Catching Up

I’ve been blogging in advance these past two weeks, so rather than overflowing the blog with posts here’s a catch up one.

Ann Aguirre Rocks

She’s been on my auto buy list for a while because she writes deliciously dark and sexy spec fic. She had a release yesterday (her first UF title) and she blogged about selling it and what it took.

Now what amazes me is, well, she’s an awesome writer. And further more she doesn’t talk much about what it took to get published, which on our end of things makes it look effortless. Like she just wrote the book, sent it to a few agents and got representation without much difficulty.

Except in the post above she lets a bit slip and mentions that it took a while to sell her first book, Grimspace. Long enough that she started to doubt her ability and had a hard time writing (because why bother when no one wanted the work she was producing. Wow that sounds familiar.) she even says that one agent told her Grimspace was unsellable.

WTF…seriously? How different was the querying version from the final version because Grimspace was very well received for a debut. Aguirre has a solid fan base that’s passionate and she puts out a solid story every time. So it amazes me to think of what said agent would consider good fiction if this story (which I loved) was not just “not my thing” but outright unsellable?

And I have to say that hearing that it wasn’t so simple for her really helps me know that the emotional up and down I’m going through trying to sell my debut book is pretty normal.

Jodi Lee gave me a blog award

It’s part meme, but it’s nice to know that someone out there is reading. I mean, I know what my hits are, so I know that there are lots of your out there reading. But so few people comment, so sometimes it feels like I’m standing in a room speaking to an audience that may or may not be on the other side of the wall. Ah, the joys of blogging.

Here’s what Jodi, so sweetly said about me. Seriously, I’m blushing now.

Michele was one of three writers I was nervous to become acquainted with from the CWW forum days (she, Louise and Kevin actually, lol). She had a spark, a determination in her goals and life that just frankly terrified me. She’s been amazing throughout a rocky friendship, willing to talk things out rather than drag them on. Her life is on her blog; the good, the bad and the crazy (half the siding on her house was ripped off during a storm, and the pictures of that damage, and the ice storm this past winter! Eeep… ).

So I have to nominate five people on my own and give you ten true things about me.

I nominate:

1. Stacia Kane for her (righteous) rants about RWA, Agentfail, Pap Smears and more. Girl’s awesome, go buy her books.

2. Ann Aguirre also for her blogs on RWA’s policy on Christian Romance and Erotic Romance and on miracle sperm.

3. John Scalzi who is simply full of awesome. (And doesn’t play these games, but you should be reading his blog anyway.)

4. JA Konrath, and ditto.

5. Brian Keene, who says very smart things about small press/horror publishing, but is received as well as Cassandra.

Now my ten truths.

1. I like memes. I’m sure you never would have guessed that. But I do.

2. I would like to model someday. Not because I want the career (or have the body, I don’t) or the attention, but because I love the make up, dress up, take lots of pictures. You know I’d love to shoot a model someday too.

3. I am motivated by things that intimidate me. I fear being in new situations and making a fool of myself in front of people, but I’m driven to force myself into these situations any way to conquer them.

4. I can be quite lazy.

5. In high school I spent a lot of time doing things to make people scared of me. It didn’t work.

6. Well except that one time in physics class when I couldn’t get a handboiler to boil. The teacher patted me and said “that’s okay, vampires have a right to an education too” and suddenly there was a five foot circle of empty space around me where my classmates had been. That’s, unfortunately, one of my best memories of high school.

7. Speaking of high school my Wold Civ teacher was a crazy PETA-vegan-activist (who once stopped class to run out and put herself between a man with a chain saw and what turned out to be a diseased tree in the courtyard), who thought she was the reincarnation of Alexander the Great’s gay lover. She was one of my favorite teachers.

8. The first real writing award I won was for writing a myth–entirely in Latin.

9. I failed to put out a high school creative magazine because I refused to sell ads in it. I ended my consideration of journalism/magazine editor when I realized 80% or better of their time is spent selling ad space or otherwise financing the publication. That crushed my dreams more than my first rejection.

10. I miss my guinea pigs. I had a whole herd once. 9 of them in a big open pen in my bedroom. One, Echo, used to jump out and come sleep with me at night. None of the others could jump out and she only jumped onto the bed, never out into the room.

11. Now I want a handboiler.

The Power of Apologies

Usually I try to avoid politics save for blatant humor (mostly because my political outlook, that no one is perfect, the system is too trained into the two party system and it’s rigged anyway, is not as flashy or entertaining as other positions, and generally just ends up with people telling me how wrong I am.) But this article sums up a large amount of how I feel.

If you don’t want to click through, I’m tired of no personal responsibility. I think that’s the core of the problem. This AIG/golden parachute BS wouldn’t happen nearly as often if people where of a mind set to accept their actions, and the consequences thereof, instead of just passing the blame around.

Usually those of us who have been wronged (referring to the politics/government situation not to anything personal at this point) just want an “I’m sorry”. It diffuses our anger more than anything.

There are some interesting stats and facts in the article.

Autism Awareness Month

Here’s a good article about the what life is like in the autism community. People often ask me why we’re not involved with the autism community here in Louisville. Well that’s because they are constantly looking for money or to raise money for research, but there’s no accounting for where it goes, often going to fund the organizations as they, in a circular manner, seek to raise more money.

There are no support groups that I’ve found, and at eight my son is getting to the point of being too old to be included in what few play groups and programs there are specifically for autistic children. Not to mention you can’t open your mouth without hearing yet another rant about the evil vaccine conspiracy or professions of the wonders of the really expensive GFSF diet.

The autism community sometimes wears on me more than my autistic son does, so why add that stress?

And finally:

Stop Calling Me!!

So I donate ONCE in better times to the Special Olympics and for the last two weeks I’ve gotten a call nearly every morning from someone wanting more money out of me. What, is there a list of “suckers”?

First, I hate hate hate that these places give you these boo-hoo stories and pressure you into giving. “Well it’s only $10″ I’ve heard enough times to choke a horse. Yeah, well you know what, I have had ten damn places call me and try that damn routine on me and I DO NOT have $100 to give.

What happened to “I’m broke” being the end of the call? What makes these people think that they can pressure you into giving money in the first place. That’s not charity, it’s borderline extortion.

With the new car and all our bills on the rise we have very little available for extras. I’m sorry charities, but my children are going to come first. Their happiness and rewarding them for working hard at school will always come before charities that pay people to call and pressure people into giving money so they can call more people.

When I say I’m broke, or I can’t afford to give, their response should be “thank you for your time” not a whiny “but…”

No but! You are cultivating a nasty little backlash against your charity with this policy. I know I for one, will never give to another charity that courts me this way.

You should be ashamed of yourselves, charities who employ this method. You are only a step away from collections people who threaten and belittle people.