Embarking on a New Year

2010 is now upon us! Many of us are reflecting on our blessings, mistakes, accomplishments, regrets, surprises, and challenges from last year. Some of us are now setting goals and making resolutions for the year to come. And so am I.

I'm not exactly sure what those goals and resolutions will be right now but over the next week I plan to put pen to paper and come with a definitive list. I'm excited about 2010 and all that the year will bring, both good and bad. The good will of course bring me happiness and satisfaction and the bad will make me stronger, physically and spiritually.

Many of my supporters have express anticipation for what I plan to do as far as my writing is concerned. You know what? So am I. I'm a little concerned about what I'll be able to accomplish with my health as an issue but I don't want to bring negative thoughts/fears into the picture. It's been 5 years since I began this pursuit of writing romance fiction and not a lot has happened. But slow and steady will win the race, I'm sure!

I look forward to seeing what my writing friends are going to create in 2010 and will support them through words of encouragement and critiques. Good luck, ladies!

Summer is almost over!!

Goodness!! I can't believe summer 2009 is almost over. Back to the daily grind of dropping off and picking up the kid (who is going to her a ninth grader) from school. Back to afterschool activities and homework and projects and..... Ya know what I mean!!!

Even though I didn't take that luxurious vacation in the Carribbean or have that girls' only getaway at a spa retreat, I did have a pretty good summer. I relaxed like a slug on a rug and hardly did anything but hang out with the kid and my beau. Not only is it time for her to get back into the groove of school, it's also time for me to get off my duff, put my fingers to the keyboard and get to writing. Something. Anything. A short story, a poem, a limrick, darn it!! My brain is turning to mush!

I'm so proud of my fellow newbie writers who are making revisions, submitting to editors and publishers and signing contracts. And there is no good reason why I shouldn't be doing the same.

Granted, the heat and humidity have made my energy level sink like a stone and my motivation grind to a halt. But now that I've gone through a new series of symptoms and I'm on the road to recovery, I can brush the dust of self-doubt from the shoulders and plow forward. I may not plow as fast nor as steadily as my newbie counterparts, but I DO plan to get moving.

Since I said the same thing at the end of LAST SUMMER, wish me luck!!!

AJ

Graduation Day!

In about twelve hours, my daughter will be graduating from the eighth grade. Eighth grade!!! I can't believe she's going to high school next year. I can't believe how fast the years have passed. Just nine years ago, she was going off to kindergarten, excited about dragging her book bag full of school supplies down the sidewalk into Kingdom Preparatory Academy. She couldn't wait to get to work and learn new things. Now school is the center of her social circle, where all things good --and bad --radiate. It's a wonder I have any hair left on the top of my head from all of the teenage angst she's put me through this year. Now don't get me wrong! She's not a bad kid and I know this age is a time when most kids struggle to find/make a place for themselves in their social arena. But boy, I'll be glad when this stage is over!

I'm proud that she's made it this far and wish nothing but the best for her in the future. As she embarks on her summer break (30-day break for mom!), I pray she has a safe journey and fun in the sun. Hopefully she'll use the time she has this summer to be more introspective (as much as a hard-headed teenager can be!) and will develop the growth and maturity needed to begin her life as a freshman in high school.

I love you, Courtney Brianna!

Critiquing Mode

I'm dedicating my time this month to getting back into the critiquing mode. My to-do list is piled high with chapters I owe to my friends Zaynah, Chelle, and Jennifer. Denise, I can't wait for what you have coming down the pipe.

More blogging to come next week........

AJ

Catching Up!

Well hello, folks!

Happy Thanksgiving, Happy Birthday to me, Merry Christmas, Happy Kwanzaa, Happy New Year, Happy Inauguration to President Obama and pretty soon Happy Valentine's Day!

Once again, I've been missing in action for a long time but that doesn't mean that life's been uneventful. The holidays were loads of fun, including a surprise 40th birthday party for me thrown by my younger brothers. (Way to go, guys!)

For now, I'm recovering from all the fun: neck pain, numbness in my legs and hands and fatigue! It's kicking my butt! I can't seem to shake it but I know that with rest and patience with myself that I'm going to be fine.

So, to all of you who have been waiting for new chapters and critiques from me, please be patient as well.

Later!

It's Nice to be Missed

Hello fellow bloggers, critique partners and friends,

It's amazing how many of you have noticed that I've been missing in action for a while. I've received a few emails and phone calls asking where I'd been.

Well I'm still here! What's been going on with me? Well, for short, not a lot of writing. My muse has simply packed her bags and moved out. And she didn't leave a Dear Angie letter nor a forwarding address. I've been searching for her everywhere, have practically been arrested for stalking, but she just won't come back to me. For weeks, I wrote her love notes, dreamed about some of the ideas she's given me in the past and even tried the Internet to see if I can "re-build" her. No luck! In fact the stress and frustration of trying to write may have even contributed to the MS attack that I suffered recently. After three days of IV steroids, I felt like I've been run over by a truck. No fun, let me tell you!

So finally I decided to live by the old "if you love something, set it free" adage and just chucked the whole search for a little while. I have all the confidence in the world that my muse will return once I relax and give myself the permission and time to appreciate the pleasure she brought to my life rather than continue to work myself into a lather over the fact that she just up and abandoned me without saying goodbye. The little diva!!

AJ

The Summer is OVER!

The summer of 2008 is unofficially over with the passing of Labor Day and I'm both happy and disappointed.

I'm happy because that means the schools reopen and my daughter can get off the couch, out of my refrigerator and get back to the books. I was a bad mommy this summer because I gave in to her plea to do absolutely nothing all summer. No summer camp, no dance camp, no math review workbooks, no eighth grade prep books, no nothing! She got to be lazy all summer and capped it off with a 5-day cruise to the Caribbean just before school started. She came back looking like a crispy critter!



I'm disappointed because I used the eventful days of my summer as an excuse to do hardly any writing. OK, no writing. Instead of writing about romance, I experienced some romance of my own. The details are too precious to post in cyberspace. Let's just say that the fall and winter are looking to be very toasty indeed.



It's good to be able to kick back and bask in the admiration of someone who's genuinely interested in you on so many levels. To be able to laugh at someone's corny jokes, to flirt outrageously via text messages, to cook for someone other than the kid who only wants chicken nuggets and french fries, and to be excited about the prospect of every phone call and the mysteries of the future.



Now, it's time for me to put my nose to the grindstone and get back to work. Yeah, I know. You've heard it before, but I'm serious this time. Of course, I'm not gonna pressure myself to compete with anyone else's goals or achievements which I think was at the root of why my creativity had been stifled. I'm just gonna relax and fun. Write when I feel good and have the energy and take care of my health when I don't.



How was your summer?





AJ

One-Word Survey

I'm piggy-backing off my girls, Patricia and Denise and giving one-word answers to this fun questionnaire. Feel free to answer too! REMEMBER, ANSWERS MUST BE ONE WORD ONLY!

1. Where is your cell phone? Pocket
2. Your significant other? Cute
3. Your hair? Relaxed
4. Your mother? Retired
5. Your father? Walker
6. Your favorite thing? Books
7. Your dream last night? Scary
8. Your favorite drink? Tea
9. Your dream/goal? Published
10. The room you’re in? Office
11. Your ex? Gone
12. Your fear? Failure
13. Where do you want to be in 6 years? Virginia
14. Where were you last night? Home
15. What you’re not? Dumb
16. Muffins? Blueberry
17. One of your wish list items? Peace
18. Where you grew up? Richmond
19. The last thing you did? Walk
20. What are you wearing? Shorts
21. Your TV? On
22. Your pets? None
23. Your computer? Old
24. Your life? Interesting
25. Your mood? Calm
26. Missing someone? Aunt
27. Your car? Fly
28. Something you’re not wearing? Shoes
29. Favorite store? Book
30. Your summer? Typical
31. Like(love) someone? Daughter
32. Your favorite color? Orange
33. Last time you laughed? Morning
34. Last time you cried? Yesterday
35. Who will re-post this? Unknown

Not too bad!
AJ

Peaking Out of the Rabbit Hole

Once again, I've fallen off the writing radar because of life's interruptions and all-around doldrums and just wanted to take a moment and poke my head out of the rabbit hole.

How's it going out there in the romance publishing world? Several of my friends have finished manuscripts and gotten publishing contracts and even seen their first debuts. To say that I'm not envious would be a lie, but I have no one to blame but myself. Now don't think this post is about beating myself up! I'm simply taking stock as I do every three months of so and being pragmatic about my efforts, or lack thereof.

The good news: it's summer time.

While she's out of town visiting her dad, I get a break from running back and forth, transporting my daughter to school and weekend activities. I can stay up all night (when I'm the most productive) working on my stories and doing critiques and then sleep late in the mornings. With me eating at odd times, maybe I can lose the weight I need to get into that bathing suit this summer. Of course, I want to take a much needed vacation somewhere. After the year I've had so far (thank goodness mom and dad are both recovering well), I need it.

So don't fret, y'all! I'm still alive and kickin'!
AJ

Memorial Day 2008!

I just arrived back home from a family cookout. (The food was off the hook!) Looking around at the crowd I realized what a close-knit family we have despite ups and downs, disagreements and squabbles. I also felt the void of family members missing this year and years passed so on this Memorial Day I'd like to remember the following loved ones:




Purcell Jefferson, Sr. - paternal grandfather,


Thomas Anderson - maternal grandfather,


Margaret Jefferson - paternal grandmother,


Rebecca Anderson - maternal grandmother,


Samuel Jefferson - uncle,


Regina Harris - cousin,


Sarah Williams - great aunt,


AND each of the 4,081 US servicemen and women who have lost their lives during the current war.

Everyday each of them are missed tremendously. RIP!

LaConnie's Sophomore Release

Congrats to my friend LaConnie Taylor-Jones on the April release of her second romance, When a Man Loves a Woman!

It's another homerun!

BOOK

DESCRIPTION
Nursing administrator Victoria Bennett has soured on love. She has sworn off men; they bring too much drama and too much pain into her life. That is, until she meets pediatrician A. J. Baptiste, a single parent who is determined to woo her. A. J. will stop at nothing to have her, and Victoria finds her resolve put to the test...but is this a fight she really wants to win?

Check LaConnie out at http://laconnietaylorjones.com.

American Masters - Zora Neale Hurston

PBS's American Masters series re-aired its feature on Zora Neale Hurston tonight and once again I was mesmerized. I'd watched the two hour show previously last Thursday about Ms. Hurston who was considered one of the pre-eminent writers of twentieth-century African-American literature. Hurston was closely associated with the Harlem Renaissance and has influenced such writers as Ralph Ellison, Toni Morrison, Gayle Jones, Alice Walker, and Toni Cade Bambara. Her masterpiece novel, Her Eyes Were Watching God, published in 1937 was shunned by her Harlem Renaissance contemporaries, such as Richard Wright and Langston Hughes, but is now considered the first African-American romance with its richly drawn characters and use of the literary device known as free indirect discourse.

Despite experience some publishing success in the 1930's and 1940's , Hurston never received the financial rewards she deserve. She wrote, not the racially charged prose of her fellow writers of the day, but studied her people in the South and wrote stories with obvious love and appreciation for them in all their conditions, settings and flavors. She wrote for the love of writing and not with a goal to become rich and famous. Her later manuscripts and queries were often rejected, mainly because of vocal opposition to desegregation (she felt that her people were giving away their self-respect in a effort to merge with white society, that they didn't need to sit next to white people to be just as educated, just a cultured and just as success in their community) , and she died penniless in 1960, her work falling out of favor in the literary world.

In 1975, Ms. Magazine published Alice Walker's essay, "In Search of Zora Neale Hurston" reviving interest in the author. Hurston's four novels and two books of folklore resulted from extensive anthropological research and have proven invaluable sources on the oral cultures of African America.

Through her writings, Robert Hemenway wrote in The Harlem Renaissance Remembered, Hurston "helped to remind the Renaissance--especially its more bourgeois members--of the richness in the racial heritage."

She took big chances and lived life to the fullest each day. She was as fascinating as any of her characters! Check your local listings to see her life story.

Just Checking In....

I know, I know. It's been over a month since I checked in but you don't even WANT to know what's been going on in my life over recent weeks! Suffice to say, things are settling down and I'm trying to get back on track with my writing and editing...and blogging. I also have to tackle my critique to-do list. Several of my writing friends have been making great strides in completing their manuscripts. I'm both proud and envious of them and their work ethic. Keep up the good work, ladies!

"Putting the Critics in Their Place" By Sophfronia Scott

As some of you know, I'm dealing with a family medical crisis this month. And since my tired brain can barely string together these two sentence I'll instead share with you folks the following article by Sophfronia Scott author of:

Putting the Critics in Their Place

By Sophfronia Scott, "The Book Sistah"

I once read that if you were a writer, it wasn't enough to just write. "You must publish what you write" was the given advice. I believe that's true and it's great advice. But when you do that, you have to know at least three things are going to happen: 1.) Someone will like your writing. 2.) Someone will dislike your writing. 3.) Someone won't care! If you allow all these reactions to make or break you, you'll be on an endless emotional roller coaster ride. You can smooth out the peaks and valleys, though, if you ask yourself a few questions.

Who is Saying it?

You may have heard the saying "consider the source". That's important when you're weighing any commentary on your work. In the case of teachers, editors or book reviewers, you want to be confident that the person is truly objective and knows what they're doing. If you're sure of them, you can take what they say, good and bad, and learn from them. These aren't people out to destroy you (usually!), so don't shoot the messenger.

Once people in the real world start buying and reading your work, you'll definitely hear about who loved it and who hated it. But pay close attention because there's more to it than a love-hate relationship. My first novel was packaged in such a way that it looked like an urban romance when in fact it is a complex family drama. I knew people who picked up the book expecting a light romance would be sorely disappointed--and that's exactly what happened when my novel was featured in a book-of-the-month club that specialized in selling urban romance. Many of their customers who bought my book hated it!

What Are They Saying?

If I had taken their criticism at face value, I would have felt like a failure. But all of the reader comments I saw on the club's website: "Too slow, boring, not enough se*x" told me they were expecting a different kind of book--and I didn't blame them! I would have been miffed too if I had expected "Valley of the Dolls" and ended up reading "War and Peace"! These readers were not in my target market, so the comments didn't upset me.

Readers in my target market gave different feedback. Yes, they liked the book, but that wasn't all: I could tell they had engaged with the book and had invested in the characters. Even comments about how frustrated they got with the main character were good because it meant they cared enough to be frustrated. If these readers had found the book slow and boring, I would have known for certain I had a problem.

Is it Consistent with What You Know of Your Work?

As a writer, you must know your own work well enough to help you decide what criticism makes sense and what doesn't. I've said before that I believe most writers know in their heart when something is wrong or if they're having problems with their material. If you know writing dialogue is difficult for you, there's no reason to be hurt or surprised when someone says your dialogue is weak or unbelieveable. So do an open and honest evaluation of what the reader and/or critic is saying. Then you can...

Make a Decision: What Will You Do?

No matter where your feedback is coming from, it will always be your decision whether or not you do anything with it. Sometimes feedback will open up new ideas and you're happy to rewrite based on those comments because you know the work will be better. Sometimes the book is already out there, and the feedback can only make you think about what you'll do differently next time. Or maybe you won't make a change at all. There's a particular scene in my novel that's so soap opera-ish it's almost ridiculous. But I knew that when I wrote it and I wanted it to be that way because I wanted to show how love can make people do crazy things. I wasn't going to change it.

But if I hadn't been clear on my intentions for the scene, I would have felt horrible everytime it was brought up in a book group's discussion. It was easier for me to stand up for my writing because I had been clear about what I was doing. So, for the sake of your writer's heart, be clear--all the better to see your way through to a better book.

© 2008 Sophfronia Scott
Author and Writing Coach Sophfronia Scott is "The Book Sistah" TM. Get her FREE REPORT, "The 5 Big Mistakes Most Writers Make When Trying to Get Published" and her FREE online writing and book publishing tips at http://www.TheBookSistah.com

Blogging in Black: A question of passion

Hi all,

Just a quick note to tell you to check out a Blogging in Black post by my friend, LaConnie Taylor-Jones, a contemporary romance writer on the rise. On February 6, 2008, she pinned an inspiring guest blog on passion and creative writing. I thoroughly enjoyed it and think you will too.

Also, pick up her debut novel, When I'm With You from Genesis Press, Inc. Marcel and Caitlyn's love story is a poignant love story about overcoming domestic abuse. Check out her website to read an excerpt. http://www.laconnietaylorjones.com/

Definitely a keeper!


AJ

The End!

I can finally type those two words at the bottom of a manuscript.

Can't Help But Love You is finally, albeit imperfectly, complete. My moment of relief and joy is tempered by the knowledge that it needs a lot of tweaking before I feel it's ready to go out to publishers. Oh, don't get me wrong! I'm not going to hold on to it and labor over it forever. Just until I'm happy with its theme, its premise, its characters and its plot. All of those items have to gel in order for it to work for me. Already, I have new ideas about my secondary characters and their overall usefulness in putting Paxton and Kelis' romance on the right track.

I've received advice to put it aside for a week then get right to work. Well a week has gone by and life has intruded in the form of a laid-up child, whose calls of "mommy" are echoing in my dreams. I guess edits and re-tooling will have to start in another week or two. (sigh!)

AJ

Reputation at Stake

Has anyone been keeping up with the plagiarism controversy involving Cassie Edwards, the historical romance writer? It's becoming a huge topic in the industry. So much so that RWA has made an official statement. Check out the link below:

http://www.nytimes.com/2008/01/12/books/12roma.html?scp=1&sq=cassie+edwards

I've read a few of Mrs. Edwards' romances. It's a shame that such a prolific, successful author will have a blight spot on her reputation.

Thought-provoking, huh?

Has it really been a month?!

TIME HAS FLOWN!

It's been a whole month since my last post and so much has happened. Too much to list, really. Needless to say, I'm glad I made it through the end of 2007 unscathed and have limped into 2008. Limped literally. But I'm resting up and recharging my batteries (taking my vitamins and getting plenty of daytime sleep.)

Now it's time to set a few goals for 2008. Let's see....

• Renew my memberships to RWA and VRW.
• Wrap up CHBLY and tackle two new manuscripts.
• Get out of the house more. It's become my cave of sorts.
• Build an author's website for myself, hopefully to coincide with a sale.
• Post to this blog at least twice a week. I've been a real slacker!
• Log in more critique time especially on RAH and RWC critique groups where I am a moderator.
• And take a real vacation, someplace away from Richmond.

Kudos to all my writing friends who have set their 2008 goals!

AJ

Check it out....

I have nothing to write here but check out my blog entry at Mavens of the Pen, http://themavensofthepen.blogspot.com. It's a fun one.

Angela

2007 Goals Revisited

I'll take this moment to revisit my 2007 goals and evaluate how I did for the year.



Completing one or two full manuscripts

I'm almost done with Can't Help But Love You, the one I've been working on for months and months and did start another one, Can't Get Enough, at the beginning of the year. They both should definitely be completed in 2008.


Find an agent

I don't feel comfortable making queries until I've completed something. I have to prove to myself that I can finish.



Participate in writing contests

I entered Can't Help But Love You in to VRW's Fool for Love First Chapter Contest and came in second place. First time entrant, first time finalist! Hot damn!!


Educate myself on marketing and promotional tactics

With the help of my critique partner, Denise, and the ladies in Mavens, I been receiving little nuggets of wisdom but having fully researched the tactics.


Renew my membership to RWA and Virginia Writing Group

Done. I'm a member of both.


Submit my finished manuscript to publishers

I've gotta finish the darn things!



Buy a laptop or Alphasmart (Dana)

My youngest brother, Michael, who is deployed in Iraq but will be home for Christmas, purchased a Dell laptop for me and my daughter (she insists that it's her birthday and Christmas present) and had it delivered this week. We are truly excited and grateful! Now I can type away from home and take a break from my office desk and the Internet. She wants me to get a wireless router for the house but I think that'll defeat my purposes.



I'll set 2008 by the end of the month.