I’ m still waiting to push the button to print Woman of Flames. The map is done, but after this weekend’s conference, I really want to make sure I have the right cover.

Unbelievable to me that we are already in March. On the writing horizon this month: Edits for Deborah are done, the only thing holding me up is creating a map.  I feel like Scarlett O’Hara, waving my fist at the sunset, “I’ll never go hungry again!” Only I’m vowing, “I’ll put Woman of Flames up for sale by the end of this month!”

I’ve already completed one YA review and need to start the next for this month’s deadline. I’ve been contracted to read the Pretty Little Liars series. If any of you have daughters that you’re trying to raise in a godly manner, stay away from these stories. These are some very messed up characters.

My new humor blog is up on www.thechristianpulse.com, take a look. I need to get a jump on May’s now.

YA #3 is coming along nicely. I had to stop trying to write in chronological order to break out of some serious writer’s block, but thank God for his inspiration. I’ve written two new scenes for the last quarter of the book that I really like. Now to see how my characters get to this point. It’s always an adventure!

This month I’m still working on the final edits of Deborah. Funny thing is, just when I think it’s done, I find something else to change. ugh.

I’ve got two YA reviews to do and my regular humor for www.thechristianpulse.com.

YA book #3 is coming along. I’ve got about 25,000 words done so far and a couple of scenes spinning around in my head. Trying to plot things out a bit better so I can tie up lose ends from book #2 Where Shadows Lie.

I’m also working on outlines for a set of cosy mysteries. I’ve never ventured into this genre before, but may have someone who can help me break into the market. If nothing else, it’s a great way to stretch my imagination.

I’ll also be taking time to go down to Kansas for a seminar with Dr. Dennis Hensley, head of the pro-writing department of Taylor University. I’m taking my daughter and niece along with me, both aspiring writers. Can’t wait!

So, one of the things I’ve decided to do for the new year is NOT blog. Instead, I’ll do a monthly update of what my goals are for the month and what I’ve accomplished writing wise. Basically, this site will no longer be a blog but an informational site where readers of my work can get an idea about what I’m working on next.

For January:

I’m waiting for the contract from Thriving Family for my next two reviews- The Scarlet Pimpernel and Pretty Little Liars #1. I had fun reading The Scarlet Pimpernel, PLL- not so much. I marveled that people actually wanted to watch that kind of trash, I’m sadder still to think it was so popular they needed to have books to further the moral down slide.

On the fiction front, I’d like to have my finished draft of Woman of Flames ready to go by the end of the month. I keep setting goals to get it done and then life events squash my muse. This time, God willing, I will prevail. I also hope to get back to writing the third novel in my YA trilogy.

As you can see if you scroll down my web page, I’ve not been faithful this year in posting. Life, with all its changes, has been hectic  and I just haven’t been able to keep up with things as I should.

I am planning on making some more changes in the coming months. That will include the content I present on this home page. Please be patient as I struggle to truly enter the media age and learn how to post a relevant blog!

If you’re new to my web site, I hope you take a minute to read through some of my past blogs or visit my humor postings at TheChristianPulse.com.

Thanks for your patience as this site transitions into something better!

I am writing this outside on my deck, enjoying the sounds of chirping birds and an ambitious woodpecker searching for food. Early buds sprout on the trees and even a crocus or two has popped its head up in the garden. I hear my father’s voice, exaggerating his London accent, declaring, “Spring has sprung, the grass is riz, I wonder where the birdies is?”

Corny, I know, but it’s something he would say every spring and I truly wish I could hear him say it again right now.

Perhaps it’s because I’m sipping a cup of Lipton’s tea; or maybe it’s because today would have been his birthday; perhaps it’s because this weekend I’m going to a wedding and I can’t help but regret that he died before he could walk me down the aisle. Whatever the reason, I am missing him today.

My dad wasn’t perfect- but he was good, and kind and decent. He worked hard to support his family and he loved to share the fruits of his labor with those around him. Nothing gave him greater pleasure than Christmas day, watching us open gifts he gave us. I think he’d had so little growing up in war-torn London, that he enjoyed giving whatever he could to his children.

He’s been gone over twenty years now, and I still think about him. I miss his annoying cheerfulness in the mornings and his pub-style piano playing at night. I wonder what he would have thought of what I’ve done with my life so far. I wish he could have met my kids, I know he would have loved them and they would have thought he was a hoot!

So I just want to remind you all to take a moment today to give the ones close to you and extra hug or call a loved one who’s living far away. I sure do wish I could do the same with my dad. But for now, I’ll have another sip of tea and reminisce a little more on this glorious spring afternoon.

The year I’ve been dreading is upon me. 2012.

No, I’m not concerned with the Mayan Calendar prediction of doomsday, instead, the role I’ve happily carved out for myself as mom will alter dramatically this year.

My baby will graduate from high school.

More than likely my husband and I will become empty nesters by the end of the year when our daughter goes to college and our son gets an apartment on his own.

And so my only New Year’s Resolution this year is to slowly let go. I don’t want to be a helicopter mom, hovering over my grown kids lives. Instead, I want to be a lighthouse. A beacon that constantly shines, in good times and in bad, to let my children know they are loved.

 I may call out a warning in stormy nights, but a lighthouse doesn’t leave the land it sits on. Instead, it lets the ship navigate the rough waters on its own.   In good weather the lighthouse serves as a reminder that there is a safe harbor available if you want to come in from your journey and rest.

It will be a process, this letting go, but I resolve to start building up the foundation of my lighthouse so that I can stand tall and strong when the time comes to let my kids sail out on their own. A foundation built on the love we have for each other and the faith that God will protect them when they are out of my sight.

And so we come to the first week of December. The turkey has all been cooked and eaten. The Christmas decorations are beginning to find their way out of the basement and up around the house. And this writer has again completed a NaNoWriMo challenge. 

50,000 words. Actually, 51,000 and change. No, there are no rewards for finishing within the 30 days. No one gets a prize if they post their story first or have the most words. Instead, those of us who complete the challenge have the satisfaction of setting a goal and seeing it through. I don’t know about you, but in our fast paced world it’s nice to have that pleasure for even a little while. 

I find it especially fulfilling around this time of year when the advertisers all seem to scream, “You can only be content if you buy my soap, or my soda, or this car!” I can hold my home printed NaNoWriMo certificate high and shout back “Hah! I don’t need any of your trifles because I AM content. I’m happy because I’ve done what I set out to do. I may not have climbed Mt. Everest (although it felt like that on some days) or played in the Super Bowl but this victory is mine and it tastes almost as sweet.

Have you ever had one of those weeks where everything seems to be ganging up against you?  This has been one of those weeks. This is my third attempt at updating my blog, and the gremlins in the machine keep conspiring to erase what I write.

But, enough of my grumbling. Week one of NaNoWriMo is finished and even though I tend to write in spurts rather than a steady pace, I’ve managed to keep up with the word count. It hasn’t been easy. Life has tried to keep me from my goal. A rejection letter threatened to tear a hole in the last of my confidence.

But that’s one thing I’ve learned about writing. It’s a journey, not a formula. No matter how good my outline is or how many words I set as a goal, life has a way of interrupting. And no matter how wonderful I think my story is, not everyone is going to like it, just like not everyone likes chocolate. (Difficult to believe, I know but I’ve met a few of these people, even called them my friends.)

And so this week, I got another lesson in perseverance. Instead of quitting NaNoWriMo when I was over 3,000 words behind on the first week, I used the extra hour we got on Sunday and woke up early to write in the quiet before church. Instead wallowing in self-pity (okay, I wallowed a little) I wrote a nice thank-you letter to the editor who’d rejected my manuscript and asked if she’d read it again if I made some revisions, to which she immediately agreed.

So now, week two of NaNoWriMo begins and I’m only a couple hundred words behind. I’m off now to take care of the little things that are important to my family, things like laundry and grocery shopping, but I’ll be back at the computer as soon as I’m able, ready to continue on this journey called writing.