One Month left in 2011

Just checking in and hoping that lots and lots of my writing friends have submitted your writing projects for publication! I've been pushing for publication in 2011. So far I have not heard anything on two projects but still keeping my fingers crossed! How are you all doing?
No Matter What we can't give up. Keep writing and submitting. I also am wondering if anyone signed up for NANOWRIMO this year? Did you make the word count by the end of November?
Let's just inundate the publishing houses this month with as much of our writing as we can before the New Year! Then we'll see if we can submit more pieces in 2012 then we did in 2011.

Keep Writing and Keep Smiling!  : )

Writer's Digest Short Story Prompt Contest

Hi Everybody!  Yesterday I was reading my January 2012 issue of Writer's Digest. I read this months writer's prompt contest and decided to enter. Like I said ..., submit, submit, submit! The 750 word short story title is
I WENT TO A FUNERAL TODAY

 The prompt was  about going back to your childhood home and finding it's been condemned.

 As always, I'll let you know how it goes.  How are you all doing? We have a month and a half to get something submitted in 2011 so keep writing and keep smiling!     : )

NANOWRIMO 2011 is on!!

Hello Fellow Writers!  The month of November is National Novel Write in a month challenge. You spend the month challenging yourself to write a 50,000 word novel from beginning to end in one month. I enjoy this challenge very much! You don't get any actual prizes and you don't get any promises of publication or exposure but you DO get self satisfaction when you complete the challenge. Not only that but you also have the great beginning of a good project to work on over the next year. I wrote my first messy draft of the novel I mentioned in my previous post during a November NANO challenge. I've entered the NANOWRIMO challenge twice and both times I've successfully completed the challenge. I hope many more will enter and enjoy the craziness of it all! Especially if you sign up now you're already a few days behind! (That's how I did it last year and I also worked on the first draft of a YA novel. That is still in the first draft stage.)
I've chosen not to enter this month due to my health and other projects I'm pushing to complete. But I think it's a BLAST and I recommend it to anyone, especially those who start a novel but never can get themselves to finish!
Keep Smiling and Keep Writing and submitting!        : )

I FINALLY submitted my novel for consideration!!!

Hi Everyone! Despite the long gap in blogging, I have spent much time finishing the edits for my romance novel AND I submitted it on October 25, 2011~ The guide lines state if you don't hear anything in three months consider the story not what they are looking for at this time. I've added a blurb from my query letter to this post and any feedback to that is greatly appreciated!

COULDN'T LOVE THAT DOG MORE
BY Mary Staller

Set in the suburbs of Pennsylvania, my hero is a dedicated Veterinarian devoted to the animals in his clinic.  Abandoned by his first wife, he trusts only in the unconditional love from God's four legged creatures and turns his back on love of the two-legged kind.  My heroine fell hard for our hero three years earlier when he'd saved her puppy's life but he'd made it clear there was no future in loving him.  She'd been able to protect her heart until her precocious little dog became critically ill and again needed his expert skills.  With the addition of an ailing grandmother who adores the Veterinarian and wants him to marry her granddaughter before her time on earth runs out and the return of our heroine's younger brother, who can never say no to Gram, agrees to join forces to make an unlikely  matchmaking team.  Their determination to unite the couple makes for plenty of laughter, romance, tension and tears to keep the pages turning.

I'll let you know if.......I mean WHEN, I hear back! In the meantime, keep writing and submitting, we still have almost 2 months to submit in 2011.    KEEP SMILING!  : ) 

Edit, Edit and more editing........Page One........whew!

Time to catch you up! In between taking care of "Health Stuff" I've been working on the edits for my Romance Novel. I've gone through the entire novel a few times. Yet, I've been stuck back on page uno! I loved my opening paragraph when I originally wrote the story. But as time has gone on I've disliked it more and more. I have REVAMPED page one ..., AGAIN! I read an article in Writer's Digest magazine (love, love, love - Subscribe if you haven't already.) The article talked about cutting your first 3 paragraphs or more and you'll probably have a better "Opening" for any novel. That was not the first time I've read something like that. As I read over and over the first page of my novel, I felt that advice was right on! DONE! I am eomotionally ready to "submit" this story, let it go ... move on to another project.  I just wish I felt like the story was ready! I often wonder if any Authors feel as though their work is completely ready when we send it out. I'm working on the required 700 word synopsis and hope to let the story fly soon! I'll let you know!
Let me know how you are doing! Keep Writing and Keep Smiling!   : )

How are your submissions going?

Okay everyone, we are already half way through the month of June and worse news, we're halfway through  2011! I can't believe it! Time is flying by and summer fun will be keeping us outdoors and away from our keyboards. I'm sending out a pep talk to everyone to keep on writing and submitting! Submit, Submit, Submit! Let's Get Published!
  On Monday, I submitted a short story to the Senior Executive Editor of Red Room who has sent it out for consideration. As soon as I hear ..., whether good or bad, I'll let you all know. But I do want to say, whatever happens it felt AWESOME to send it out!  Now it's back to the EDITING process for my novel. It was good to take a break from the novel editing process to work on the short story. I needed a short break. I feel that my mind is in a better place now. I'm looking at the work with a fresh eye. Yesterday and today the corrections seemed to jump off the page. I highly recommend taking a break if you find yourself nodding off during revisions. (Not that I'm saying I did ....smiling....)
If you haven't been there before, check out www.redroom.com   Another great website for writers!
Keep Writing!  : )

Blog Recommendation For You!

  There is SO much to learn when it comes to writing. Especially now with the fast paced changing environment of e-publishing. 
There is an Author who writes an amazing blog that I have got to share with you. I've signed up to receive his blogs as an email.  His name is Nathan Bransford and he wrote a children's story. His main character is Jacob Wonderbar.
Nathan's blog is so so up-to-date informative. It is geared for writers of all genres.  Current events in the Writing World are all covered in his blogs. He does all of the "work" for us by finding all of this excellent material every aspiring author should read and puts it in one easy-to-read blog. I personally spend hours and I mean literally hours reading his blog and clicking on the links he's provided and learning from those as well.
I cannot stress enough the wide array of good data on EVERY aspect of writing that is covered on Nathan's blogs. I'd also like to send him a BIG thank you for making it easy for me to become educated!
I hope you all take a look! 
Keep Writing and Keep Smiling!  : )