December Grace and Chocolate Countdown Celebration, Part 1

It is December! I can't believe it. The Christmas tree is up, the lights are on the house, it's 17 degrees outside and it is time for another Grace and Chocolate Countdown Celebration giveaway! Hooray!

First, I have some FANTASTIC news: I will be sharing the BOOK LAUNCH of Of Grace and Chocolate with none other than the unstoppable SARAH M. EDEN and the launch of her next title, Friends and Foes! She and I will be celebrating the release of our books with a party and signing for all of you, so start spreading the word! So far, the launch will take place during the 2nd week of January, 2012, and it will be somewhere in the Salt Lake City area. It's going to be EPIC. I can't wait!

To celebrate, I'm giving away another 2 lb. bag of chocolate-covered cinnamon bears!!! Yayyyy!

I'm also giving away a copy of . . . EVERNEATH by Brodi Ashton! This one is definitely on my wish list! But just so you know, it isn't out until January 24, 2012. Don't worry! It will be worth the wait.

Everneath is a unique re-telling of the Persephone and Hades myth. Go see the trailer here. You must. It gives me goosebumps.

To enter, please leave a comment below listing one of your favorite Christmas traditions, then "like" my Facebook page! That's it! You must do both to be entered once. To enter again, share this contest on Facebook, Twitter, your blog, etc. There will be two winners drawn, one for the chocolate, and one for the book! Exclamation points galore!

Contest open until midnight, Wednesday, December 7th.

We're getting closer, people! I can almost taste it!

It tastes like chocolate.

Playing Pickle

What have I been up to? Running. Most of it's mental. Did you play pickle when you were a kid? I feared that game, squealed and cheered, waiting for my turn with dread. But I'd play, accept the challenge, laughing as I kept just out of reach of that dumb ball. Ugh, I hated and loved it. Lately I feel like I've been playing pickle again.

In the month of October I was caught in the strange place of having turned in my edits for Of Grace and Chocolate and waiting for the proof. After frantically applying feedback to revisions and turning it in on time, I found I had free-time.

We'll call it that.

Due to unforeseen circumstances, I also started working 30-40 hours a week at a health food store. Stop in and see me in my green apron. We have amazing chocolate. Among other things. I haven't worked out of the home in 19 years. It's been a big adjustment.

And though we have one less child at home (my oldest went to work for her uncle and starts college in January), we also have one less driver. With my husband working about 12-14 hours a day, it makes for some dicey scheduling, and more organization than I have the capacity for, apparently. We're getting better.

So about that free-time . . .

I decided I could either work on other projects, or read. Hmm. I guess I could have put housework in there. Oops. I split it down the middle. I reduced my "to be read" pile by four five. I forgot one. Oops.

The Third, by Abel Keogh

Devil's Food Cake, by Josi S. Kilpack

Captive Heart, by Michelle Paige Holmes

Seeking Persephone, by Sarah M. Eden

The Legend of Shannonderry by Carol Warburton

I'm also in the middle of Possession, by Elana Johnson. Yeah, things got crazy again. And I have about two-dozen more books on the teetering pile. Thank goodness for Kindle.

Also, I devoted some of that valuable free time to writing. I opened up the fantasy I began in June. I haven't worked on it in a couple of months because of getting Grace and Chocolate going, and I wasn't sure I was in the mood to write fantasy after so much focus on a contemporary romance, but I'd been thinking about things in the back of my head and went for it. I'm up to 44,000 words and it's been so fun. A perfect break from all that is real and impending.

Isn't it pretty?!!!

And, if you've been a visitor here recently, you know I received my cover! That was crazy. As an author, you try not to have expectations, but you do anyway, and you try not to guess, but you do anyway, and then you get it and STARE FOR AN HOUR. And make it your laptop background. And post it everywhere. And start thinking of whether or not you'll do bookmarks or business cards. And POSTERS and BANNERS and ADDRESS LABELS and . . .

But I'm back to real and impending now. And really exciting. I'm working on the Grace and Chocolate proof and it's due in 3 more days. Then, IT GOES TO PRINT! GAH! My kids still don't quite understand the whole "Mom has a deadline" concept and wander in and out, asking if they can have a glass of milk, where the scissors are, how do you spell "organ", or just coming in, sitting on the exercise ball, bouncing up and down while chewing a piece of licorice and kicking the guest bed (where I am situated since my desk chair is about as good for my back as a cement block). And they promise in a whisper, "I'll be quiet." Chew chew chew.

After the tenth kick to the bed, they're out of here. But I'll see them again soon. I love them. They love me. My kids are very sign oriented. I'm making a sign:

I LOVE YOU. NOW STAY OUT.

So, this is me, playing this game of pickle, trying to stay ahead of the ball. It's anxious, thrilling . . . it's being an author. And for the most part, I'm laughing. Sometimes maniacally.

I have no idea what happens if I get tagged . . .

Of Grace and Chocolate Cover Reveal!

 

If someone told Jillian Parish moving on is easy, she would argue that it depends on what someone is leaving behind, and how much chocolate is available.

Jill has worked hard to build up a life far different than the one scarred by her mother's alcohol abuse. She works at a busy publishing house, is writing the novel of a lifetime, and goes home alone every day to a little dog, a spotless apartment, and a piece of 70% cacao and sugar. But in one day, Jill’s phone is stolen, she is tackled by a childhood love who has no idea who she is, and finds her long-lost sister on her front doorstep. In two days, Jill’s carefully controlled world is turned upside-down. In three days, she wonders if chocolate will ever be enough again.

When Scott Gentry moves to the city of Portland, Oregon and spots Jillian at church, he learns her reputation as a lost cause. But something compels him to get Sister Parish's attention, no matter how difficult that may prove. As Scott stumbles, crashes, and falls into Jill's guarded world, he finds himself with more attention than he bargained for, and more willing to do anything he can for the woman who is not made of stone, but of strength.

Grace brings Jill and Scott together, but can grace erase the past, or save the abandoned hearts left in its wake?

I knew this was coming, I just wasn't sure how soon. But it's here. Finally. And I love it. I LOVE IT! I can't tell you enough how well this cover embodies the feel of this story.

I think it's time for a celebratory giveaway . . . maybe some chocolate. Maybe more books . . .

And what could be better in showing how I feel about this cover, than giving away a decadent assortment of Chocolove bars?

Delicious Belgian chocolate in a wrapper with a love poem written on the inside. Four of these babies could be yours. You may want to think about giving one of them away yourself. See what happens... ;)

And the book giveaway? A rollicking romance set in the Old West. Michelle Paige Holmes' Captive Heart is adventurous, sassy, and warm.

I'm changing the entry rules a little bit for this contest. All that is required to enter is:

1) "Like" my Facebook Author page, here: Krista Lynne Jensen Author, or go to the Facebook box in the sidebar on the right and click "like". Easy peasy.


2) Leave a comment here telling me what you think about the new cover. Am I just asking for trouble or what? :)

3) Share this contest on Twitter, Facebook, your blog, email to your family, post it on the bulletin board at work, send it in a note to your kids' teachers, sky-writing, that kind of thing. Let me know what you did in a comment here. You will be entered for each mode of sharing the love, each day you share. The more you share, the more entries you'll have!

Contest will close at midnight, Wednesday, November 9th.

*Just a note: If you entered a previous contest, you do have to share the new contest and leave a comment for your follow and "like" status to count. That's a possible 4 entries right there!

Now, I'm going to sit back and bask in the wonder that this is really happening. A couple more months and I'll be holding this book in my hands! Eeeeee!

Winners Announced and a Sneak Peek

I've drawn the first pair of winners of the Grace and Chocolate Countdown Celebration, thanks to random.org.

Sarah M. Eden's SEEKING PERSEPHONE goes to Afton Grant!

And the Chocolate-Covered Cinnamon Bears go to Michelle Teacress!

Winners, please send me an email at kristalynnej at yahoo dot com!

Thank you to everyone for entering and spreading the word about the release of OF GRACE AND CHOCOLATE! The response was amazing, with 75 entries! You all deserve to win! As a bonus, I'm giving you a sneak peek into the book:

“Have you ever been to Pacific City?”

Jill shook her head. “We would go to Newport, mostly. Once, though, we went to Lincoln City.”

“Well, that makes sense, being from Lebanon. And everyone goes to Lincoln City. Did you like it?”

“Mm-hm. I remember the kites. And the wind.” The breeze brushed her hair as they passed the dark houses and rose over the dune. The beach grass swiped against her jeans. She paused, bending down to pull off her shoes and socks. Laura joined her, and they rolled the hems of their pants while the kids caught up.

Her bare feet sank into the cool of the dune then flipped little puffs of it up as she walked. The sound of the waves grew louder, and her feet hastened to get her to the top.

The night stretched out, black sky meeting black water in motion, the moonlight bouncing off the gentle crests of each low wave running to the shore. Jill took a deep breath as she stood, absorbing it.

Laura sighed. “I never get over it.”

         Neither did Jill. The beach was the one place—the one place—with only happy, peaceful memories. Her mother must have loved it enough. They hadn’t gone often as a family. Maybe that was a factor. “It almost makes it all go away,” she whispered, unsure if she meant the last couple days or her troubled past.

October's prizes will be announced on October 10th, and they are FABULOUS. Please come back and enter again, and tell your friends!

Until then, I'll be posting more news about OF GRACE AND CHOCOLATE, and I'm especially excited to bring you more details about the Christmas anthology I'm part of, A CHRISTMAS TO REMEMBER.

Wheeeeee!

The Grace and Chocolate Countdown Celebration is going very well! Your responses have been so encouraging and the word is getting out. THANK YOU!

I just got some REALLY GREAT NEWS! Aaaahhh, I can't stand it! But I'm not going to tell yet. You have to wait. But not long, I promise! Eeeeeee!!!! *spins around in spinny chair*

photo by rickremington. Flickr.

Continue on! And don't forget to go here to enter in the Countdown Celebration.

I am so mean.

I HAVE A RELEASE DATE!

Several {EXCITING} items of note:

1) My final revisions for OF GRACE AND CHOCOLATE were accepted! Next, it goes to the copy editors. And I'll get a cover. A COVER!!!!

2) Did I tell you the official title is OF GRACE AND CHOCOLATE? This is big news, because for a minute there, the title committee mistakenly thought the book was a suspense, and this is NOT a great suspense novel title. So after the genre mix-up was fixed (see below), not only did the title committee see that yes, this is a ROMANCE, they decided to go with my submitted title, but made it EVEN BETTER! The novel is not about a woman named Grace, as some people have asked, but the act of grace, and the "OF" clarifies that. And OF GRACE AND CHOCOLATE is a delicious name for a romance, is it not? Perfect!

3) The title committee, in considering my (and my editor's) alarm when we learned of the genre mix-up, requested I give them a b-liner. Or b-lines. I forget what they're called. Yes, I'm the newbie. Anyhow, I got to write a draft of how the back of the book might read. Wanna see?

Of Grace and Chocolate

Because grace isn’t always . . . graceful.

If someone told Jillian Parish moving on is simple, she would argue that it depends on what someone is leaving behind, and how much chocolate is available.

Jill has worked hard to build up a life far different than the one scarred by her mother's alcohol abuse. She works at a busy publishing house, is writing the novel of a lifetime, and goes home alone every day to a little dog, a spotless apartment, and a piece of 70% cacao and sugar. But in one day, Jill’s phone is stolen, she is tackled by a childhood love who has no idea who she is, and finds her long-lost sister on her front doorstep. In two days, Jill’s carefully controlled world is turned upside-down. In three days, she wonders if chocolate will ever be enough again.

When Scott Gentry moves to the city of Portland, Oregon and spots Jillian at church, he learns her reputation as a lost cause. But something compels him to get Sister Parish's attention, no matter how difficult that may prove. As Scott stumbles, crashes, and falls into Jill's guarded world, he finds himself with more attention than he bargained for, and more willing to do anything he can for the woman who is not made of stone, but of strength.

Grace brings Jill and Scott together, but can grace erase the past, or save the abandoned hearts left in it's wake?

4) I HAVE A RELEASE DATE!!! I know I told you that in the post title. But it's TRUE! And it's not a release year, or a release season . . . it's a DATE! Okay, it's a month, but STILL. And, it's just around the corner!  In JANUARY! J-A-N-U-A-R-Y.

So, what this means is, I get to pump up the book promotion. Which is exhilarating and terrifying at the same time. I'm going to start by giving away a book every month until January, at which time I will give away MY book! Yay! I will also give away a chocolate prize every month until January, at which time I will give away MY chocolate. Wait. At which time I will give away MORE chocolate. And, I may throw in a few surprises here and there. Yay surprises!

I'm going to start this month, so the first contest will be posted VERY SOON. Be sure to check back! I'll be setting up a blog tour as well!

7 Things I Learned From This Revision

I've been working hard on my revisions for Grace & Chocolate and just sent them to my editor this morning at 2 am.

I know, what??

Last night we got back from our annual fruit run where we drive to a fertile valley in Idaho, overload a giant UHaul with boxes of peaches and pears, then drive it back to not fertile but ruggedly beautiful Big Horn Basin, WY, where I live. It's a fast, whirlwind of a trip and we've been doing it for 5 years now. And I happened to finish my revisions just before my turn to drive the last leg home, from West Yellowstone, through the park, and out the East gate, then on to Cody. We saw a grizzly just off the road totally chowing down on some bushes, and that was awesome.

After we unloaded way too much fruit into our garage and the truck continued on to the other side of the Basin, I skimmed through the manuscript again, catching little things here and there, hoping that, after the 8th or 10th time through, this story was still fresh, that it was still the same story I started out with a year ago, only better, tighter. Finally, I realized I couldn't do any more to it without input from my editor, so I wrote the email, attached the ms, and hit "send". Oy.

A few things I learned from my very first editor-managed revision:

1) 85% of my editor's fixes and suggestions were really great. I stumbled over a few ideas and stressed about not pleasing her. This was okay. I'm allowed.

2) Asking for advice from a few author friends who had done this a few times was critical, and gave me confidence, not only in addressing issues with my ms, but also in how to communicate with my editor, and paying attention to what feels right for my story.

3) My editor listens to me.

4) Beta readers are essential to making a story better. I had some writers, and I had some readers, and a variety of different styles of feedback, from simply needing to know more about characters and background, to eagle-eye critique where everything is questioned. Some paid attention to little misses in detail and grammar, and some had me pushing to fill a plot hole. One highlighted every "looked" I'd written in the 1st few pages. Yikes. Lots of looking going on. EVERY SINGLE READER had something that helped make my writing better.

5) At one point, I was a quivering mass of WHAT THE HECK AM I DOING THINKING I CAN WRITE A NOVEL. I started addressing critique, one issue at a time, keeping what worked, what made me excited about the story, and setting aside what didn't feel right. It didn't take long for me to feel excited again.

6) Sending a revised manuscript is almost as scary as sending a new one.

7) When you are given a deadline, you will also find a job with more hours then you intended to have, you will get the flu, you will be in the middle of fruit orders, and it will be back-to-school shopping time.

So, I'm still learning, still trying, and still thinking about what comes next. In the meantime, I have a link with some information on a Christmas story anthology I'm part of. I'm very excited and nervous about being a part of this book with so many wonderful authors! Thanks, Traci Hunter Abramson, for sharing the love.

That's my name right there. See?

Just Beta Readers and Stuff Like That...No Biggie

It's happening.

"What's happening?" you ask?

Last year, Annette Lyon described the process of getting published as "Wait wait wait wait wait deadline OH CRAP!"

I have been waiting for that last part for a very long time and with great anticipation.

GRACE & CHOCOLATE has a deadline. I've been working on edits for the last two weeks, a process about which I will blog soon, and just now began sending off the revised copy to beta readers. BETA READERS. Up to this point, I've only BEEN a beta reader. Once. It was awesome (*see Rob Wells' VARIANT).

Now, I get to HAVE beta readers.

I'm very excited. Giddy, in fact.

"What is a beta reader?" you ask? Well, I've found that it can be different for different authors. For me, when I write a first draft, I self-edit 2-3 times, then have my writing group and an online crit-partner read it. These are my alpha readers. I also send it to my mom and she cries. In a good way. I'm pretty sure.

Then, after I get their feedback, I rewrite, revise, fix, switch, add, take-away, and self-edit all over again. Then, I submit. And then, the book is accepted. HA. Actually, that's happened. Three times.

It's pretty awesome.

THEN, my editor is FINALLY given the go ahead to start working on my novel. YAY. She made all kinds of line edits and suggestions for clarity and strength and that was very interesting and stressful yadda yadda, she sent it back to me. I worked with all of her feedback and now, before I send it back to her, I need to know it looks good. No, I need to know it looks AMAZING.

Enter BETA READERS. *claps hands* *throws confetti*

So like I said, it's a little different for every author. I'm just really happy to have reached this point. Just think, any time now, I'll be yelling, "OH CRAP!"

(My mom doesn't like me to use that word.)

I can't wait.

Why I Play Games

Last night I listened to my favorite podcast (okay, I only listen to two, and the podcasters are my friends, but it's still my favorite), The Appendix, and as usual, they ended the episode with a writing prompt challenge to listeners. Now, when they issue the challenge, Robison Wells, one of the hosts, always says something like, "Now we have something for our lovely listeners," and I always think, "Well, that's me." Not because I'm egocentric, but because I'm the only listener to accept the writing prompt challenge in the comment box. I don't know if listeners make the attempt on a notepad at home, or if they think about what they might do with the crazy prompts, or if they roll their eyes and think, "Those crazy kids," and get on with writing their manuscripts or updating Twitter. I even thought that maybe nobody else posted their challenge story because I took up too much space or ideas or something, so I stopped for a while. Go ahead. Go look.

Nope. Nobody else plays the game and posts it in the comment box. So...does that make me weird? Well, that's always up for debate, but here's the thing:

I LIKE PLAYING THE GAMES.

When I first joined a writing group, we started our meeting with a writing prompt, fifteen minutes on a timer, paper and pen. We worked individually, quietly. It got our juices flowing, had us connecting seemingly impossible ideas, resolving problems, and opened up fun, provoking, haunting ideas in our heads.

One of my favorite games was choosing 5 random words out of a dictionary, writing them on the board (with their definitions if necessary), and then having to use them in our short story. That made for some pretty crazy ideas. We laughed a lot, and everybody's ideas were amazingly different.

I have a less structured writing group now, and we don't do the writing prompts, so I look forward to the games on The Appendix. They clear my head, especially if I've been at a long edit or I'm stuck in my WIP. Answering a crazy writing prompt reminds me I can do other things, allows me to laugh at myself, makes me stretch and try things I haven't yet, and then wonder, "Can I do that?" I've considered writing in other genres because of writing prompt challenges.

Some of my favorites are pretty goofy, but I was smiling as I wrote them. They're rough. I don't write them on paper first and then copy them into the comment box. I just go for it and maybe go back a couple times to make something connect, but it's pretty much an online freewrite. A risk, I know, but isn't that practice, too? If I can post this stuff up for anyone to see, I can certainly post the stuff I refine, put my whole heart into. So go ahead, go check them out. Remember, PRETTY GOOFY. But also short. Please remember that certain characters, items, or plot ideas HAD to be included.

Expected Wedding Gifts Online giving is so much easier.
LotR Fan Fiction Dragons, anyone?
Murder at Whiskey River Gulchwater Creek A mystery in the old west.
Casting Aspersions This was a fun one. I take some liberties using our hosts as characters. Arrr.
The Tortoise and the Ostrich A Tall-Tale. Move over Paul Bunyan. A little more. A little more.
Thank You, Thank You Very Much A wig can make all the difference.

There are more on other episodes, but don't just read comments. Listen to the podcast. I'm learning a lot from those three hooligans.





My best writing game story? I mean a story about what happened from accepting a writing prompt challenge? I'm not sure I remember the prompt, but I think it was "Martha Stewart gets an unexpected visitor" or something like that. I wrote a story about a frazzled perfectionist woman who'd had a bad day and was about to leave to tackle another necessary errand, then opened the door to find a unexpected visitor on her doorstep: her younger runaway sister, who was crying. The story itself wasn't one of my best, or even one of my favorites.

But the idea became a major plot point two years later when I wrote my fifth novel, my first published novel, GRACE & CHOCOLATE, coming in 2012, through Covenant Communications, Inc.

So maybe you can understand why I'm sold on writing prompt games. You just never know.

I'm Still Here!

Hey LOOK! I have a BLOG! And it's darn well past time I get back to it. What is this, SUMMER VACATION? Shyeah right. Like THAT would ever keep me from my BLOG. *looks around*

So, what have you all been up to? I think I officially dropped out of the Summer Poetry Challenge. There is just too much going on and I need my memory capabilities running at full capacity. I did enjoy it, though, and I'm sure the exercise strengthened that part of my brain. A B C D E F G ... see?

So, what is keeping me so busy, you ask? Life, family, house, garden, kids, yadda yadda yadda. But I do have some news on the writing front.

Right this very MINUTE (okay, maybe sometime today) my EDITOR is working on GRACE & CHOCOLATE!!!! Real live edits by MY EDITOR! On MY book! And then, next week, she's going to send them to me! And after I have a small anxiety attack, I work on those edits! THIS IS THE NEXT STEP, PEOPLE! AAAAAAUGH! *spins in spinny desk chair* It will be so GREAT to be doing something after all this time!!!!! And I really LOVE this story!!!!! Can't wait for you to read it.

Also, I received the final proof of my story, AFTON'S SNOW, in my publisher's (Covenant) true Christmas stories anthology. It was beautiful! Scrolly lettering for the title with some flourish and then my story with page numbers in the corners and everything! So look for that this Christmas! I'll keep you posted.

Until I get the G&C edits, I'll continue working on the REMNANT revision. I'm halfway through, and hit a major milestone in realigning a battle scene that used to jump all over the place. Still not losing as much as I need to (it was 734 pages, now 723, needs to be about 650), but it's coming along. It's such a different project than the others, but still has a strong romance story. I haven't been able to work on it in a week, but I need to get through as much as I can before things really kick off with GRACE & CHOCOLATE. WOOHOO!

Dang, it's good to be back.

Summer Poetry Challenge: Week 8

The lullaby was a good choice for last week. Light, soft, and rhythmic, easy to get down over vacation. This week's poem:

Hold Fast Your Dreams by Louise Driscoll

Hold fast your dreams!
Within your heart
Keep one still, secret spot
Where dreams may go,
And, sheltered so,
May thrive and grow
Where doubt and fear are not.
O keep a place apart,
Within your heart,
For little dreams to go!

Think still of lovely things that are not true.
Let wish and magic work at will in you.
Be sometimes blind to sorrow. Make believe!
Forget the calm that lies
In disillusioned eyes.
Though we all know that we must die,
Yes you and I
May walk like gods and be
Even now at home in immortality.

We see so many ugly things—
Deceits and wrongs and quarrelings;
We know, alas! we know
How quickly fade
The color in the west,
The bloom upon the flower,
The bloom upon the breast
And youth's blind hour.
Yet keep within your heart
A place apart
Where little dreams may go,
May thrive and grow.
Hold fast—hold fast your dreams!

Waiting this long for publication (close to 3 years since my first book was accepted) brings with it a lot of different emotions. Impatience, anticipation, self-doubt, confidence, excitement, questioning reality, hope, facing looks of doubt in the eyes of others as time goes on, clinging to words of encouragement. I'm still holding fast--with both hands.

Summer Poetry Challenge: What Week Is this?

I've been on blog hiatus, and will be this coming week as well. But I wanted to check in to share some news and present this week's Summer Poetry Challenge poem. Yes, I skipped a week. I am not ashamed. We were having fun with family. BUT this week, I am going to memorize something that takes me back a few years. My oldest kids are well into their teens, but when they were tiny I read them lots of books. One of these was an illustrated version of the poem, Wynken, Blynken, and Nod, by Eugene Field. They loved the sing-song rhythm of it and the dreamy, fantastical imagery and I often wondered if I could memorize it. But I never tried. Until now.

Wynken, Blynken, and Nod (Dutch Lullaby)

by Eugene Field (1850-1895)

 

Wynken, Blynken, and Nod one night
   Sailed off in a wooden shoe---
Sailed on a river of crystal light,
   Into a sea of dew.
"Where are you going, and what do you wish?"
   The old moon asked the three.
"We have come to fish for the herring fish
   That live in this beautiful sea;
   Nets of silver and gold have we!"
                     Said Wynken,
                     Blynken,
                     And Nod.

The old moon laughed and sang a song,
   As they rocked in the wooden shoe,
And the wind that sped them all night long
   Ruffled the waves of dew.
The little stars were the herring fish
   That lived in that beautiful sea---
"Now cast your nets wherever you wish---
   Never afeard are we";
   So cried the stars to the fishermen three:
                     Wynken,
                     Blynken,
                     And Nod.

All night long their nets they threw
   To the stars in the twinkling foam---
Then down from the skies came the wooden shoe,
   Bringing the fishermen home;
'T was all so pretty a sail it seemed
   As if it could not be,
And some folks thought 't was a dream they 'd dreamed
   Of sailing that beautiful sea---
   But I shall name you the fishermen three:
                     Wynken,
                     Blynken,
                     And Nod.

Wynken and Blynken are two little eyes,

   And Nod is a little head,

And the wooden shoe that sailed the skies

   Is a wee one's trundle-bed.

So shut your eyes while mother sings

   Of wonderful sights that be,

And you shall see the beautiful things

   As you rock in the misty sea,

   Where the old shoe rocked the fishermen three:

                     Wynken,

                     Blynken,

                     And Nod.

I received some happy news from my editor at Covenant. I was invited to submit an entry for their annual True Christmas Stories novella, and my submission was accepted! It's a little scary, putting out a true story about such an emotional time of year, with so many meanings for so many people. But the story I submitted is a small piece of one I hoped to share with my readers anyway, somehow, so this is my chance. I am so excited! I'll share more information about it when I know more. It will be out this Christmas!

Have a beautiful week. I'll be playing in the water, enjoying my family, reading, and editing. Perfect.

The Latest {superhappyterrific} News

I tried to go to bed somewhat early last night (11-ish, which lately, is early) but was so excited and keyed up I couldn't sleep for another two hours. One of the thoughts that popped into my head was that I didn't think I was doing this "getting published" thing the normal way. Of course, it was quickly followed up by the thought that I knew over a dozen authors and so, over a dozen different roads to getting published. I'm not sure there is a normal way, and so with that conclusion, I got all keyed up again over this great news.

The news: Covenant Communications, Inc., who I already have two book contracts with, The Orchard, and The Inn, yet to be released, has just accepted my most recent submission, Grace & Chocolate! *squeal of delight*

The news that was keeping me up into the wee hours of the morning: We are going to push to release Grace & Chocolate as my DEBUT NOVEL! AHHHHHHH! Unexpected, or maybe not, I'm totally thrilled. And grinning, and my stomach is in knots. *squeal again*

For a look at the novel, I'll refer you to the post I wrote when I first started writing G&C, the post I wrote just after finishing it, another post I wrote during revisions, and another about the feeling I had just after sending it off. Take your pick, or read 'em all!

Oh, and this song is in my head. It's Sesame Street. It pretty much sums up how I've been feeling since yesterday afternoon.

Oh, listen to the song that's humming in your ear
And you'll have more fun than you've had all year.
Just hop around with a
Hop, hop, hoppy hop
Hoppy hoppy, hop, hop
Spin around with a
Spin, spin, spinny spin
Spinny, spinny, spin, spin
Flap your arms with a
Flap, flap, flappy flap
Flappy, flappy, flap, flap
Wiggle your fingers with a
Wiggle, wiggle, wiggle wiggle,
Wiggle, wiggle, wiggle, wiggle
Shake your legs with a
Shake, shake, shakey shake,
Shakey, shakey, shake, shake
Pat your tummy with a
Pat, pat, patty, pat,
Patty, patty, pat, pat-too! Wooo! 

Yup, that about sums it up. I really need to celebrate. I'll post more details as they come!

Just Offstage

After revisions, Grace & Chocolate is out to readers. Again. I've completed the author forms required for submission to my publisher. So, after feedback and the necessary improvements (one hopes they are improvements), I will submit G&C to my editor and then . . . wait. Again.
It is strange to have two books waiting in the wings, approved, anticipating makeup and costume. They know their lines and have the potential to deliver their parts with emotion, timing, and humor.
But it's not their turn yet, and here I send another player in for auditions before the others have been proven. They keep glancing back at me as they watch the performance of other stories, and I have to put my hands up and settle them. Just wait, I whisper. Just wait.

Author Bio Photos

*UPDATE: Thanks, everyone! I've sent #1, 2, & 5 to my editor. Your feedback was so great!

I need a little help choosing which photo to send my publisher for the author bio page. The only guidelines given are that it must be professionally shot, flattering, and no distractions in the background. Keep in mind that I write Romance. Thanks to Traci Kannard at Fleeting Moments Photography! Here we go!

#1

#2

#3

#4

#5

Help!

Gazing at the Window Display

Well, it's happening again. It seems like whenever I post about being brave and pushing past the pain and seeing beyond the little stumbling blocks in the road, the universe in all it's wisdom says, "Oh, yeah, Krista? You think you've got a handle on it? Well, let's just see about that..."

I talked to my editor last week. There have been some scheduling changes.
Now, whenever someone asks me when my book will be hitting the shelves, instead of answering excitedly, "Spring of 2011!", my answer will now be a slightly tempered but still hopeful, "I'm not sure, possibly 2012..."

I am reminded of a scene from one of my favorite movies, You've Got Mail. Kathleen has just accepted that her book shop must close.

Kathleen Kelly: Oh, Birdie, what am I going to do? What would Mom have done?
Birdie Conrad: Well, let's ask her.
[Birdie opens her locket, revealing a picture of Cecilia Kelly]
Birdie Conrad: Cecilia, what should we do?
[holds the locket to her ear]
Kathleen Kelly: Birdie...
Birdie Conrad: Shhh! She has no idea. But she thinks the window display looks lovely.

In the meantime, I am working on two other manuscripts and will submit them. I may be down, but I am certainly not out. Covenant has accepted two of my books and I'm giving them more to chew on. I won't be closing the book shop.

I'll just be wincing a little every time someone asks me, "When can I buy your book?"

Fruition

Every year my mother-in-law and I collect orders for peaches and pears, drive with our husbands to Idaho, rent a U-haul, and load it up with boxes of fresh, tasty fruit (as opposed to not-fresh, un-tasty fruit we can buy here in Wyoming for an arm and a leg). We drive home through Yellowstone and load up our garage. Then we wait for the happy faces to come get their orders. It's the best my garage smells all year.
Sometimes the numbers are a little off, and I get nervous about being able to fill everyone's order. After all, loading a truck full of crates, and then unloading half of them (185 peaches and 87 pears this year) at my house, there is bound to be a discrepancy here and there. But for the most part, with a little shuffling of boxes between my mother-in-law's house and mine, we work it out and everyone is happy.

Except, if I am short a box or two, I usually give my own order away. Last year I ordered 4 boxes of each. I think I was able to keep 1 1/2 boxes of peaches and 2 boxes of pears. My kids were sad.
This year, about 2/3 of the way through distributing the orders, I took a count, and guessed I would be able to keep all my pears, but only 1 box of peaches. I expressed my concern to my mother-in-law over the phone.
"You go and separate your order out right now. You set your boxes aside. Those are sacred. You did all the work, you get your fruit."
My mother-in-law holds nothing back. And it's great. I fret about making others unhappy, and she often puts things in perspective. I picked my boxes and set them aside. I even went ahead and canned 3 batches of ripening peaches, and still the worry of using my order before the rest had been picked up nagged at me. But I kept telling myself, "I did all the work, I get my fruit."
It turned out that my mother-in-law had a few cancellations, so the discrepancy was covered, and I can relax about everyone's orders, uncluding my own.

What does this have to do with writing?

When I was given revisions on THE ORCHARD, I was asked to hack off the last 30 pages. Literally, the story did end at that cut-off. I knew it. But there were a few tasty bits in those last 30 pages, and the setting for the new ending was not in the right place. I did as I was asked, and then wrote a short "tie-up" chapter for The End. I sent it back and the publishers were pleased. Good.

But...

Those few tasty bits tugged at me. The setting for that tie-up chapter was still not right. It should be THIS way, with THIS happening. The reader will want THIS.
I was given a chance, when I was assigned my own editor, to run through the story again. I made edits like changing awkward sentences, making clarifications, better wording, etc. I am still learning so much, every time I re-read I am able to see more ways to make the novel better. I love it. Then, I got to the final tie-up chapter.

Nope.

I returned to my original 30 pages, picked out my few tasty bits, re-distributed them where they fit smoothly into the story, and re-wrote the final scene, putting the characters where they needed to be, the right setting, giving them the right things to do.

I was so excited about that short little re-write, only a couple pages. But those few elements of the story, they were sacred to me. I did all the work. I get the fruit.

After all, the book is called THE ORCHARD.

In what ways are you "giving away your fruit"? Have you learned to compromise? Save the tasty bits?

Rain, Drive-Ins, and Rootbeer

I've receive two major awards! Well, maybe not major, but they are lovely, are they not? They come from my blogger friend, Ali Cross. Her site is always thought-provoking, honest, and fun. Thank you, Ali!

The Rules for The Versatile Blogger Award:

1. Thank and link back to the person that gave you the award.
2. Share seven things about yourself.
3. Pass the award to fifteen bloggers that you think deserve it.
4. Lastly, contact all the bloggers that you’ve picked for the award.

One Lovely Blog Award Rules:

1. Accept the award, post it on your blog together with the name of the person who has granted the award and his or her blog link.
2. Pass the award to 15 other blogs that you’ve newly discovered.
3. Remember to contact the bloggers to let them know they have been chosen for this award.

Seven things about myself, in no particular order:
1) I love the sound of rain, crickets, and frogs. Not all at the same time.
2) I love drive-in theaters. I lament their passing and avidly support the one in the next town, American Dreams Drive-In. Sometimes I wish my husband and I could move to the back seat. Like we used to. There are kids in the way.
3) I love rootbeer floats. Particularly A&W rootbeer floats, which we used to get at the A&W on the way to the drive-in when I was little and living in Seattle. Where it rains. And there are frogs. At the lakes.
4) I love lakes. I love the calm, the lack of current, the warmth.
5) I would rather live in the mountains than anywhere else; preferably in a lake house. I don't have one yet. But I am in the mountains. Baby steps. The mountains here in Wyoming are different than the mountains of western Washington. In a good, non-rainy kind of way.
6) I LOVE snow, but seasonally. At Easter time, I want tulips and sunshine. Not snowmen and wind-chill. Like here in the mountains.
7) I'm adaptable.

With that out of the way, it's time to move on to 8 out of the 15 bloggers I have chosen to receive these awards. The other 7 will be mentioned in my next post. Give it up for:

• Margot Hovley at Inklings. Margot is a new Covenant author, like me! Her book, GET REAL, is coming out next summer. Congratulations, Margot! 

• Melissa J. Cunningham at A Writer's Reality. Melissa cracks me up and she's a great motivator. Apparently she sings, and I'd like to hear her sometime. Okay, Melissa?

• Donald J. Carey is a sweetheart of a guy and also has a book coming out called BUMPY LANDINGS. Check him out; bring a lei.

• A.L. Sonnichsen over at The Green Bathtub (so named because her writing cuts into her cleaning time) and I are finding we have a bathtub full of things in common, beginning with the areas we call/called home, and our husband's football careers, both on the field and sidelines. She posts her short stories weekly, and is sending me chocolate. What more can you ask from a blogger friend?

• Go see Jayne over at A Novice Novelist. She's British. She's truly delightful.

• I really like how Clarissa Draper critiques chapters at Listen to the Voices. And her posts cover everything from Blogger tips to Forensics.

• Kimberly Vanderhorst at Temporary? Insanity is the embodiment of serenity and anxiety at the same time. Her posts are sweetness to the soul. She would balk at that. But I insist.

• Sara B. Larson is new to blogging and I found her posts really fresh, so she's on the list!

And one more note. My book contract is signed, delivered, and my copy is now in my possession. I feel like the Velveteen Rabbit. Real.

Something's Burning

You write to communicate to the hearts and minds of others what's burning inside you.  And we edit to let the fire show through the smoke.  ~Arthur Polotnik

 I'm almost done reading through my REMNANT ms after being away from it for many months. As I edit, I am keeping my readers in mind, wondering what they might think of this next idea, curious as to what suggestions they will make, what they loved and hated. My stomach tightens at the thought, as always.

As soon as I'm done with that, I'll be going over The Orchard, due for release in Spring/2011, again for the first time in months. I'm anxious to look at it, see what I've learned since it was last submitted, go over it with a fine-toothed comb before my editor sinks her teeth into it. (Am I mixing my metaphors? Combs have teeth, right?) I have until the end of August. Then things may get moving, for reals. Maybe. I hope!

A lot of my friends ask about this publishing time line, expressing shock at how long it takes to put a book on a shelf (or, as I prefer, in my hot little hands), but at this point in the process, while I am anxious for all of it, I just want the fire to show through the smoke. My fire. The one fueling my hot little hands as they run over my keyboard. The one fueling these stories in my head.

I hope my readers feel the burn.

Is your fire showing?

Thursday Authorial: To Everything There is a Season

As a woman who's book has been written, critiqued, edited, looked at, critiqued, re-edited, re-read, tweaked, re-submitted, and finally, FINALLY HALLELUJAH, accepted, I now have the strange and wonderful opportunity to... WAIT. SOME MORE.
And I'm okay with that. Annette Lyon gave me some insight on Twitter yesterday. Those of you who follow us may already have read, or Twead, our little conversation, but it bears repeating.
I told Annette I feel like a wallflower. I've been invited to the ball, but I just don't get to dance yet.
Her brilliant and somehow reassuring, and yet all the more tantalizing summation of getting published?
"The industry really is, 'Wait. Wait. Wait. Wait. Wait. CRAP! DEADLINE! NOW HURRY UP!'"

I can't wait to yell, "CRAP!"

In honor of all of you author's waiting on that first book, I recognize you with this beautiful symbol of patience and long-suffering for your art.

So, for M. Gray, Andrea Pearson, Tamara Hart Heiner, L.T. Eliot, Ali Cross, Elana Johnson, and all of you working, waiting, and wondering... there will be a time to dance.


And to yell, "CRAP!"