3 Days until Dorchester Publishing announces Textnovel's top 10. Hallelujah! It's been a nail biting experience to say the least. I've made some wonderful and talented friends from the site. In the meantime to pass the days I've added a new story at textnovel Poised For Death. It originally started as a Romantic Suspense but has developed into a more humorous, RS. Don't really no how to list it. I started it a while ago but got a little scared of it. Sounds stupid, I know. But when your heroine totally takes over the voice of the story and changes it... well it becomes a bit disconcerting. I think I've concord the fear though and I'm ready to plug away at it again. I'd forgotten how much I truly loved it. Wish me luck.
Today I got turned on to a friends story that I'd missed at Textnovel. It's awesome. Just the kind of novel I love. The Story OF Maggie And Neil by Jennifer Hart. I highly recommend it.
That's it for today got to go to work.
V~

Family issues: Still waiting on the life insurance check. Don't know how long that stuff takes. For some reason, I don't know why but I'm feel as though if I make the call it will solidify everything. Of course, I totally accept what's happened it's just dealing head on with it. I'm not up for that right now. I've decided to get through the contest first.

On the kid front: My oldest, Rachel, has moved out! Some would think that's a good thing and at times I would have to agree, but I miss her. I don't know why, it wasn't like she was ever home before. I did tell her, she wasn't officially moved out until she cleaned her room. Like that will ever happen. My middle child, Cailin, finally got a job. Wait hold the phone, she loves it! I think she works as many hours as I do. The important thing is she's happy. It took way to long for her to find something. I can only imagine how depressing it had to be. My youngest, Skyler, was invited and then accepted into the Youth Ambassador program. He'll be traveling to England, France and Italy next summer. I'm so jealous. Isn't there some kind of rule about parents traveling to foreign countries before their kids?

The Next Best Celler contest has expanded to 21 entries. I'm happy for Faith. I know that the original announcement had to have been a shock to her. All that is behind her now so let the Games begin. There is a really neat blog put up by Dorchester they are asking for people to comment on their favorite textnovel stories. I hope someone says something about Highland Magic. :/

Also let me tell you about the Textnovel Divas. These are an amazing group of women who formed a blog. I highly recommend it. Not just because they've made me a diva but because it's a really good site.

As usual I've taken this as far as I can before work beckons.
Have a good one,
Val

I'm a Semi-finalist

Yesterday afternoon, Textnovel.com announced the semi-finalist for The Next Best Celler contest. I'm one of them. My entry Highland Magic (a fantastic manuscript if I do say so) placed #19. It was actually #20 but one entry was disqualified for not following the guidelines. So I moved up a notch and my friend Courtney 2nd novel finaled. Yipee for The Hooded Man. Love her take on Robin Hood. In my next post I will tell you all about the textnovel divas. Today though I have to go to work.
Unti next time,
Val

So where have I been?

So much has happened since the middle of September. I got a year older. We will just skip over that tidbit of information. Sadly, my mom passed away last month. It was a weird thing to deal with. Never realized how much goes into planning a funeral. We managed it with the help of a really good funeral director. Thank God for Jim. I should send him a thank you note.

I buried myself in work so I wouldn't have to think too much about my loss. but now it's starting to wear me down. I know, I know I agree to the hours. It's my sense of responsibility that drives me to do it I feel as though I've missed out on the grieving process. I want to remember touching moments in the end but instead I remember the bad stuff.

I mentioned in earlier blog that I entered my manuscript Highland Magic in The Next Best Celler contest sponsored by Dorchester Publishing and Textnovel.com. Well, it ended Nov.1, 2009 at 11:59 and still the finalist (top 20) has not been announced yet. It's now Nov. 3rd. and according to what I see, I am a finalist. I just barely made it in. But I'm there. So now it's just a waiting game.

There was a lot of contention regarding the contest. Manufactured votes cheating of all kinds. Blah blah blah.

I'm truly sorry people are angry. It's a competition. I have nothing to worry about, my conscience is clear. I've been honest. Like everyone else. I told friends about my story asked them to check it out and vote. if some chose to vote more than once or didn't read first that's out of my control. I neither have skills or desire to cheat. Unless raising money is cheating. Some would say yes. As I recall Liane threw the challenge out to All textnovel writers. I was fortunate, Liane, Robin, Gail, Saranna, Courtney, Chrisy, Jenn, K.J. and many others helped me and I'm forever beholden but I would Never cheat to final in a contest.

I have been fortunate to have been a bridesmaid in many RWA contest that I've entered Highland Magic in. Never a bride though. I didn't final in all these contest because I knew someone, I finaled because of my writing and the story. So I go into this feeling good about myself and with little illusions of why I'm here. (if I'm here.)

They may be scrutinizing the voting system. Maybe that's the hold up. I could be out because I got too many vote on a given day.) I'm here I think because I have a good story and I pitched the hell out of the story on Facebook, twitter and my work. I made friends and networked too many hours a day. I edited and polished when my mother lay dying and I shamelessly told friends and family of the contest at my mothers funeral. I like many others did a lot to get my name and story out there.

So please don't judge me because I finaled in a contest. Now is the time to be a good contestant lick your wounds and enter another one. Get your name out there. Get a fan base. Promote your manuscripts.

Oh What a night

And that ain't the half of it. The air conditioning in the kitchen wasn't working. Engineers came to check it out with their little thermostat doodad...which apparently read a whopping 220 degrees. Is that even possible? They fidgeted with a few things got it working a little and the kitchen cooled down to a intolerable 89 degrees. WTF? Where was OSHA? My god, I don't know how the cooks and dishwashers did it. If it were me, I'd have stationed a massive walk out. Wait a minute it was me too. I was there. I had spent so much time on my hair, getting it as straight as I could. Each time I walked onto the line or into the wp, I felt my hair shrivel into a massive ball of frizz. Why would I have chosen a sweater to wear tonight? Poor Jeff was dripping sweat all over the place. If I had been a guest being served by him, I think I'd have passed. Kim was getting sick from the heat and paid Dan to stay and close for her. Sara was flushed, and dewy ( ahem, and it wasn't a sexy dewy) Mary was toting around a bottle of frozen water in her pocket to stay cool. I think it had worked somewhat because she stay her usual happy self.

On another front I'm not reaching voters like I'd hoped to. I don't know how to go about this networking thing. I try. I go on twitter and shamelessly beg for votes. I also tried this with Facebook. All I got there was I'll go vote or never saw the post. Well only a couple of my "friends" voted. So what did I do? I went through and deleted a bunch. A woman scorned. That's me.

I had hoped to write a little tonight/this morning. I have been thinking a lot about working with Poised again. It's a good story and I can't recall why I put it aside. Maybe I just needed a break. Well baby, the break needs to be over. What better time than now. It's not like I'm going to get many more votes on the Textnovel contest. I feel as though I've reached as far with that as I can.

Until tomorrow.

Val

Give me a break

Since this is my first ever attempt at blogging, i'll probably just take baby steps. Okay, so here's the deal, I'm entered one of my manuscripts in this writing contest. It's called

textnovel.com It's a cool contest. The writer uploads chapter by text or computer and People vote and or follow their favorite stories. I'm not getting the votes I need. Why? It's so hard to reach people if you don't have the connections. Because real life started interfering with my creative writing life, fallen out of the loop. The connections I once had are too far out of my reach. Sounds stupid right? I should have no problem connecting once again. Once friends always friends. I won't be rejected. Is that the reason? Am I afraid not only will I be rejected as a legitimate writer but also as a friend? Jesus, do I ever have issues.

I think I've moved on to toddler steps here. I'm going to stop for today. See you soon.