Submissions of two novels

I have two novels out to publishers for their consideration. One is a science fiction novel entitled The Higher Mission which features Joe Cramer and Mona Watson who are employed to take on more and more dangerous missions in the solar system. Finally, they both embark on a voyage to a nearby star, Sirius and the space craft goes slower than light speed. The other novel, A Change of Heart features Leroy and Jody from the short story Lab Partners. Leroy pursues Jody in order to win her heart throughout four years of college and two years at a work place. It will take 5-6 weeks to hear from the Leroy/Jody saga and the SF novel has been out since October 21 so word on that should be soon.

The image is Saturn as seen from Iapetus, a painting by famous space artist, the late Chesley Bonestell. I have a license to display some of the images of his paintings on my blog and future website. This painting depicts the opening scent of the SF novel.

Marcy's Struggle

Marcy's Struggle was rejected for the contemporary line a time back so I've submitted it to the Vintage Rose line at Wild Rose Press. I had to change a few things to root it in the early sixties. Also, the reason I show the Lab Partners cover is because this character is taken from the novel which features Leroy and Jody called A Change of Heart. Leroy only shows briefly in this story. Marcy was a minor character in the novel. Ross, her love interest, shows even more brief in the novel. Since Marcy lost her bid for Leroy in the novel I wanted her to find romance and so enter Ross, the quarterback into her life. She's in graduate school working toward her PhD in chemistry. She must convince Ross that she's over Leroy but she must convince herself too.

A Change of Heart rejected

I have included the Lab Partners image here because A Change of Heart is the novel version cast in modern times for Leroy and Jody who are the characters in my Lab Partners story. I knew when I started reading the email from the editor that it was going to be a rejection. Almost without fail these messages take the same form. The good points are brought out before the other foot comes slamming down with the problems causing the story to be rejected. I've had so many rejections I'm not sure what form the acceptance emails take. Well I just refreshed my memory. The acceptance of Lab Partners took off immediately praising the story and offering me a contract. Thank you Anna even though you won't hear this as you are no longer an editor at Wild Rose. The problems with A Change of Heart were numerous with the same old thing about my using language and events that make the story sound like 1950s instead of contemporary. Also there was a lack of emotion involved so the reader can not feel it. I disagree but then my opinion doesn't count. I'm discouraged to say the least and it was suggested I not submit again until I learned the ropes on emotions and being accurate to modern day. I am extremely discouraged by this rejection and am at the point of giving up. Help, anybody out there. I need some encouragement. I know there are reviewers and my lady friend authors that like my writing. Signing at this point.

Photo Beauty off to good start

My new story at Smashwords, Photo Beauty, has had three downloads at Smashwords already and my first story at Smashwords, Small Is Beautiful, had four downloads after all this time from Smashwords, but I received $10.80 from them due to downloads via e-readers such as Sony and Kindle during the third quarter. That computes to 19 downloads via that mode for Small Is Beautiful. So it appears the distribution via e-readers is a big part of sales. Priced at 99 cents I get 56 cents.

At this point I have three stories out there being considered. One is my science fiction novel, The Higher Mission, one is my novel featuring Leroy and Jody at Wild Rose entitled A Change of Heart, and a short science fiction story to Pedestal Magazine entitled An Arm and a Leg. Pedestal Magazine is an online magazine which is free and they pay very well: 5 cents per word. I had to hold my story to 2000 words. I had to shave off nearly 500 words to attain that.

Release date for Beautiful, Inside and Out

I have a release date for my new Vintage Rose story, Beautiful, Inside and Out, at Wild Rose Press. It is February 15, 2012. The price is $2.50. I also heard from the editor at the Sweetheart Rose line who is assigned my novel A Change of Heart. Her name is Kinan. The editor who is usually assigned to my contemporary submissions, Vicky Reed, emailed me and said she was leaving Wild Rose because of health reasons. She has always been very courteous and complimentary to me. I'm sure the present editor will be too, just from the tone of her email to me when she informed me she would be looking at my novel in the next 3-4 weeks. Could this be it? I can hope so.

New story at Smashwords

As of today I have a new story entitled Photo Beauty at Smashwords priced low at 99 cents. It is about a small town fellow who has paid three grand to dine with a blond model he's crazy about. He has all her available photographs. Can Miss Gena, the New York model, be impressed with Dave? The link to this story is http://smashwords.com/b/99959 and you can read the first 20% (five pages out of 29) free. Already someone has purchased a copy. I purchased her photo from istockphoto.com just for this story. My lightbox over there has 14 photos, all of her. The story POV is Dave and he describes her via my writing based on this photo.

Today I received the images, various sizes for my new short story coming out at Wild Rose. View the image here. I don't have a release date yet but that should be coming down from cyber space before too long. I think it is a rather good cover, capturing the smarts of Bess, the heroine in the story. It does take place in cold weather so the head covering is appropriate.

A bit of bad news today though is the rejection of my science fiction novel by DAW Books. I immediately queryed Crescent Moon Press via email and see what happens there. I encourage my followers or anyone else to drop me a comment. My poor blog doesn't get much traffic that I know of.

Free Read Romance Story

I have a free read short romance story that went live today at http://www.read-a-romance.com/

The title is Ice Rink Romance. There is the option of voting for it in the rating system: 1-5 stars. Here is the link directly to the story. http://www.read-a-romance.com/contemporary_romance/ice-rink-romance/

Hope you take the time to give it a read. Their program is in place that prevents in mass voting so take your time in voting. I'm going to try to place the link in my sidebar as well.

Galley for Beautiful, Inside and Out

The galley has been received and I noted one small correction. That has been fixed and Nancy has sent it on its way for a cover selection. The end is in sight for my new short story.

Progress on Beautiful, Inside and Out

The latest on my story Beautiful, Inside and Out is that Nan Swanson, my editor has returned the second edit to my story and I have gone over the few remarks and sent it back to her today. She acknowledged receipt and the first galley proofs will be forthcoming. Hopefully, this will be a shorter wait and then after approval of the galley proofs it will be a cover chosen and a release date.

I'm still waiting on assignment of my novel A Change of Heart by Wild Rose Press to an editor to read my synopsis. At that point I'll learn if they want to look at the manuscript. If it doesn't fly then I have at least two other publishers to check on.

My story Ice Rink Romance rests at Read-a-Romance.com indefinitely. I emailed them after a nine weeks wait (they said it should be checked on in eight weeks) and the reply was that the head editor was having health problems and wanted me to be patient. I'll not be able to ask again on that one and it may be in limbo as health issues many times are not resolved.

I've been trying for several months to obtain a license to display Chesley Bonestell's space art paintings here on my blog. Many exchanges have resulted via email and the lady said she'd be glad to grant the license but it seems several unanswered questions and issues have not been resolved. Again, I have a bad feeling if this is ever going to take place. I can only hope.

A Change of Heart novel

I have submitted a synopsis to Wild Rose Press and Rhonda acknowledged its receipt. Now there will be an editor from the Sweetheart Rose line assigned to look at the synopsis. The novel is A Change of Heart which features Leroy and Jody from my ebook Lab Partners only I have told their complete story cast in modern day.

No word yet on my short story which is back in the hands of my editor, Nan Swanson who has my track changes and editing take on her editing. I accepted most of her suggestions but some I stuck to and changed my original writing.

Beautiful, Inside and Out, editing.

Once again I've been remiss about posting to my own blog. I must quit being a slob. My story with Wild Rose, Vintage Line is now in the hands of Nan, my editor. I went along with much of her suggestions but not all. It is now in her hands and I should hear in a week or less. I added a scene with dialogue to the story as per her suggestion. It was actually in the original story anyway but the editor at the other Rose line wanted it taken out because of dwelling on a secondary character. I was glad to put it back in as it lends substance to Bess, the heroine in the story.

I just received an email from one of my running girl friends and she is starting a running blog and will post in it to start it off. She wants me to be the second one to post so I must get my thinking cap on for that one.

I have finished editing and revising my Leroy/Jody novel and am now ready to seek a publisher. I'm considering Wild Rose first and then I have two other possible publishers that might work out too. I'd like to see it in print form. Of course ebook is okay too.

Until next time which I hope won't be too long.

Beautiful, Inside and Out

An additional note here with good news. Nan Swanson and her senior editor has accepted my subject story. I've signed the contract and mailed it to Rhonda at Wild Rose. It is now a matter of waiting for the editing to begin.

Royalties and such

I hope you followers and others will drop a line or comment. I received a pleasant surprise in the mail. Motorcycle Woman netted me $19.15 worth of royalties. This is since it was released. So some interested readers have downloaded a total of 19 copies according to the quarterly reports. Soon after that I received a report from Smashwords that Small Is Beautiful has netted me $19.37 in royalties. That is presently resting in my PayPal account. Although these are not tremendous sums they are significant to me.

Remember I'll be on the Ask An Author spotlight August 2-4 on the Goodreads site so drop in and learn of me and ask me questions.

I heard from my Wild Rose editor, Nan Swanson and she liked my story Beautiful, Inside and Out, but I'm not home free. She will ask her senior editor to offer me a contract. Wild Rose is taking the fourth of July vacation so I'll not hear until after they return to work probably in mid July. Nan said the new title is better than my old title of Big Is Beautiful. As always, I've included my most popular short romance story in the vintage line, Lab Partners.

Ask an Author

I am scheduled for an Ask An Author interview at Goodreads on August 2-4 where I'll post a bio and be available for questions from readers and other authors, whoever may show up. I hope to be available during the evening hours when probably most of the traffic will appear. Hope to see you there.

News sort of

I just lost all my previous message and I'm not happy so you'll be getting a short version of that message. I've not posted because I was waiting for JOyce's contest to finish where I offered a free download of Motorcycle Woman. The winner in Illionis, Shannon, really liked it. I have two short stories out being considered, one at Wild Rose and the other at a Science Fiction magazine. At Wild Rose is Beautiful, Inside and Out and at Analog Science Fiction is Ice Cap Run.

Motorcycle Woman from Red Rose Publishing

Tess McBride has a wounded soul from happenings in her past. Can her motorcycle heal her wounded soul? She meets stranded biker, Johnnie Parker and finally realizes that he can fill the gap that her Harley Davidson Sportster cannot fill. The buy link for Motorcycle Woman is http://redrosepublishing.com/books/product_info.php?manufacturers_id=177&products_id=404.

Resubmission of older story?

Although my story Marcy's Struggle has been rejected, the editor whom I've grown to know, encouraged me to resubmit a former story, Big Is Beautiful, to Wild Rose again only this time submit it to Vintage Rose since my "voice" seems to be remaining in the fifties and sixties. The story will take some revising according to her. I"ve printed out her objections to that former story and with her continued advice will try to revise and resubmit to Vintage Rose and perhaps give it a different name. I'll be upfront with the Vintage folks and reveal it is a resubmission.
The editor also advised me to check into RWA's mentor program and also some other leads she mentioned. I'll do that and hope I can find the time.

I heard from Wild Rose on my submitted story Marcy's Struggle. It was rejected. One of the constant problems sited is my old-fashioned language and settings. Also I write my women characters with a good knowledge of chemistry in a college setting. I feel this establishes the character of the woman. My stories are not working but I'm at least remaining true to what way of writing I do. I feel that is important despite my continuing rejections.

Mentor for my WIP A Change of Heart

I have enlisted my good friend and author, Crystal Wilkinson, whom I met at Antioch Writers Workshop in Yellow Springs, Ohio. I was privileged to be in her workshop. In a later year she also critiqued a short story of mine. At any rate I've been sending her 45 pages of the WIP and she is giving me feedback on suggested improvements and pointing out my strong points as well. I'll soon send her the third 45 page packet, hopefully in May. A Change of Heart features my characters Leroy and Jody from my 1950s short story Lab Partners (see the image at left) only I've cast them into modern day and stretched it into a 72,000 word novel. A brief mention of one of my weak points is that I hurry through a scene without describing the setting. I am inconsistent on this point as at other times I describe in detail the surroundings.

Well, the internet bailed on me after I was ready to post. Isn't that special? Wild Rose requested, based on my synopsis, the full manuscript of Marcy's Struggle. I can hope for the best. Leanne mentioned she liked the college setting but didn't like the long time frame of the story taking place. I explained that the long time frame in my synopsis was actually back story. The actual length of time for this sweet romance is one college year: Marcy's final graduate school year. So I'll hope for the best. I may hear soon or several days from now based on their work load.

Terribly remiss at posting

I'm surprised at how long it has been since I've posted. It doesn't seem like December. Not much has happened since then. I have a synopsis at Wild Rose Press on a short romance story entitled Marcy's Struggle awaiting its fate. I'm revising slightly my science fiction thriller The Higher Mission for submission to DAW Books. They will accepted unagented manuscripts. I've reaped several rejections by agents on my most recent novel A Change of Heart. That features my Lab Partners characters Leroy and Jody only cast into modern times. There has been one more purchaser of my story Small is Beautiful at Smashwords.
Family problems and duties has taken away my writing time and posting time. I've had to go on digest with one yahoo group and am still active with The Sweetest Romance Authors Yahoo group. That is briefly what I've been involved with since December in the writing line.