Book Reviews, Rants, & Raves!: Getting Close to the Omega by Lisa Oliver

Book Reviews, Rants, & Raves!: Getting Close to the Omega by Lisa Oliver: Goodreads Link: https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/23716463-getting-close-to-the-omega Author Name: Lisa Oliver Author Bio...

Defiance

Here’s to defiance when it leads to creative freedom - Jill Badonsky

Next Tuesday, the first quarter of 2015 will already be behind us? How is your progress on this year’s goals going for you?

For me, it’s been a rocky year so far. I got off to a slow start in January, but returned to daily progress on goals in February. Then the big news came. I went immediately from two nearly completed manuscripts to four in the blink of an eye. After a brief mourning period, I reviewed my manuscripts and sent them off to new publishers. APTCTO got picked up by JMS Books and will be published in May. I am still waiting to hear on DWM.

One of the hidden benefits of rereading my published manuscripts was reacquainting myself with my early characters. I had planned to do so later in the year, but it was nice to do it now. I also gained a new appreciation and respect for APTCTO, and therefore my own writing. Another benefit of releasing second editions of my novels will be the fact that maybe I’ll have four or five new releases this year insted of just two or three.

I’ve revised my scheduled three or four times since January. Although one revision was just about fixing the dates, it made a big difference in the overall plan. There have still been days when I don’t get as much done as I want, but I seem to be able to get caught up. Part of that drive this year is a determination to set boundaries between my day job and my writing job/goals.

Overall, it hasn’t been a bad quarter. I have one contract signed and soon I will have two manuscripts in submission piles waiting for contracts. While I wait, I’ll plug away at fourth nearly complete manuscript and get it done before July.

How is your first quarter going?

Book Reviews, Rants, & Raves!: Whispers of Home by April Kelley

April Kelly on the Book Blog today!

Book Reviews, Rants, & Raves!: Whispers of Home by April Kelley: I asked April what inspired her to write t he story, this is what she had to say: I had this story idea years ago when a f...

The Little Novel That Could

I could not at any age, be content to take my place in a corner by the fireside and simply look on ~ Eleanor Roosevelt

Two years ago, I was basking in the glow of my first contract, getting ready to enter my first round of editing. Caught by surprise on Thomas’s birthday in 2013, Musa Publishing offered me a contract for A Place to Call Their Own. I had actually given up on my first manuscript and was working on polishing Disappear With Me in hopes that I could get better reception on that manuscript. In the end, APTCTO came through and hit the market first. APTCTO holds a special place in my heart. It’s my first novel, written during Thomas and I’s early years together. It’s very much an allegory of our lives at the time.

When I got my rights back at the beginning of March, I immediately set to work on polishing Disappear With Me. With advice from some writer friends, I attacked my WIP to do list starting from the least work need to the most. I sent Disappear With Me off two weeks ago, and still have not heard on that submission.

But, APTCTO, the little novel that keeps on going, was accepted today by JMS Books!  Once again, my little tale of two Civil War vets going west after the war will be the launch (in this case, a relaunch) of my publishing career with an expected release date in May sometime!

I have never given APTCTO the credit it deserves. Not just one, but twice it seems it’s the hands down favorite of others who believe in it the value of its story. Thanks JMS Books!

Here’s a reminder of what APTCTO is about:

Frank Greerson and Gregory Young have been discharged from the Army and are headed to their childhood homes. They both defied their parents in 1861 when they joined the Army. After battling southern rebels and preserving the Union of the United States of America, the two men set out to battle the Kansas Prairie and build a life together. Once they find their claim, they encounter common obstacles to life on the Kansas Prairie in 1866:  Native Americans, tornadoes, wild animals, and weather.

When a prairie fire destroys their crops and takes their neighbor’s lives, Frank and Gregory are instructed to find their young son’s aunt. Faced with leaving a destroyed claim, the railroad coming through their land, and dwindling funds, Frank and Gregory must decide whether to leave the place they have worked hard to make their own or fulfill their friends' dying wish. Is it possible for the two veterans to find their place in the world on the Kansas Prairie?

Here’s a link to check out JMS Books:



http://www.jms-books.com/

Book Reviews, Rants, & Raves!: Black and Blue Love by Judy Folger

Book Reviews, Rants, & Raves!: Black and Blue Love by Judy Folger: I'm excited to have Judy Folger on the Book Blog today. Here are her thoughts on wrtiing Black and Blue Love: I have a...

Book Reviews, Rants, & Raves!: Blood of Salar by Alexis Duran

Book Reviews, Rants, & Raves!: Blood of Salar by Alexis Duran: Author Name: Alexis Duran Author Bio: Alexis Duran was born and raised in the Pacific Northwest. At the University of Oregon, h...

Book Reviews, Rants, & Raves!: Cinder and the Smoke by Geonn Cannon

Book Reviews, Rants, & Raves!: Cinder and the Smoke by Geonn Cannon: Cinder and the Smoke By Geonn Cannon F/F historical, crime, mystery Publisher: Supposed Crimes, LLC Cover Artist: Heidi De...

Outside the Margins on the Prism Book Alliance

I talked about my process of rereading my first two novels on the Prism Book Alliance yesterday...stop by and take a look...

http://www.prismbookalliance.com/2015/03/rereading-great-books-l-dean-pace-frech-outside-the-margins/

Jingle When You Walk

My heart has been broken so many times, it jingles when I walk ~ Garrison Keillor

If you’re like me, this is not your first dream journey. Establishing a writing career is not my first stab at large goals. I did quit smoking and I did finish my BS degree. But there have been a lot of dreams along the way that didn’t work out.

I think that has made me more resilient this time, it could be age as well…LOL! Whatever it is, I get up everyday now with a plan and a goal and move forward with my dreams of the next published novel.

Do you think past failed dreams help you today? I’d love to hear!

The Day After Tomorrow

The day after tomorrow is the third day of the rest of your life ~ George Carlin

Happy Sunday! What are you working on today? Maybe you’re using the day to catch up what you didn’t get done last week or maybe you are trying to get ahead for the next week. Maybe you’re so caught up you can just take the day off, enjoy the winter weather inside, and watch movies.

What ever the case, use it wisely. Even taking time off from both day job activities and dream journey is using the time wisely to recharge and attack both on Monday morning.

What are you doing this weekend?

Book Reviews, Rants, & Raves!: Razor by John Keys

Book Reviews, Rants, & Raves!: Razor by John Keys: Hey Dean! Thanks for having me today. Razor ’s my latest story and was released by Decadent Publishing on Feb 6 th . It’s my firs...

Close the Door on the Past

You build on failure. You use it as a stepping stone. Close the door on the past. You don’t let it have any of your energy, or any of your time, or any of your space ~ Johnny Cash


If you’ve been following me, you know that as of February 28, my publisher ceased business and returned my rights to me. When I first read the news via email on Friday morning, I thought I was unaffected. Sure I would need to find new homes for my novels, but that meant an opportunity to remove some typos that didn’t get caught in line editing (I am a horrible proofreader, never hire me to do that, even if I offer!).

But then reality hit. I already had two completed manuscripts ready to polish. My 1960s novel, Need Your Love, just needs a couple of run throughs and final polish. The Higher Law, my 1930s Los Angeles movie industry story, needs rewritten. In addition to that, I am about 40% done with a merman fantasy novel, Sartin.  I realized I went from two nearly completed manuscripts to four in an instant. That’s when I got overwhelmed.

Thank you to everyone who has offered advice, either on hearing the news or from my asking. Thanks to everyone who shared their leads with me on publishers, especially ones taking previously published works.

If you’ve been following me lately, you also know that things have been really busy at my day job. Knowing that I no longer have a “backlist” out there has given me additional motivation to keep things caught up and in control so that time doesn’t spill into my morning writing time. I reworked my writing and publishing schedule to accommodate polishing the previously published works.

So what I am working on you ask? Here is my list (in my planned chronological order):

1. Comb through Disappear With Me for typos, word choice, etc.Send to publisher who will do second editions.
2. Finish polishing Need Your Love, send to different publisher.
3. Review A Place to Call Their Own and prepare to submit to a third different publisher, one who will do second editions.
4. Move on to rewrite of The Higher Law.
5. Then move on to Sartin the merman.

I have a busy year planned, but I can do it. It really is what I love to do.

Have you had to start all over before in your chosen dream field? I’d love to hear how you picked up the pieces and moved on!