Get Between the Bookends? DONE!

It's crazy. The goal of many writers is to write the post. And now that I'm sitting down to do that, I'm just staring at my screen...

Write something Kelley.

I'M GOING TO BE PUBLISHED BY SAPPHIRE STAR PUBLISHING!!!

Well that was subtle...

Want to hear how it went down? If not you can stop reading here. :)

I declared myself a 'serious writer' on July 18th, 2011. I had recently completed a manuscript I dabbled with while finishing college. Once I was done I thought, that was fun. Now what?

Maybe I should get it published!

HA!

I queried my first manuscript, a YA Dystopian (those poor agents) and after no success, wrote two more that had little success as well (YA Contemporary and YA Thriller). Then came a wonderful event called NaNoWriMo. I began NaNo with a YA Contemporary manuscript but I just wasn't feeling it. So on my way back from a business trip I opened my laptop and wrote the first chapter of what is now, FRACTION OF STONE, a YA Fantasy.

Ten days later I typed 'the end'.

Granted, even though it took only ten days to write, it took much longer to edit. FRACTION OF STONE started making the query rounds January, 2012. I queried it hard for a number of months. There were many requests for partials, a few for fulls. Most agents came back with, "This is a great story with great writing, but epic fantasies are hard sells for me right now."

Bummer.

So I moved on. Wrote a collaboration project, ALREADY THERE with the amazing Jen Morris. Also cranked out the first draft of a YA Science Fiction, THE CRICKET PROJECT.

About two months ago, a good blogging buddy and writing friend, Sharon Bayliss held a contest on her blog for a small publisher. Both manuscripts I was working on weren't ready so I dusted off FRACTION and submitted it. A full was requested but ultimately didn't fit the portfolio for the small publisher.

Bummer.

Okay, clearly there was just no place for my YA Fantasy other than the hard drive on my computer. I told my CPs FRACTION had seen its last submission. I had others in the works. It was time to move on.

They told me I shouldn't give up on it. That it was a great story. Cassie Mae even sent me an email that had only this in it:

"Oh please don't give up on Fraction. It's totally one of my favorite books I've ever read."

I was like. Whoa? Really? One of your favorites EVER?

Well, I couldn't let them down so...

Carrie Butler announced she had signed a contract with Sapphire Star Publishing. After I congratulated her, I popped over to the website and thought, this is a really neat publisher. I wonder if FRACTION could find a home here? So I submitted. 

A little later Amy, one of the co-owners of SSP, emailed me saying she was 'truly impressed' and would love to have the full manuscript. Two weeks later, I received an email from her. Certain it was another 'the writing is good, just doesn't fit what we're looking for', I opened the email, ready to file it in the 'past submissions' folder in my inbox.

But the email didn't say FRACTION wouldn't fit. In fact it said:

"If you are interested, I would like to send you a contract offer for you to look over."

WHAT?!?!?!

To be honest, I'm still in a place of disbelief. It was such a bumpy road to get here and now that it's happening... wow. But I'm thrilled. I can't wait for editors to rip it apart so we can build it again and make it better. I can't wait for it to be in people's hands! Crazy.

And it won't be long until it's in reader's hands. FRACTION OF STONE is scheduled to be released on March 7th, 2013!!!

BIG THANKS to the CPs who put there red ink on this story (all versions of it). Theresa Paolo, Cassie Mae, Jen Morris, Hope Roberson, Jade Hart, Angie Cothran, Leigh Covington and Jess Salyer. 

Thanks to my sister for her understanding when I pretend like I'm listening to her even though I'm typing away at my computer, lost in whatever world I'm creating at that moment.

Thanks to all of you in the blogosphere. Every post and every comment is so much appreciated. 

Last, but certainly not least, THANK YOU to SAPPHIRE STAR PUBLISHING for taking a chance on my work. So far, this experience has been nothing but amazing.

Yes, she does HAVE AN AGENT! And...Hang on tight!

You guys!!!

You've probably all heard already because I'm sure you read Ms. Cassie's blog religiously every morning and then pop over to mine ;) ;) (I mean, that's what I do.) But, in case you haven't gotten over to Reading, Writing and Lovin' It....

Well...

CASSIE HAS AN AGENT!!!!

YAY CASSIE!

So pop on over and give her a 'whoot whoot!' We can all say we knew her when.

Congrats Cassie! Love ya babe!


And... while we're popping all over the place.

Pop on over to Falling for Fiction to see the winners of the Hangers!

The winning Hookers are here!

Thanks so EVERYONE who participated in the Falling for Fiction, Hookers and Hangers bloghop. Holy crap, there were SO many good ones.

Sorry to those of you that it took me a little longer to get to. I wanted to be sure I read everyone's and 100 entrants are quite a lot. 

I hope everyone learned something from this. I learned that the hookers and hangers really do have a major effect on the immediate reaction I get about a book. You can tell if it's going to be funny, suspenseful, fast paced or more reflective. The hookers and hangers say a lot. I think this is an exercise I will do for all my works in the future.

To see Hooker winners, pop on over to Falling for Fiction. Tomorrow we will reveal the Hangers!.

If you participated or read the entries, what did you learn from the bloghop?

Hookers and Hangers Continued (Emphasis on the Hangers)

It's Wednesday! Which means we're on to the 'Hanger' part of the Hookers and Hangers Blogfest sponsored by Falling for Fiction! In case this is your first time hearing about it:

Here's the deets:
Hookers & Hangers Blogfest July 16th & July 18th

We all know how important the first and last lines are in every chapter. This blogfest will hopefully get your HOOKERS and HANGERS polished making it impossible for readers to put down your book and leaving them begging for more!

On July 16th, post the first sentence from each chapter.

On July 18th, post the last sentence from each chapter.

Post as many as you like!

We will be judging everyone’s first three HOOKERS and first three HANGERS. We’ll each pick two winners (MOST ENTICING HOOKER and MOST IMPOSSIBLE HANGER) making a total of ten winners! Winners will receive a 10 page (double spaced) critique and a Friday Spotlight on FFF!


Of course I can't win, as I'm an FFF lady and one of the judges, but it's fun to participate! So here are my HOOKERS for Jen Morris' and my collaboration, Already There. (Told in Alternative POV between Charlie and Lucy. I'm Lucy.) 

The one line pitch: When Charlie is forced to bring her younger sister Lucy on a road trip with her best friends, the two confirm they are nothing alike, but realize the confidence they have in each other is the only thing that will give them the courage to face their futures.


Hangers:


Chapter 2: Dad would be so upset if he knew she was doing this for a guy.


Chapter 4: But I know better than to get my hopes up with my sister around. She has a way with men. My inexperience and blubbering nonsense don’t stand a chance.


Chapter 6: How can I possibly compete with that?


Chapter 8: “You and me both.”


Chapter 10: Or was he just a fun time? A time that is now over. Forever in her rearview mirror.


Chapter 12: Suddenly I feel a little less lost.

Chapter 14: I left my clutch at the corndog stand.                                                                                                    

Chapter 16: “Can you call Dad?”

Chapter 18: Charlie’s acting like me. And I’m filling the space once occupied by her.


Chapter 20: I slam my hands down. “Grow up, Lucy!”


Chapter 22: I wasn’t lying.

Chapter 24: I am destined to always be this way. Alone.

Chapter 26: And he holds me together, as tears of joy leak onto his shirt.

Chapter 28: And a real cowboy, one that likes me, is going to help me pick them out.

Chapter 30: Why is Charlie writing a song about me?

Chapter 32: This Fourth of July is already turning out better than the last time we were here. And I never thought that would be possible.

Chapter 34: I hope the sun never rises. We can stay out here all night; hiding from a day we both hope never comes.

Chapter 36: And Charlie seems to think if I put my mind to it, there’s little that can stop me.

It's amazing how much we can learn about a book just from the first and last lines of each chapter. Hopefully you're having as much fun reading all the Hookers and Hangers as I am!

Hookers and Hangers Bloghop!

Over at Falling for Fiction, we're running a super fun bloghop this week. There's still time to join if you'd like to. Just sign up at the bottom of this post!

Here's the deets:
Hookers & Hangers Blogfest July 16th & July 18th

We all know how important the first and last lines are in every chapter. This blogfest will hopefully get your HOOKERS and HANGERS polished making it impossible for readers to put down your book and leaving them begging for more!

On July 16th, post the first sentence from each chapter.

On July 18th, post the last sentence from each chapter.

Post as many as you like!

We will be judging everyone’s first three HOOKERS and first three HANGERS. We’ll each pick two winners (MOST ENTICING HOOKER and MOST IMPOSSIBLE HANGER) making a total of ten winners! Winners will receive a 10 page (double spaced) critique and a Friday Spotlight on FFF!

Of course I can't win, as I'm an FFF lady and one of the judges, but it's fun to participate! So here are my HOOKERS for Jen Morris' and my collaboration, Already There. (Told in Alternative POV between Charlie and Lucy. I'm Lucy.) 

The one line pitch: When Charlie is forced to bring her younger sister Lucy on a road trip with her best friends, the two confirm they are nothing alike, but realize the confidence they have in each other is the only thing that will give them the courage to face their futures.

Hookers:

Chapter 2: I’d forgotten how much I love this place.

Chapter 4: “Well I’d say good mornin’ but it’s almost afternoon, Lucille Grace,” Nan says as I enter the kitchen, the smell of her famous breakfast still lingering in the air.

Chapter 6: There’s a big part of me that wishes Nan would have told us we couldn’t go to the fair with the guys.

Chapter 8: It might be fun to calculate the probability of getting the ball into a red-ringed cup.

Chapter 10: I’m trying not to run to the barn which makes my half walk, half run look ridiculous I’m sure.

Chapter 12: Hotel Casa Del Mar.

Chapter 14: Splashing around in the ocean, when the sky is dark as the water, is a horrible idea.

Chapter 16: “Did you buy gas in Arkansas?” The credit card guy asks on the other end of the line.

Chapter 18: “Lucille Grace, you have no idea how thrilled we are to have you back!”

Chapter 20: I finish tying my running shoe and look out at the ranch through my window.

Chapter 22: Well, the pep talk I had with myself after seeing Luke again for the first time helped.

Chapter 24: My sister thinks I’m pretty.

Chapter 26: I must have fallen asleep because the clock says 3:34pm and I’m pretty sure I ruined everything around eleven this morning.

Chapter 28: Is this okay?

Chapter 30: Gosh my hands hurt. Why can’t we just buy potato salad at the grocery store in town?

Chapter 32: “This is some pretty darn good potato salad.” Luke smiles from under the shade of his hat.

Chapter 34: It’s magic.

Chapter 36: She really thought that.


This is so interesting to see if I have any trends with my hookers, whether they're interesting, etc. Feel free to bounce around to the other entries below! And perhaps add yourself to the list! It's going on all week!

I'm Back! And an Anecdote on Why I Still Believe in Humanity's Kindness

I'm back from my 17 day vacation. It was so wonderful I don't even need a vacation from my vacation. My sister (one of the three others I went on the trip with) took over 700 pictures. To save you from looking at all of them, I will sift through them and show you the good ones at a later time.

I do want to share a quick story about how amazing people are.

My sister and I flew separately from our two friends. We flew from Chicago to Zurich, Switzerland and then on to Barcelona, Spain. As always happens when I travel, our one hour layover in Zurich turned into a ten minute layover. So my sister and I had ten minutes to get from terminal E to terminal A which meant going through security (again), customs, AND taking a tram type thingy.

To make the whole story even more 'fun', I was chosen for a random brush down at security.

I was carted off to this little room where a very nice lady did her thing to make sure I wasn't harboring any drugs or weapons as I politely told her 'our plane leaves in seven minutes'. In her defense, she went pretty fast.

As I emerged from my 'pat down' my sister sprinted past with our stuff (two purses, two jackets and a backpack.) I yelled, "Do you have everything?"

She yelled back over her shoulder, "Yes!"

I'm sure you can figure out that wasn't the case.

Nope. This little baby was left behind. All alone in the security bin.

My Nook eReader

We realized it when my sister turned to me on the plane (which we dove into just as they were closing the doors... not really, but it was a super close call) and asked, "Did you grab your eReader out of the bin?"

Ummm... no.

In all fairness to her, she offered to split the cost of buying a new one. Which was sweet.

However, it wasn't needed! I talked to the Swiss Airline desk when we got to Barcelona who sent an email AND a phone call to the Swiss Airline people in Zurich inquiring about my eBook. Three days later I got a phone call saying that my eBook could be picked up at the Swiss Ticket Counter at the Barcelona, Airport. I didn't even have to pay to ship it from Zurich to Barcelona.

Someone behind us in security could have easily claimed it as there's. Someone in Swiss Airlines could have done the same thing. But instead, the whole chain of people made sure I got it back. Obviously, I highly recommend this airline. (The food and unlimited free booze during international flights are a big plus too ;))

I planned on reading a lot during our days at sea, and I obviously couldn't do that since we weren't back at the Barcelona airport until we headed home. But I spend SO much time with words, writing them and reading them during 'normal life', that there was something oddly refreshing about just laying out on the deck in the INCREDIBLY warm summer sun and thinking. For hours. Just thinking. Mostly about current and future WIPs.

In a way, since I got the eBook back, it was kind of a blessing in disguise.

Do you have any stories about the kindness of your fellow man?

Can't wait to make the rounds to everyone's blogs! If I something while I was gone, let me know in the comments section!