Query Away!

So, it's done! FINALLY!

Seems like I've waited a long damn time to say this... but Pendomus is officially in the query stage! *breaks open champagne and does the snoopy dance*

Snoopy Dancing Xander

I've started stage one of my query process:

1. Hit up the people who wanted to see it after the Moonlight and Magnolias conference last year. 

That means the fantastically funny Jessica Faust from BookEnds and sooper sweet Leah Hultenschmidt from Sourcebooks have the manuscript. Whether or not anything will come of it, has yet to be seen, but I can't wait to hear back. Good or bad.

My additional list of agents to query to is growing and I plan to continue the process this week, as there may be agents more suited to my genre-bending style of writing. (I'm like a ninja, ya know!)

Now that this process has begun, I'd like to start having a weekly blog post about Pendomus. The series itself has a lot going on from world building to character development and even sciencey stuff no one has ever heard of. (Can you say tardigrades, anyone?)

So far, this will be a 10 part series, but perhaps more if my brain conjures up more to discuss... or if there seems to be interest.

With that in mind, I want to kick off this Friday, January 4th, with a blog about tidally-locked planets. What they are, what that damn phrase means, and why it relates to Pendomus.

Are you ready to learn some cool stuff?

One Year Ago... My Life Began.

When I look back on the past year... Even amidst all the trials and tribulations, there has been so many things to be blissfully happy about. For me, 2012 has gone both exceeding fast and excruciatingly slow. It's sorta odd that it can be both, but I'm here to tell you, it really can.

One year ago, my life diverged from its previously implied and intended course and meandered down a winding side road I never, not in a million years, expected. The side road widened into an alternate reality- one that I would eventually accept as my new destiny.
 
December 2nd, 2011was the day my (now) husband, Colin, stepped off a plane from England with the conscious decision to enter my life. It couldn't have been easy for him. We'd met on Twitter, of all places, and he was leaving behind everyone and everything he'd ever known to... what? Take a chance on someone? If that wasn't bad enough, being with me has had its share of costs, many of which continue to this day.

For me, it was also a crazy time. I was going through a divorce and my life was a mess. Though I didn't leave my country, I may as well have. I walked away from everything I'd known my entire adult life, in the hopes of forging a better future for myself and my children. Despite the fact that everything in my world was tipped upside down, Colin embraced the chaos and helped me make sense of it all.

The strange thing about going through a divorce and meeting someone in the midst of it: Everyone assumes you cheated and that was the "real" reason for the breakup. 

It's true, when I met Colin, I was still married. Ironically, neither Colin nor I were looking for what we found in each other and we actually tried to deny it was happening. However, long before I met him, I was struggling with the decision to get divorced from my kid's father, but I hadn't pulled the trigger yet.

Somewhere between meeting in June on Twitter, and just after my birthday (September 3rd) I realized I was falling for him. Many family and friends (who have never bothered to ask for the truth) would like to assume I willfully cheated on my ex, plotting my escape ONLY until I had someone else waiting in the wings. (You know, because I'm a horrible person with no conscience. Well, I guess that makes sense, since they all thought I was a narcissist, anyway.)

However, in reality, the moment I realized my feelings for Colin were flipping from friendship to... something more, I pulled that trigger. Only, at first, it was the wrong trigger. I tried telling Colin we needed to stop talking. It wasn't fair to my ex, nor to Colin... and the conflicting feelings inside were too much to take. The interesting thing was, it broke my heart to tell Colin to stop. It was in that moment, that decision, and more importantly, his reaction, that I realized what REALLY needed to happen. Everything became crystal clear and the very same day, I pulled the trigger on my previous relationship.

For me, it needed to be done regardless of whether or not Colin and I would ever be together. Remember, he was from England and has 3 children he loves deeply-- so at the time, the chances of us ever being together seemed highly improbable to me. I had no idea a few short months later, he'd be landing on my doorstep.

The next few months were a whirlwind. I went to Georgia for the Moonlight and Magnolia's Conference, as I had intended months before. I worked hard at getting the house I was moving into ready for me and my children. But then, something surprising happened. Colin decided he wanted to be with me. Not just talk to me on Skype or through messages, but the in-person-standing-beside-you, kinda be with me. I've learned throughout the past year that once this man makes up his mind, come hell and high water, he will make it happen. Of course, I didn't believe him at first and laughed it off as a "perhaps sometime in the future sorta thing." But he was serious. Now, here we are, one year later... still together. Married, even. Who woulda thought?

Sure as hell wouldn't have been the year-ago me.

Of course, his arrival only implicated us more. Made us look like we'd been planning it all along, but I no longer care. That's the liberating thing about time.

In this past year, I've learned so much. Grown more than I thought possible. But beyond that, I've never been so blissfully in love. So wonderfully loved back. Despite external turmoils, my home life has never been so amazing. And I have one person to thank for that...

I love you, Colin.

More than I ever thought possible. You've shown me proof that miracles do happen.

Soul mates do exist.

And things happen for a reason.

NaNoWriMo Fail

I had high hopes for NaNoWriMo this year...

I wanted to get up at my previously unbearably groggy time-frame of 5am to put pen to paper (or fingertips to keys, as it were...) However, with our trip to England ending on November 4th, I knew in those first few days no amount of wishing would make it happen... I would have to wait until I was peacefully settled into my normal life at home. (Which, in my crazy mind, meant 5am, November 5th.)

Alas, I was misguided.

Amidst jet lag and recouping from being constantly on the go... My brain has yet to catch up with me. I joked on Monday that my body is in Minnesota, but my head is still in England. Here we are on Friday and I think that's still the case! HA!

The good news however, is this: Pendomus, Book 1 is going out the door this weekend. I am cleaning up the formatting and sending it out to the world. So, wish me luck!

With that being my major goal for this week, you can expect a report on the release by the weekend. Once it's been kicked out the door... I mean, gracefully handed off to agents/editors/publishers... my goal is to start writing DAILY for at least an hour. I'm going to concentrate less on word counts and more on the routine of it.

If there's one thing I've learned when it comes to writing and workouts...  

Something is better than nothing. ;)

England; My Initiation into the Andrews Family

In flight to England.

The past week has been an absolute whirlwind... and took me to a whole new level of "first times".

For those of you unaware, my husband is originally from England and immigrated to the United States... to be with me. I know... I know... *swoon*

Stonehenge.

We've been married since February, but since our marriage was more of an elopement, I had yet to meet his friends and family in person. Which includes meeting my step-children for the first time. Colin has three children of his own and although I was unable to meet my step-daughter, we spent the week with Colin's boys traveling around England and Wales.

This was my first international flight, first stamp in my passport, first time in England, first time meeting everyone...

My amazing in-laws.

It was absolutely amazing and something I will never, ever forget.

One thing that really struck me is how absolutely phenomenal Colin's family and friends are. They are all loving, supportive and they immediately passed that love on to me. Not once did I ever feel unwelcome or displaced and to each of them I am so grateful.

Colin hasn't been so lucky with my family - they've been distant, abrasive and often times outright rude to the both of us. They don't understand our choices and make no effort at all to. They alienate us and then wonder why we don't like being around them. In fact, I feel like my ex-husband and his girlfriend have pretty much taken our place in my family's lives. But that's another story.

Silliness abounds.

I realize now that I have a larger family - a group of people who actually care about my new life with Colin. Even if my side doesn't. And those are the people I intend to put my focus into. Those are the people I am most grateful for.

So, as we go into this Thanksgiving season, I am going to be thinking of my new family and the gratitude I have for them.

I am officially and completely, an Andrews.

Where'd the time go?

Whoa. 

I'm not entirely sure when it happened. Probably somewhere between flying by the seat of my pants and changing my last name.

Two years ago today, my baby, the brain-child that is Pendomus, landed in my head.

My first rendition of Runa.

Two.

It's hard to believe so much time has passed since my main character Runa's first inception;

I had been playing with my kids outside on a chilly October morning (Duh, Carissa... two years ago today. But I digress...) The sunlight was flitting through the broken, stain-glass leaves above... I was peacefully minding my own business, oblivious that a young girl and her entire world would pierce my day and never let go of my heart.

She wasn't quiet. She wasn't serene. 

Instead, Runa was escaping. 

She needed a way out and she needed it now. Her voice was so strong, so clear, that I knew this was how I needed to start Pendomus.

I've gotten feedback from some of my beta readers to consider changing the opening sequence. For some, having a girl running away isn't a strong enough connection. Why should you care about her? Why should you care that she's running away, even?

I've given it a lot of thought and I guess, the answer is simple.

It's not about you.

For me, as the vessel of this story, it isn't about the reader. It's about my connection to Runa and dammit, she wanted to be introduced that way.

Call me crazy, and perhaps there's a valid case to be made there (HA!), but I need to be true to her. So, pardon me if I say I really could care less about formulaic novel writing. (Says the crazy woman after writing a post about plotting her next books... heehee...) I care about staying true to my vision. The voices in my head and the world they bring with them.

So anyway... it is with Runa in mind (and heart) that I say...

"Happy Inception Day, Runa! I have been forever changed because of you."

Where'd I put my pants?

Whichever way… keep writing.

I realized something not long ago.

I've lost my pants.

Yep, you read that right. Lost 'em.

No, not like that, you nutters… In the realm of writing! ;)

With Pendomus (Book 1), I had no clue what I was doing. I got an idea, heard about NaNoWriMo and took off running with my pants around my ankles... Or something like that. 

I took notes. LOTS and LOTS of notes. But things about the story still surprised me.

The characters, for one. 

I had no idea who the players of my book were going to be. I only knew of a young girl who was lonely and didn't fit in. At the time, she was much younger than she has now turned out to be. Fourteen is where she started out, in fact. But as the story grew, I realized she needed to be older for the story to work.

Why? Because of the other characters who walked into the scene. Quite literally.

I was writing along, happily minding my own business and it was sort of, "Oh? Who are you people?"

So I fleshed them out… gave them their own lives, their stories. Once that was set, the scenes played out as they wanted… I let the characters go wherever. Do whatever.

Which, in a sense was fun, but was also, as it has turned out… harder for me in the editing phase. Pendomus doesn't follow the typical rise and fall. While I know where I am going with the story, there are many things that happen - but get left for a later time for resolution. I, as the author, know they are not forgotten. But how will the reader know? You know?

From my betas, that is the biggest hurdle I need to over come with Book 1 before it's ready to be published. I need to make sure the readers know I am not dropping things…

Because of this, it has come to my attention that my pants have been left behind for a bolder, more organized, Plottery-type me.

I am mapping out the plots of Book 2 and 3. In fact, I'm even mapping out the plot, retrospectively, for Book 1. In addition, I've been working on another story… something to take my mind off of Pendomus, to push myself back into writing. That, too, I've plotted.

So… how do you all feel? Are you plottery-type people? Pansting it?

Which one works for you and why?

Refreshing...

I know, I know… it's been a while. Again. LOL!

Well, these things happen.

On the upside, I've been getting a lot done. Hell, a lot more than I was before I started working full time. Which is, in itself, sorta weird.

Last time I wrote, I was having trouble with it. Trouble getting my grove on whilst working.

While I am still hit or miss on writing in book two, come the ass-crack o'clock, I am making headway with final edits from my betas for book one. I'm 1/3 of the way through with it, as a matter of fact. But the biggest thing coming out of this final pass is this:

I am regaining my sense of excitement for the book, the world and my characters. 

I have a clear direction to what I need to fix for book one so I can move on to the crazy writing of book two. Book two even has it's skeletal outline ready to go. (Be watchful of a blog post on that coming up. Pantsing it, versus Plotting it.)

Within this realm of revitalization and reintegration of Pendomus into my daily life… I've decided that my hub- this blog- needed its own refreshing. So, you may notice some changes that have taken place. A new look and feel - but still carrying forward similar colors, as they tie in to Pendomus so well.

I hope this update makes things easier to use. Easier to find. Easier to read.

I can't promise to blog as often as I should, but I will try to do it as often as I can.