No Funny Stuff!

I'm tickled, elated, and energized to announce I've been invited to write a short story for a new anthology to be presented by The Wild Rose Press!

The Songs of the Muses will be short stories of the 9 Muses of Inspiration!
(Psst! I just heard a few sentences of every story from the authors, and the variety you will see is FANTASTIC! Historicals, Contemporaries and Fantasies!)
Look for Song of the Muses Summer 2008!

Oh My God! This is SO COOL!
I'm off to write a super-cool story about the Muse of Comedy!
Wakka, wakka!

No Funny Stuff! by Michele Hart <--What do you think?

2007 ROCKED for Michele!

Clearly, I'm Santa's favorite!

I have sold Looks Are Deceiving!

That's right! Juicy publisher, too! LAD did far better than I ever expected. I figured it was an e-book and that's all it would ever be, but I was so wrong!

LAD will be born into the print world December 2008!
The anthology I'm currently working on will be in print October 2008.

Luminous Nights just might be signed in the next few weeks, making 2007 a year of Rock-n-Roll for Michele! If LN comes through, I will have sold 3 full-length novels and a short story. If not, hey, 2 full novels and a short story sale is not loafing!

HA! I remember New Year's Eve 2006 saying to myself, "I need to start looking for a job. This writing-thing doesn't look like it's going to work."
-- Famous last words! --

It was The Wild Rose Press who wrote me on New Year's Day to request the full manuscript for LAD. That kept me going, had come at the perfect, most needful time. They didn't buy it that first round, and for good reasons that helped me become a better writer. And I have a wonderful relationship with TWRP. They were the ones who invited me into the anthology!

2008 will be a busy year! The busiest of my life! Busy is GREAT!

Love to all,
Michele

Lucky Girl !

I've been invited into a Fantasy anthology!
That's the cool side of the pillow!!!

I've been invited to submit a short story for a Mythology series for an RWA-approved publisher, with whom I have 2 submissions. I'm taking that as a good sign for at least the Sci-Fi/Fantasy submission. Even if they pass on my first 2 submissions, they must like my writing, so I'll just take it as a positive.

Gonna be a fun project! It's an anthology with 9 assignments, and it looks like they're mixing unpublished and published authors. I'm bound to learn a boatload of important stuff, and that's the best part. (OK, seeing my name on a book cover will be the best part. But becoming a better writer is just fractions of a molecule away in second place.)

I'm assigned a task to write a comedic story. I've written funny lines, funny scenes, but not a funny story. And here's my chance! I'm very excited, got great ideas.

I'm such a lucky girl. I come from a HILARIOUS family! My sister, my very favorite comedy partner, just spent a year living with me, and there wasn't a day we didn't put Mom in laughing fits. Gee, Sister just left this week and I miss her! My brother's another one. Although we don't get along, he KILLS me when he gets on a roll. One of the funniest guys in the world, IMO. (Don't tell him I said that.)

So, I'm really looking forward to working my comedy bones.
Gosh! I'm exCIIIIIITED!

Looks Are Deceiving Back in Submissions

I’ve rewritten Looks Are Deceiving, have given it quite a “fluffing”, if you know what I mean.

WINK!

It’ll be a lot more attractive to the Erotic Romance publishers, and I’ve got faith in LAD. It's a better story now, deeper characterization.

I’ve learned much in the submission process, and my writing's already benefitted. I’m more ready for publication for the experience, for sure, and that makes it all pretty invaluable.

As hard as it was to suffer through StarDust’s closing just days after publishing LAD, it turned out to be a good thing. I learned a lot about the questions I should ask, the marketing I need to do, and I'm much more comfortable with it all.

Goes to show there’s light just on the other side of darkness. Nice when things work out that way.

So, both Luminous Nights and Looks Are Deceiving are on publisher desks right now.

Patience, patience. Calm blue ocean … Calm blue ocean … :-)

Patience - More than a Virtue

Sometimes the Right Decision is Hard to Make

Publishing's risky. You really gotta have guts, listen to your instincts, and develop super-human patience. It doesn't hurt to have a few poker skills.
Know when to hold them, know when to fold.

I've done what a majority of writers would call insane. I've turned down 2 publishers who wanted Luminous Nights. After much research, hanging around author loops, weighing suggestions made, I decided to pass. They weren't right for the story.

I know, I know ...

It's unwise for an author to be attached to a story. They are, after all, products, not our children. And I'm not so attached to other stories I've written, but LN is special to me for a few reasons. I'm willing to change it for the right publisher, however they wish. I want LN to be the very best it can be.
But it's gotta be the right publisher.

When it comes to LN, I'm going to hold this hand until I like the publishing house.
Luminous Nights is worth it.

Excitement In The Air!

So many changes since my last blog.

StarDust Press has closed, and I mourn her loss. SDP was very good to me, an all-around very good experience. I had a few more stories in mind for SDP. but ...

Forward, forward, forward!
Still much excitement ahead.

I get the rights to Looks Are Deceiving back, and I'm loving the opportunity to give it another polish, which is what I'm doing right now. Have some publishers in mind for LAD. Can''t wait to submit it again.

I'm awaiting news for Luminous Nights from my dream publisher as we speak. I'm sweating bullets and holding my breath.

Can't wait to get back to my current work-in-progress, Alien Whip. It's a very fun and challenging premise. Can't wait to see where it goes. I have a feeling I'll be surprised.

Jennifer Estep's new book, Hot Mama is coming out in November. If you haven't read her first book, Karma Girl, what the heck are you waiting for? Superhero Romance - I'm an instant fan, and Jennifer is brilliant!

Stay tuned ...

September 5th I Became a Published Author

I'm pleased to announce the publication of my novel, Looks Are Deceiving, available through StarDust Press. Break out the confetti and the brass band!

It was scary. I often wanted my mommy, even though it actually had been easy with very few corrections.

A step forward, a big one. Somebody, hold my hand. I've got lots of marketing to do! Here I go! I'm excited about the next step.

I've been offered a contract on Luminous Nights and a rejection from a publisher who REALLY wants LN if I fluff it up. Having two sales in the first year sure would be cool.

Must make the right decision ... Scary.

Wow! Here I am ...

It's my publication date, my e-publication date, and I'm awaiting the hours. This is the moment, isn't it? Where the world has the opportunity to to commennt on you work?

Received a Contract Offer for LUMINOUS NIGHTS!

Doing my research ...

Packing up SYNERGIZED, unpacking ALIEN WHIP!

This entry should be subtitled, Until We Meet Again.

We're through with rough edits for Synergized, a work of the heart. I'm proud of it. That entire project will be for future publication, not for an immediate sale. It would take quite a presentation to sell a trilogy right off the bat, though I've seen it done.
(Looking at you, Cheryl, with admiration!)
I'm not going to plan for a grand slam first time out.
In a few years, I'll be a better writer, and I'll rewrite the first book of the series, Magnetic, in awful need of a rewrite. Well, it was my first completed single-title, finished before 1995. Even substandard writing, an agent assessed the manuscript and said it was very sellable, if rewritten. It's all about the writing.

Meanwhile, Mom loved, loved, loved Synergized! She came away with a huge smile on her face and some fabulous compliments. That was neat. It's also, all about makin' the momma proud.

NEXT!
I've started on my next project, Alien Whip, did a rough first chapter, introducing the hero and heroine. I'm excited about it. The original goal was to write a short one this time, but alas, the story is the story, and I'm going to write the story, whatever size it turns out to be.

Gonna do some things I've never tried before: an alien invasion, cybernetics, themes of growing sentience, a few things I'll not reveal. Stay tuned. I'll post the first chapter in the next few days.

My birthday's coming up. 42. Do you remember "The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy"? The gang asked the smartest computer in the galaxy, Deep Thought, what the meaning of life was. Deep Thought's answer was 42.

... Just 42 ...

42's gonna be a good year for me.
(Knocking on wood, throwing salt over my shoulder with crossed fingers, murmuring a prayer to the Gods. )

Hey! 41 was great!

Mom Just Read SYNERGIZED !

I'm lucky to have such a gift as my mother. She's fully into my career and writing, and it really is a special thing for your mommy to love what you do.

She says Synergized is my best work yet. She really loves it!
I'm sad to say you'll not see it on bookshelves any time soon, as it's the 3rd of a trilogy, and the first book, the one that needs to sell the series isn't my best writing, so I'll need to set it aside until I become a better writer.

It's all about the writing.

Book 16 - Off and Running! ALIEN WHIP on its Way!

Started Book 16 today.
Its name is Alien Whip, it's a SciFi Romance Action/Adventure. It's going to be a small one, I think, aimed at the e-publishers.
We'll see that happens. I'm a pantser insead of a plotter so it'll surprise me as much as anyone else. Cross your fingers for me.

Book 15 - SYNERGIZED - Done !

Wow, Synergized was my biggest single-title and took the longest, but it's my best writing yet, and I'm really proud of it. I took on big themes on this one. Let's see if someone thinks it's good. I'll probably be editing for the next month or two.

Sadly, I can't be submitting it any time soon. It's the third of a trilogy, (The Shapeshifting Priestesses of Pygras) and I'll have to find just the right publisher. I've seen SOOO many sequels that just waned horribly at the end, and I'm really glad I did these two sequels well. Each is better than the book before, and I'm proud of that.

Here's the Series Summary if you're curious:
http://www.michelehart.com/series-pygras.htm

Doing Edits is COOL!

Edits have been such a good experience.

Got a lot of experience with Word 2007, and my loathing of the program has diminished. I'll eventually entirely convert down the line, I imagine.

Edits allowed me to fix so many flaws I'd seen. Only had to rewrite ONE scene. I consider that a triumph! And the rewrite was just SO much better. I also got to plant a few more tidbits.

All said, I'm much more confident and proud of the manuscript. Thanks goes to Traci @ StarDust Press for a great eye spotting weaknesses. She was very patient in my learning Word, majorly helpful at all angles. I hope I get to work with her again. If she became disgusted with my bozo questions, she never showed it. First Class.

Looks Are Deceiving 's in the hands of line editors now. I'll get those edits soon.

Two Spaces or One? No Tabs. Where Did Tabs Go?

I've decided to blog more. (NO!)
Yes, really.

I like e-publishing. This is a neat experience, and I'm glad to be on the show.

e-publishing has some interesting formatting differences compared to print pubs.

Two Spaces or One?

The e-publishers want one space between sentences, the print publishers want two. Hm ... How did that happen?

I'm typewriter-trained, which means I use two. I prefer the look of it, but that's just probably due to familiarity to it. I think the extra space brings a bit more clarity, which is never a bad thing.

All my manuscripts are 2-spaced, and instead of converting, I think I'll stay with two. After all, if you have an MS with two spaces, you can always hit Find and Replace, and replace every two spaces with one, job done in seconds. If it's the other way around, you can't replace one space with two. It'll put two spaces between every single word. If you have to look for the end of every sentence in 800 pages to insert an extra space, you might as well spend days in Hell.

I sure am glad I realized that before I quickly converted my stories to one space for submission to the e-pubs, then had to go back and spent a week EACH (14 books) putting them back for the print pubs. Maintaining two different files, one 2-spaced and one 1-spaced, opens the doors for mistakes.

Tabs. Are they no longer cool?

I like tabs. Never had a problem with tabs, always got along with them, once permanently set. Word is a monster with tabs, I've noticed, and I wonder how much that pain in the rump influenced the elimination of tabs. Damn you, Microsoft!

(Of course, if you know me,
you know I blame Microsoft for the following:
global warming, the dryness of my July 4th brownies (even though the box said "moist"), the Mid-East crisis, the high number of calories in peanut butter, the fact that shoes are uncomfortable. There is no Waffle House near my home and therefore, no good hash browns around. The overrating of Tom Cruise. The overwhelming fear that one day we'll have a President Cheney. The purse I most love is not big enough. Alien abductions. AND the inflated price of peach-yogurt shakes.)

I love you, WordPerfect, but the industry is forcing me to Word. I had wanted to be true to you and had hoped the world would come around to your superiority, but the enemy was too strong, too rich, and too dirty. You were good, really good, baby, but I'm going to have to sacrifice my finer tastes for my career. I'll always love you.

So, tabs are out and I'm down with that, not a crisis. Just an observation. Thank the stars for this computer world where changing such things does not take weeks and months.

If I'd ever had to actually hand-write a manuscript, I'd've never written my name!

I'm So Excited! Edits Underway!

Just finished my 2nd round of edits, and my editor at StarDust Press, Traci, is really nice, and has remarkable patience with me over Word 2007.

For those who don't know, I've fought the good fight over Word 2007 for the sake of Word Perfect but, alas, I have lost. I am surrendering the fight. It's too big a war, and I like some of Word's features, so I'm just giving up and giving in.

Edits went much faster than I thought, and I've learned a lot.

Yep, I did it! I'm on the road to publication !

With pride, I announce that I've sold Looks Are Deceiving, my first toe-dip into the world of Contemporary Romance, to e-publisher StarDust Press!

I'm very excited to see where StarDust will take the story. I expect to learn much about e-publishing and the entire publishing industry as a whole. I'll be holding hands with another author, both of us members of RWA's Paranormal chapter and contracted with StarDust, so I'll not be alone.

I expect I'll be asked to "plump up" the love scenes, make them steamier, and I'll be doing so. StarDust Press is focused on erotica, so I can say "I write erotic romance", something I hadn't seen coming. A testimony to the adage, "You never know what's ahead." There were times in my early life that I would've never believed I'd be a published author. Barring odd occurrences, I should be officially published in about a year or less.

I'm excited. I'm going to learn a lot.

My new e-mail signature will read:
Michele Hart
SciFi/Fantasy Romance Author
Looks Are Deceiving - January '08 StarDust Press

And THAT alone feels GREAT!
The whole world treats you better if you can say "Published" after the word "Writer" when describing your career and obsession.

Now, if only I could sell Luminous Nights or Magnetic ... Both better work than Looks Are Deceiving, and written in my chosen subgenre and true love, Futuristic Romance.
Who knows why these things happen.

I SOLD !!!

I'm terrified to announce I've been offered a contract by an e-publisher for Looks Are Deceiving. I'm even scared to utter the publisher's name. More to come ...

Looks Are Deceiving

I sure started 2007 right!

On January 1st, Wild Rose Press wrote me to request my Short Contemporary Romance, Looks Are Deceiving, and TWO of their editors want to read it. The Contemporary Romance editor to whom I submitted my query and synopsis took it to the Suspense editor, and they both want to read it. Two editors at the same publisher!

Needless to say, it recharged my batteries.
I'm waiting to hear back from them. I'm pretty sure the Suspense editor will pass it up because the crime is actually in the background of the story, not a major plot, which is why I'm not bothering to submit it as a Suspense. The crime unfolds behind the hero's, heroine's, and the reader's backs and gets them in the end, but it's almost not really in the story itself. So I don't suspect the Suspense editor will want it, but it was a nice charge to respark the Romance hopes. It was a wonderful way to start the new year. I’m crossing my fingers ...