Happy New Year!

Greetings and felicitations.

Keeping this post short because I'm BUSY EDITING and must maintain focus. So first, let me wish everyone a Happy New Year. A fresh start, a new beginning. Celebrate safely.

The first draft of Kundigerin 2, tentatively titled Gathering Mist, is complete and I'm working through the kinks. Have to say I'm happy with the end result, even as I worried that I was meandering aimlessly through for a while. That doesn't mean I haven't botched some of the details, which now have to be corrected and cleaned up. I'm on my editor's calendar for the end of February, so release date is looking like sometime in April. I'll keep you posted. And for some reason, the main characters' names aren't sticking, mostly as a result of "writing rules." Marissa and Wolf will make an encore appearance from Mist on the Meadow and will be joined by their new friends.

I wrote my first royalty split check to the crisis center for the first quarter after the release date of Return to Hoffman Grove. The book has been getting positive reviews to date and I hope that if you've read it, you will leave a review of your own and tell your friends to buy a copy. I will continue to split royalties for the first two quarters of 2015 with the crisis center. If you're concerned that the story is about domestic abuse and might be heavy-handed, that part of the story is a subplot, a cause for Cinda to champion. Domestic violence is addressed, but it does not take over the story. Those people who hated Cinda in Living Canvas have reported back that they loved her in Return to Hoffman Grove! Please help me in supporting the crisis center and buy a copy of the book. You're not only helping a good cause, you're getting a good read.

And now, back to work. The Kundigerinen are battling evil forces to save the world!

Recreational Reading

Yes, I know it's Christmas Eve, but I posted my Christmas wishes last week (and am happy to repeat them again this week!). Merry Christmas!

True confession time. I used to HATE reading Harlequin romances. Why? Their editors weren't very thorough. When I'd read them, I'd spend more time noticing the mistakes than reading the book.  The stories often didn't hold my interest enough for me to overlook the problems. And that was before I became a copyeditor at the day job, before I got serious about my own writing and KNEW what to look for.

Harlequin has come a long way. I still wouldn't jump to them as a brand for a first read, but they have spawned some of my favorite authors, and I do believe their editors have increased in caliber.

Along those same lines, I've come a long way. When I read a book, I want to get lost in it. I don't want to pick at the quality. The single most important advice I would give to an indie author is to get an independent editor. A REAL editor, not your best friend or your mom. As an author, we know what the book is supposed to say, so doing self-editing works to a point, but speaking from experience, every time I read one of my books, I find one more thing I missed the last time. It's a vicious cycle. So finding that editor, a disinterested third party, gives you another level of quality control.

I've read several books over the past few years that had good stories, but the editing was so horrific that I couldn't recommend them. As a society and with the advent of indie publishing, we are seeing more of those old-style Harlequin novels, but readers are more sophisticated. In addition to noticing the typographical errors, they know when you haven't developed your characters, when your dialog isn't working, when your settings are one-dimensional. And yet, I read Jane Eyre a couple of years ago. We're talking classic literature, and the writing was very shabby in parts, and yet Jane was such a compelling character that readers can overlook the rough spots in favor or a stellar story.

At the day job, I've been interviewing candidates for a proofreading position. Many of them were English teachers or had degrees in English, leading to some very interesting discussions off-topic on literature. What makes a book required reading in our schools? Who decides what makes a classic? And some of the books are so dry, so stale, so "against the rules" from a technical standpoint, that even the teachers hate reading them.

Traditional publishers still hold the power of a compelling read. They have the quality assurance processes in place to make sure you get the best book possible, without short-cutting it. I like to take chances on indie authors, and have found many that I enjoy without the switch flipping in my head from reader to editor. But there are still too many who have the skills, but don't realize that it's nearly impossible to edit your own work.

I've read reviews on some of the books I purchased for my holiday binge reading session, and some of the comments are very insightful. As I mentioned, readers are much more discerning these days. They are more educated. Some can be overly critical. One more reason for indie authors to make sure they are presenting the best book possible.

I have a review page on my blog - but I don't always post reviews there on the books I read. For one, recently a book blogger came under criticism for expressing her opinion. Some authors don't like to hear the truth, and feel they can strike back when someone doesn't like their book. You know what? It's all subjective. Thank you for taking the time to read my books. Not everyone will like them. BUT that doesn't give you license to take a pot shot just for the helluvit. As I mentioned, I've recently read several "good" books that would have done much better with an editor's tutelage. I did write reviews at the request of the authors, and I tried to highlight the good things, but to be fair, readers need to know what they're getting into, so I feel obligated to point out the shortcomings (I try to be gentle). When the editing isn't there, many readers will give up without reaching the end. I know I would have, if I hadn't been asked for the review. (I'm also OCD about finishing what I start.) And not everyone will like every book. Some just aren't my cup of tea, even when they are well written.

But enough rambling on for today. My favorite high school required reading book was "When the Legends Die." Yeah, I liked the Iliad, and I liked the King Arthur book, too. But most of the rest of it was torture. Now I'm looking forward to my recent book purchases that will keep me curled up in the corner on the upcoming winters days/nights.

Which "required reading" book do you remember most?

Happy Holidays

In my house, its Merry Christmas, but to my Jewish friends, Happy Hanukah.

I've already celebrated with my children once, traveling to visit my Darling Daughter and her family along with One Young Son. There's a certain amount of freedom knowing that the last-minute crunch is over (although that meant it came early this year). We will celebrate again on Christmas Day with more family.

For me, the holidays this year mean excusing myself from the day job for two full weeks, during which time I intend to polish up the second in the Kundigerin series and the sequel to Mist on the Meadow. As I write this post, the only original writing left is the last chapter, and I know what it needs to say, so that's just a matter of time to put it down. It's coming along nicely, I'm happy to report! I have a date with the editor in February, so I'm on schedule.

AND holiday time for me is binge-reading time. I have five books on my TBR list, four of them are paperbacks! (One was a Christmas gift.) If I know my DH, I'll have a gift certificate to buy more for New Year's week.

What's on your to be read list?

From me any my assistant (below), Merry Christmas!

It's Christmas Cookie Time

I have a page on this blog dedicated to some of my favorite recipes, and more that I've scrounged on Pinterest. Why? Because I'm a cookie-holic. It's a trait handed down through the family.

Every year, my sister hosts a cookie baking party, which I have snobbishly snubbed several times in favor of my own private baking party with my kids. This year, however, my nest is empty and the kids are more difficult to round up, so the prodigal sister is joining in the fun.

My signature Christmas cookie is the pinwheel. It requires a lot of work, but they're pretty on the plate, and they taste out of this world. They lend themselves to several variations, including sprinkles on the edges, or a mint layer, but I tend to stick to the standard chocolate and vanilla. We also make tassies (mini pecan pies), toffee bars, the essential cut-out cookies and/or spritz cookies (which keep the next generation of little ones busy). I've recently (!) discovered that my DH loves shortbread. Now, I knew he liked the pecan fingers (which are shortbread in nature), but since I'm not a nut aficionado, I tend to shy away from those, although I make a token batch just for him. This year, I'm trying another shortbread recipe that looks pretty and festive. Maybe I'll throw some pecans in for him.

I'm cutting back on the cookies this year, mainly because of my inability NOT to eat them (and I need to pay attention to my weight), but cookie baking is part of the holidays--a longstanding tradition that I won't soon part with.

Do you have a favorite holiday cookie? I'd love to hear what you make, and if you don't have a favorite cookie, check out my Pinterest cookie page for some fun ideas, or my Pinterest Christmas page!

Don't forget - in case you haven't already read Touched by the Sun or Intimate Distance, both books are still $0.99! My Christmas present to you.

Confessions of an Introvert

Thanksgiving weekend. Every year, my DH and I go into the Big City to the Christkindlmarket and brave the crowds. Like last year, the weekend brought warmer than normal temperatures - a couple of moderate days sandwiched between bitter cold. Perfect weather to walk in the city... with a million of our closest friends.

The Christmas market is confined to a city block, a plaza. There are dozens of booths with ethnic gifts and holiday food offerings. I like to go for the warm, spiced Gluhwein or a cup of hot chocolate, and a piece of strudel. On those years where we don't have to elbow our way through the crowd, I like looking at the hand-made ornaments and cuckoo clocks and this year I even thought about buying a handmade hat. I have embroidered table runners and doilies that I've purchased in the past. This year, with the weather being favorable, we spent two hours trying to buy one cup of cider and the strudel. We couldn't get close to the vendor stands.

There are some days I actually worry about becoming agoraphobic, but statistically speaking, I should be past the point where it becomes an issue. The trip, while worth making, was more stressful than heartwarming. When the weather is colder, the plaza is warm because of all the warm bodies crunched together. My favorite time to visit the market is when it is snowing. People aren't so anxious to be out in the snow - but I am, especially because they aren't.

I'm the sort of person who blends into the background more often than not. I'm more comfortable there. The more people in the room, the further into the corner I go. Or into another room. The exception is when I have time to prepare myself mentally.

There's an old German adage: Children should be seen and not heard. The problem with that adage is that those children become adults who don't know how to be heard. As I get older, I have outgrown some of the shyness and I have learned that I have something to share. Thanks to some good friends, I have found my voice in group settings. Am I still uncomfortable? Yeah, you betcha! But I no longer shrink from my turn to speak, either professionally or personally. And I don't avoid going out into a plaza packed with people, because I'd rather have the experience than deprive myself of the yummy strudel I can only get this time of year and the way the Gluhwein warms you from the inside out.