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.