Samhain Publishing Ltd. Weblog

Compliments

Recently I got a review for Hot Shot in which the reviewer said she’d planned to read my book for a bit and ended up staying up until 4 in the morning to finish it! Now there’s a compliment every writer dreams about. I value sleep above all, and to cost someone theirs is a real ego boost!

Monday I was walking down the hall at school and the custodian said, “You’re losing weight!” Now,
it was inservice day and I was wearing the closest things to pajamas I dare wear in public, exercise pants (which did fit a little looser now that I think about it) and a t-shirt. I don’t think she’s right, but it was good to hear.

The other day I was talking to a writer friend and she said I was her inspiration. I never gave up over the long long long road to publication (or with Hot Shot, which has been down the most tortuous path a book can take.) She won’t give up her quest for publication because I didn’t. That’s pretty humbling.

What’s the best compliment you’ve received lately?

The Last Things I Learned Before I Published

I’ve been writing a long long long time and submitting a long long long time. A few summers ago, I was invited to join a critique group with 3 multi-published members of my chapter. I was honored and terrified. Though I’d known these women for years, well, showing them my work terrified me. I’d never been part of a face to face critique group and this was immersion, you know? But I went and it was a good decision. I learned a lot. A lot. Two of the authors moved away and another joined, also multi-published and a great editor to boot, and I’m still learning.

Summer, Summer, Summer

Remember that Cars song? I think the actual title was “It’s Magic,” but those lyrics have been playing in my head all week. See, I’m a 4th grade teacher, and this is my first week of summer vacation. I’ve found, as I’ve started my life of leisure (yeah, right, housecleaning and revisions), that I appreciate some things people take for granted.

1) Sun tea. I bought a big beautiful jar at Target, and I’ve made sun tea twice, and drank most of it myself. I will say my rings are looser!

2) Hearing the garbage truck go by. It’s like a fresh start – I’ve cleaned the house, disposed of trash, and now it’s gone and I can start over.

3) Hearing the church bells at noon. We have 2 churches within 3 blocks of the house and both ring bells at noon. They’ve worked it out, though, so that the Catholic church plays its melody, then the Presbyterian church. It’s very old fashioned and very soothing.

4) Being able to clean house and then enjoy it. Okay, not the cleaning (ugh) but having a clean house.

5) Being able to enjoy my hibiscus. I have a ton of hibiscus plants. Each flower blooms for only one day, so they’re like a reminder to enjoy each day as it comes.

6) Watching my sprinklers. I love the rhythm of it. Water is so relaxing. And it’s fun to see all the birds come take a shower.

7) Soaking in the sunshine before the heat of the day. When you work in a cinder block classroom with one narrow window for 9 months, you get outside when you can. Of course, this is Texas, so you get out in the AM and you get out in the PM. Still, I feel energized after sitting outside.

8) Watching my cats play in the backyard. They don’t get to go out when we’re not home, so they’re taking full advantage now, running out with the dog in the morning, coming in for a nap, then going back out at supper. When they’re out, they chatter at birds and squirrels, rub themselves in the dirt and chase bugs. Oh, and eat grass, then hack it up on the clean floor.

9) Running out to pick up lunch. We get 30 minutes for lunch at school, not enough time to go pick something up, so I pack sandwiches Every Single Day. That gets OLD. So far, we’ve had McD’s, tacos, Panda Express and Chick-Fil-A.

10) Staying up late. Last night I read till 1:30 – glorious and guilt free!

What do you love about summer?

HOT SHOT releases today!!!!

It’s been a long, long, LONG, road, but my two time Golden Heart finalist Hot Shot releases today!!! (When I learned the release date was April Fool’s Day, I kinda held my breath – the road has been THAT long.)

Hot Shot is the story of Gabe Cooper, a wildland firefighter just doing his job, and Peyton Michaels, the reporter who sees him as more of a hero than he is. (She’s right, of course – he’s just too stubborn to see it.) As they run for their lives from a Montana wildfire, they break down the barriers each has erected to stand in the way of true love.

Adventure, romance, , murder, an amazing hero…what’s not to love ;) ?

The Best Things About Being a Writer

Today is my first time blogging on the Samhain blog – my first book with them will be out in less than a month! So I’m on one of my writing peaks right now, though I’m having a bit of performance anxiety.