I'm mostly back

I've been trying to upload more photos the last couple days but Picasa, Hello, and Blogger have been giving me fits. So I decided it was time to talk instead, lucky you! (And if a picture is worth a thousand words, that must mean a thousand words equals a picture, so we're gonna be here awhile.)

One of the photos I'd intended to post was of the flannel rag quilt I made for Jim, similar to the photo down below of the ones I made my girls. When I started cutting out squares back in October, he was really into the project. At one point he wistfully commented that it would be nice if I could make one for us *someday*. I truthfully told him I didn't know if that would ever happen as I was taking pain killers most days to keep the arthritic neck and shoulders under control (not to guilt my girls too much!) But it took me less time at the sewing machine to complete one quilt than I'd thought and I began to consider the idea of making a third one before Christmas.

I wanted to surprise him, and because he works out of town, that seemed possible. I decided that if I could find the right fabrics for it quickly, I'd push through and do the third one also. I figured I could just slow down on Jen's quilt and work on Jim's when he wasn't home. That way her quilt would still be the one laying around on the kitchen table, legitimizing that the sewing machine was still there. And it worked!

My last week at work (after I'd finished writing The Girl Who Cried Squid) I spent three and a half days snipping the seam allowances for the ragging on all three quilts. I truly wished I hadn't left them all to do at once, as I was sporting bandaids on thumb and fingers to keep the rubbing (from the scissors) from blistering. But done they were, and Jim was really surprised which was very worth it. I'll try to get the photo up yet, because I love the quilt so much, but its dark green with green and tan patterned squares. Gorgeous.

I was planning to post the photo of Jim's gift to me when I told about it, but that is the second photo that won't upload. So I'll just have to tell you about it! He bought me a Palm Tungsten E2 with a folding keyboard. Is this thing ever cool! I have a lot to learn about using it still but I'm loving the process. One of the truly neat things (besides that exceptionally cool little keyboard) is that it supports Word and Excel files to go. I'm looking forward to being able to tap in notes and stuff, especially during worldbuilding and outlining stages. Though some say they use a handheld for editing also, I'm not sure my eyeballs and brain would be up for long periods with it. But I'm really excited to try!!

I'm so thankful for Christmas this year. The only thing that could have made it better would have been if Jim could have gotten a couple extra days off work. As it was, he arrived home the morning of the 24th and left the evening of the 27th (the kids all cleared out the following morning). He tried to take off his night shifts on the 22nd and 23rd for my family's Christmas celebration but wasn't able. Still, the kids and I did have a good visit with my mom, my sis and b-i-l, their granddaughter, my niece and her hubby.

What a treasure for me to have my family together for five days: daughter, son-in-law, son, daughter-in-law. Words just can't express how much this meant to me. We haven't ever had Christmas together before, though it's the third Christmas since J&J were married. Many moments, many memories, many snapshots (on camera and in the mind) to tide me over until we can all be together again.

I still have a few days before I go back to work. I've started in on reading a stack of novels (the next few blog tour books are here) and a couple of writing books, The Writer's Guide to Fantasy Literature and Holly Lisle's Create a Culture Clinic. And I'm working some more on my website. Never a dull moment in Val's Little Worlds.

A close-up of the jewelry my daughter-in-law made me for Christmas Eve! 

Family picture, Christmas Eve 

The George-cat isn't quite sure what to make of these fake mice made out of little foil bags of tea. 

My kids on the ferry ride across Kootenay Lake on the 23rd. 

Two of the three flannel rag quilts I made for Christmas, wrapped up around my girls. 

Random thoughts on marketing of Christian speculative fiction

I've been surfing the net, checking out blogs and reading the pulse. You may recall we toured about Trackers by Kathryn Mackel last week and discussed the fact that her publisher dropped the third book in what was scheduled to be a trilogy. This is happening/ CAN happen to authors in Christian publishing and elsewhere as we've seen by Holly Lisle's concerns about the remainder of her trilogy started by Talyn.

What can readers do?

Katie Hart shares an open letter to publishers about the frustration readers face with unfinished stories.

Rebecca Miller shares a two part study on what readers can do: Part one is here and here is the second part. The comments are worth reading as well...some interesting conversation happening out there.

Also, Rebecca posted at the group blog Speculative Faith with an interview with editor Nick Harrison from Harvest House regarding Christian spec fic.

Karen Hancock has a new book up her sleeve, but she's not giving out much for hints!

Any other thoughts?

Goals for 2007

Time to think about the upcoming year and what I hope to accomplish writing-wise. There are so many things I need to do MORE of, and yet the days are the same length as they ever were. I'm not sure what to make of that. Priorities are a nasty thing.

In 2006, I wrote one new novel, The Girl Who Cried Squid, during Nano. That means I had gone 11 months without creative writing. It was too long. I either need to write two books next year or slow down (skip Nano) and let the writing of one novel take much of the year. Which means I would need to learn to multi-task, and THAT is a problem in its own right.

In 2006, I revised two novels and a partial. Yikes, that doesn't sound like a lot at all. I revised False Perceptions and I'm not happy with it (after feedback) so it's shelved, at least for now. I revised Marks of Repentance and all the crits are now back. I plan to go through it again as soon as I complete the partial, Quest to be Queen. I always have this problem. I like writing first drafts better than I like revising, but the honest truth is that if each novel takes at least two additional drafts, then I need to block that into my schedule.

I thought I would start contacting agents in 2006, but I haven't. Nothing has been ready. I refuse to send out something I don't like. So I'm hoping again for this coming year.

What else is there? Conferences: I'm keeping an eye on a couple that may work out in 2007. Reading in the genre: trying to. Reading outside the genre: trying to. Networking: trying to.

So what are my plans for 2007?
1. Finish this revision pass on Quest to be Queen.
2. Complete one (or, if needed, two) passes on Marks of Repentance and GET THE THING KICKED OUT THE DOOR!
3. Write something. Maybe two somethings.
4. Revise something else if time permits. Squid?
5. Work on the recipe book project.

Writing contenders at the moment? Well, there's the long-ignored 2yn project, Puppet Prince, but it's not yelling all that loud. Currently there is a fantasy romance floating around in my head, something to do with this site on the matchmaking tradition. I asked Kaesa nicely, but she doesn't want to play in the Puppet Prince world; she wants her own. **Rolls Eyes.

What are your goals for the coming year?

Book Tour -- Trackers Day 3

There has been a bit of talk around the Blogosphere regarding the cancellation of the third book in the The Birthright Project. The first book, Outriders, and the second book, Trackers, haven't done as well as hoped. I asked Kathryn Mackel to explain some of the processes regarding the cancellation of a novel. Here's what she said:

Unfortunately, there are no plans right now for a third book in the Birthright Series. Fantasy continues to be a tough sell in the Christian marketplace and the sales for Outriders weren't robust enough to continue through a third book. That said, a dear friend reminded me that if the Lord gave me a vision for Scouts - and He has - then it would be so. Not in my timing or in that of my dear readers, but in His. I wait expectantly but patiently for that opportunity to present itself.

As to whether the shortening of the series affected the second book, not much at all. We went with the story we had and, with the exception of asking me to resolve one character's struggle of the heart, WestBow allowed me to keep Trackers as written. Like any book in a series, Trackers stands alone as its own story but also builds on Outriders and leaves plenty of opportunity to continue on without leaving readers hanging.

Some readers have offered to "storm the gates" of WestBow and demand a third book. Better to pray and ask if this story yet has some value to expand the Kingdom or encourage the saints, then I have an opportunity to write it. If not, so be it. We have a thousand daily ways to serve the Lord and this tale - while a blessing to me - is only one of them!

Kathryn Mackel is also a writer of Christian chillers. Visit her website at KathrynMackel.com. And check out what my blog tour mates have to say about Trackers. (See yesterday's post for links to giveaways and interviews.)

Jim Black
Jackie Castle
Frank Creed
Gene Curtis
Chris Deanne
Janey DeMeo
April Erwin
Beth Goddard
Todd Michael Greene
Karen Hancock
Elliot Hanowski
Katie Hart
Sherrie Hibbs
Sharon Hinck
Joleen Howell
Jason Joyner
Karen and at Karen¹s myspace
Oliver King
Tina Kulesa
Lost Genre Guild
Kevin Lucia and The Bookshelf Reviews 2.0 - The Compendium
Terri Main
Rachel Marks
Shannon McNear
Rebecca LuElla Miller
Caleb Newell
Eve Nielsen
John Otte
Cheryl Russel
Hannah Sandvig
Mirtika Schultz
James Somers
Stuart Stockton
Steve Trower
Speculative Faith
Chris Walley
Daniel I. Weaver
Mark Goodyear

Book Tour - Trackers Day 2

This week we're talking up Book 2 of Kathryn Mackel's The Birthright Project. If you're interested in a free copy of Trackers, here are the contests I've come across so far:

Shannon McNear is giving away 2 books, Trackers and the first book in the series, Outriders.

Mirtika Schultz has links to interviews with Kathryn Mackel as well as a contest to give away Trackers.

Beth Goddard has Part 1 of an interview with Kathryn Mackel up today (with another part following tomorrow). She also is giving away a 2 book set, Outriders and Trackers.

Stuart Stockton has some great links as well as a giveaway on his blog.

In other news,
Over at Gene Curtis' place you can read about publishing budgets and how they affect other books and series, not only The Birthright Project.

The Speculative Faith group blog has posted the entire first chapter of Trackers.

I can't miss this opportunity to plug my daughter's blog. I think she has some interesting comments to make about Christian science fiction in general and this series in particular. Visit Hanna Sandvig here.

Lots of other folks have comments to make as well. Visit these blogs for *more*!
Jim Black
Jackie Castle
Frank Creed
Chris Deanne
Janey DeMeo
April Erwin
Todd Michael Greene
Karen Hancock
Elliot Hanowski
Katie Hart
Sherrie Hibbs
Sharon Hinck
Joleen Howell
Jason Joyner
Karen and at Karen¹s myspace
Oliver King
Tina Kulesa
Lost Genre Guild
Kevin Lucia and The Bookshelf Reviews 2.0 - The Compendium
Terri Main
Rachel Marks
Rebecca LuElla Miller
Caleb Newell
Eve Nielsen
John Otte
Cheryl Russel
James Somers
Steve Trower
Chris Walley
Daniel I. Weaver
Mark Goodyear

Blog Tour - Trackers

About a year ago I wrote a blog post entitled: When I grow up, I want to be...Kathryn Mackel. This was in response to reading Kathryn's book Outriders, first in a series known as The Birthright Project. This week I'm happy to talk about the second book in the series, Trackers. I understand that this was originally projected to be a trilogy but that the third book has been cancelled. I'm really sorry to hear that. Not as sorry as Kathryn Mackel, I'm sure.

Trackers is here, sitting on my desk. I've read about a third of it so far and I'm enjoying it immensely.

From the back cover:

Far from home in a ravaged world, the Birthrighters struggle for survival.

Raised in a new ark beneath polar ice, delivered by whales to a blighted surface, the young men and women of the Birthright Project have pledged their lives to a risky and redemptive mission--perserving God's original creation from the ravages of the Endless Wars and human depravity.

They've roamed the earth tracking original species. They've succesfully battled sorcerers, warlords, and armies of mutants. But now a twisted new enemy is on the march. An explosive old secret lurks beneath the glitter of a decadent city. And the mysterious darkness that swallowed a mountain spreads toward an innocent mill town.

Before they can prevail, the Birthrighters must confront their most difficult challenge: overcoming their individual desires that threaten to betray the group.

Other bloggers talking about Trackers this week are:
Jim Black
Jackie Castle
Frank Creed
Gene Curtis
Chris Deanne
Janey DeMeo
April Erwin
Beth Goddard
Todd Michael Greene
Karen Hancock
Elliot Hanowski
Katie Hart
Sherrie Hibbs
Sharon Hinck
Joleen Howell
Jason Joyner
Karen and at Karen's myspace
Oliver King
Tina Kulesa
Lost Genre Guild
Kevin Lucia and The Bookshelf Reviews 2.0 - The Compendium
Terri Main
Rachel Marks
Shannon McNear
Rebecca LuElla Miller
Caleb Newell
Eve Nielsen
John Otte
Cheryl Russel
Hanna Sandvig
Mirtika Schultz
James Somers
Stuart Stockton
Steve Trower
Speculative Faith
Chris Walley
Daniel I. Weaver
Mark Goodyear

Winner!

Thank you all for entering! I got hubby to draw a name this evening. And the winner is...Random Walk Writer! Erin, I have your address on my other computer and will forward it to Sue in the morning. Feel free to nag me! Er...remind me. Not that I'll forget or anything.

Never Ceese giveaway

So far I have the following names entered in the draw: Maripat, Katie, Margaret, EJ, Random Walk Writer, Karenee, Hanna, and Todd. (Todd, I'm only entering your name once even though you posted three times! :P) If anyone else comes along that would like to enter their name, please post in comment to THIS post. If you don't have Blogger, email me at valerierco AT yahoo DOT ca.

Read the three posts about Never Ceese below if you're curious about the book.

I'll be picking a name at random this evening sometime and will post the winner then.

*The Girl Who Cried Squid* draft complete!

I've been so busy I forgot I hadn't posted it here yet! I wrote *The End* on Friday afternoon; the whole first draft came in at 59023. I'm at the stage where I'm relieved to have it done, sure that it's the worst first draft I've ever written. When I think back to my very first one...and to last year's Nano...I realize this one couldn't possibly be THAT bad, but whether it's any good or not remains to be seen. If I don't get back to it in 2007, it will next see the light of day in 2008. Revisions for next year have already elbowed their way into line, starting with the partially completed second draft of Quest to be Queen, the fantasy spoof, and followed by third pass on Marks of Repentance.

And I want to write more next year too. Seems silly when it takes two or three additional passes to clean up behind a first draft, but there you go. I need the creativity, too.

Meanwhile, though, I have Christmas prep to do and a store that looks like somebody totally ignored it for at least a whole month. Who, me?

Blog Tour - Never Ceese Day 3 and GIVEAWAY

Here today to tell you a little more about Never Ceese by Sue Dent is book reviewer Kevin Lucia. I stole his review from Amazon:


Werewolves and Vampires....oh my!

Centuries ago, two unfortunates were wronged in the worst way imaginable; they were cursed by evil forces they did not bring down upon themselves. One was made a vampire, a creature of the night, forced to find sustenance on the life-blood of others, and subject to whims and passions never meant for humankind to experience. The other was bitten by the wolf, and is now a prisoner to the wild beat of nature, running with the pack, lost in the primitive uproar of instinct and survival.

Perhaps worst of all: they are cursed to live with near immortality, to walk the face of the earth while those they love die, and if they do die while still in the grip of the curse; by either a silver bullet or a wooden stake, they will forever miss the chance of an eternity in heaven with those they love and care for.

They have one chance, as this unlikely pair is drawn together by unseen forces, to reclaim their mortality and a chance to pursue a normal life, a chance to go home to heaven when they die, and it lies buried in a riddle cryptic as it is contradictory, Two wrongs make a right. Richard, the cynical, sarcastic vampire and Ceese, a culturally naive werewolf inexperienced in the ways of human beings, leave the comforts of home and the wild behind as they travel from England to New York in search of the one thing they desire more than anything: an end to their curse.

However, working behind the scenes are forces that want them for other reasons, and none of them altruistic. As Richard and Ceese struggle to loosen the bonds on their souls, someone else lusts after what they have: immortality, power...and will stop at nothing until they have it for themselves.

In her first novel, Sue Dent has crafted an intriguing mix of two genres yet thought exclusive; Christian faith-based fiction and dark, noir-fantasy, and it comes off well. The key difference between her novel and others revolving around vampires and werewolves is its focus: Dent focuses on that which our two protagonists want most, an end to the curse and chance for a restored relationship with all that is good and holy, and not on the aspects of the curses themselves. However, her touch is light here: it is not a Sunday school lesson with a pretty red bow at the end; it is a story about enduring faith and love.

Richard is hopelessly sarcastic and cynical, evoking images of Tom Cruise's blond haired and egotistical Lestat, and Dent portrays Ceese as a poignant picture of what faith can do even in the thrall of the curse that damns her. Never Ceese is also rife with cultural humor and satire, and though the reader treads the dark streets of film noir and intrigue, they will find themselves chuckling out-loud just as many times as they shiver.

Ceese ends with surprising plot-twists that work well but perhaps could have been hidden a little better, and it may have a theological "bump under the rug" here and there - but who cares? It is a work of fiction, and a creatively imaginative one at that. The novel also successful wraps up the narrative while leaving a nice hook for its sequel Forever Richard.

**Remember, Sue has offered ONE READER of this blog a free copy of Never Ceese. Commenters may post until Sunday evening (whenever I get around to checking the blog...an inexact science!) and ask to be entered. So far I have Maripat, Katie, Margaret, EJ, and Random Walk Writer. Anyone else?

Blog Tour - Never Ceese Day 2 and GIVEAWAY!!

Since I started poking around at Sue Dent's website yesterday looking for information on her debut novel, Never Ceese, I discovered that this novel was published by a small newcomer to the Christian publishing market, Journey Stone.



The reviews I found here left me undecided whether the novel could be classified as a horror or a dark fantasy. I realize that there is often a fine line! Anyway, I emailed Sue Dent and asked her about it. Here's what she said:

The person I saw who referenced Stephen King was saying they liked Never Ceese as much as they liked Stephen King's The Stand, not that it was like The Stand. There's nothing horror about it. It's more hysterical than anything. I can write horror. Mr. Grabowsky who wrote Halloween IV, a true horror writer, said it was "adorable!" However, one woman didn't read it because even the thought of blood made her sick.

So, okay. Not fully horror, but a little. With a humorous side. I can handle that. Am I odd? When it was a horror novel, I was skeptical. Now that it's a vampire/ werewolf dark fantasy, I'm keen. Yes, okay, I'm odd. We don't need to go there.

So I was curious about how Sue found her publishing house and how she's liked the experience of working with a small house. Her opinion is against much of what I've read elsewhere, to be honest. I've heard that you should always shoot for the top...you have nothing to lose. (Except for the turnaround time, of course.) Sue felt differently. She had her manuscript professionally edited and then says:

I thought about agents but learned after searching, that they were basically just a middle man who couldn't do anything I couldn't do myself. There were arguments from others that I'd never get to the big publishers if I didn't go through an agent. My response was a hearty laugh and a sarcastic, "I'm not going to get to a big publisher anyway! It's my debut novel, not even an agent can get a big time publisher to look at it! Get REAL!"

She followed up by emailing every house that accepted electronic queries. Journey Stone asked for the manuscript. This company is set up for promotion of children's books, and Never Ceese is considered YA. After some time and discussion, a deal was reached and 5000 copies were printed, with another same-size press run due soon. As Sue puts it:

She's (referring to JS's owner) only small in that she's new. And you can't start off being big. She's getting geared up and I'm in on the ground floor. I do a lot of promoting that I wouldn't have to do if I were Ann Rice or someone like that but that's because I like to.

If anyone else is interested in this read by a new author, post in comments. Sue has graciously allowed me to offer ONE FREE COPY of her novel to a reader of this blog. Contest ends Sunday evening. So let me know why you'd like a copy of Never Ceese and say you'd like to be entered.

In case you were wondering

I *am* still making progress on my Nano novel currently (and affectionately!) known as The Girl Who Cried Squid.

You'd think that after six first drafts (Squid is my seventh) I'd have figured out some of my habits already. Noteably, that although I cannot work without an outline, my endings rarely resembe the ending the outline calls for. I'm thinking that as the characters come to life during the writing of the draft and peel themselves up off the page (in my dreams at least)--begin walking and talking on their own--and subplots grow and begin to flower like well-watered seeds, the original ending just doesn't encompass enough of the story to end any of it.

It's like creating a rope with several strong pieces of yarn and a dozen pretty and fun embellishments woven throughout, and then just tying two parts of the main yarn together and calling the rope finished. Not so. All the pieces need to be woven and tied up together at the end. When I'm writing the outline, I have a fair idea what the main yarn will look like and I may have gotten a glimpse or two of some fun ribbons and threads, but I really don't know all the parts I'm working with until I get there.

That's when I look at the planned ending and wonder who wrote this junk. Now I still think it's important for me to outline an ending. After all, the story does need a direction in which to go. However, I should stop being shocked when I hit a brick wall 10K from the end and realize it is time to analyze those yarns, ribbons, threads, laces--whatever all has been created and looped together--and look for new and more satisfying ways of weaving them together for those last bits.

So I've been doing the analyzing and creeping forward, bit by bit. I still hope to hit The End this week. The culmination will be much better for the slowed pace and will hopefully require less revising than if I'd shoved through with the original plan. In my dreams.

Book Tour - Never Ceese

You all will be thrilled to know that I got a bunch of books in the last week. You will be unsurprised to know that this week's tour pick was NOT one of them--nor were the last two, which means I still haven't read them. But I'm all set for January! :P

Anyway, let me tell you a bit about Never Ceese. In this novel, author Sue Dent sets out to prove that faith and fun can live happily in the same story, and that vampire/werewolf fantasy can have a spiritual message too.

Here's what I found out about the book (stolen from the CFBA site):

The story starts with the classic tale of an English manor owned by Richard, the vampire who righteously is the bain of his neighbor's existence, what with the missing goats and all!

Then enters Cecelia, better known as Ceese, the young werewolf maiden who's arrived via invitation by Richard's aging companion, Penelope.

Ceese and Richard would prefer to tear each other apart, literally, but they are drawn together by their mutual love for Penelope. She is dying and has one request...that the two of them love one another.

This is the overall theme throughout Dent's interesting tale of two who were wronged but learn to work together. Meanwhile they are threatened by an evil stem cell researcher who wants the immortality and power that he thinks their blood will bring him!

Dent's characters do differ from the stock ones we're all accustomed to in a very important way. They are not mindless, brutal killers. Bloodthirsty, yes, but they are constantly resisting the urge to kill and thus curse another human. Feeding on rodents or goats (virtually any warm-blooded animal) helps to satiate the never ending thirst for blood, but how long will they be able to resist that most delicious morsel--man?

There is a chance that their curses can actually be lifted if they can find the strength within to resist their selfish natures and act selflessly toward another. Will they succeed? That same basic choice lies before us all every day...

A vampire and a werewolf: one determined to--once again--be able to acknowledge what will get her to heaven, the other not so sure he can. A spiritual fantasy designed to spark the imagination, to speak to the heart as well as entertain.

And of course this gets added to the invisible pile of books I want to read!

The Business of Buying and Selling Books

I mentioned a few days ago here that Holly Lisle's great fantasy novel, Talyn is now available in paperback. I bullied my library into buying a hardcover when they came out, so I've read it.

In my small way, I want to support Holly's career and what she has done for thousands of aspiring writers. More than that, though, I LOVED Talyn.

So I ordered my own copy through my local independent bookstore on Saturday and recommended ordering additional copies. I don't have much hope, though. You have to imagine a store no bigger than most people's living room...and it includes a tiny coffee bar. The sff shelves total no more than 20 linear feet, if that. Jordan and Goodkind pretty much own the shelf space, and it doesn't show noticeable movement from visit to visit.

If you are curious about how bookstores order books--indeed, how the whole publishing gamut works--check out this post by Holly Lisle, and the intelligent questions and answers in the comments section. Then follow the link over to this post at Bookseller Chick. Very interesting, and very educational.

Landon Snow Give-Away

At this moment I have one name for the giveaway of Landon Snow and the Island of Arcanum. Closes this evening, so if you're interested, get your name in today!

So far the only name is

Margaret Fisk

Not that I mind sending the book to Mar, mind you, but... :P

Although I did have a late entry (thanks, Katie!) I am declaring the winner to be Margaret Fisk. It will be on its way today, Mar.