Hocus Pocus

Maybe I can call this hocus pocus. Sounds like a good name for it. But sometimes I have weird things happen to me. I don't know if it has a name, but here's an example. Two days ago I was driving home, kids in the car, radio turned on the classical station, evening. I look up and see an airplane. Can't really see the plane, just lights but I know it's a plane. I'm sure you get the image.

At that point I think...I wonder what it would be like to be up there, in the sky, everything dark, not really knowing where you are or what's down there.

A sceond later, and I mean exactly a second, the song on the radio ends, the announcer comes on and says... "Have you ever wondered what it feels like to fly at night? Our next composer wrote a song especially about flying at night."

Weird? In all honesty, this kind of thing happens to me a lot. I've always thought it was just a coincidence, but its been happening more often lately. So I thought maybe I could start writing it down when it happens, just to see how much it really does happen.

Please don't think I've lost my marbles. I know, I've got three kids I love, though they do drive me a little crazy. But this isn't crazy, right? Just sort of cool.

Oh, the Obscurity

I realize some of you must be frustrated with me. I've been going on and on about how I've started writing, yet most of you have no clue what I'm even writing about. This is your lucky break. Today, I will share the big secret. This is actually the query for my first book--the letter I will send to agents once I'm satisified my book is ready to be let loose on the world.

Book One is called Forbidden. And here's what it's about...

When seventeen-year old Ivy Hines envisioned her engagement with Mr. White—the most eligible gentleman in Jefferson, Texas—she never imagined a corpse would be in the room. The corpse of his dead bride. She never thought Mr. White would pull the engagement ring off the cadaver’s finger—a ring that would leech her spirit into Mr. White’s soul and cause him to live forever.  Christian, her pa’s hired help, showed up almost in time to stop the engagement. But he really didn’t need to. Ivy controlled the situation. She plunged a knife into Mr. White’s heart. Seemed like a simple solution. She just wished she’d known Mr. White could only be killed with one weapon—Cherubim’s flaming sword. In three days Ivy will become Mr. White’s next bride. She trusts Christian to help her find the blade, but he’s not telling her everything. He knows secrets about the sons of Adam and Eve, of two brothers who found the forbidden fruit and have been alive for centuries. Next time, Ivy will make sure she knows Mr. White’s true identity—the world’s first murderer.

One Year

It's been one year since I started writing my first novel. Now I've finished three. I guess I should celebreate. Woohoo!

There, I celebrated.

Honestly, I feel like writing is celebrating. It's when I get to open up my mind and creativity. I get to use some of my college training. But really, it's just nice to accomplish something other than washing clothes/dishes/dirty bums.

Okay, cleaning dirty bums isn't so bad. I'm used to it by now. And, let's be honest, kids have pretty cute bums.

I'd like to start sharing some of the tips I've learned from a year of writing. There are some amazing resources out there, I'm sure I haven't discovered them all, but I can share what I've learned so far.

The first tip I'll share is this-- The First Five Pages by Noah Lukeman. Read it, let it settle for a few months, and then read it again. I got my copy off amazon.com for less than five bucks. For first time writers, this book is a must. There you go. Keep checking back and I'll post another tip some time soon.

Meeting Meg Cabot

There was a pretty long line but it was so worth it! Meg was extremely friendly. She even gave me some advice on finding an agent for my own books.

I finished this book the previous night at 11:30. Loved it. And now I have a signed copy.

According to Meg, there are only three places you can wear a tiara and get away with it. Your wedding, prom, and coming to see Meg Cabot.

Meg said when she met Julie Andrews at her film premiere of The Princess Diaries, all that came out of her mouth was, "I loved your books!" Having only met famous authors at book signings and never any famous actresses, especially not Julie Andrews famous, it was all her brain could manage to spit out.

Luckily, Julie Andrews actually has written some books, as Meg later found out.

I think what I liked most about the whole evening was Meg's sincere appreciation of her fans. I'm sure there were over one-hundred people in line to meet her, and she took the time to chit-chat with every single one. Go Meg!

And Here's How It All Started...

            I know I've had some people wondering how a mom of three kids can write three books in less than a year. Well, I don't really have an answer. But I can tell you how it got started...

Jealousy. Perhaps not the best virtue, or a virtue at all, but it’s what made me start writing. I read a novel called Princess of the Midnight Ball by Jessica Day Goerge. At the end she included her bio. As I read it, you guessed it, jealousy set in. She said she had one small child and another on the way when she wrote her book. How? I couldn’t understand.

I had always had characters running around in my head, shouting to be set free. In particular, the town of Jefferson, Texas--its cobbled streets and Victorian homes--inspired me to create a story from real-life legends. But I ignored it. Life would be perfect, distraction free. It would be when the moment was right, when the universe sang to me, “Now is the time!”

Then my mom had a stroke in June 2010.  She recovered quickly. But it made me realize that now is the time. 

I had three small children and a husband who worked eighty hour weeks, but I didn’t let it stop me.

I began writing. My husband encouraged me in his own way. I set a goal of writing a 65,000 word novel (about 225 pages). Every day he would come home and say, “Only 60,000 words to go! Only 50,000, only 35,000.” One month later, he could taunt me no more. I had achieved my goal. I had written all 65,000 words. It was my first novel and it still had a lot of work and endless revisions, but I had done it. I fell in love with writing. It saved me.

I’m glad I ignored the little voice in my head, the one that told me I had to wait for just the right time when everything was perfect. Life never is perfect, but when I am writing, it’s the closest I ever come.

            And for those of you curious to read my novels, I have plans to e-publish books one and two. I will let you know as soon as it happens!