Let's Hear It For Italy!

I receive RSS feeds from MSNBC and every so often I get an off the wall one that I'll blog about. Here's one I thought was pretty interesting. Men in Italy are considered to be the most handsome. In the poll, the number one requirement to be handsome was good hygiene. LOL! Goodness, I hope so. The second requirement was a "great smile."

I wonder where a good butt fell in the list? I use to work with a girl from Puerto Rico and she said that was one of the saddest things about men in the U.S., they didn't have butts, flat as a pancake. So true. That's why I can't help but admire those few I see on occasion.

Anyway, click here to read the whole article.

Holiday Weekend

Well, I guess I took yesterday off. When I woke up around 6 a.m., (I said woke, not necessarily got up) the thought hit me. I FORGOT TO POST! LOL! I thought about it only once yesterday, but that was it, just thought about it. :0D

After listening to the news about all the fatal shootings, bloody noses (my daughter's friend actually saw two women go at it over an Elmo doll) and other craziness, I'm always happy I don't participate in the mad rush to the stores. Frankly, I can't think of anything I need that bad or want to save money on that much. One of the things I've learned, if someone wants something in particular, most of the time you can go direct to the manufacturer (Apple) or find another brand with the same design (child's bed) on-line.

I did go to a couple stores this morning -- my husband twisted my arm...really -- and one of the stops was Lowes (see, only guys go there to Christmas shop). Anyway, I saw a wonderful sale on a washer/dryer combination at near to half price. I want them so bad, but my washer and dryer are okay. I did say something about giving my old ones to my daughter in college, but she's not moving into a rental house until next year. Her apartment isn't set up for them. Oh, well.

Happy Thanksgiving!

Query Letters

For two days I've been working on a query letter for agents. I've completely revamp my old styled one by reading several articles/books written by agents. Though overall agents and editors are all about the story, the agent wants a little more. Considering my bio isn't exactly one to make an agent jump with joy, I was surprised how it's coming together. The suggestions I found in one free PDF download on Amazon was most interesting and helped a lot.

If this gets me some requests, I'll place a copy on this blog. But until then, I rather wait. Of course, query letters are like published books, there are all types for every reader.

What More Can You Do?

You know I'm always surprised when people talk about getting their name out there and don't write articles for their (RWA) chapter's newsletter. I've written over 70 articles and had them published in over 300 newsletters. Let's say the average membership of each RWA chapter was 25, that means around 7000 people may have read my articles.

Something to think about, huh?

Retiring Before Forty

Wouldn't that be nice? To retire before you're forty? I'll miss him in the movies.

Huh?

I usually don't comment on hot topics, but I'm a little baffled by a few things. Everyone knows how much I want to be published. I've done everything I believe is right in the way of getting published. 1) I write all the time. Completing books and sending them out to contests and editors/agents. 2) I network, going to conferences, hanging with like-minded published/unpublished authors, talking with editors and agents. 3) I read what I want to write. This will let me know what is out there and what editors are looking for (with my own personal twist). 4) I have web presence to get my name out there, includes a website, blogging, and writing articles for my local chapter's newsletter. 5) I study my craft by reading books and articles on writing and attending my local chapter's meetings.

So I expect one day soon I'll get that all important call that will be followed by being a published author. Because I'm a member of the RWA, my member status will changed to PAN (Published Authors Network).

Now for the hot topic, I was reading on another blog about some wording RWA changed on the RITA awards. They claim it boils down to ebooks vs. printed. (If you email me privately I'll give you the link, otherwise, I rather not attach it to this for now.) I'm a firm believer there are two sides to every story and I've only heard one. Since I remember last year’s (or was that year before last) discussions on various loops and blogs about the change RWA made on PAN membership of "recognized" to "eligible", I know a lot of misinformed and blown-out-of-apportion observations were made then and I’m pretty sure they were made this time.

Several of the comments on the blog were from former members of RWA saying they had dropped out of the organization because epublished authors were being discriminated against. I’ve heard that song and dance before. I’m not a epublished author, but I read them. Does that count in knowing what I’m talking about? No? Then let me say, I’ve been discriminated against because I’m female, white or overweight. I understand what is perceived as discrimination can hurt. Everyone at one time or another, if not every day, has experienced it. But sometimes what is perceived is not always directed at you. It can appear to be but until you have the whole picture, you may be wrong.

My baffled part is if you’re satisfied with who you’re published with (epublished, POD or whatever), why does it matter if RWA recognizes you as published? I assume it’s because of the RITA. I understand how a RITA can make the difference in being acknowledged by other writers and even editors and agents, but it’s not the be all, end all if you don’t win or even final. I guess it can make your sales improve if you only have a 500 or 5000 print run. Then again I rather “win” the title of NYT best selling author. I know Linda Howard and Sherrilyn Kenyon and many other NYT best selling authors never won a RITA and may never have been a finalist. RWA doesn’t show finalists on their webpage.

But when it comes to being PAN or not being PAN, I believe the benefits are not that much different than being PRO or a general member. Sure you can’t go to some of the workshops at National. Considering I’ve only been able to afford one National conference, I don’t believe it mattered. I go to more and sometimes better workshops at local conferences. Heck, I get more editor/agent appointments at the local conference too. Sure as a PAN member, you get to be on the internet loop with other published authors. Whoopee-do.

I guess a lot of this uproar has to do with ego and what that certain person believes is fair. Everyone repeat with me, LIFE AIN’T FAIR! If it was, I would’ve been published twenty-five years ago with my first book. But thank goodness I wasn’t because it was a stinker.

For those who are PAN, besides declaring to other RWA members you’re published by an eligible publishing house and what it means to your ego (and we all have an ego and it’s okay), what does it do for you? Just curious. And those who are not published, besides the declaring and ego thing, what does it mean to you? Remember, I'm talking about the PAN part, not the published part.

Oh, if you’re wondering if I’m PRO. Yes. Why was it important for me to send in the paperwork for that? 1) I get editor/agent appointments whenever I go to National conference before general membership. 2) I got the cool little pin. 3) Self-satisfaction in knowing I’m really working toward the goal of getting published. If not for 1) and 2) number three would’ve been plenty.

Isn't It Neat?

I love fruit. Back when I was a little kid, my dad was a VP with a produce company. This is before he owned another produce company and later a trucking company. He would bring us a box of miscellaneous fruit and veggies every week. For a few years, our house was the favorite place to stop at on Halloween night. We gave out apples and oranges.

Hard to imagine kids going crazy over fruit, isn't it? But at the time, you could only find fruit in the stores and farmers' markets during certain months of the year.

One of the best things about nowadays is that we can get fruit all year long now. Yumm.

Kiss Me!

This is a beautiful clip of some of the best kisses in the movies. Enjoy.

and another one...

A Day Early

Usually, if I don't forget, I write about something I'm thankful for on Fridays. But I felt the need to tell everyone today that I'm thankful for my dad. I get my love of reading from my dad and his dad. Sadly, he suffered another stroke a couple weeks ago and his speech and balance has gotten worse. Considering he cannot talk clearly, get his thoughts out of his mouth, or even read, he's become terribly depressed.

I plan to see him Sunday or Monday. Though I won't stay but a couple hours as I don't want him to worry about feeding me and my husband. My dad always loved to cook for us. But I plan to take him a copy of my latest contemporary romance manuscript.

My book, A Sheriff To Call Her Own, has a female trucker in it. My dad owned a trucking company and drove them himself until he had his first stroke last year. By the way, he's 77 and didn't have any health issues until this happened. Anyway, I also have a character in the book who's a FBI special agent who has my dad's name. I figured he'll get a kick out of that.

Knowing he can't read now, I hope to read some of the book to him. And maybe I can get his wife to read some of it to him too. I doubt very much he'll ever see me published and he's been my biggest supporter during my journey to madness. So at least he'll get hear one of them.

I plan to encourage him to stick around until I do get published and then he'll need to stick around until I'm on the New Times Best Selling list, and then...in other words, a long, long time.