Conflicting Projects, Conflicting Emotions

Writer's angst. Which of us hasn't experienced it?

My conundrum: I'm told my medievals aren't wanted. They won't sell. To make matters worse, instead of working on something that may sell, I've got a first century story niggling at my brain, trying to get out.

So what am I doing on these writing-Wednesdays? Working on the third medieval time-travel story, which I'm told will never see the light of day.

It's going very, very well -- probably because nobody but me will ever glimpse it.

Discouraged? You bet.

The End!

News hot off the press for all three of you -- I finished Book #2 in the "Seasons of Destiny" series! Well, at least I told the whole story. Isn't that what this blog pretends to be about?

Yeah, right.

Anyway, thanks to my superb crit partner who never lets a good turn of phrase go unpraised or a *clunk* go unpunished, I hit on a boffo ending (we think) and sat down and finished the book! I feel good.

However, its title is still a botheration. I originally called it SEASONS OF RECKONING, and changed the working title to APRIL'S PILGRIM because, at the end of the day, there really isn't very much reckoning going on in this book!

My Historical Writers yahoo loop is weighing in on the choice, and so far it's 3-0 in favor of RECKONING. I dunno what I'll do.

Anyone want to weigh in? I chose APRIL'S PILGRIM because it puns on a main character's name: Ebrel means "April" in Cornish. Also the point-of-view character does take a convoluted journey through various trials in the book--something like a pilgrimage. But now (perverse woman!) I find myself liking SEASONS OF RECKONING better.

How say you, minions?

Early in the SEASONS

I'm pleased to announce that reviews are beginning to post for SEASONS IN THE MIST. So far, every one I've seen has been 5 stars, and I'm getting some great comments as well.

Today, Dina Sleiman posted an interview on Inkwell Inspirations, her blog. It was fun to dig a little deeper into the question: "why Christian medieval time-travel?"

A good and interesting question, and quite valid, but you could just as easily ask, "why Amish?" or "why Regency?" First, a writer does well to write what interests her most. If I were passionate about the Amish, I suspect I would dig into everything I could find about them, learn all I could, and then write what I love most.

So it is with me, with the medieval era. SEASONS has never been anything but a time-travel story from its earliest (shuddering at the quality) versions. So when I re-wrote it with a hope toward publication, it seemed natural to tell of the 14th century through the eyes of a passionate, prejudiced, backslidden medieval historian. With thanks to my editors, it became what it now is: what I hope will be a fun, stimulating, and may I say mildly educational romp into a fascinating era.

I'm working on the sequel. I hope it will be everything it should. If passion alone can make it so, I won't have too much trouble.

To God the glory.

A Change of SEASONS

That's right--SEASONS IN THE MIST, the time-travel romance that's been percolating through the writing/submission/ publishing process for many months, is just about revised and ready to send back to Sheaf House. I finished the substantive work yesterday, so the coming week is for tweaks, polishes and a final re-read.

Why rewrite, do you ask? Good question. The publisher thought the middle was "flat."

So I rewrote. It's the first time I've done such a thing, though I've heard other authors moan about rewrites. I did feel their pain, but since I'd never been asked, it didn't affect ME, now, did it?

God uses such things to keep us humble.

Since that's true, SEASONS has morphed into something a little different. There is now a political subplot to the story, and the tension between Lord Mike the Hunky, Lady Bethany Who Tells Lies, and Hairy-Nosed Git Brother is now ratcheted way, way up.

I think it's a better book now.

Stay tuned. The new, improved version is already available for preorder on Amazon and CBD. It'll be released in April.

Taking My Own Advice

A bit more "what's in it for YOU"ish stuff. Today, while laboring diligently in the Revision Pit, I got permission from my publisher to post a teaser excerpt from SEASONS IN THE MIST. It's on my web site. Take a look--tell me what you think.

And remember: it's for YOU and it's free! LOL.

Interested? Get thee (as Janny recommends) to my site, www.debkinnard.com and click on the "sneak preview" button on the lower left hand side.

SEASONS IN THE MIST Gets a Cover!

This is what we arrived at (less me than the incomparable folks at Sheaf House). I'm thrilled, awed, happy, humbled, thankful. Isn't it beautiful?

For me, they captured exactly the right mood. Good fiction ought to evoke the same strong emotions as good music -- they ought to make you feel. This cover does. I hope the book lives up to its skin. I trust in God that it will.

Time Portals, Cats, etc.

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see more Lolcats and funny pictures

Pity, isn't it, that cats weren't generally kept as pets in the middle ages. Dogs, yes, although those were mostly working animals. In my reading right now I'm concentrating on medieval ways that were NOT of the upper class, and learning a great deal. See, the heroine in THE PEDDLER'S PACK is not going to be a fair lady with a delicate silken veil and well-kept hands. I'm not sure yet what she will be, but she'll be a yeoman's daughter, or a middle-class farmer's, or a merchant's. Someone who's used to hard work, and very practical. So I doubt she'd have a cat.

I miss Cat Kelly Kinnard very much. In June Cat Kelly went to that big Tuna Feast in the Sky. I do miss her. Maybe my heroine will be iconoclastic and a bit defiant, and keep a kitteh just because she likes it.

Hmm...

DK's Muse, a Fickle Brat

If ever there was one...mine takes the prize.

I got an idea for a new story. Fine, say I, and go open a new Word document to start making story notes. I use MS One-Note when I want virtual 3x5 cards, but when an idea germinates I'm not ready for those yet, so I just scribble down random thoughts.

Good, huh?

Not so fast. My husband is sometimes very good (read: TOO good) at giving me story ideas. I wish he'd warn me when something's brewing in his head, though. It's always timed wrong. Anyway, along comes this same husband and starts talking about an idea for ANOTHER time travel, and this time it's a guy who does the traveling. The character's a medieval re-enactor in this day, and thinks he's cool and competent. But he gets to the middle ages and is VERY surprised at what he sees. The locals are Not Impressed. My main character, though passionate about his re-enactment efforts, is nowhere near as authentic as he thinks he is.

Wham! Scuttle project #1 and start scribbling notes for time travel project #2, which in the process morphs to a time travel piece that's a sequel to SEASONS IN THE MIST.

How in bejabbers did that happen?

Don't ask me why. This muse is a fickle brat and that's for sure. But I'm making character notes and writing furiously now, have it well into chapter 2 in first draft, and by the Rood this thing is humming!

Working title: THE PEDDLER'S PACK. Wish me bonne chance!

It's the Time of the "Seasons"

Hurray! I got all required edits done on the sold book, SEASONS IN THE MIST, and sent it off to the publisher.

My pub has given me such good suggestions on this book--they have made it a much better story. I declined one recommendation 'cause I didn't really feel it was needed, but otherwise I incorporated everything she said. I like this book. I really like it.

Done enthusing now. Until further suggestions come, or until I get my galleys, this book is now put to bed...time for further work on PEACEWEAVER, methinks.

Although I DO have a germ of an idea for a SEASONS sequel...

SALE!

Except for my DH, you guys are the first to know:

I'm pleased as spiced ale to announce that Sheaf House has offered to publish SEASONS IN THE MIST. SEASONS, as all two of you blog fans will no doubt recollect, is a time-travel romance set (mostly) in 1353 Cornwall.

We're mulling a spring '10 release for it. Due to the awesome nature of Sheaf House's previous covers, I hope & expect a really bodacious cover for this book.

Though I've known about the possibility for some months, my agent advised me to keep mum until released to announce by the publisher. Well, today we all agreed it could come out! As in, SQUEEEE!

Still grinning almost wide enough to split my face.

Where Ya Been So Long?

Been working. Well, that's my excuse, anyway, for not blogging.

It's been an eventful two months since my last entry. I've finished edits on SEASONS IN THE MIST, the medieval time-travel, and started a second medieval romance that doesn't involve time-travel. PEACEWEAVER is going very well. It's set in north Wales in 953, and needless to say, research is a big challenge with this one.

In the interim, also, I've contracted with an awesome agent. Tamela Murray agreed to represent me, and I couldn't be more tickled.

Since I signed with Tamela, another exciting thing happened: an acquisitions editor at a house whose name you'd recognize, contacted me via e-mail. Seems she'd seen excerpts of SEASONS IN THE MIST on Tina Helmuth's THE INK'S NOT DRY critique blog. Though the editor says a time-travel isn't a good fit for their house, she liked my writing style and invited me to send them something!

Will I send them something? You bet your bippy I will. At this writing, Tamela and I are planning what to send them, and whether I concentrate on contemporary romances or historical. Since I have more books finished in contemporary than historical, we've decided on the former.

I reserve the right, however, to morph into a historical writer at any future moment.

So things are perking along, and I have lots of hope for good things to come.

All Done!

Yay! I got the first draft done on SEASONS IN THE MIST, my (probably unsellable) medieval time-travel romance. My goal was to have it done by the end of the year, and I wrote "the end" on January 1. Can't get much closer than that!

I'll take 2-4 weeks to do the second-draft, which for this book means a complete read-through, spotting goofs, gaffes, "huh?" places, and all of my myriad bad writing-habits. Then I assess for story, add more content as necessary, and consider it pretty well done.

Then the scary part...sending it out into that Big, Bad Publishing World. Don't ask me if I look forward to this step in the process.

But I feel as though I've told one of the stories of my heart, and finishing it feels really, really good.

Seasonal Changes

Been a while since I've blogged. I proposed SEASONS IN THE MIST to a well-known and lots-of-fun agent. He said it was good stuff, well written (!) but not his thing. What we call a "good rejection."

I'm really happy with the progress I'm making on SEASONS. It's been excerpted on Tina Helmuth's THE INK'S NOT DRY blog, with mixed results and some comments that I truly did not understand. Some of them seemed to indicate the commenter hadn't actually read the excerpt...enough.

I'm also glad to say I've got not only my extra-valuable crit partner brainstorming it with me, I have an editor doing so as well. They're both making great suggestions, stuff I want to do and know I can work into the MS seamlessly. I'm still perking right along, and my target date for finishing the draft was December 1, but it's looking more like I'll complete it after the holidays.

I hate it when I make a change to a book and it messes up the story further along. The additions/deletions these precious ladies are suggesting are totally different...they're going to enrich the story, not mess it up.

Books should grow and morph into something greater than the original concept. They should stretch the reader, too. Ideally SEASONS will do both.

Productivity

Maybe I shouldn't try for serious, large-volume writing output in the summer. There's always some fun activity, or must-do, to distract me.

That said, the time travel story is perking right along. I still "know" this story and there's still fun in writing it. I haven't had this kind of hoot writing away since ANGEL WITH A RAY GUN. That was one fun book to write, I'll tell ya.

There is early interest in my WIP from a small press. I have very mixed feelings about this fact. I'd like SEASONS IN THE MIST to be my breakout book from the small press world. It's been 5 years since I sold my first novel to a small press, and believe me, it's been a learning experience primarily and a success only if you use the term very, VERY loosely.

So my solution is to ignore the whole "where will I sell this?" conundrum for now, and simply write away on SEASONS. Like Scarlett, I'll worry about that tomorrow.

In other small press news, my construction manager love story, MY SILENT HEART, has been picked up by ByGrace Publishing for autumn '07 (I think) release. I'm so tickled that this story will see daylight, since it's always been the book I thought would sell first. My mistake!

Clicking Along

And happy about it. See, long ago I wrote a time travel story. No, don't ask--it should never have seen daylight, but at the time I didn't know how bad it was. It went to Simon & Schuster, presented to them by a contact I still treasure. I got a very kind rejection letter, which I suppose motivated me to keep writing. I wince now to think I presented such a piece to a pro, but that's water under the bridge now...

I've decided to re-tell the story. Not edit--start from scratch. This is a story I KNOW, with the characters and plot already full-formed in my head.

And wonder of wonders. It's perking along like it's writing itself. I was in some anxiety over whether a story would ever work so well again. I thought maybe I'd lost the spark.

The fire is on. It's alive. God still has work for me to do, apparently. I'm having such fun writing this, and it's coming so easily.

And even my closest writer-friend likes it! She rarely likes my drafts, but on this one she all but made me cry in joy with her commentary.

Bye for now--I need to go tell some more of this story.

And, as ya know, it's all about STORY, after all....