Another Submission

Last year I had made a resolution that never quite saw fruition... and no, it wasn't the one where I lose a bunch of weight and become a fabulous host of my own talk show on Book TV, it's the one where I submit something each and every month to a publisher or agent. Since I didn't end up doing that last year, I'll try again this year.

Solarion Heat counts as my January submission, which also turned into a sale.
I also submitted a novella "Mind Games" to Red Sage. Technically, that would be a second January submission, but it's all semantics. February is a short month anyhow. So, two for January is worth none if February or two in the bush. Whatever.

"Mind Games" is actually the sequel to my December release from Red Sage, but takes place thirty years after and stars Jesse and Soran's son Damien. Though the country had been saved by his parents they couldn't undo the damage done by nearly two centuries of polluted atmosphere. As a result, psychic powers are on the upswing and the infant government is scared of the psychic pair bonds called Varteks. Damien knows his partner is out their somewhere, he can feel her, now he has to find her before the governement agents move in.

- I haven't decided what my next project will be. I'm working on Immorati's sequel and want to get back to my other sci-fi's that I can send to Samhain. These will be full length novels. I'm over my head with half-finished projects that need completed. If I don't finish them by June, then at least July.

Busy. Busy. Busy.

I'm working up the nerve to email my Samhain editor and submitting my "Akadian Awakening" concept to them. Four novellas, one for each season and goddess. Maybe I'll try that one in Feb. But I need good outlines for the other 3 stories in the collection. I've again made up my own mythology and world, and I think I want to go back and look at the world I created and add some words so I can flesh it out a bit more. Now that I don't have the burden of word count on my back I can spin a longer yarn.

-Kat

SOLD!!!

Solarion Heat has been offered a contract by Samhain Publishing!!!

Hurray!! It's a sci-fi romance, short story. The story of how it sold is rather funny. I was rejected for the "Midsummer Night's Steam" anthology, but the editor liked the story so much she sent it to another editor, who she said should be back to me in a week or so. The very next day, I got the email from the second editor (Immie) saying that she wanted to offer me a contract!!! Yeah!!!

So, I sold in January. Barely made it, but I did. Now, if I can only sell something every month of the year. Hehehehhehee.. Wouldn't that be an awesome feat.

I really fell in love with this Solarion world I built. I'm thinking I might want to revisit there some day.

-Kat

Big Bad Week

It just shows to go ya that even published writers have bad weeks.

Rejection is still part of the lexicon, even if you've had a previous good years and sold four different stories -like me. This week I've had to deal with two rejection - three if you count the fact that the agent who rejected me actually had two manuscripts though she only read one, and sent the other back without even commenting on it. Is that allowed? Or is it just me to think it's incredibly rude. Whatever. Water under the bridge.

And what does it mean when you're characters aren't engaging anyways? Is that a blanket term for 'you suck' or is it...'I just don't like this story but I can't figure out what else to say.' - The reason I say that is because anyone who's ever read my work knows I'm the queen of deep POV. How can you not engage your reader if you're in deep POV? Granted, I've read some stories from my library or purchased at bookstores that I totally couldn't get into the character. Take the one I read last night for instance - Please take it... no, really get it out of my site I wanted to gag!!!

Now, I'll be the first person in the world to admit, I have some work to do on craft. We all do...even the big players don't hit home runs everytime...but Jesus in June people, when I'm holding a book in my hand and the dialogue is stilted, the ideas redundant to where I'm thinking 'broken record' and most of the time deep POV is a concept limited to Proctologists, then hey...how did they manage to have someone say..."Yes, these characters and situations engage me!" Not. Liar.

The most amazing thing was that the words..."New York Times Best Selling Author" appeared on the cover. I gotta shake my head over those words. But in all fairness, maybe it wasn't the best effort by that particular author. It happens. (Refer back to my 'hitting out of the park' comment.) - I'll give the author another try, but this time as a library book.

Enough rant about others, this is my blog after all and is about me.

So, I got on my soapbox and started yelling. Well, actually complaining to the girls in the breakroom at work - most of whom have read my novella, or at least the dirty parts. - I think they sympathized with me, but then probably didn't really understand the passion behind my disappointment and anger.

My crit partners are very understanding and tell me to get back on the horse. Oh, I am friends. I am. I've just sent off another submission to the same publisher who dissed me earlier in the week. Different editor, different project, so hopefully this one will be a go. - As you see, I'm a big believer in self flagellation. (Get those cat 'o nine tails ready folks). And as you have probably already noted, I do believe in giving authors another chance, because I know the pitfalls of writing consistant. It's actually statisically impossible to write projects everytime that everyone will embrace. Human nature doesn't allow for that. - Ok, well, I can't prove that scientifically, but it's probably true.

K, I'm going to lick my wounds and finish some of my other stories and submit them. It's time for a total bombastic cataclysmic over-the-top submission avalanche.

-Kat

Secure Frustrations....

Why does doing something that is so important for your computer take so freakin' long? It took me over an hour to purchase and download the latest virus protection. An hour.

Now, it's taken me at least a half hour to scan the stupid computer. Couldn't it have done that when it installed the crap? The capper is that I still have an entire list of updates to go through and load. All told it will be hours before I'm done with this. Why can't it be instanteous. I want Star Trek action baby. Give me a level one diagnostic anyday!!!

The problem is, I know how important this is and so I'm doing it, but geez...the time, people. I have worlds to conquer and characters to get out of situations. I can't spend all my time updating. I have limited time as it is.

*Note to manufacterers. Make something faster.*

-Kat