Stolen from Facebook…
Samantha Holt (medieval romance writer) posted this and I just had to share:
I love poetry (if you know me in real life, this is nothing new to you). What I love most is how in a few words the author can evoke an image that us painters of prose take pages to express. I also love how, like songs, they compliment a memory or story within your head. This poem in particular made me think so strongly of Kiki and James. Thanks, Beth!
I have a deadline to get these Second of All revisions out before Thanksgiving. SO, I will post the Liebster questions and nominations on Turkey Day probably. I haven’t forgotten, but if I want to get this book out by January, I have to be Good Gennie and focus.
And that’s what you guys want too, right? I’m very excited about this book. I hope you enjoy it in all its introspective yet passionate glory.
*smooches*
Gen.
I was nominated for this Liebster blog award thingy by Penelope Jones, aka Bad Penny, aka Sweet P, aka Maude (what I am now calling her in my mind now that I know her name isn’t actually Penelope but have no real name to call her. I will also picture her vacuuming her carpets wearing pearls, high heels, and a martini in her free hand. *shrug* It’s a free country.)
Anyhoo, I answer eleven questions, tell eleven random facts about myself then nominate eleven blogs to do the same. Trouble is, I am not sure I know eleven bloggers who would like to participate.
BEHOLD, a post in which I warn you, I may nominate unwilling people unless some of you bravely throw yourself under the bus and take one for the team. You can do it! It only hurts the first time…..running out of aphorisms here……
Let me know if you want to be nominated and I will direct traffic to your blog. 🙂
Been thinking about doing an author Q&A at Goodreads along with the giveaway next month. Would any of you be willing to show up and ask questions so I don’t talk to myself? LOL
And thank you again and again for all the support! Keep getting the word out about The Bird Day Battalion! Thanksgiving is only a week away!
And by the way? Jay Ryan? Besides being mega HAWT, he’s almost exactly how I pictured Tommy Gates writing him in First, I Love You only with green eyes. So the next time you read Tommy looking at someone through the fringes of his hair…say in Second of All…hint hint…here ya go:
Not watching Beauty and the Beast? You really should. And not just because Jay Ryan periodically takes his shirt off and is super buff and broody and dark and dangerous…mmnnnnn… but because it’s also a good police procedural.
LOL
Today, due entirely to my own…let’s call it hubris…I received a lot of advice. Sadly, it felt like moralizing and lecturing. Well, some of it felt like advice. And that was nice, the advice-feeling advice. All of it was even solicited advice, and let’s face it no one likes the askhole: the person who asks for advice then ignores it, so I asked for it. The irritation I am now feeling, that is. Oh, I should probably start at the beginning.
Finnigan begin again
So, I made the error of following several links today from people whose opinions I usually respect only to find myself strangely offended by their words. I think they were well-intended ruminations, designed to caution and guide newbie authors like myself but had the exact opposite effect. I backed out of the articles feeling lectured at, chastised, judged. It colored everything I did today and had me feeling off-balance and hyper-critical.
It was the equivalent of leaving your bedroom feeling slightly fabulous only to hear: “Are you going to wear that?”
Now all of a sudden you see every pimple, every wrinkle, every frayed edge, every flaw. Instead of all that was right all you see is what’s wrong, even if the ratio of right to wrong never actually changed. There was never actually any problem to begin with, but all of a sudden I started looking for some, just in case. Suddenly the decisions I had made, while I was feeling perfectly happy and fine with them a moment before now I was feeling like, clearly, since this person’s opinion is somehow more valuable than my own, I am in the wrong. And that was when I started actually actively looking for advice instead of just stumbling upon it. I got some really useful advice and some not-so useful advice and when I realized that both were giving me the same sensation of panic-inducing inadequacy, and everything and anything I did was just wrong wrong wrong wrong, I stepped away from the computer and consulted with my Fan Club.
All three of them agreed that these truths remain unchanged:
1. If it ain’t broke don’t fix it.
2. If the advice comes from someone who stands to gain something from your compliance, feel free to ignore it (see #1).
3. If you are confident/happy in a decision ask yourself why someone is trying to destroy that confidence/happiness before you follow their advice.
4. Do you really want to know what is in that food?
Just some things to think about while you might be writing, editing, proof reading, blogging. Words have power. Intentions are also powerful things but in the end be mindful what you say, how you say it, and how it may affect others.
I suspect I could stand to follow that advice as well.
So I wrote the first words for the third book in The Downey Trilogy today called Third Time’s The Charm.
YES, I know I should be editing, revising, and proofreading Second of All, and I swear I am, but this morning on my walk it was like I could hear Mickey’s gravelly baritone laugh in my head and I just had to put it down on paper. Or the digital equivalent as it were.
I also thought the title might be a wee bit of comfort to my poor long-suffering beta readers to remind them and you faithful fans and friends of my deep and abiding love of the happy ending, and *spoiler?* the importance of the bittersweet chaotic Act II.
How can you properly appreciate the sunshine without having experienced the darkness first?
As always…just my rambling opinion. 😉 But as I was reminded by my fellow author (and I rather think, friend) Penelope when we write we put out a portion of our hearts, minds, and souls and simply have to hope that you understand what it was we were trying to “say”.
Wishing you all a fantastic and blessed day!
❤ 🙂 ❤
So Second of All is all written, off to my beta-readers then I’ll be editing, revising, proofing etc.
As those of you who “like” my Facebook page know I’m working on a short story for the Thanksgiving holiday which I will post for free at all the usual channels. Yay for freeness and gratitude! 😉
In the mean time, I’ve added a new (slightly SPOILERY) teeny tiny excerpt from Second of All under its tab to the right there —>
Enjoy!
Genevieve Dewey 