Recovering from rejection

Okay, I know, I said I like rejections. So, I was being facetious. I got a stinger a couple of weeks ago for my witch story. While they did say nice things they also said it was too long for the line. It was pretty tightly woven and hard to extract a subplot. But "no worries" they gave me excellent feedback and asked me to submit anything else that might suit them. Unfortunately, everything I have is soft paranormal and about 90,000 words. I'll just clean it up and try elsewhere. It hasn't been offered to anyone but this house, so who knows? One man's meat is another man's poison, right?
You have to be tough or crazy to remain in this business. Have a tough hide, like lizard skin. Speaking of lizards, I've been getting a hankering to visit Lizard Island in the Great Barrier Reef.
I'm writing a story without paranormal elements, yay, at least I will once I finish this WIP which has near death experiences, and then will concentrate on a pure romantic adventure. The setting will be dual countries of Australia and the USA. An American H/H on an adventure that takes them to the Australian tropics, think rainforest, islands, turquoise waters, white sandy beaches, hot sweaty bodies ...

Yeah. I'm alive!

This is a good day. My new website goes live and I'm now a blogger! Yeah me! And, I just got back from the P.O. where I braved it and sent a submission of The Legend of Crying Girl Creek, to SuperRomance. Heck they can only say no. And didn't I say I love rejections? They build character, right? I've registered for RWA National conference. Lookout Atlanta! Somewhere in this crazy year, I need to go to Australia to visit my family and do some research. Wish their RWA national convention wasn't so close to ours, it's in August, and much as I'd love to go at that time, I can't do back-to-back National conferences. I'm tired just thinking about it.

The New Robena

I began 2006 with the idea of reinventing myself and kick-starting my American career as a published author. I’ve been published with poetry and short stories, and twice entered into partnership publishing in Australia with two women’s fiction novels. But that’s another whole story. Anyway, I decided to write under a pseudonym and chose my maiden name because:

(a) it feels like me
(b) it sounds like me
(c) it’s easy to spell and
(d) there’s no longer a husband.

My married name was a pain, nobody ever got it right. Then I decided as an author to use my given name rather than an abbreviation. People complained that they could never find my website. Who but an author or a Scotsman would know how to spell Robena? All of that aside, it has been a busy first quarter of the year, nothing exciting like a book contract or an agent signing me, but then again, if I actually got my work out there ….
So here I sit with this absolutely wonderful new website, designed by my friend and fellow LARA member, Sandra Kleinschmitt. I’m excited about using my maiden name, I’ve organized my office, bought a laptop and gone wireless, ordered new business cards that reflect my new name, and I find I’ve got not much of anything to tell you. So I’m going to backtrack to the 1st of the year, to the moment that I took this concept and turned it into a reality.

More Time To Write

Second meeting as President of LARA. Still a lot of work but it’s starting to feel more comfortable. I miss my critique group. I’m writing again. The Good Luck Penny is taking shape. It’s a hospital setting, ICU with near death experiences, but with a twist. We’ll see if I can get it done to pitch at the Desert Rose. There’s another story hovering and I’ve written down the outline and told my pushy hero he has to wait his turn. The story excites me though. Hmmmm? Or maybe it’s the hero? Secondary characters are beginning to emerge. It won’t be a paranormal it’s more of a romance/mystery. It has an American hero and heroine on an adventure in the tropics of Australia. Shhh. that’s all I’m saying at this point but I love the title, which I’m not disclosing yet. I’m busy working on arranging a bookfair with B&N and have a stellar line up of authors to follow our June 11th meeting, book signers will be: Susan Mallery, Mollie Mole’, Brenda Scott Royce, Christie Ridgway, Elda Minger, Jane Thompson, Charlotte Maclay, and Leigh Court.

Busy Schedule

Have begun re-writing The Legend of Crying Girl Creek using the tips from the Squires team. It’s beginning to get a dull shine. Maybe in a few weeks it will be gleaming? I have to produce an article each month for the LARA Confidential, our chapter newsletter. They’re fun to write. This month I’m also submitting a regular article. It’s kind of weird subject matter and depends on certain authors filling out a questionnaire. People hate those. Will have to wait and see how many respond, and maybe scratch the whole idea. Wrote a short story for Woman’s World magazine, it’s really silly and not at all my normal writer’s voice, but I had such fun writing it. They’ll send it back with a capital R written in red. I love rejections!

Learning A Lot

Loving this class with the Squires team. Even though I write those fluffy paranormals with witches and ghosts (friendly ones of course) I don’t feel as intimidated as I’d imagined I would. Everyone on the loop is great even if they do write weird and dark paranormal stuff. We get to share our work, get fabulous feedback and writing tips, and it has saved my butt as far as writing goes. If it wasn’t for these evening classes and the assignments, I’d have come to a screeching halt.

Planning A Party

Bogged down with LARA happenings (all of my own doing of course.) I decided this is our 20th anniversary and we’ve never celebrated a birthday before. The committees are up and running and I have fingers in so many pies I’m not writing enough on my current novel. I had even stepped away from my critique group, the Four Fabulous Fictionists (and various past and honorary members) for a time out. I love fundraising and development, especially special events so got caught up in the initial frenzy of organizing with my buddies, Jodi, Deanne, and Trish. I mean who doesn’t like a party? Ours is scheduled for May 6th, a luncheon after the half-day workshop and non-members are not only welcome they will be greeted with open arms.

President and Squires Class

Held my first Board and General Meeting of LARA, as the incoming President. LARA is the Los Angeles Romance Authors, a local chapter of Romance Writers of America. It’s a great group and one I’m very proud to be involved with. I started an amazing online class with Susan and Harry Squires, on writing about the supernatural. It runs over several weeks, two classes a week and there is homework, lots of it. Have I bitten off more than I can chew? Registered for the Desert Rose conference in Scottsdale, Arizona, it will be held at the end of April, a nice spring treat.

Writing Update

Mailed the requested full manuscript, Wicca of Orange, to Canada to Harlequin’s SuperRomance line. Had received a request from Paula Eykelhof and Laura Hyde, at Reno, RWA Nationals, and sent off the three chapters and synopsis in late September. They were very timely and requested the full manuscript on December 28th. Emailed the editor who had not responded to my questions on the status of The Legend of Crying Girl Creek, which had gathered almost a year’s dust, or been tossed out, or lost, and withdrew it. It will find it a home elsewhere. I began the first re-write of The Good Luck Penny.

Happy New Year

Recovered from a New Year’s Eve party, which I hosted for thirty-five people at my new desert home. Karaoke and champagne? Oy. Maybe the champagne was behind this idea of reinventing Roben?