Yippee!

Over the weekend I got my first writing contract! It still doesn't seem real. I keep reading the contract in disbelief. This contract is for one of my shorter stories, but now my foot is in the door. I know none of it would have happened this soon without a connection I made on FB.


The validation the contract brings me as a writer is huge. I am more driven to write. I have so many stories to tell and all I need is the time to do it. That's the tricky part as a mom.  I also submitted the first three chapters of my YA novel. I was so nervous shipping it off, but I couldn't hold onto the manuscript forever. At some point after all the revisions and polishing...you've gotta let it go.

Now, I have to wait and see what happens.  After my surprise this weekend I feel optimistic!

One Submission Sent!

Last night I submitted one of my short stories. My husband inspired the idea for the fairytale. I was amazed at how fast this story came together. I dreamed about the plot and saw the characters in my head daily. I love fairytales and anything magical, especially when romance is thrown in the mix.


I sent the submission off into cyberspace, feeling nervous and excited. Finally, something I’ve worked on was ready to ship off. Hopefully, the editors will have as much fun reading the story as I had writing it.


Now, I will return my focus to my YA novel. I am determined to finish polishing the entire manuscript and at least ship off the first three chapters this weekend.  The characters in my head wake me up in the morning and keep me up at night. Oh, how I love writing!

Weary Query

After looking at many different query models, I finally worked up my courage to write my own. The synopsis was harder to pen, but I still found myself spending several hours and a couple of days rereading my query, in an effort to capture the right tone and flair.

The query is your first shot at getting your foot in the door. That's a lot of pressure! It's more than a little nerve-racking trying to convey my hopes as a writer, my ambitions as an author and sell what I believe is a great book in just a few short paragraphs.

Somehow you are supposed to entice, impress and encourage the editor to take a look at your manuscript. Did I achieve my goals? Will my query get me through the elusive doors of the publishing house I desire?

Time will tell.