I just finished writing Year of the Dog ! It had a massive plot hole that I had to fix which turned out to be more work than I expected. Here’s a snippet: “Hey, Auntie Nell.” He wrapped his arms around her, bussing her on the cheek and breathing in pikake flowers and shortbread cookies. And suddenly he was nine years old again, and her solid presence had made his chaotic world stable once more. “What are you doing here?” He usually took her to dinner on Wednesday nights, but today was Tuesday. The edges of her smile faltered a little before brightening right back up again. “What, I can’t visit my nephew?” She angled around him to enter his home. “Is this your new house? Looks lovely.” Which was a blatant lie, because the fixer-upper was barely livable, much less acceptable to a neat-freak like his aunt. She also left four matching pink and purple floral suitcases on the stoop behind her. Only then did Ashwin notice the cab driver standing slightly to the side of the walkway. “Can ...
Captain’s Log, Stardate 04.21.2006
Blog book giveaway:
My Monday (well, really Tuesday) book giveaway is the Flanagans series (4 books) by Marta Perry.
My Thursday book giveaway is A BABY FOR DRY CREEK by Janet Tronstad.
You can still enter both giveaways. Just post a comment on each of those blog posts. On Monday, I'll draw the winner for the Flanagans series and post the title for another book I'm giving away. Stay tuned.
Continued from Mount Hermon recap, part 4:
I have never pitched to Chip MacGregor, even before he went to work at Warner Faith. He’s been at, I believe, every conference I’ve gone to with the exception of RWA National in 2005, but he doesn’t know who the heck I am since I’m not a very good stalker (I keep losing him).
I was chatting with Sarah Anne Sumpolec one night when Chip walked into the coffee lounge. Sarah called him over to talk about the book idea with an FBI profiler co-author, which they’d emailed about previously.
“Chip, have you met Camy?”
“Nice to meet you, Camy.” Firm handshake, polite smile. The fatigue lines around his face looked like marble etchings. I wondered how many writers he’d met with today. I was just another one.
Sarah outted me. “Chip, Camy just signed a 3-book deal with Zondervan.”
Chip nearly fainted with relief that I was obviously not one of those blood-thirsty predatory novelists seeking out fresh meat to pitch my idea about radioactive frogs in a sweeping love story. “Congratulations, Camy! What’s your book about?”
I had heard that Chip MacGregor does not care for chick-lit in any way, shape, or form, so I was prepared while he was not. Enunciating every syllable like sai blades, I answered, “Asian Chick-lit.”
The man had a full-body jerk reaction. “Cringe” is too light a word. Maybe “repulsed jolt” is more appropriate.
Sarah laughed. I hooted. Yes, we were making fun of a Time Warner associate publisher.
Strangely, it made Chip more friendly to me. Although I wouldn’t advise any unpublished writer to ridicule a potential publisher—not good karma—it was highly entertaining.
The rest of the time we talked, Chip kept making cracks. “I had been really looking for Asian chick-lit, but the author signed with my rival house instead.” Or (asking Sarah), “But does your co-author write Asian chick-lit? That’s the real question.”
Tomorrow: How I got back at Chip
Blog book giveaway:
My Monday (well, really Tuesday) book giveaway is the Flanagans series (4 books) by Marta Perry.
My Thursday book giveaway is A BABY FOR DRY CREEK by Janet Tronstad.
You can still enter both giveaways. Just post a comment on each of those blog posts. On Monday, I'll draw the winner for the Flanagans series and post the title for another book I'm giving away. Stay tuned.
Continued from Mount Hermon recap, part 4:
I have never pitched to Chip MacGregor, even before he went to work at Warner Faith. He’s been at, I believe, every conference I’ve gone to with the exception of RWA National in 2005, but he doesn’t know who the heck I am since I’m not a very good stalker (I keep losing him).
I was chatting with Sarah Anne Sumpolec one night when Chip walked into the coffee lounge. Sarah called him over to talk about the book idea with an FBI profiler co-author, which they’d emailed about previously.
“Chip, have you met Camy?”
“Nice to meet you, Camy.” Firm handshake, polite smile. The fatigue lines around his face looked like marble etchings. I wondered how many writers he’d met with today. I was just another one.
Sarah outted me. “Chip, Camy just signed a 3-book deal with Zondervan.”
Chip nearly fainted with relief that I was obviously not one of those blood-thirsty predatory novelists seeking out fresh meat to pitch my idea about radioactive frogs in a sweeping love story. “Congratulations, Camy! What’s your book about?”
I had heard that Chip MacGregor does not care for chick-lit in any way, shape, or form, so I was prepared while he was not. Enunciating every syllable like sai blades, I answered, “Asian Chick-lit.”
The man had a full-body jerk reaction. “Cringe” is too light a word. Maybe “repulsed jolt” is more appropriate.
Sarah laughed. I hooted. Yes, we were making fun of a Time Warner associate publisher.
Strangely, it made Chip more friendly to me. Although I wouldn’t advise any unpublished writer to ridicule a potential publisher—not good karma—it was highly entertaining.
The rest of the time we talked, Chip kept making cracks. “I had been really looking for Asian chick-lit, but the author signed with my rival house instead.” Or (asking Sarah), “But does your co-author write Asian chick-lit? That’s the real question.”
Tomorrow: How I got back at Chip
Comments
Thanks for the welcome.
I, for one, shall certainly sleep better tonight...
:)
Yeah, you know I'm just jealous. My face is as green as the wasabi on your sushi....
What a hoot. :)