Skip to main content

Catch-up and Prayer

Captain's Log, Stardate 03.23.2011

So as you can guess, I’ve been pretty busy. I recently detailed this all for my friend Meredith Efken when she called me the other day, so here it is in all its goriness:

1) I finished a book January 10th, another book (number 15) in the Patchwork Mysteries series by Guideposts. The books are written by several authors and only available to the Guideposts Book Club right now—you can’t buy them in stores—so I haven’t said much about them, but I’ve been having a lot of fun writing them since they’re cozy mysteries, and I’m a huge Agatha Christie fan.

2) On January 11th, I finished the Art Fact Sheet for Stalker in the Shadows, my next Love Inspired Suspense, coming out in spring 2012. I’m excited about it—it’s about Monica, the third Grant sister (you can read about her sisters Naomi and Rachel in Deadly Intent and Formula for Danger).

3) On January 16th, I finished self-edits for my fourth Sushi series book, Weddings and Wasabi, and sent it to my freelance editor, Meredith Efken at the Fiction Fix-It Shop. This is the book that I’ll be self-publishing and releasing in September or October this year.

4) On February 7th, I finished the manuscript for Stalker in the Shadows and mailed it off to New York! I also started work on another story proposal for Love Inspired Suspense.

5) On February 15th, I turned in to my editor revisions on Protection for Hire, my next book with Zondervan which releases in November. I loved this book because it enabled me to channel my Nikita-Alias side in writing the heroine, who is ex-Japanese mafia. She finds Jesus in jail and now is trying to use her skill set to help people rather than breaking kneecaps.

6) I went to Hawaii for my cousin’s wedding, and then to Nebraska to visit Tosca Lee and Meredith Efken, and during that time, the 2011 ACFW Genesis contest ended, and since I’m coordinating that, well, I had to process entries, scramble to get extra judges, and assign judges to all the entries (we had 550 entries!). Tosca’s OCD tendencies rubbed off on me, plus I was envious of her immaculate house, and so I have also been slowly cleaning up my house a little each day. I have a gigantic pile of stuff to give away to Salvation Army and I am just terribly proud of myself.

7) By March 15th, I had to finish revisions on the Patchwork Mysteries manuscript I turned in back in January. And actually, I was a little late because a) I was stupid, and b) a character stumped me, and I had to write 5 new scenes from scratch.

Whew! Are you tired yet? I sure am!

Right now, I’m writing a prologue to Protection for Hire that I hope to get done today or tomorrow, and I also got contracted for a third book for the Patchwork Mysteries series, and the one-sheet outline is due April 1st while the synopsis is due April 11th. I was also contracted to write devotionals for a devotion book by Guideposts, and those are due April 18th.

I hope it doesn’t sound like I’m whining, because I’m not. I LOVE that I’m busy and on deadlines because otherwise I’d waste time and eat too much. Can you relate? I really don’t work as efficiently as I do when I’m on deadline.

But it does seem sometimes that I’m playing catch up with all my other work—my Story Sensei critique service, my Street Team, my blogging, and let’s not forget knitting! I take a few minutes to knit every day (usually when I’m hanging out with my husband after he comes home from work) but I haven’t touched my spinning wheel in forever and I kind of miss it. Maybe I’ll spin a little tomorrow.

OH and I’m starting a new training program for my marathon running to help me improve my time (because really, running for seven hours straight was kind of painful). I’d like to one day run a marathon in 5 hours. I won’t do it anytime soon, but I can at least aim for 6.5 hours. I’m hoping to be able to run the Disneyworld Marathon in January!

That’s my catch-up for today (actually, reading over it, it kind of looks like throw-up rather than catch-up ...) and I hope you all are doing well!

If you have any prayer requests, feel free to leave them in the comments and I’ll say a prayer for you! And if you can please pray I make all my deadlines (without dying or at the very least without having a mental breakdown) I’d appreciate it!

Comments

Preslaysa said…
I'll be praying for you Camy. I'm sure you'll make all your deadlines, just work in His strength! (Col 1:29)
Camy Tang said…
Thanks so much, Preslaysa! Good reminder, too!
Camy
Okay, I need a nap after reading what you have been doing lately. When do you have time to breath?
I am praying that you will meet all your deadlines and that it will happen without sweat.
The sweating comes with the running, hopefully not with the writing. :)
Camy Tang said…
LOL Thanks Diane!
Camy
Jillian said…
You'll be in my prayers, Camy. I have no doubt you will accomplish all of your goals. Looking forward to Weddings and Wasabi. I really enjoyed Sushi For One! Thanks for the heads up on Dwight Swain's book, its been very helpful and your summaries on Story Sensi are great! Have a great weekend.
Camy Tang said…
Awesome! Thanks, Jillian!
Camy

Popular Posts

No Cold Bums toilet seat cover

Captain's Log, Stardate 08.22.2008 I actually wrote out my pattern! I was getting a lot of hits on my infamous toilet seat cover , and I wanted to make a new one with “improvements,” so I paid attention and wrote things down as I made the new one. This was originally based off the Potty Mouth toilet cover , but I altered it to fit over the seat instead of the lid. Yarn: any worsted weight yarn, about 120 yards (this is a really tight number, I used exactly 118 yards. My suggestion is to make sure you have about 130 yards.) I suggest using acrylic yarn because you’re going to be washing this often. Needle: I used US 8, but you can use whatever needle size is recommended by the yarn you’re using. Gauge: Not that important. Mine was 4 sts/1 inch in garter stitch. 6 buttons (I used some leftover shell buttons I had in my stash) tapestry needle Crochet hook (optional) Cover: Using a provisional cast on, cast on 12 stitches. Work in garter st until liner measures...

Brainstorm - character occupation

Captain's Log, Stardate 03.23.2009 Hey guys, I could use some help. In my current manuscript, The Year of the Dog , which is a humorous contemporary romance, I have a minor character, Eddie. He’s my heroine’s ex-boyfriend, and they’re on good terms with each other. He’s a bit irresponsible, but not so much so that he’s a complete loser. He’s got a very easy going attitude, he forgets to pay his bills sometimes, he’s friendly and charming. He’s adventurous and fun to be around, but he’s a little forgetful sometimes, and he tends to spend a little outside his income. I need an occupation for him. What would a charming, easy going, slightly irresponsible guy do for a living? He’s not too irresponsible, because otherwise readers will wonder what in the world my heroine saw in him to date him in the first place. She was attracted to his charm, his easy going attitude (her family’s uptight, and he was a nice contrast), and his adventurousness. But his forgetfulness and irresponsibility ...

I sold to Steeple Hill!

Captain's Log, Supplemental Remember that romantic suspense proposal I blogged about earlier? Well, it just sold to Steeple Hill’s Love Inspired Suspense line! I am so jazzed! I am beyond jazzed! The story’s working title is Sinister Spa The story's title is Deadly Intent and here’s a blurb (but it’s probably not what will appear on the back of the book): Massage therapist Naomi Grant could use a massage herself. With her father at home recovering from a stroke, Naomi is put in charge of the family’s elite day spa in Sonoma county. The new responsibilities sit awkwardly on her shoulders, and things only get worse when handsome Dr. Devon Knightley breezes into the spa, demanding to see one of the female clients. And the woman is found dead in Naomi’s massage room. Suddenly, Naomi is a suspect and her family’s spa is shut down. How could God let this awful thing happen? Devon only needed to see his ex-wife about a family necklace she still hadn’t returned, but when she dies and...

Chinese Take-Out and Sushi for One

Captain’s Log, Supplemental My agent sent me an article from Publisher’s Weekly that discussed this incident: Chinese Take-Out Spawns Christian Controversy And here’s also a blog post that talks about it in more detail: The Fighting 44s This is Soong-Chan Rah’s blog: The PCS blog In sum: Apparently Zondervan (yes, my publisher), who has partnered with Youth Specialties, had put out a youth leaders skit that had stereotypical Asian dialogue, which offended many Christian Asian Americans. In response to the outcry, Zondervan/Youth Specialities put out a sincere apology and is not only freezing the remaining stock of the book, but also reprinting it and replacing the copies people have already bought. I am very proud of my publisher for how they have handled this situation. The skit writers have also issued a public apology . (I feel sorry for them, because they were only trying to write a funny skit, not stir up this maelstrom of internet controversy. I’ve been in youth work long enou...

Read the beginning of Lady Wynwood’s Spies, Volume 1: Archer

Pride and Prejudice meets Mission: Impossible If you love witty banter, secret agents in cravats, fierce heroines, and slow-burn romance with high-stakes suspense, then welcome to my world of Christian Regency Romantic Suspense! This is the two prologues and chapter one from Lady Wynwood’s Spies, Volume 1: Archer , the first installment in my epic-length historical adventure series. I originally posted this excerpt in weekly parts, but I’ve compiled everything here so you can read it all in one sitting—no need to click through multiple posts. Before the excerpt begins, here’s the back cover description so you know what to expect: ⸻ Part one in a Christian Regency suspense series with slow-burn romance and a supernatural twist She met him again by shooting him. Unmarried after four Seasons of towering over her dance partners, Miss Phoebe Sauber learns she will be cast out of her home when her father remarries. Feeling betrayed by her father and God, she misfires an arro...