It's Mind Bloggling

On Pause...

2011-08-19T15:47:00.003-05:00

I've recently been "nudged" to update my blog (thank you, Patricia!) and today I finally broke down and decided to write something. Truth is, I'm writing this now because my current WIP, Lucky Stiff, #4 in my Mattie Winston series, is in pause mode. That means I'm trying to figure out where to take my characters next and, like a DVR'd show that gets interrupted, I put the work on pause and let my subconscious work it out.

I'm a very sporadic writer and I have many pauses everytime I sit down to write. What do I do when I'm in pause mode? I check Facebook for updates. I check my current Amazon sales ranking, or pub stats in Publisher Alley. I cruise through tweets. I log in to see how much of my retirement fund has disappeared this week with the stock market dives. I read and answer emails. I read and answer snail mail. I eat chocolate. I read People magazine. I make a cup of coffee. I make phone calls. I dose myself with Reddi-Whip right out of the can. I shower (good thing!) I watch a real DVR'd TV show. I torment my cats. I do a load of laundry. And on rare occasions, I update my blog.

Some people might call this procrastination. I call it writing. How so? Well, somewhere in the midst of all these other activities, that freeze frame in my mind suddenly goes into play mode and in a snap I know where my characters need to go, what they need to do. I can see it all playing out in my head and before you can say "bull crap!" I'm back into my manuscript, writing again.

It just happened again as I was writing this. Go figure. Who hit the play button???

2011-04-25T11:26:00.004-05:00

Here is the cover for book #3 in the Mattie Winston series, Frozen Stiff, written under my pseudonym, Annelise Ryan. I like the inclusion of the Rubbish the cat and Hoover the dog, though their presence at the crime scene does make one wonder what sort of evidence contamination might occur!

And the good news is there will be at least two more books in the series. The contract has been signed, sealed, and delivered. Books number 4 (Lucky Stiff) and 5 (yet to be named) will be paperback originals.

More good news...or at least fun news, is that I will be sponsoring a contest to guess Mattie's real first name. It is revealed in Frozen Stiff but has been left out of the ARCs, so this summer readers and fans can play along and enter their guesses. The prizes? First prize is a laptop computer, the second prize will be a Nook or Kindle, and three more prizes will be awarded by random drawing from the pool of correct answers.

Stay tuned to this blog and the http://www.mattiewinston.com/ website (and Mattie's blog, which is linked on the site) for details of this contest, which is coming soon.

So You Think You Can Write

2010-08-17T17:17:00.002-05:00

I’m a huge fan of the TV reality show, So You Think You Can Dance, and the latest season that just ended was truly one of my favorites. The talent among the contestants seemed to far surpass those who appeared in seasons past and so much of the choreography was stunningly creative, moving, and just plain fun. Throughout the season I had two favorites among the contestants, Lauren and Kent, who coincidentally ended up as the final two. By the time the finale arrived, my heart was firmly in Kent’s camp, so much so that I actually voted for the first time since I started watching the show several years ago. The interesting thing about my choice is that I had to admit Kent was slightly less proficient at his art when it came to technical skill and overall performance. Lauren didn’t make a wrong step the entire season. Her performances were all technically perfect with nary a misstep. When it came down to a question of pure skill, she was undoubtedly a better dancer than Kent. Apparently America agreed because she won, and rightfully so. Still, I was disappointed because despite the technical differences, for me Kent was a better dancer.

Why? Because of his passion: his goofy faces, his aw-shucks-down-home honesty, the raw emotion he put into his performances and interviews, and his very obvious, very passionate love for his craft. He is a talented and skillful dancer who demonstrated incredible grace and versatility with every performance. His performances made me smile, they made me cry, they made me rewind and watch them over and over again (I can’t bring myself to delete the show where he and Neil performed the Travis Wall routine about the two friends and I’ve watched it dozens of times). Kent might not have been as technically perfect as Lauren—due to his small stature, lifts were sometimes awkward for him and communicated far ahead of time—but they were always heartfelt, soulful, and stirring. In contrast, Lauren’s performances were fun for me to watch—she’s adorably cute, has some smoldering sex appeal, and her moves were almost always technically perfect. But that was the problem—it all felt technical. It felt sterile and unemotional. She didn’t make me laugh, or cry. Nor did I feel compelled to rewind and watch again. So while I will admit she is a slightly better technical dancer than Kent at this point in their lives, I’d prefer to watch Kent perform—gaffes and all—any day of the week.

Why does all this matter and what does it have to do with writing? Well, I’ve discovered I am more than willing to forgo technical perfection in exchange for a little more meaning, emotion, and soul in my art. Any book I read that taps into my emotional side will likely be more enjoyable for me, even if the craft isn’t executed with technical perfection. In fact, I likely won’t notice some of the gaffes because I’m so enthralled with the story, and if I do notice them, I typically shrug them off. I’m much more likely to ignore the occasional clunky sentence, or misused word, or grammar goof if the story grabs my emotional lapels and pulls me up close. I think this emotional element is why certain books (The DaVinci Code, Twilight, Harry Potter) take off and achieve phenomenal success despite less than stellar prose.

It’s a lesson to keep in mind with my writing. I strive to find ways to deliver that emotion and passion, to my readers. I want to stir them, move them, make them think, laugh, and cry. I want to grab them by the lapels and get in their faces, but also leave them feeling satisfied and fulfilled when I finally let them go. I want them to feel that their artful souls have been nourished. I want them to be entertained. Yet “entertained” is considered a dirty word by some in the literary world.

So for me, the challenge is in figuring out how to tap into my readers’ emotions. I know I’m not a great literary writer. I know I often use the wrong form of the verb lay. I know I occasionally think a word means something it doesn’t. I know I have an unexplainable love affair with em dashes that drives my copyeditor crazy. The key is in learning to strengthen and overcome these weaknesses, but also to keep my readers enthralled, involved, and yes...entertained so they’ll overlook my gaffes and come away from their reading experience feeling content and fulfilled.

So my question to the rest of you writers out there is: do you think this emotional element is key? And if so, what do you do to achieve it?

Sheesh, I'm a slacker!

2010-05-28T19:46:00.003-05:00

I can't believe it's been six months since I last posted here. I've thought about doing it often enough but every time I did, it was, "maybe tomorrow." Looks like tomorrow never came, or rather it came a few months late.

So a brief update:

The Hollywood thing isn't happening...no big surprise there. It seems that the new TNT show "Rizzoli & Isles" starring Angie Harmon, which is based on Tess Gerritsen's novel character, and a show called "Body of Evidence" planned in the fall by ABC were already slotted and too similar. So WORKING STIFF's Hollywood career is on the shelf. It's kind of ironic given that Tess Gerritsen was kind enough to give me a rocking cover blurb for the book. I'm disappointed, of course, but I'm also looking forward to watching "Rizzoli & Isles" since I've been a Gerritsen fan for years and know the characters well. Plus I've always liked Angie Harmon and the actress who is slated to play medical examiner Maura Isles is another favorite of mine--Sasha Alexander, an NCIS alum.

Back to earth and book stuff...SCARED STIFF has been edited every which way, is in production, and is scheduled for release on August 31st (that's the cover up there). Also coming in August is the paperback version of WORKING STIFF. And book #3 in the series, which I think will be titled FROZEN STIFF, is written and ready to send off to my editor as soon as my agent gets done reading it and giving me her feedback.

I'm planning a fun contest to coincide with the release of SCARED STIFF, giving fans a chance to guess at Mattie Winston's real first name, which is revealed in book #3, but hinted at in both WORKING STIFF and SCARED STIFF (no purchase will be required to enter but reading the books might give you an edge). I'm still on the fence for a first prize, which will be a Kindle, a Nook, or an iPad. But there will be plenty of other fun prizes, too, so stay tuned and bookmark http://www.mattiewinston.com/ for future details.

To Dream The Impossible Dream

2009-12-08T16:32:00.003-06:00

Dreaming the nearly impossible dream is what I'm doing. Recent discussions between my agent and some big names in Hollywood -- names that are associated with Emmy nominations, well-known movies, and hit TV shows -- has me daydreaming more than usual. I know from past experience -- movie options on other books that went nowhere, and starry-eyed hopefuls who were unceremoniously dropped to earth (wait, that was me!) -- that the likelihood of these conversations morphing into any reality is slim. And I won't know anything for sure until sometime in the spring. Still, it hasn't stopped me from imagining what could be if it did happen, especially since this time I'm closer than ever before. So I'm dreaming away and keeping my fingers crossed. I'm also hanging onto my day job. Stay tuned...

Today's Guffaw

2009-11-19T13:31:00.002-06:00

Okay, this is danged funny: Glossary of publishing terms.

Warning: don't read while drinking.

Playing the Waiting Game

2009-11-15T12:06:00.003-06:00

In limbo...that's how I'm feeling at the moment. WORKING STIFF has been out for 10 weeks but I have no idea how it's selling yet. There have been some very nice reviews from PW, Romantic Times, Book Page, and readers who have posted on both the Amazon and Barnes and Noble sites. I also had a fun interview that appeared in The Big Thrill newsletter. I hope these will help move the book but there's no way to know for sure. There won't be a royalty statement until the end of May and it will show how sales went between the release date and the end of 2009. So it will be six-month-old news when I get it.

In the meantime, I have finished edits of SCARED STIFF and it's back to my editor. There should be some cover art soon -- I'm looking forward to seeing what they do with this one. The release date for it is August 31, 2010 and the paperback of WORKING STIFF will be released on July 31, 2010.

I'm currently at work on book #3, TITLE UNKNOWN (though I'm thinking it will either be FROZEN STIFF or STIFF PENALTY) and I'm looking forward to seeing where these characters will go next. It's always a blast to make each journey with them.

The interest in Hollywood continues, and though one possibility didn't pan out, there is another one now in the works. It's a huge, HUGE long shot, but then, who knows?

So at the moment, not much is happening, hence the limbo feeling. I'm waiting on everything: waiting on new cover art, waiting on sales reports, waiting on royalties, waiting on release dates, waiting on Hollywood. Waiting is definitely a recurring theme in this business, from the querying stage down to the publishing stage. Not a career for the impatient, that's for sure! Fortunately I have some characters I adore and have tons of fun with to help me pass the time.

Free Books!

2009-09-25T14:54:00.002-05:00

Want a chance to win some great books, including a copy of WORKING STIFF? Check out this web site at Mystery Writers of America: http://www.mysterywriters.org/?q=Contests-Readers

Good luck!

Woohoo!

2009-09-02T11:56:00.002-05:00

I can't talk specifics yet and it's still only a possibility, and probably a long shot at that, but I got a call from my agent this morning to inform me that there is interest in WORKING STIFF in Hollywood! It's a very exciting prospect if it pans out so I have my fingers crossed. Hopefully there will be more good news to come soon. Stay tuned....

Happy Release Day!

2009-08-25T10:56:00.007-05:00

It's finally here, the official release date for WORKING STIFF. Now starts the nail-biting and book signing and agonizing over how sales are doing, what stores are carrying it, and what I can do to convince the stores that aren't carrying it to do so. It marks the start of my obsessing over sales rankings on Amazon and B&N.com. And it means doing something I'm not very comfortable with: self-promotion. I'm not a "look at me!" kind of person, so in the past I've always adopted more of a "look at it!" strategy, drawing attention to the book rather than the author. And since the author is a bit schizophrenic this time, with two different identities, I think I'll stick with this strategy.

Despite all the angst, it's definitely time for celebration, too. This baby was one long pregnancy: eight years from the time I finished writing it to its birth today. During that time it has stayed essentially the same, with little editing other than one or two spots where a phrase was added, or deleted, and a couple of corrections to misspelled (and in one case, misused) words.

It is exciting to know it is now out there and, like a newborn, its potential at this point seems unlimited. But there are no guarantees and like the child who grows up to be a slacker, or a criminal, or a deviant, or whatever other failing you want to pick, this baby may or may not live up to its potential. I will nurture it, of course, to the very best of my abilities and give as much as I can to help it succeed. But its future remains a vast unknown, a fact that is both exciting and terrifying.

Past and Present

2009-07-29T18:13:00.005-05:00

There is an interesting debate going on in the Novels section of the Absolute Write Water Cooler about the use of first person, present tense in a novel. Of course I had to weigh in on the "in favor of" side of the issue since WORKING STIFF and its sequel SCARED STIFF are written in just that form. Yet there are some there who say they won't give a book a second glance if it's written in first person present. Different strokes and all that, I suppose, but I can't imagine dismissing a book for something so basic.

For me, first person present wasn't my first choice for the work. I originally wrote it in first person past (and there is another whole camp of objectors who don't like first person in any form) but it always seemed a bit off to me. When I finally went through the manuscript and changed it all to first person present, it finally felt right. It lent a sense of immediacy to the work that made it feel more like a movie, where you are watching the action happen as it unfolds rather than in a long extended flashback. And for a mystery with a first person POV, it just seemed more right and honest.

My first three books were all written in third person (limited) past tense and it worked well, so I'm not wedded to first person present by any means. But I'm puzzled by the objections of some readers to this style. While it may not be the norm, many highly successful and popular books use it, such as THE TIME TRAVELER'S WIFE, LOTTERY, and FIGHT CLUB.

What are your thoughts on the matter?

Publishers Weekly Weighs In

2009-07-29T18:03:00.003-05:00

It's nice to get any review from PW at all and nicer yet to get a decent one. To read what they wrote on WORKING STIFF, click here and scroll your way down to the mystery section. I'm not sure it accurately portrays the comedic nature of the work but I'm not complaining by any means. I like the term "crisp debut." And ironically, despite the comparison to Grey's Anatomy, I've never watched a single episode of the show. As for CSI on the other hand, I don't think there is any one of those in all its incarnations that I haven't seen.

On other fronts, I have yet another cover blurb, this one from Laura Levine, author of KILLER CRUISE: "Move over Stephanie Plum. Make way for Mattie Winston, the funniest deputy coroner to cut up a corpse since, well, ever. I loved every minute I spent with her in this sharp and sassy debut mystery."

Thanks so much, Laura! From a marketing standpoint, comparisons to Ms. Plum certainly can't hurt.

Tweenies

2009-07-12T14:16:00.002-05:00

That's where I am writing-wise at the moment, in the Tweenies. That means I'm between projects and feeling, well, slackadaisical (and before the grammar and spelling police come after me, let it be known that I made that word up). Book #2 in the Mattie Winston "Stiff" series, SCARED STIFF, is written and with my editor, waiting on a read and approval. The synopsis for book #3 (which might be called STIFF PENALTY) is written and with my editor, waiting on a read and approval. And with WORKING STIFF due out in six weeks I'm shifting my attention to promotional and marketing duties. I've had some beautiful bookmarks printed up so I can hand them out to readers and booksellers. I'm revamping my web site to get it looking a little more professional, and getting ready to launch a new web site with a discussion board dedicated to the Stiff series and its main character, Mattie Winston. I've set up a book launch party for WORKING STIFF for 6:00 p.m. September 17th at Booked For Murder, an independent book store in Madison, WI. And I'm in the process of setting up additonal signings throughout the rest of the year, some at nearby stores and some in cities I'll be traveling to or through.

The pending release of WORKING STIFF is exciting and distracting. I'm anxious for it to come out and to get the promotional ball rolling. I'm also feeling the itch to get serious with book #3 now that I have it all mapped out, and move past the flimsy two-page opening scene I've written thus far. But I'm not going to scratch that itch today. Maybe tomorrow. Or not. That's one of the joys -- and tortures -- of being a writer.

Ramblings

2009-05-25T10:52:00.002-05:00

The last couple of weeks have been hectic and busy with parties, edits, non-writing work stuff, and life in general. Today I have nothing...that's right, nothing I have to do. It feels glorious and a little uncomfortable.

Our canoe race party was a great success...lots of good food, good people, fun and laughter. But it was also a lot of work and I'm glad it's over with...at least for now.

Last night I saw the new Terminator movie. I'm a big fan of the series and enjoyed the latest entry for the most part. However I hated the ending. I'm all about redemption...I love the concept and think it has wonderful, emotional story potential. But this ending took it too far, beyond the scope of believability in my opinion. And that undermined everything that came before. I was bummed.

I finished the final read-through and edits on Scared Stiff a couple of days ago and sent it to my agent for a first critical read. As always happens when I finish a project, I'm happy, proud, and scared. Happy it's done, proud that it doesn't suck (at least in my opinion) and scared that others will think it does suck.

And that leaves me pondering the next book in the series. It's an equally scary prospect, but also an exciting one. It's like planning a road trip with no set destination in mind. What roads should I travel? What detours should I take? Where do I want to end up? And what adventures will I have along the way? There are so many potential journeys to choose from. What if I pick the wrong one? How can I know which way to go?

For me the process is one of exploration. I'll try different roads, take many a detour, and backtrack now and again. Eventually my gut will help me map it all out. Not that logic and business sense don't help...they do and are always a part of the mix. I'm constantly studying publishing industry trends and changes, but I've always operated and created on gut instinct. Most of the time it works, but not always. It's those rare failures that keep things interesting (and keep my hard disks and closets filled with writing mishaps). And while failure is not the goal, I embrace it. It keeps me going. It gives me an edginess. It makes me try harder. It forces me to take risks. And, hopefully, it will lead me down the right path.

Potpourri

2009-05-06T08:49:00.002-05:00

It's been a productive couple of weeks since I last posted. To start with, the second book in the Mattie Winston series, SCARED STIFF, is finally done ... well, it's written, printed, and sitting on a shelf. Though it's technically a first draft, it's pretty close to a final draft because I always edit as I write. I start every writing session by reading and editing whatever I wrote during the last couple of sessions before producing anything new. I also do a complete beginning to where-I'm-at-now edit when I'm around halfway to two-thirds of the way through the manuscript. So my first drafts are pretty polished. But I do like to let them sit and ripen for a week or so once they are done, after which time I'll reread, cut away any smelly parts that developed during the ripening process, and then send it on its way.

The whole thing weighs in at just under 100,000 words. It felt good to write that final chapter and in the past I've always celebrated this accomplishment by taking a week off and doing absolutely nothing except fun stuff, like movie marathons, drinking, bike rides, drinking, reading, and drinking. Alas, I can't do any of those things this time because I have other jobs that are making some serious demands on my time. Plus I have our annual canoe race party to plan, and there is a lot of weed whacking, cobweb killing, menu planning, and dust bunny slaughter that needs to be done. I live with two golden retrievers and two cats, so I also have hair balls the size of tumbleweeds that roll through my house this time of year, thanks to all the shedding going on. I think the little hair balls mate with the dust bunnies and the result is a horrifying genetic mishap that, if I let my guard down for a second, will someday take over the entire house.

Annelise Ryan now has her own Facebook page. And maybe, just maybe, she might have some news to post there soon. Keep your fingers crossed and in the meantime, hop on over, become a fan, and bookmark the page for future news and events.

Is It Let's Attack An Agent Week?

2009-04-17T11:58:00.003-05:00

Holy moley! The vitriol is spewing forth lately and literary agents are the target. Check out these posts here and here and see what you think.

Apparently there are a lot of angry, frustrated writers out there.

Weekly Roundup

2009-04-16T22:24:00.003-05:00

Lots of stuff since my last post here. Today I finished the final page proofs for WORKING STIFF, finding errors on nine different pages. Considering how many times I've gone over those 100,000 words, finding nine more errors at this stage is scary. It makes me wonder how many I continued to miss. I'm sure there will be some alert readers out there who will point them out to me.

I'm in the final stretch on the manuscript for SCARED STIFF, with a chapter or so left to write (just wrapping things up) and then a major edit.

On other fronts, agent Nathan Bransford is conducting an interesting "Be An Agent For A Day" contest on his blog site. Take a gander at the 50 queries posted there and see which ones you'd pick (three of the fifty are published books.)

The latest viral video is this one. I'm always a sucker for these sorts of things.

My Oh My!

2009-04-05T18:28:00.002-05:00

I've been following the online battles and discussions centered around the controversial #queryfail that was born on Twitter. Now comes #agentfail, where the courageous (foolish?)ladies of Bookends, LLC gave writers a chance to fire back. Holey Moley! I still haven't read all 300 comments (I had to take a break at 220-something and I doubt I'll go back) but it's clear there are a lot of very frustrated writers out there. (Check out Nathan Bransford's blog for some other links and agent commentary on this.)

As a veteran of rejection and someone who has had three agents so far in my career, I have to say that I do agree with some of the comments. I find the whole "no-response-means-no" thing irritating. It strikes me as a power-lauding, unprofessional thing to do. Reject me as succinctly, quickly, and rudely as you want, but at least do me the courtesy of some response.

With that said, my agent relationships and agent correspondences have been very good, almost always amiable and professional (I don't query the no-response agents). I have a pretty bulky rejection file and in there I do have one hand-written note that was scribbled on my query letter and sent back to me telling me not to quit my day job. But to be honest, I LOVE that rejection because it was for the novel that got me my first agent. And that agent sold the novel in a matter of weeks as part of a two-book deal. So that rejection reinforces two beliefs for me: 1) it's important to believe in myself and 2) rejection shouldn't be taken personally.

I find myself agreeing with Writer Beware's Victoria Strauss who made this comment: "For some writers, unable to snag an agent's interest, outrage becomes a substitute form of validation."

More and more I see writers who can't get an agent and/or who can't get published blaming everything but the quality of their writing for this state of affairs. I went on a rant this weekend about this very topic here on Absolute Write and fully expect to get blasted for it. But that's okay. I have my bulletproof undies on so fire away.

Tough Skin

2009-03-25T11:04:00.000-05:00

Several things I've read lately on various writing sites, critique sites, and agent sites and blogs (such as the the recent #queryfail run on Twitter, which is coming again April 17th) remind me how important it is to have a tough skin as a novelist. The classic stereotype that describes an artist as "sensitive" or "moody" really has no place here. For one thing, there are so many ways one can, and will be, criticized. There are writing group crits, agent rejections, and editorial suggestions, demands, and rejections. And if you are lucky enough to make it to publication, there are reviewers who will hate your work, readers who think you're insane/a hack/a moron, and your own inner critic, who will suddenly discover every teeny, tiny piece of crap writing you couldn't see before the minute your book hits the shelves.

The criticism can fly from many directions at once and be scathingly harsh. And if you want to succeed as a novelist, I truly believe you need to learn how to take it as objectively and unemotionally as possible, because it's an inevitable fact of life. Deal with it. Some people are going to hate your writing. Maybe you are a talentless hack. But if you truly love to write, none of that will matter too much. You'll keep at it regardless of what the critics say. If you write because you want fame, glory, and money, you're sadly disillusioned and the critics will, eventually, get to you. Unless you're a total egomaniac.

Criticism can also be an extremely valuable tool. Harsh as it may be (and sometimes it's downright cruel!), it's important to listen to every tidbit of criticism (both the good and the bad) and weigh it as objectively as you can. Easier said than done, at times. Partly because objectivity is often blinded by emotion, and partly because not all criticism is useful or even valid. Learning to decipher the various comments and feedback, and figuring out what's worth considering and what should be ignored is a difficult lesson. Setting aside your emotions long enough to take the valid criticisms to heart can be even harder. But if you can master it, you will improve as a writer. You will benefit from your mistakes. You will strengthen your prose and your character development. You will learn to trust your inner voice more, and better understand how to interpret those gut feelings about your work. It will become easier to acknowledge and deal with your weaknesses, and to identify and enhance your strengths.

And maybe, just maybe, those critiques will begin to shift from primarily negative to primarily positive. Harsh judgments will be replaced with accolades. The rejections will become fewer and less frequent. And your love of the craft of writing will grow stronger.

Blurb Heaven

2009-03-11T10:47:00.000-05:00

I'm tickled pink today over a cover blurb for WORKING STIFF that came from Tess Gerritsen, one of my favorite authors: "WORKING STIFF has it all: suspense, laughter, a spicy dash of romance -- and a heroine who's guaranteed to walk off with your heart. Mattie Winston is an unforgettable character who has me begging for a sequel. Annelise Ryan, are you listening?"

For those of you (if there are any) who don't know Tess, I highly recommend her books. This New York Times bestselling author (and physician) is a master (mistress? - that just sounds tawdry!) of entertaining, edge-of-your-seat suspense. Her newest book, THE KEEPSAKE, can be found on Amazon here.

Thanks a million, Tess!

2009-03-04T15:20:00.000-06:00

Well, things are moving along toward the release of my first Mattie Winston mystery. I just finished doing the line edits and yesterday I received cover flats. I love the design, colors, and overall look of the cover. But it is a little strange to see my picture on the inside flap and a strange name on the front. On the back of the cover is a wonderful advanced praise quote from writer Carolyn Hart, whose latest mystery, Dare to Die, is due out this month: "Sassy, sexy, and suspenseful, Annelise Ryan knocks 'em dead in her wry and original Working Stiff." Thank you, Carolyn!

The scheduled release date is August 25, 2009 and the cover price is $22.00, but if you want to preorder the book from Amazon, you can snag it for a measly $14.96 here: http://www.amazon.com/Working-Stiff-Annelise-Ryan/dp/075823452X/

I'm about 3/4 of the way done with the first draft of book #2, Scared Stiff, though my first drafts tend to be pretty polished because I edit constantly as I write. I'm so enjoying these characters and already have ideas for book #3.

2009-01-21T18:55:00.000-06:00

Scrabble update: I managed to come from behind and take second place in my division at the Redeye tournament this past weekend, winning $250. It definitely gave my Scrabble ego a much needed boost since the only thing I won at my last competition was the sad sack award for coming in last. This was a crazy tournament. It's called the Redeye because it involves playing 29 games of competitive Scrabble in 41 hours. Play started at 6:45 in the morning and went until 11:00 at night both Saturday and Sunday. But everyone there remained chipper, friendly, respectful, and polite (not always the case at these events) and I look forward to meeting my fellow word nerds again soon.

Now it's back to focusing on those other words I play with, the written ones that form a novel. I've been editing for the past two weeks and not writing much new stuff but I'm close to the end of my edits (for this round) and ready to start tapping the keys again.

2009-01-14T10:56:00.000-06:00

Okay, so I'm not great at keeping up with posts here. That's because I've been busy, busy, busy with work, writing, and life in general (including the removal of the many feet of snow that has fallen on us here in Wisconsin.) But things are moving along. I now have confirmation of the title for the first book in the Mattie Winston series. WORKING STIFF is scheduled for release in September and the title of book number two will most likely be SCARED STIFF. The second book is well under way; I have about two-thirds of it done and I'm really enjoying revisiting these characters.

I haven't been very focused on writing the past few days because I'm heading out this weekend for a hard core word geek fest. I'm playing in a weekend long Scrabble tournament in the Twin Cities called The Redeye. The name is appropriate given that there will be 29 games squeezed into two days, with play commencing at sixish in the morning and going until after eleven at night both days. So in preparation I've been studying anagrams all week, trying to hone my skills. The last two tournaments I played in didn't go well so I'm hoping to do better this time out. We'll see. Even if I don't, it's always fun to play mad Scrabble with my fellow word geeks. And what better way to spend a weekend of single digit temps?

After that it's back to writing, a whole different kind of word play. Wish me luck!

It's Always Something

2008-07-08T13:38:00.000-05:00

After many weeks of negotiating back and forth on some issues in the proposed contract I received from Kensington, yesterday I signed a final version. It wasn't easy and at one point I feared the whole thing might fall apart. But compromises were made on both sides and the end result is a product I think everyone can live with. Yahoo!

I've been hard at work on the next book in the series, tentatively titled, A GUT REACTION, and it's so exciting to be at this stage of the process. I had a pretty thorough outline done already so now it's simply a matter of fleshing it all out. The beginning is my favorite part of every project because it's such an adventure. I've never been one to feel daunted by all the work ahead of me. Instead I get revved up knowing the possibilities are endless, the end is nowhere in sight, and exciting things could be waiting for me around every corner. I've cranked out 40 + pages so far, rough pages mind you, but with each day's writing I go back to the start, read and edit what I've done before, and take off from there. When I get to fifty pages or so, I'll stop going all the way back to the beginning each time and edit the last few chapters instead.

My least favorite part of it all is that middle of the book slump. I start to feel like I've been working on this book forever and now the fact that the end is nowhere in sight depresses me. I always manage to muddle through it, but it's this part of the process when I find it hardest to motivate myself.

Then I get to the last quarter and suddenly it's all fun again. I love resolution, tying up loose ends, and bringing everything together. The end is in sight; that carrot is so close I can smell it. And I swear I type twice as fast during this phase because I can't wait to finish things up, to print the whole thing out, look at it with pride and realize, "Holy crap, I wrote that."

And then I throw it all aside and celebrate having a life again. After a few weeks I go back to the work, read it with a supposedly fresher eye, and begin the process of serious editing. This is the part where I look at the finished product with shame and realize, "Holy crap, I wrote that?" This is the part where I begin to doubt my abilities as a writer. This is the part where I talk to myself a lot, muttering things like, "What the hell was I thinking there?" and "Who's going to believe that?" and "Thank goodness I found that blooper before the readers did." This is the part where I slap myself upside the head a lot.

Finally I reach the nail-biting, nerve-wracking, self-doubting, "I know I'm just a hack," phase, where I have to turn my efforts over to someone else to judge. I vacillate between confident optimism and resigned pessimism for a few days, then I shrug and move on to my next project. There's nothing like the start of a new adventure to put everything in perspective and remind myself of why I love to write.

GOOD NEWS!

2008-06-06T14:04:00.001-05:00

Well, it's been a long time since I posted to this blog and at last I have something newsworthy to report. I've finally secured a new book deal for my mystery series featuring nurse-turned-coroner Mattie Winston! It will be released under the pseudonym Annelise Ryan (and I'm still working on that pseudophoto) in a hard/soft deal through Kensington. The first book is already written and the path to legitimate publication has been a long and circuitous one. I self published it as a POD under the title THE VICARIOUS LIVER a few years ago as part of an experiment, detailing my efforts and the results in a newsletter. It garnered dismal sales (expected) and a couple of nice reviews from POD-dy Mouth and the Midwest Book Review. It was also a finalist in the EPIC annual book awards.

I withdrew it from publication two years ago and restarted the long and arduous search for a new agent. I found a gem of one in Jamie Brenner, who is with Artists and Artisans. She sold the manuscript in a matter of weeks and after some contract negotiations, we finally ended up with a 3-book deal. The book is tentatively scheduled for release in the fall of 2009 under a new title (not sure what it will be yet...the working title is LIVER LET DIE) with two more books to follow.

It's only taken 10 years to restart my writing career! But it goes to show that perseverance (or stubborness, as those close to me call it) can pay off. I'm already hard at work on book #2 in the series so check back here from time to time as I will be detailing my journey in this exciting new process.

The Ultimate Makeover

2006-08-22T01:17:00.000-05:00

I've been reading stuff (such as this NY Times article and this blog) about author looks and packaging. Apparently there are those who believe a good looking author will sell more books. If it's true, it's bad news for the thousands of ordinary looking authors who simply write well.

Years ago I, and a fellow author and friend, Cyn Mobley, decided that since pseudonyms are used by authors all the time, there was no reason a pseudopic couldn't be used as well. I mean, sheesh, think of the possibilities. I could be anyone! Angelina Jolie! Christie Brinkley! Charlize Theron! Hell, with all the photo software out there I could create a whole new entity that uses the best features of several people. The ultimate makeover. A whole new me.

So whose parts would I choose to use in building my new face? I'd like Charlize's eyes, Angelina's cheek bones (I don't much like the fat lip look), Jennifer Aniston's hair, Christina Applegate's smile, and Elizabeth Hurley's body. And what new name would I use for this new face? That's easy: Frances Stein.

On Weird Incidents, Ideas, and My Insistent Muse

2006-07-01T13:09:00.000-05:00

When it comes to story lines, plots, and writing ideas, I have no problem thinking them up. And real life often plays a significant role in the process. For instance, on 6/6/06, a day watched and feared by many because of its numerical significance as the "number of the beast," I had a few strange happenings. The first occurred midday as I was sleeping, after a long tiring night at work. I awoke to hear my dogs barking inside the house rather than outside, and I also heard the sounds of things banging around in my kitchen. Since I was home alone, this unnerved me some. So I got out of bed and snuck down the stairs as quietly as I could (after snagging a pair of scissors from the bathroom to use as a weapon, just in case) and looked around. My dogs by now were just sitting and staring at me, wagging their tails because they were happy to see me up and about, so they were no help in figuring out the source of the noise. And because I was expecting to find something a little bigger and more humanoid in appearance, it took a bit of looking around before I noticed my perpetrator, pictured here exactly as I found him. I eventually was able to capture and release him outside, but he left his mark behind. I had bird droppings all over my kitchen...on the floor, on the counters, on the coffeepot, on the cookbooks, in the sink... and spent the next hour disinfecting my kitchen. But I was strangely grateful the little bugger had held still long enough for me to fetch my camera and snap his picture because it was one of those, "no one will believe this" moments.

I chalked it all up to a weird happening and didn't think anything more of it until later that night. I was sitting on my couch chatting on the phone when I heard a strange scratching noise behind me. The couch is on an outside wall of the house and there's a deck there. At first I thought the scratching was one of my cats (who I suspect may have played a role in the appearance of the bird) but when I heard it again, I had my doubts. By the time I finished my phone conversation, several minutes had gone by and I hadn't heard the noise again. But I was alone in the house and still a tad bit unnerved by the whole bird incident earlier (not to mention sleep deprived, since I'd had only four hours of sleep). And my mind kept flashing on those B-movie scenes where some idiot demonstrates Darwinism in action by ignoring just such a sound until it's too late. So I flipped on the lights for the deck to take a look and lo and behold, the critter in this picture is what I found.

For those of you who may not know, that's a snapping turtle. A pretty damned big snapping turtle. They're slow but you don't want to mess with them because their bite can cause some serious damage, as can their claws. And their necks can stretch and bend to unbelievable lengths, allowing them to bite a lot further back than some people realize. So I wimped out and called the local police (who serve as animal control officers during the night hours) and had one of them come and remove it from my deck. Of course, I had to snap (pun intended!) a picture first because it was another of those, "no one is going to believe this" moments. Once the turtle was safely removed from my deck (unharmed, I might add) I wanted to tell someone about my weird experience. But it was closing in on midnight and not too many people I know would have appreciated a phone call at that hour. However my fellow night shift compadres in the ER were awake, so I printed out the pictures, hopped in my car, and headed up there. It's a short drive--I can actually see the hospital from my house--but I have to go a bit roundabout to get there in order to cross the river that runs behind my house. Just as I reached the opposite side of the river, a place where multitudes of ducks and geese hang out, a duck flew up and landed on the hood of my car... as I was driving! Now all the rest of the ducks were sleeping. This duck, however, chose to hop on my car as I drove by. It struggled to get a grip on the slippery hood, staring at me through my windshield the entire time. I stopped the car (I wasn't going very fast to begin with) and rolled my window down to try and shoo the duck away, wishing I had my camera with me.

By this time, I'm well aware of the date and a little spooked that I've had all these "beastly" occurrences. I'm beginning to wonder if this duck is as innocent as it looks. And just like that, the skeleton of a horror story begins to build in my mind. I breathe a sigh of relief when the duck hops off my car and lets me go by, but the day's incidents stick with me.

And the story idea won't let go. My muse likes it. She wants me to develop it. I have other things I'm working on and I want to stay focused on them. My muse and I have been arguing about it for almost a month now (can you spell schizophrenic??) and I fear she may be winning. We'll see.

The Barbara Bauer Debacle

2006-05-29T15:46:00.000-05:00

It seems that Barbara Bauer doesn't like the fact that her questionable practices led to her inclusion in the Writers Beware's 20 Worst Agencies list, a list compiled after careful research by watchdogs, A.C. Crispin and Victoria Strauss. This list has been around a while and has been posted any number of places. It was created after meticulous documentation and research. It has undoubtedly saved more than one fresh-faced newbie from being scammed.

Now Barbara Bauer has upped the ante by threatening folks with legal action if they dare to display this list. From what I've been able to glean by reading about this debacle here, here, and here, (this last link, which is to Teresa Nielsen Hayden's blog, has 555 comments as of this moment) Barbara Bauer's antics resulted in one of the largest online writing communities, Absolute Write, getting yanked by their ISP with only an hour's notice. It seems part of the fault lies with the ISP, whose behavior was questionable, particularly since they apparently refused for some time (and may still be refusing) to hand over Absolute Write's database. Though Absolute Write's owner, Jenna Glatzer, has found a new ISP, whether or not the database can be reestablished remains in question. If it can't be, it will be a huge loss to writers everywhere. The quality and amount of information there was invaluable. AW members have joined together to try to resurrect what they can from Google caches.

Lest Barbara Bauer think she has gotten away with anything, outraged writers, agents, and other interested parties all over the net have Google bombed her name so that as of this posting, the 20 Worst Agencies list is the second thing that comes up when you Google Barbara's name. Plus, this little debacle has been noted on blogs, discussion groups, and web sites everywhere, making it that much harder for Barbara Bauer to hide. Even agents, real ones like Kristen Nelson, have chimed in. Check out Miss Snark's blog. She read Barbara Bauer the riot act, essentially asking her to put up or shut up. And that blog alone gets some 3,000 hits a day. Barbara Bauer may come to regret her shenanigans because it looks like they are going to backfire, but that doesn't help Absolute Write.

I'm adding my voice to all the others. My blog doesn't get near the traffic some of the others do, but every little bit helps. In the meantime, until Jenna can resurrect the Absolute Write board somehow, its minions are gathering here and here (much thanks and appreciation to Teresa Nielsen Hayden for providing the temporary digs). Hopefully, the complete AW will rise from the ashes soon.

Where Did The Time Go To?

2006-05-29T12:04:00.000-05:00

It's been a while (too long) since I posted anything here and once again I'm making a pledge to do better. Life has been pretty hectic of late but I'm hoping for a slow down.

I'm still trying to find an agent but I took some time off from the querying process to do a substantial rewrite of the manuscript. And once that was done I had to do a substantial rewrite of the synopsis. With those finally tucked away, my original query was just screaming for another polish so I spent some time on that, as well. I like the new version much better but I violated the keep-it-to-one-page rule.

After finishing all of that I had this huge party to focus on. Our town has a strong Norwegian heritage and every year it celebrates May 17th (known locally as Syttende Mai), which is the Norwegian Independence Day. On the weekend closest to May 17th, the town hosts a three-day fest of events--it's quite a to-do and our town's tiny population of about 12,000 nearly doubles that weekend. One of the launching events for the celebration is a Friday night canoe race down the river that runs right by our house.

Seven years ago when we first moved here, we watched the nearly 150 canoes go by, cheering, laughing, and having the occasional water fight with a few not-so-serious racers wearing Viking hats and armed with huge water guns. It was a lot of fun and I thought it was a perfectly good excuse to have a party.

So the following year, we had one. And we've had one every year since, each one bigger than the one before. This year we had close to 70 people attend. It was a fun time but a lot of work and I spent the better part of the three weeks before the party getting things ready: creating a menu, buying food, drinks, etc, hunting down dust bunnies and cobwebs in my house, and getting the yard cleaned up and looking decent. Needless to say, writing and other stuff got pushed to the wayside.

But now I've recovered from the party and have no more excuses to procrastinate. I have six freshly revised queries ready to mail out tomorrow. Here's hoping.

And stay tuned for another post (yes! two in one day!) on a current scam agent debacle.

Stuff

2006-03-11T15:05:00.000-06:00

Just a few things I feel are worth mentioning...

Check out GirlOnDemand's blog site POD-dy Mouth to see the POD books that made it into the finalist category for her Needle Awards (alas, The Vicarious Liver wasn't one of them). And check in on March 22 to see who the winners are. Congratulations to all the writers who managed to rise to the top of the POD pile.

And if you have a few hours to waste and want some cheap entertainment, check out these web sites, all of which highlight some creative folks who decided to beat the Nigerian scammers at their own game, or at least yank their chains a bit. My favorite based on the results and pure ingenuity is The Adventures of Wendy Willcox and her dog Willis (you just gotta love the pictures!) but the Brad Christensen Exhibit at the Quatloos! site and the Ebola Monkey Man are both tied for second.

A belated congratulations to Josh Olson aka BadCog, who used to cruise some writer boards I frequented on AOL, on his Oscar nomination in the screenwriting category for the History of Violence script. Nicely done!

And finally, could it be that PublishAmerica is finally starting to crumble beneath the weight of its own deception? Ever since the successful arbitration hearing launched by one disgruntled author, contracts are being released right and left and there are rumors afloat that more arbitrations and perhaps a class action suit are coming. Posts on PA's own message board questioning the dismal royalty payments that were just sent out get yanked almost as fast as they appear. And the influx of disillusioned and angry PA authors to other message boards is growing by leaps and bounds. To get a feel for just how nasty this company can be, check out the rather lengthy PA threads on the Absolute Write site and read some of the "tone" letters these morons have sent to the authors who dared to question their tactics and practices.

Never-Been vs Has-Been?

2006-02-12T04:27:00.000-06:00

This writing business is a tough one and I've come to realize I'm far from alone in my current state. It seems that dropping writers after a book or two or four is not an uncommon occurence these days and a publishing credit doesn't go nearly as far as it used to. I have to face the reality of being a has-been and the possibility that I shall remain so the rest of my days.

So I've given a lot of thought of late to switching my creative focus away from writing and directing it toward my stained glass projects instead. Stained glass is a relatively new thing for me...I've only been at it for a couple of years and I'm just now beginning to get good at it. If I set aside my writing and put that time toward creating stained glass projects instead, I'd get a lot more of it done. And there are several stores in town where I could sell my work on consignment. If the stuff doesn't sell, I can write it off to a lack of talent or a need for more practice. Better to be a never-been rather than a has-been, I figure. And if it does sell, I can once again experience that one-time thrill of the first sale.

And then I'll probably write an article about it and try to sell it to someone.

Query Quandary

2006-01-05T21:14:00.000-06:00

So I have this novel I'm trying to sell and that means writing a query letter. I've written queries aplenty before and I've managed to sell a few novels and a number of articles with them. You can read the query and synopsis that got me an agent for my first novel here.

Yet it still remains a bugaboo for me. I worked for months over the first version of this query, starting with rough drafts in March of 2005 and leading up to the first letter mailed in July of 2005. I've changed and tweaked it dozens of times since then and I thought it might be helpful (laughable?, entertaining?, a good study in psychololgical disintegration?) to see some of the iterations it has gone through and the thoughts that went into each change. My thoughts will appear in parentheses and in color type, the actual letter text will be in black type. I've deleted specific names and addresses but it should be noted that each letter mailed was personalized and addressed to a specific agent.

Here goes....
_________________________

Version #1

Date

Agent
Agency
Street
City, State Zip

Dear Ms./Mr. Agent:

I’m a multi-published novelist seeking representation for my latest suspense novel, Nick of Time. My prior agent retired and your name emerged at the top of my list based on your reputation in the industry and your interest in medical thrillers.

(I figured this was a good opener in that it established right up front with a minimum of space and words that I'm an experienced, published writer, and that I had done my homework in terms of what this particular agent was after. In each letter I mentioned something specific to that agent, ranging from stuff as mundane as a common interest in scuba diving (it's amazing the info you can get off the web these days) to similar books the agent might have represented. I hoped mention of my prior agent and the reason we parted company would communicate that I wasn't a pain in the ass to work with and our parting wasn't due to any fault of mine, but I also left out mention of the interim agent I had for 3 years who I fired a year ago because I felt he was ineffective. I agonized over whether or not it was better to mention the interim agent, which might mean explaining why we parted company. I didn't want to come across as bitter/angry/difficult or anything like that. But by not mentioning the interim agent, I created a span of about 7 years where it appeared as if I was doing and writing nothing, which wasn't the case and wasn't the impression I wanted to give. In the end I decided to mention only the retired agent and hope the query and/or writing would be enough to establish a connection with an agent and get some communication going. Then I could decide what to say regarding the interim agent.)

Nick of Time tells the story of Rachel Mayton, a brilliant physician researcher haunted by guilt. Five years ago a car accident took her husband’s life and left her daughter, Megan, in a coma, though Rachel emerged unscathed. Determined to help Megan, Rachel develops a highly promising drug that may reverse comas in brain-injured people. A clinical trial has been approved with Megan as one of the patients but it’s delayed when Rachel is shot during a robbery and “dies.” During this near-death experience Rachel sees her dead husband, Doug, who relates a cryptic message Rachel doesn’t understand. Over the next few weeks, Rachel sees and hears Doug several more times, both in dreams and while awake. Then Tim Nerad, a patient in Rachel’s clinical trial, awakens from his coma and disappears from the hospital. When Rachel finds him, his explanation for his behavior – a bizarre tale of time-traveling souls, ghostly visitations, and a future apocalypse – leaves Rachel doubting both his sanity and hers. Yet when she is forced to flee – pursued by the law for a murder she didn’t commit and stalked by zombies who want her dead – she comes to not only trust Tim but love him. In the end Rachel realizes her only hope for survival is to puzzle out the clues provided by her dead husband’s ghost and sacrifice those she holds most dear.

(This one paragraph summary of the book is what consumed most of the first three months of query development and tweaking. It initially began as a 600-word summary and I cut it down to 250 or so. This wasn't easy but it was necessary if I was going to get a one-page query out of the deal. Since I send a short synopsis -- about 1500 words -- with each query, I figured this paragraph needed to communicate the main essence of the story and didn't need to get into any real details. For the query summary I tried to focus on character motivation, the general plot, and the primary story arcs.)

Told in chapters that alternate between current time and a time thirty-six years in the future, the manuscript for Nick of Time (approximately 86,000 words) is complete and available for review. (I debated mentioning the alternating times here because there is no real hint of it in the summary paragraph preceding it. But I also felt it was an important component of the work. I'm not sure if this is the right decision or not.) My previous novels include three stand-alone thrillers, all with a medical flavor, that were published as paperback originals by HarperCollins in the late nineties: Cold White Fury, Eyes of Night, and Second Sight. The rights for all three books recently reverted back to me, making them available for reissue. (I vacillated on mentioning the rights reversion here, unsure if having them was a plus or a minus.) Should you be interested, I have other finished novel projects available for review as well. (Again, the advice on this type of comment is mixed. Some say mentioning it is an indication that you have a closet full of poorly written novels you couldn't sell. But others have said it can be an indication you are a career novelist as opposed to a one-book wonder. I decided to include it in this query since I felt my ability to write publishable material wasn't really in question but I'm not sure if it was the right thing to do and deleted it from future versions.)

I have enclosed a synopsis, an author bio, and the first three chapters of Nick of Time for your review (no need to return these should you decide to pass), along with an SASE. Thank you very much for your time and consideration. I look forward to hearing from you. (Though a lot of folks suggest writers need to strictly adhere to an agent's stated preferences, I've also seen several agents, editors, and writers who advise sending a sample of the work with any query, even if it's just the first 5 pages. I didn't include any sample chapters unless it was indicated as okay in an agent's listed preferences. I gave it some serious thought because I think my first few pages are very strong, but I have a hard time interpreting something that says "query only" as meaning it's okay to send along a few pages as well. I did, however, include a synopsis with every query since the synopsis is relatively brief. My bio page goes with each letter, too, and includes review quotes from Publishers Weekly and others for my first three novels, as well as mentions of my many nonfiction writing credits.)

All the best, (I admit I played with the standard "Sincerely" versus this one and then decided I was micromanaging way too much.)

Beth Amos

Enclosures: Synopsis for Nick of Time
Sample Chapters
Author Bio
SASE

___________________________

Version #2

Date

Literary Agent
Agency
Address
City, State, Zip

Dear Ms./Mr. Agent,

I’m writing to you regarding my latest novel, Nick of Time, an exciting blend of paranormal suspense and medical thriller. (Okay, I decided to ramp up the hype a bit in this version but after using it a couple of times, I decided it sounded amateurish and changed it.) I had three similar novels of suspense published by HarperCollins in the late nineties as paperback originals: Cold White Fury, Eyes of Night, and Second Sight. (For this version, I decided to move my previous publishing info up front and as you will see in the sentences that follow, I also provided some info on sales, knowing that my record isn't the best but isn't all that bad, either. Again, I wasn't sure if offering this information would benefit me or do me harm and after garnering a couple of swift rejections with this letter, I decided to eliminate sales info from future queries.) I received advances that ranged from $10K to $30K and all three books earned through their advances, with total sales for each averaging over 70,000 copies. When Harper bought Avon I was dropped from their roster and the rights to these books have since reverted back to me, making them available for reissue. (I debated long and hard over whether or not to include why, when, and how I was dropped from HC and after trying a few queries with the previous sentence, I decided to drop it in future versions.) My first agent, Linda Hayes, retired four years ago and I spent three years with another agent, Mr. Agent, who represented a different project for me: a humorous mystery that we were unable to sell. Mr. Agent and I parted company amicably a year ago and I am now seeking new representation. (I'm still focused on explaining my 7 years of nothing here, like a job applicant trying to explain long pauses between employment. This time I included the interim agent I subsequently fired (though our parting WAS amicable) and included the fact that this agent was representing a wholly different work for me. I wanted to make it clear that a) I'm willing to try other types of writing and b) I wasn't just sitting on my pity pot sulking all this time, although I did spend some time doing just that. But in the end, I decided this made me sound too scattershot, so I deleted it.)

Nick of Time tells the story of Rachel Mayton, a brilliant physician researcher haunted by guilt. Five years ago a car accident took her husband’s life and left her daughter, Megan, in a coma, though Rachel emerged unscathed. Determined to help Megan, Rachel develops a highly promising drug that may reverse comas in brain-injured people. A clinical trial has been approved with Megan as one of the patients but it’s delayed when Rachel is shot during a robbery and “dies.” During this near-death experience Rachel sees her dead husband, Doug, who relates a cryptic message Rachel doesn’t understand. Over the next few weeks, Rachel sees and hears Doug several more times, both in dreams and while awake. Then Tim Nerad, a patient in Rachel’s clinical trial, awakens from his coma and disappears from the hospital. When Rachel finds him, his explanation for his behavior – a bizarre tale of time-traveling souls, ghostly visitations, and a future apocalypse – leaves Rachel doubting both his sanity and hers. Yet when she is forced to flee – pursued by the law for a murder she didn’t commit and stalked by zombies who want her dead – she comes to not only trust Tim but love him. In the end Rachel realizes her only hope for survival is to puzzle out the clues provided by her dead husband’s ghost and sacrifice those she holds most dear. (This didn't change from the first version.)

Told in chapters that alternate between current time and a time thirty-six years in the future, the manuscript for Nick of Time (approximately 86,000 words) is complete and available for review. I have enclosed a brief synopsis and an author bio (no need to return these should you decide to pass), and would be happy to forward the entire manuscript at your request. (This particular copy went to an agent who wanted queries only. I also used it for a few others who were willing to look at sample chapters and altered the letter to reflect that inclusion.) Thank you for your consideration and I look forward to hearing from you.

All the best,

Beth Amos

Enclosures: Synopsis for Nick of Time
Author Bio
SASE
_________________________________

Version # 3 (This one has yet to be sent to anyone, but will be going out soon along with a revised synopsis. I have changed the story significantly, too, in response to some feedback I received from the delightful, gin-swilling, Miss Snark and her many minions.)

Date

Agent
Agency
Address
City, State Zip

Dear Ms./Mr. Agent:

I am a multi-published novelist seeking representation for my latest work, Nick of Time, a paranormal thriller about two men and two women who must traverse the barriers of time and death in an effort to save mankind. The story, which blends hard and speculative science in a tale of intertwined destinies, heartbreaking betrayals, and amazing self-sacrifice, will appeal to fans of Michael Crichton, Dean Koontz, and John Saul. (This time I decided to eliminate all the agent and sales history from the letter and focus more on hyping/slotting/marketing the book instead. I figure if someone is interested enough in the book, they can call and/or email me to ask about past representation and my publishing history. Some agents' listings do ask for past sales info to be included in the query letter but I just don't feel it belongs there. I might well be wrong.)

Rachel Mayton is a brilliant physician researcher haunted by guilt because she was behind the wheel five years ago when a car accident took her husband’s life and left her daughter, Megan, in a coma. When Rachel develops a new drug with the potential to heal brain-injured people, she hopes it will bring Megan back to life. Prior to launching a clinical trial of the drug, Rachel is shot during a robbery and “dies.” During this near-death experience she sees her dead husband, Doug, who relates a cryptic message Rachel doesn’t understand. When Rachel sees and hears Doug several more times over the next few weeks, both she and some of her coworkers start to question her sanity. Then Tim Nerad, a patient in Rachel’s clinical trial, awakens from his coma and disappears from the hospital. When he later shows up at Rachel’s house, his explanation for his behavior – a bizarre tale of time-traveling souls, ghostly visitations, and a future apocalypse – does little to further Rachel’s cause. Before she can puzzle out the truth behind these strange happenings, she is forced to flee, pursued by the law for a murder she didn’t commit and stalked by “zombies” who want her dead. When Rachel learns her drug might lead to mankind’s demise, she must unravel the complex threads of destiny that tie her and Tim to a crazed man and a heroic woman who exist thirty-six years in the future. In the process she has to puzzle out the clues provided by her dead husband’s ghost, sacrifice those she holds most dear, and come to terms with her growing love for Tim, a man who possesses the body of one person and the soul of another. (I revamped this one-paragraph summary for this version instead of using the one I had in the other two. Is it better? I have no idea. I kind of think it is, but then I thought the first one was okay, too. I'm shooting in the dark here.)

The manuscript for Nick of Time (approximately 86,000 words) is complete and available for review. I have enclosed a brief synopsis, the first 50 pages, (this only to those who okay it) and an author bio (no need to return these if you decide to pass), and can forward the entire manuscript at your request. My previous publishing credits include three similar novels of paranormal suspense published by HarperCollins in the late nineties: Cold White Fury, Eyes of Night, and Second Sight. The rights for all three have since reverted back to me. (I still don't know if mentioning this fact helps my cause any or not.)

Thank you for your time and consideration. I look forward to hearing from you.

All the best,

Beth Amos

Enclosures: Synopsis for Nick of Time
Author Bio
Sample Chapters
SASE

____________________________

Resolutions

2006-01-04T19:38:00.000-06:00

If intentions were dollars I'd be rich by now and there would a lot more entries on this blog.

But I'm trying. And life will be changing in the next few days, so I hope to have more time for this. It's been a bit hectic lately, what with contractors who have been working on some home improvements we're doing and the inevitable problems that go with that. Not to mention the issues I've had with trying to sleep during the day (since I work all night) and having strange men hanging around my house banging on things all day long...

Writing-wise, I'm doing a major revamp of my latest novel, the one that has thus far been soundly rejected by more than a dozen agents. After submitting my synopsis to Miss Snark's Crapometer, I realized I had to make some serious changes. So I'm currently in the midst of revision hell. But it's hard to focus given the tiny snippets of time I have free to dedicate to my writing, especially amidst all those strange wandering men and pounding, pounding, pounding. My "real" job has been demanding a huge amount of time for the past few months, but that should improve next week. And with any luck, the strange pounding men will disappear sometime in the next week or so.

So stay tuned. As part of my New Years' resolutions, I hereby resolve to post here more regularly. And to finish those revisions in the next week or so. Give or take a month.

A Rose By Any Other Name

2005-11-09T15:28:00.000-06:00

Would it truly smell as sweet?

This is at the heart of the whole pseudonym issue, one I have given much thought to over the past few years (my first agent and I tossed a few potential names around) and am considering again now that I'm trying to resurrect my career. Now that I'm a three-book wonder and a bit of a has-been, with mediocre sales but sales nonetheless, I'm stuck with trying to decide if I should continue my career as Beth Amos or try to launch a new one under a new name. A fresh start sounds okay, but shouldn't I get some kind of credit for what I've already done? Should I kill Beth Amos off and let her rest in peace, or try to resuscitate her? I find the idea of committing authorial suicide kind of intriguing but also more painful than it should be. Yet many people I know who are in-the-know on these matters say it's easier to sell a book today as a new, unpublished author rather than a has-been.

I confess, there is a part of me that likes the idea of pretending to be someone else, of assuming a new identity and perhaps even manufacturing a few, fun personality traits to go along with this new persona. I could eliminate many of my flaws (or at least pretend they don't exist) and acquire some desirable traits I'm currently lacking. The possibilities seem endless -- I imagine I could waste precious hours every day just reinventing myself. For starters, the new me will be a witty, articulate conversationalist. She'll be beautiful (a pseudonym needs a pseudopicture, right?) and have thin thighs and a cute ass. She'll be young and sassy and sexually attractive to both men and women. She'll never snort when she laughs, cuss like a sailor, or cast evil curses on people she doesn't like. Wait...I might want to hang onto that last one.

It all sounds fun and adventurous, all right, but it's hard to let go of the real me. Granted, I'm far from perfect and possess enough flaws and personality quirks to irritate the most patient of people. But I've grown comfortable in my own skin and 99% of the time I really like who I am. Assuming a new identity seems akin to saying I'm not good enough, that no one will like me for who I am anymore. Hiding who I really am seems deceptive. It feels like a form of prostitution. I don't want to do it.

But I will, assuming the right persons ask me to.

So I need a new name, just in case. There are a lot of things to consider. Should I choose a last name that keeps me at the front of the alphabet and therefore at the front of my book's section in the bookstores? Or should I pick one that would place me on the shelves next to similar authors who are bestsellers? For instance, if I wrote horror, would I want my last name to be Kingsland, so I can be nestled between Stephen King and Dean Koontz? (Hmmm......now there's a visual!) Or should I change my name to Abbott so I can be first in line on the shelf? And how will a given name look on a book cover? Should I pick short names, or long ones, or a mix of the two? Does the name itself suggest anything that might make a potential reader more, or less, likely to pick the book up? Does the name carry any positive or negative connotations?

It's quite overwhelming when you get right down to it. And for the moment, I can't decide on any one name. So maybe I'll try some on for size for the next few posts here, and develop a pseudopersonality to go with each one (the men in the white coats can't be far away). Stay tuned....

Hanging Out In Procrastination Station

2005-10-26T09:09:00.000-05:00

In keeping with the train metaphor from the last post, I've been laidover in procrastination station for several weeks now, as evidenced by the fact that my last post here was over a month ago (how the heck did that happen?) During that time I have grown a year older, written next to nothing on my latest novel project, made no progress on my quest for a new agent, and read one agent's blog that has me worried I might not only lack the skill to be a successful writer, but perhaps the looks as well.

Buried in the back of my mind (and perhaps a big factor behind my procrastination) is the concern that I'm simply not good enough. My writing is okay, the book I'm trying to sell is okay, the book I'm trying to write is okay, my looks are okay, but are any of them good enough? Don't get me wrong, I'm not lacking in self confidence, at least not most of the time, but this whole trying-to-find-an-agent thing does tend to make one doubt one's abilities. It's a painfully humbling experience and I can't help but wonder if I'm wasting my time writing and trying to get published again. Plus, there are so many other things to do: plant those bulbs I ordered last spring (what the hell was I thinking?), poop scoop the back yard, pay some bills, get my hair done (for that all-important author look, donchaknow), and play a few games of Scrabble. There are books to read and TV shows to watch and emails to write. Then there're the dogs looking at me with those pleading eyes in hopes of a walk, the laundry to do, the dishes to wash, the groceries to buy, the floors to vacuum, the job (a necessity for all those bills I have to pay), and all the message boards and other blogs I like to read .... including the fascinating and educational musings from the gin-swilling, George Clooney-worshipping literary agent known as Miss Snark. The list of distractions is endless.

Yet despite all those other things, I know I'll somehow find the time and motivation to keep writing, to keep sending out queries, and to continue to humble myself in search of that publishing holy grail. I'm beginning to believe the whole thing is a form of mental illness.

I Think I Can, I Think I Can...

2005-09-23T17:06:00.000-05:00

I feel a lot like The Little Engine That Could these days, hoping to overcome a mountain of self doubt as I try to convince myself that my writing doesn't suck and that it's fully worth my time and effort to launch yet another novel project, knowing it will consume huge amounts of my time and energy over the next bunch of months. It shouldn't be that hard because I love to write and I have plenty of exciting stories and characters in my head just waiting to be committed to paper (or maybe I'm the one who needs to be committed??). The hardest part should be deciding which story to work on next...and that is hard, but not for the reasons it should be.

I just spent the better part of a year completing my latest novel. It's a story I carried around in my head for several years and I was anxious to get to it as the premise, the plot, and the characters fascinated me. I felt, and still feel, it has great market potential. I approached it with high enthusiasm and thoroughly enjoyed the journey of writing it, except for that mid-book slump phase where working on any book feels about as exciting as writing a research paper on dirt. It's a great story, one I truly believe has potential.

I think.

Self doubt keeps creeping in. Who am I to determine what is or isn't good, what does or doesn't have potential? My taste in things has always been a bit off plum and while I sometimes agree with the masses, I just as often find myself part of a very small minority. My doubts aren't helped by the fact that the novel is currently trapped somewhere in submissions purgatory, bits and pieces of it spread about New York in hopes of finding a fan somewhere in the literary world. It has already been rejected by a handful of agents, and while those rejections were softened by some very kind and flattering feedback in a couple of cases, my skeptical side can't help but wonder if those agents really meant what they said about the book and the writing, or if they were merely being kind.

I'm realistic enough to know the book may never find any home other than a shelf in one of my closets. But acknowledging that on an intellectual level is a hell of a lot easier than accepting it on an emotional level. It's hard to justify spending the better part of a year on a project that may never see the light of day, particularly when it's a labor of love. And all of my books are. I wouldn't write them otherwise.

All this musing and self doubt makes it hard to begin my next book, knowing I may be sitting here a year from now thinking I've just wasted another chunk of my life and committed myself to the wrong project. But I've begun it nonetheless...several times in fact. I keep searching for that perfect launching pad, the right tone in the narrative, the right feel to the characters. I know a lot of writers who recommend just jumping in and writing, not worrying about the beginning until you're well into the story. But I can't do that. I need to play with the beginning until I get just the right mix of story, tone, and character. It's a getting-to-know-you stage, a required step for me if I'm to attain the right level of commitment, zeal, and enthusiasm for the project. I can't always define what it is that makes the beginning right, but I know it when I see it.

And yesterday I saw it. So I'm off and running, trying to push aside all thoughts of my other child, who is doing the literary equivalent of trying to find a prom date, and trying to ignore all my self doubt and fears. Because I have to; not writing isn't a choice for me. And even if none of my books are ever published again, I will continue wasting a year here and a year there, visiting with the stories and characters living inside my head. Because that childhood mantra from The Little Engine That Could has been a guiding force throughout my life: I think I can.

Warning! Rant Ahead

2005-09-15T17:18:00.000-05:00

I dedicate a lot of my time to trying to help aspiring writers learn the ins and outs of the publishing industry and some of the basics of good writing. I do this because I've made a bit of progress myself but I never would have gotten there if it wasn't for lots of generous and talented writers over the years who shared their wisdom with me. I feel like returning the favor is the least I can do and there are plenty of aspiring writers out there who are eager for the help and willing and able to learn.

Unfortunately, there are also plenty of writers out there who are totally clueless. I'm not sure why I beat myself over the head time and time again trying to get these folks to see the error of their ways...I suppose it's the same stupid stubborness that wouldn't let me give up on getting published after years and years of rejections.

My latest frustrations stem from a small group of writers on an author's forum started by a woman whose book has been published by the ever-controversial Publish America (PA). I was invited to this forum by its owner because an issue of my newsletter from last year was quoted as an evidentiary source in a law suit recently filed by Encyclopedia Britannica, claiming trademark infringement by PA's British entity, which was calling itself Publish Brittanica. The owner of the forum told me she felt the sources I cited in that issue of my newsletter were unfairly biased against PA and if I wanted to see more open and balanced opinions, to come and visit her forum. So I did.

What I found there was a bunch of ostriches, people who have been "published" by PA and proudly claim themselves "published authors!" in posts that demonstrate they have absolutely no clue how to write a grammatically correct sentence, much less write a readable book. Clearly these people are interested solely in some perceived prestige they think comes along with the label of "published author" and have no interest at all in writing with any level of skill. Despite numerous posts pointing out the flaws in their logic (not to mention their writing!) these people persist on doing the cyber equivalent of plugging their ears and singing, "lalalalala, I can't hear you."

The latest debacle from PA is their claim that they are going to make all their books returnable. Given PA's past actions and their reputation, many (myself included) suspect this is merely a thinly disguised way to get PA authors to buy a bunch of their own books, thereby filling PA's coffers with some new cash just in time for the payment they will have to make to Encyclopedia Brittanica come October.

But don't let me persuade your thinking, check out the forums for yourself and decide. You can visit the aforementioned forum here: Author Forum

For a more balanced and realistic forum, check out the Bewares and Background Check section of the Absolute Write forum here: http://absolutewrite.com/forums/forumdisplay.php?f=22

Welcome!

2005-09-07T11:22:00.000-05:00

I've decided to join the blogging bandwagon (say that three times really fast) to share my thoughts, musings, trials, tribulations, and anything else I feel like (so there!). My main focus will be on writing and publishing, but I reserve the right to bore you with anything else that strikes my fancy.

A brief introduction: I'm a published novelist -- three thrillers that were issued as paperback originals by HarperCollins in the late nineties. I am no longer with Harper and my original agent has retired. I spent a few years with another agent who tried to sell a mystery I wrote, but alas, to no avail. We parted company a year and a half ago, I decided to self-publish the mystery to see what all the POD/self-publishing woo-hoo is really all about, and now I've completed another thriller that is desperately seeking a home.

So at the moment I'm in the middle of trying to find a new agent and sell a new book. Though this is something I've done before, it's been a while and I forgot just how humbling (humiliating) it can be. And given the fact that I'm no longer with Harper because they dumped me a few years ago when they acquired Avon, my ego isn't exactly hanging out in the stratosphere. I've long felt that misery is easier to bear when shared, so that's part of what I'll be using this blog for. That, and musings on this crazy industry called publishing.