Well, things are moving fast for me now. I wrote 4268 words this week and am knee-deep in revisions. This story is really shaping up and as I near the end, I'm getting excited to have a finished product in front of me. I'm so grateful to my critique partner and critique group for motivating me to get this done and for all their suggestions on making it better. I think this is my best story yet and I can't wait to share it all with you.How did you do this week? Did you find something or someone to motivate y...
Wednesday, 29 February 2012
Tuesday, 28 February 2012
I'm so happy to be part of Tristi Pinkston's blog tour for her new novel Targets in Ties. She's offering a fun prize that I'll tell you about at the end. But before I get started, can I just say how full of awesomeness last night's Castle and Hawaii Five-O were? I loved both shows! Castle went back to it's roots with funny banter, a twisty murder to solve, and a little hand-holding. Hawaii Five-O had James Caan sharing the screen with his son,...
Monday, 27 February 2012
So yesterday we were discussing the part in Charlotte's Web where Wilbur is bemoaning his life---how hard it is to watch someone else eat his meal and how he doesn't know how his life is going to turn out. He's so despondent that he throws himself in a pile of manure. Then the question was put to us, "Have you ever had a Wilbur day?" And all I could think of was, "I've never had such a bad day that it made me want to throw myself in a pile of manure."I have had bad days, however. It's easy for me to fall into ruts and yes, sometimes I take a...
Friday, 24 February 2012
We have some really interesting comments about present tense in today's critique. I know you'll find it as enlightening as I did! Remember, if you would like your first page critiqued, please submit it to juliecoulterbellon@gmail.com with First Page Friday in the subject line. We have a March spot open, first-come, first-served!The SubmissionNot Meby Anonymous“Angelica!”Again with the yelling. My sister seriously doesn’t get the idea of sleeping in. Or how mornings should be enjoyed in peace and—“You said you’d drive today!”Yeah. Yeah.I glance...
Thursday, 23 February 2012
I am so excited today to introduce you to Jennie Hansen. Not only is she one of my favorite authors who writes in several genres--suspense, historical, and western to name a few, she is also the LDS fiction book reviewer at Meridian Magazine. Thousands of subscribers look to her in recommending good books and where to spend their precious book money. But there's more to her than just reviewing books and writing, so I thought I'd take today to...
Wednesday, 22 February 2012
So I made it through the door just before 1:00 a.m. this morning from my critique group. By the end I was a little punchy and laughing at things that probably weren't really funny but seemed so at the time. (Does that ever happen to you? It happens to me a lot lately.)But the best part of last night besides the cake and the laughs, was the suggestions I got on my manuscript. My mind could hardly stop thinking long enough to sleep and I got up this morning totally motivated to revise. I love that feeling.My word count this past week wasn't that...
Tuesday, 21 February 2012
Hawaii Five-O had a lot of banter last night with Steve and Danny that was nice. I'd been missing that. And Apollo Anton Ohno as a guest star, so yeah, that was awesome. He does do "bad guy" quite well. (I voted for him on Dancing With the Stars. I miss Julianne Hough. But I digress.) And even though the case itself wasn't that stellar, the scenery was gorgeous. Yes, Hawaii, I want to come and visit you personally, but at least I can live somewhat vicariously every Monday night. To tell you the truth, I watched Castle before H50 last night...
Monday, 20 February 2012
My daughter has the opportunity to spend two and a half weeks in Gabarone, Botswana this summer. I know, awesome, right?Well, except for the fact that it's halfway around the world. And she's my little girl (who, you know, is an adult, but still, she'll always be my baby girl).Now, when I was younger I traveled to Greece alone and thought nothing of it. I had a great time exploring Athens and the islands. But there were a few incidences that made me nervous and when I think back on them now I see how naive I was and how those situations could...
Friday, 17 February 2012
I am so appreciative to all the brave authors who submit their work for critique and for our two editors who take the time to help us. If you have a first page you would like to see shredded, we have openings in March. Please submit your work to juliecoulterbellon@gmail.com with First Page Friday in the subject line. It's such a valuable resource to writers to have an honest review from experienced national editors, especially when we've been told that agents/editors usually read the first page or two and if you haven't caught their attention...
Thursday, 16 February 2012
Last Monday on Hawaii Five-O, we started out with one of the team members washing blood off her hands and then asking a nurse for an update on the main character Steve McGarrett. She looks over to a gurney and I think the entire audience's heart stopped because well, the man is Steve McGarrett. If something happened to him, it must be pretty bad because he's a Navy freaking Seal who has a bit of Superman in him. So, you get the picture. The story is going to be good because it's starting out bad.But then we do a time jump to eighteen hours...
Wednesday, 15 February 2012
I had a pretty awesome week. I decided to just go for it and get on with writing the ending of my work in progress. I've been procrastinating it, partly because I wasn't sure how I wanted to end it and partially because I just didn't want to end it. (Does that ever happen to you?)But this week I sat down and plotted out the end of the big bad conspiracy in my book and then I bit the bullet and wrote 3000 words. And I'm *thisclose* to writing those magic words of The End. It feels good. How did you do this we...
Tuesday, 14 February 2012
I hope you are having a wonderful Valentines Day with your valentine. Or, at least with a book and something yummy to eat. That would be my perfect day. Happy Valentines Day!The book I want to review today, Before I Say Goodbye, isn't a romance, but it is still all about love--family love, friendship love, and the relationships that mean the most to us. I have to warn you, though, it's a tear-jerker. It's been years since I cried over a book and I pretty much cried non-stop through the last two chapters of this book. The author, Rachel Nunes,...
Monday, 13 February 2012
I was so surprised to hear about Whitney Houston's death on Saturday. She seemed to be on the road to recovery and really starting to make a comeback. A lot of my teen years had her music in the background, and I have some wonderful memories dancing to her songs.And, of course, who could forget The Bodyguard movie she starred in with Kevin Costner. I have to admit one of my favorite lines from that show was, "Are you afraid I'm going to get picked off in my snazzy running suit?" And Kevin Costner deadpans, "No, I'm afraid I'll have to go running...
Friday, 10 February 2012
Today is the last day to vote for your favorite cover over at LDS Publisher. Don't forget to take a few moments and vote for the cover that is most visually appealing to you by clicking hereOn to First Page Friday!The EntryHebatby Bob MuenchI’d been floating in that stinking life pod for weeks. Trapped, bored, going crazy until I saw it. How long was it flashing before that? I don’t know, but there it was. And I was glued to it. There shouldn’t have been able to see a pulsar here. My escape pod allowed only a small course change but I wanted to...
Thursday, 9 February 2012
Yesterday, I was at the orthodontist office with my son. We followed the normal protocol when we came in by going to the desk, signing my son's name, then sitting down to wait our turn. I stuck my nose in my reading material (hello, I have a ton of Whitney reading to do!) but my attention quickly turned to a lady who was upset with the staff behind the desk. You see, she had noticed that the boy who had come in after her had been taken back BEFORE her and she was upset about it. She felt like she had been there on time and the children should...
Wednesday, 8 February 2012
Well, with the amount of deleting and adding and revising I've done, my word count didn't amount to much. I think I'm addicted to revising this manuscript. I know I should stop, but I just can't. I tell myself this will be the last time, but the next day I'm there again, with that handy delete key and another idea for how things should go.*sigh*The good news is I still like my story. Sometimes after I've revised it to death I start to hate the story and all its characters, so maybe that's a sign that I'm still okay.My word count for this week...
Tuesday, 7 February 2012
Want a great romantic suspense to make your toes curl in deliciously suspenseful fright and delight? Then, Venom by K.C. Grant is the book for you.Honestly, I loved this book from start to finish. Samantha is trying to get ahead at her advertising agency and is offered a chance to go to Mexico City to join the team that doing a major ad campaign there. She meets this moody photographer, David Ayala, who seems to have a few secrets to keep, her...
Last night I was excited because both of my favorite shows were new episodes and we've had a boatload of repeats lately. Of course, the previews for Hawaii Five-O looked intense so I watched that one first, and boy, was I glad I did.The main character, Danny Williams, is trying to unravel the mystery of why a U.S. Marshal was killed on an airplane, when his daughter is kidnapped by his old partner who has just spent ten years in prison because Danny testified against him. (The partner was dirty.) So he's had ten years to plan his revenge on...
Monday, 6 February 2012
As a mother of eight children, it still never ceases to amaze me that my children are so different. You know, since they have the same parents and all. But they are very different and that makes me stretch as a person in order to try and meet their individual needs and help them grow as people.Yesterday we had an incident in which angry words were exchanged and one of my children's feelings were really hurt. For me, when I have hurt feelings, I usually like to talk things out. You know, get it all on the table, air the feelings, then kiss and...
Friday, 3 February 2012
Hey, guess what? My latest novel, Ribbon of Darkness, made it into the finals for LDSPublisher's favorite cover contest. You can go here to vote, even if you don't vote for mine, (but secretly I hope you do.)On to First Page Friday!The EntryA Ghost of a Second Chanceby K. TateThe Chinook wind stirred the fallen leaves and tossed them around the deserted street. An eastern wind carries more than dust and ashes, Laine’s mother had told her; it uproots secrets. And everyone knows once one secret is told, no secret is safe. Hers included. ...
Thursday, 2 February 2012
I just have to tell you that last night, for the first time in a decade, I slept in a paper-free bedroom. It took me exactly one month, but I purged all the papers from my room and it feels good. Thank you for bearing with me through that!Today I'd like to talk to you about critique groups. As I've taught at different conferences over the years and spoken about critique groups, I inevitably get at least one person who says, "oh I don't need that," and "I could never let someone else read my writing before it's published."And every time I hear...
Wednesday, 1 February 2012
I think I'm going to print out this quote and put it next to my desk because it totally describes where I am at in finding balance with my writing and other responsibilties."Much may be done in those little shreds and patches of time which every day produces, and which most men throw away." - Charles ColtonYeah, I have to write in shreds and patches of time, but I'm doing it and trying hard not to throw any opportunity away. Each week I'm moving forward, not quite at a snail's pace, just at my own pace, and I'm so grateful to have the support...
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