So, in the last week, I both finished writing the first draft of Ravina of the Twains and managed to get the entire thing transcribed to my computer. This was a strange WIP for me. It is the shortest I've ever written (comes in at just under 60k transcribed) and it has had the least amount changed during the first edit while transcribing. I have yet to figure out if these are good things, or bad things. My average novels have been longer, and while many authors hate killing their lovelies, I find it rather enjoyable. I'd always rather have too many than too few. The same goes for a horse. I've always been one to go for the hot blooded fruit loops because I find settling them out so much easier than rallying the pluggers up.
But now I'm holding a story that is short, for me, and I fear it needs so much that I can't yet give it. Time will tell once my critique partners get their mitts on it. In the meanwhile, I've already started on the sequel, Lamb Dressed in Armor, and I can't seem to help but launch myself into it. This is the first series where I can see exactly how the second book will go (at least the bones of it) and where it will end up and how that will work with the first book. The third is still in the shadows, but I have faith it will arrive just as the second did. In a flurry of words and ideas.
It's amazing how some stories evolve so differently from others.
On the query front, I have no news. One of my critique partners has assured me that it is acceptable to gently nudge the agents who have fulls with them, and since she has an agent, I don't doubt her. Mostly, I think I'm avoiding doing that because right now I don't want to know, unless it is something wonderful. And it's been so long that either the agents haven't gotten to me, laughed out loud and threw the ms out the window, or have already lined up an entire publishing team to carry the book to glory. Commonsense tells me that the former two options are by far the more likely, and given the choice, I'd like to believe that I'm on a TBR list, not sailing into dumpsters. So I'll deal with not knowing for sure, for now, anyway.
Instead, I'll focus on these strange new WIPs who are driving me any which way they please, causing me to write maniacally into the wee hours yet pop out of bed after a few hours of tossing and turning, excited to strike pen to paper all over again.
Friday, July 5, 2013
Wednesday, June 12, 2013
Happy Book Birthday to my Critique Partner Christi Corbett and her book: Along The Way Home!!!
Reasons Why My Critique Partner, Artemis Gray, is Awesome!
First, I’d like to give a big thank you to Artemis for allowing me to host her blog. I truly appreciate her sharing her readers with me as I celebrate the release of my debut novel, Along the Way Home.
Artemis is one of my critique partners, and has been a wealth of information as I wrote Along the Way Home. (And a virtual shoulder to whine on during the querying process, but I digress)
We met when I was a guest host over at the blog Pimp My Novel in December of 2009. She left a very insightful comment and a friendship was born! We kept in touch through our blogs and other social media for a while and then we eventually began exchanging chapters, and became official critique partners.
She is the GREATEST when it comes to explaining how horses eat, drink, act, and how all their gear works. Also, she’s a wealth of knowledge about Virginia, how a horse rears first and then spins once they hit ground again, and how to bury a body (got your attention with that one, didn’t I?!)
And she’s so cool that I knew this would be the perfect “Thanks for being my critique partner” present for her…
Thank you Artemis, for allowing me to host your blog today, and above all for helping me on my journey to publication.
Kate Davis is intrigued when her father reveals his dream of starting a horse ranch in Oregon Territory. Settlers out west value a strong woman, and though she manages the financials of her father’s mercantile her competence earns her ridicule, not respect, from Virginia’s elite society.
Jake Fitzpatrick, an experienced trail guide, wants land out west to raise cattle and crops. But dreams require money and he’s eating dandelion greens for dinner. So when a wealthy businessman offers double wages to guide his family across the Oregon Trail, Jake accepts with one stipulation—he is in complete control.
Departure day finds Kate clinging to her possessions as Jake demands she abandon all he deems frivolous, including her deceased mother’s heirlooms. Jake stands firm, refusing to let the whims of a headstrong woman jeopardize the wages he so desperately needs—even a beautiful one with fiery green eyes and a temper to match.
Trail life is a battle of wills between them until tragedy strikes, leaving Jake with an honor-bound promise to protect her from harm and Kate with a monumental choice—go back to everything she’s ever known or toward everything she’s ever wanted?
About Christi
I’m addicted to coffee, sticky notes, and the Oxford Comma. I live in a small town in Oregon with my husband and our twins. Our home’s location is especially inspiring because the view from the back door is a hill travelers looked upon years ago as they explored the Oregon Territory and beyond.
My debut novel, Along the Way Home, is a Sweet Historical Romance. It released in ebook format on June 11, 2013 and will be available in print July of 2013. It is available on Amazon, Barnes and Noble, Kobo, Astraea Press (my publisher) and several other retailers.
When I’m not writing I love chatting with readers and writers alike. You can find me in one of the following locations:
Email: christicorbett@gmail.com
Twitter: @ChristiCorbett
Facebook: Christi Corbett—Author
Along the Way Home Links
Book Trailer: http://christicorbett.wordpress.com/fellow-authors/
Pinterest: http://pinterest.com/christicorbett/along-the-way-home/
Pinterest: http://pinterest.com/christicorbett/along-the-way-home/
I have several Pinterest pages, including ones about my inspirations behind Along the Way Home, Oregon Trail landmarks, horses, cowboys, writing funnies, and lots of fun ideas for EASY crafts with the kiddos.
AmazonBarnes and Noble
Friday, May 31, 2013
Still Here!!!
I know, I know. I'm supposed to be posting at some sort of vaguely regulated intervals. But I'm not. As evidenced by my absence.
What I've been up to:
Working! And loving work.
Weddings... not mine (yeah, right :)
The Writer's Voice Contest! I got four requests from participating agents and was ninja'd by an after-contest lurking agent. *squee*
Getting rejected... one from one of the WV agents (very fast turnaround, and form letter, so they were very obviously totally uninterested) and one by a agent I had queried some time ago. She was very nice, but her rejection left me reaching for chocolate because she said things like 'the story wasn't progressing as quickly as I would like' and 'the characters needed further development' in addition to having issues with a few other things which led me to believe that she just didn't 'get' the story, in part. It wouldn't have bothered me nearly so much, but I'd just finished laboriously plowing through a book that was 'acclaimed' that I found INCREDIBLY boring (nothing happened. I mean NOTHING) and which had completely flat characters, so I inadvertently committed that Cardinal sin of looking at the 'acclaimed' book, and my own ms and thinking WHAT DID THEY DO THAT I HAVEN'T??? IT'S NOT FAIR!!! Yeah, fast forward to a few hours and I got over it. Though I AM eager to hear something from other agents and see if they say anything about story progression and character development. Because that'll tell me whether I need to check myself or not.
Sending out queries!
And finally, WRITING!!! I'm about 3/4 done with the first draft of Rivana of the Twains and it feels SO FREAKING GOOD to be writing again! I'm still not sure if Rivana has what it takes (or the potential to have what it takes) to be marketable, but I love the story and we'll see how it looks after the first transcription edit.
Oh, also, I am now the mother of a pitcher plant, named Bruce, and Venus fly trap named Hannibal... Pictures to follow at a later date.
What I've been up to:
Working! And loving work.
Weddings... not mine (yeah, right :)
The Writer's Voice Contest! I got four requests from participating agents and was ninja'd by an after-contest lurking agent. *squee*
Getting rejected... one from one of the WV agents (very fast turnaround, and form letter, so they were very obviously totally uninterested) and one by a agent I had queried some time ago. She was very nice, but her rejection left me reaching for chocolate because she said things like 'the story wasn't progressing as quickly as I would like' and 'the characters needed further development' in addition to having issues with a few other things which led me to believe that she just didn't 'get' the story, in part. It wouldn't have bothered me nearly so much, but I'd just finished laboriously plowing through a book that was 'acclaimed' that I found INCREDIBLY boring (nothing happened. I mean NOTHING) and which had completely flat characters, so I inadvertently committed that Cardinal sin of looking at the 'acclaimed' book, and my own ms and thinking WHAT DID THEY DO THAT I HAVEN'T??? IT'S NOT FAIR!!! Yeah, fast forward to a few hours and I got over it. Though I AM eager to hear something from other agents and see if they say anything about story progression and character development. Because that'll tell me whether I need to check myself or not.
Sending out queries!
And finally, WRITING!!! I'm about 3/4 done with the first draft of Rivana of the Twains and it feels SO FREAKING GOOD to be writing again! I'm still not sure if Rivana has what it takes (or the potential to have what it takes) to be marketable, but I love the story and we'll see how it looks after the first transcription edit.
Oh, also, I am now the mother of a pitcher plant, named Bruce, and Venus fly trap named Hannibal... Pictures to follow at a later date.
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