My Non-fiction Proposal Hits the Road

Upcycled Envelopes by Adnagam

Ahem, nothing beats the feeling of sending a proposal out! I sent my emails out to agents this week. I've even had a very positive and optimistic rejection from an wonderful agent in NYC. At this point, it feels like I'm dating again. In other words, I'm putting my best forward and waiting for Mr. {or Mrs.} Agent to walk into my life. This feels so divine!

The Road to Plan B Explodes

The Secret Garden located inside Plaza Athénée (Paris 8th)

Although my current novel is set in Paris, I have been geographically bound by the limitations of life. At the moment, I'm sick, which leaves me faint of motivation and heart to finish the last 70 pages of my book. But I am almost there and in the last few months I've managed to write well over a hundred pages. The sweet excitement that I have been getting is that the novel feels as if it is getting better with each page I write. I know that this might be a fool-hearted interpretation, but its better to lift your chin up than to grovel.  

Architecture by Michael Maltzan and Landscape Designs by Nancy Goslee Power

My deepest heart desire is to be a publishing author that brings entertainment to tons of readers. I love a good thriller because it can bring about an emotional justice that can be difficult to get in real life. We all know about the state of judicial practice without my heavy meditations on it, and that would just be boring anyhow. The funny thing is I have never really trusted my deep heart calling. I have always put a Plan B into effect it and strange as this might sound...it always falls apart. And things just fell apart for my last Friday, when a company I was working at tried to force me into signing a contract for less money and more work, or else take a hike. I took a hike, left the job, and found myself completely sick as a result of taking that leap of faith. The journey of life can get pretty stark at times, much like the above architecture, with forcing about hard decisions in difficult times. 

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As Julie wrote in The Julie and Julia Project, when you find your rabbit hole, you've got to take it. Life has presented me with the sweetest opportunity to finish my novel and make something of it. So what if I can't buy a new Coach handbag, sniff, or wake up in dream house in the sunny skies of my hometown, California. Less is more. Make a palace in your own home and besides I've got a rabbit hole to chase down! 

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I promise to keep you updated on the adventure! Now what about you? What rabbit holes have you been chasing down?

The Friday 56: Nathaniel Hawthrone and The Search for Love

Nathaniel Hawthorne (1804-1864) 

I just discovered The Friday 56 on a Monday, but that doesn't stop me from playing along! The concept is that you take any book, flip open to page 56, and post one sentence that strikes you as interesting.

On my desk is a copy of  American Gothic Tales edited by Joyce Carol Oates. That says something about me, doesn't it?

I flipped to page 56 and opened up the third short story in the collection. It's by Nathaniel Hawthorne and the story is "The Man of Adamant, Young Goodman Brown".  Here's the page 56 sentence that got me to post:

What if a wretched old woman do choose to go to the devil when I thought she was going to heaven: is that any reason  why I should quit my dear Faith and go after her?

What would you do if that wretched old woman were actually a beautiful young lady or a beautiful handsome man? Would you chase that person into the depths of darkness? How far would you go for a person you love? These are the sorts of questions that can change your life. 

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A Night on the Town with The Happy Baker!

Image via Blogto

Life is full of surprises and twists, and last night was one of those awesome nights. What made it so great was that I crashed a condo holiday party {yes, I was the token party crasher, but I wasn't wearing a sari!} and I met an eclectic group of individuals ranging from Mafia-looking guys in suits to a guy dressed like Brett Michael's. No kidding-this holiday party was off the hook! In the midst of this party, I literally bumped into Erin Bolger, who isn't related to any famous Boston mafia families with the same last name.  She jumped at the opportunity to tell me about her book, The Happy Baker: A Dater's Guide to Emotional Baking, which was also listed as one of the top cookbooks of 2010 by the New York Times! I couldn't stop from doing a happy dance for her! A top cookbook listed on the NYT is serious street cred.

Meet Erin Bolger

From the moment I started to talk to Erin, she had me laughing and mesmerized.  She has such a natural gift for telling stories with humor that I wasn't surprise to learn that her book combined not just recipes, but tales from the front lines of dating. Later that evening, I had an opportunity to check out her book. It's filled with beautiful full color photograph and tons of sweet recipes for helping a girl out through the tough side of dating. I also got a tasty preview of a her new Peanut Butter Fudge recipe. To die for yummy! Erin is in fact so generous she's sharing this recipe on her blog, too.  Now, I'm married, but I totally remember the era of my own single days, filled with all the leaps and falls.  This cookbook is better than hanging with Dr. Phil. It's a must-have for all girls, single, married, or in between.  Want to get a feel for some of Erin's zest? Check out this awesome video. I'm telling you...you're going to love Erin as much as I do!

Be Bad.

The world is so great. So much to inspire the senses. It's like the only thing to stop me from everything I want to do is me. It's time to be bad, dig in, and let go of the expectations people have of me. It's time to truly be me. Ever have that sensation? If so, it's not a bad thing. It's a good thing, particularly for writers. Do it. Break out of the conformity. Open up to something greater. You should have done it yesterday, but today isn't too late to start.

Mighty Than the Sword

Image: Design Age

Allowing the end of summer to spin off to a memory, I must tell the truth I haven't been slaying many dragons with my pen or keyboard as of late. I've had a fantastic summer reading, writing short stories, and having adventures that will brew new ideas for stories to tell. Living in the world, staying connected to events, and having new experiences is an important aspect of being a writer.  Is this all just an excuse for not writing enough? Yes, but the summer was so sweet I couldn't resist. I'm finishing up a third short story today and starting a fourth. It seems in no time I just might have a collection of short stories. Some of the things that have influenced me include the Thriller 2 in paperback.

Image: Crime Fiction Dossier. Pick up a Copy via Amazon

I also picked up several back issues of Alfred Hitchcock Mystery Magazine circa 1992. I love flipping through older issues.

Image: Antiqbook 

Last but not least, the news. Isn't life full of enough gore to make a person wonder who their next door neighbor really is?

Not much Time for Writing other than a few Short Stories

It has been an amazing start to the month of June. I wrote two new short stories. "Survival" is a short story written about one father's attempt to survive a murderous coincidence and a manipulative family. The other short story is something I enjoyed writing so much that I might turn it into a screenplay or novel. I'm not sure yet, but in anycase...I'm not sharing much about it. I had a blast writing them and really enjoyed the final results. I plan to submit my short stories for publication and I'll keep you posted on when it'll happen.

{image via Pitt County Film Still of To Kill a Mockingbird}

As for the novel, I'm aiming to kill it with a series of intense writing sessions. It seems that every time I get deeply involved with my novel that something throws me a wrench. This time I am pointing  my finger at my husband having two weeks off from work. But, isn't it ironic that I always quick to point out something else or someone else as blocking my writing instead looking closely at myself?

I'm a big believer in self-accountability. I know that I'm responsible for my own self progress. However, I also believe that the creative process can be like giving birth. Perhaps, I need some time from the novel to get a clear perspective. I'm not going to brow beat myself or anything else. I'm just going to accept things and move forward. Isn't that all the choice we truly have anyhow?