Hello!
I was so very ready for a new month when May popped it’s lovely head through. April be gone! No real tornadoes to speak of, though my hubs did get cornered at Walmart when one touched down in the large town nearest us (Norman) and within a mile of where he’d stopped to shop. No injuries, no deaths and some, but not much severe damage to buildings over all.
The storms that touched my life were within, and within my family circle. My seven-year old granddaughter broke both bones midway in her left arm falling off a gate she never should have been on. Kids… My older-by-2-years sister went into the hospital and has been diagnosed with severe vertigo due to inner ear nerve damage sustained as a baby.
Then if that wasn’t enough,
we had to have my youngest daughter’s 12 yo dog aided over the Rainbow Bridge.
We bottle fed Dottie, and her litter of five, from the time they were three weeks old, loved her, miss her.
But there was happy events that month to celebrate. Said 7 yo granddaughter reminded me she turned 7 on April 3rd. My only niece (or nephew for that matter on my side as opposed to hubs’s) announced she’s pregnant with their first baby! Due in December which is also my birth month. *picture me grinning very big here*
But with all the negatives last month I fell into a funk with writing. Understandable? Perhaps. It also made me completely overlook my regular post date here at ABM. So I thought I’d embrace the negatives and evaluate how I might bring myself out of the funk.
To begin with my publisher had a big series launch party on the wild rose press general loop. You can join here.
I contacted some editors who had partials I’d submitted previously and have not heard from in a long while.
One email followup resulted in a request for the full MS, and if that doesn’t cheer me up then I must be dead!
On the other hand, the second followup resulted in feedback contained in a rejection. I more or less expected that after no word for twenty-two months but-again- if that didn’t bother me, then I must be dead!
But either way- these responses show me that I’m still working, writing, submitting, trying. And that’s what gets me through my funks. Work. While I may not be able to put new words down during what I call my moping period, I’m still keeping my mind active on the craft.
What good is that you ask? Well, for me, it keeps me thinking about the writing and not as much on the dismal points. I am able to draw myself back into my writing easier because my characters continually speak…and I’ve been listening, even if it was with one ear. The result? I was able to finish necessary edits on the MS and then send it to Lyrical Press per the editor’s request. I have something out there again.
I was also able to add a few words to the cowboy short I’m targeting toward WRP and their newly launched Honky Tonk Hearts series which you can get here. Keep in mind that, while there are just two available currently, more will release each month. Two per month I believe.
So that’s my game plan. Leap into the new month to bloom like the Day Lilies in my flowerbeds. Kick April out with new projects in publisher-land and finish this dang cowboy’s story so I can submit it soon. Mostly I’ll look ahead and not back.
I’ll be back next month, or Friday, June 1 with my regular scheduled post!
Lyrical offered me a contract for the requested full over the weekend! I’m multi-published!!!
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Hi Calisa,
Sounds like you have your ducks in a row and an action plan for your writing in the near future. Good for you.
I’m currently working my way through some revisions and rewrites in hopes of getting another contract soon.
Good luck with all of your projects!
My ducks in a row… I like the sound of that, Debra!
And I SOLD that ms to Lyrical over the weekend! *pumps hand* Good luck with your current project and wishes for a new sale for you, too.
Hi Calisa…(((hugs))) to you for all you’ve been through, but even bigger (((HUGS))) to you for looking on the bright side!
True strength doesn’t show itself in seasons of ease, but in times of adversity. You’ve been through a season that would bow many a strong back, Calisa, and shown yourself for the rock you are. Way to go, girl. And big time congrats on your contract.
Oh wow, you sure had a full plate. Hope everyone is doing better. And isn’t it amazing how things can turn around in an instant. Big congrats on that sale. Life is one huge roller coaster ride. Hope yours gets stuck at the top.
You are a rock of support, Mac!
Thanks luv.
It was one of those days x30 for sure, Gale! lol But the contract makes it all go away…almost. Stuck at the top? Maybe just half way on the front side?
Congrats on the new contract, Calisa! That is awesome. Great things are worth waiting, and struggling, for!
Sorry so many bad things happened to you in April — it’s like that sometimes or we wouldnt have the cliche “It never rains but it pours”. But — looks like some very good things are hapening as well. I could make a philospohical point here, but I think you already have the idea. Good luck and congratulations on the writing successes!
Calisa,
I hope your bout with bad news is over for now. You sure had your share of it. What I do is to try to keep my mind on the positive when life deals me some bad blows. Hope all of you there come out of this soon!
Congrats on your sale! Whoo hooo!!
Thank you Sherry, Sandy, Ilona and Debra! I hope the good and bad news will equal out and set my world back on a balanced axis at least.
Glad you visited me.
Congrats on your good news, Calisa. And I hope the summer brings you many, many more good things! We didn’t have the best start to 2012 but things are picking up LOL
I’m glad your year is looking up for you, Tanya. I’m very glad they are for me! lol
Sounds like you have come out of a rough month, Calisa. Congrats on the new contract!
Aww thanks, Christine!
Yep. I think I have, Patricia!
Thanks.