Ramblings on Writing ~

So, it’s been a little while since I added anything here … and I suppose uprooting ourselves after 3 1/2 years in the SF bay area and moving back to the Pacific Northwest is a good reason. Especially since Double Trouble haven’t been the easiest to deal with. Turns out toddlers react to change even worse than adults! And I have two of them.

Anyway, I started submitting my novel to agents a couple months before we knew for certain we were moving. So far, out of eight queries sent, I’ve had three rejections and one request for the full manuscript. The latter is AWESOME! Also, the request came in the middle of the move, and they were incredibly patient as I finished up an unexpected edit and got settled. Now fingers crossed they like it…

This is so how I felt last week trying to get all my edits done!
image © Bill Watterson

 

Even if nothing comes from the full request, it still feels good knowing that my query garnered some interest. And I remind myself daily that this is going to be a long road. And how many times JK Rowling was rejected. That brings it all into perspective, because I think I have a really good story, but I’m no JK!

Since I’m about 75% back to normal, and 115% thrilled with the edited draft (thank you Betsy!!!), I’m going to send out a few more queries. Maybe even this week.

As a thank you to everyone who’s been involved in this 4+ year journey (including an 18-month break while I was pregnant and had newborn twins), here are the first three paragraphs of Almost Like Magic. I’d love to know what you think! Feel free to comment on my blog or the FB post.

 
*****

Glass shattered over my head, followed by a scream icier than the Wyoming winters I’d grown up in. Above the maniacal sounds and crashing glass, I heard the familiar chant of a Latin exorcism, tinged with a heavy Bostonian accent, something powerful enough to send this entity back to Hell. Shel, formerly Father Sheldon O’Reilly, came into view, his voice strong as he blessed each corner of the room with a smudge stick of protection herbs. The power of his words combined with the aroma of bay leaf and frankincense as he tried to herd the foul creature away. 

Most people think the worst quality of a poltergeist is that it’s evil. And usually trying to kill someone. To me, though, it’s the screeching. That delighted, demented half-laugh, half-scream. Never mind trying to keep someone else alive while it’s trying to kill you. Kill your best friend.

But that’s what I do, what trackers do: we save people. Teams of two or more rush in to take on any number of monsters, demons, ghosts, and evil spirits preying on innocent people. Which is how I ended up in a house outside Green River. Koh and her team were trying to save a family, and now I had to save her. She was lucky I’d been on my way home, and literally minutes away. I couldn’t always duck away from the family medical practice in Rock Springs to save lives in the field.

*****

Adding: I have no idea what’s up with WordPress, or why it decides to mess up my font and spacing all the time  **sigh**