Refined by Fire

For the past 24 hours I've tried to blog, but couldn't. Every creative fiber in my being is numb. I don't know whether I'm burned out, tired, or both. For the past six months we've been landscaping. The back yard slopes into our patio and rainwater threatened our newly finished basement. We fixed that problem and moved to the front of the house, where we plan to level it so we can use the land. But someone from outside our neighborhood turned us in to the county for disturbing the land without a permit...our land, that we own. Anyhow, to make a long story short, Shannon had to pay to get a license to run a bulldozer on our own property, and now we've had to hire a civil engineer to design a landscaping plan to satisfy the Federal government. It's a mess - a royal pain. As I type this there is an environmentalist testing the soil in my front yard. We were told by the engineer that all of this legislation came from Democratic environmentalists during the Clinton administration. He also informed us that Franklin County is on probation with the state, and all of their jobs are on the line. So guess who gets to be the guinea pig? As it turns out, we can do exactly what we want to do. We just have to pay the Federal government an enormous fee and fill out a bunch of forms. If that's not a creativity killer, I don't know what is. It's Christmas time, and we don't have the money to pay environmentalist's salaries.

I've ordered 100 Giant Arborvitae trees that have a growth rate of four feet a year. In three more years, no one will be able to see what I'm doing in my front yard...for which I own and pay personal property taxes. I have a Confederate flag in my basement, and I've never been so tempted to hoist it from my roof. As you can see, I'm in a sour mood. And to make matters worse, I received a rejection letter that I'm struggling to understand. I usually handle rejection very well. I don't stew over them for days. I don't mind when editors critique my writing skill, because I will benefit from that, but this one grates my nerves because she attacked my story. Granted, it's nice to get a rejection letter that gives an explanation, but my problem is that I don't know what to do with it. I write historical fiction. And this editor disagrees with its accuracy. She didn't find it believable. Before I began submitting the novel, I had two reputable historians review it for accuracy, both of whom are on the board of the Brandy Station Foundation. I passed both of their tests with flying colors. But this editor flippantly informed me that only the winners get to write history. I refuse to accept that fact. I'm not rewriting history just to appease someone.

Most of you know that I'm taking a fascinating class at Old Dominion University this semester. It's called An Introduction to Rhetorical Studies, and I've learned how commercials, speeches, music, art, and many other forms of performance are purposely designed to influence society. All weekend I was so bothered by this letter that I couldn't enjoy the holiday. I started thinking about all of the historical events that have been reshaped to suit political agendas. Somewhere in the midst of propaganda and greed lay truth, even if it is twisted beyond recognition.

Before I received the rejection letter, I spent Thanksgiving day with my parents on the lake. My father showed me a letter that he recently discovered while going through some family documents. The letter was written by my great grandfather, Samuel Douglas Shackleford in 1916. The letter contains six typed pages of what my great great grandfather, James William Shackleford, endured during the Civil War. It was so exciting to read. For years I've been researching this, and to read it in my great grandfather's words was just thrilling. James William owned a farm and a mercantile in Fauquier County, Virginia which is now Warrenton. His store was the first to carry kerosene lamps in 1857. When Virginia seceded in 1861, James William enlisted with the 6th Virginia Cavalry. The letter went into detail about skirmishes that I had never heard of, and how he was captured and escaped. One day while riding near the West Virginia border, a Union soldier shot a woman in the street. James William immediately dismounted, and carried the woman back into her house. But when he remounted and galloped toward his unit, his horse was shot from underneath him. He was forced to carry his saddle one hundred miles back to his farm so that he could get another horse. By 1865, he lost everything he owned. By the time I finished reading it, I was in tears. Is his story to be disregarded because his lived south of the Mason-Dixon line? To put it differently, how will future generations tell the tale of September 11th?

After I cycled through the different emotions, my will kicked in. I'm not going to let someone tell me that it didn't happen. This is a story that I want to tell. I need to tell. In its current form, I omitted much of my own story, but I'm not going to make that mistake twice. This time I'll write it in first person...in a woman's voice, my voice. In its current form, there is a girl named Elizabeth who almost took over because she's such a strong character. This time I'll let her have her way. Coincidentally, Megan Rebekah posted an interesting entry about burning your novel - the timing couldn't be more ironic. It was this time last year in which I posted about finishing the novel. I was excited to take it to the SCBWI Conference in New York. It was my first novel, and the first time I'd ever flown by myself. I've come full circle. I've learned a lot from my writing journey in 2009, and I'm not giving up. Next time the novel will be stronger. It's time to begin again.

Building a Website Part Two

Thank you for all of your comments, ideas and suggestions about building a website. The more I research, the more I realize that this is a task requiring much thought and planning. My husband and I built one for his auto business through Yola, and I planned on using them again for myself, but after researching some of your suggestions, I'm going to wait. Anita, author of Blue Country Magic advised me to make certain of my goals and what I want it to look like before I sign up anywhere. She is so right, and I've slammed on the brakes. When I built one for the shop, I was clueless, and I'm not satisfied with it. I want to add sound and more photos, and I don't want to make the same mistakes twice.

Debi, author of Greener Pastures recommended Justhost.com. I've compared them to Yola and GoDaddy and their prices are not only very competitive, but they add more features than the other two. I've been very frustrated with Yola's customer service. When I have a question, I like getting my answer asap. The last time I asked a question (and I had to use email, there is no phone number) it took three days for them to email me back. If I had known this before I built the shop website, I wouldn't have signed up with them. Live and learn.

I've heard wonderful things about Wordpress, but my stink with them is the fact that I have to have their name included in my URL address. I know I'm picky, but if I'm going to do this I may as well build what I want. As I continue to find more useful information, I'll pass it along for those of you in the same boat. Regina, author of Regina Rhythm posted a very helpful article on her blog about building a website. I've learned a lot from this gal, and I highly encourage you to visit her blog, and Becky Mushko, author of Peevish Pen recently built her own site. I like the colors she chose - very easy on the eyes. I think her design draws you in without screaming "Look at me!" in neon blinding style. I want a web presence, not a Myrtle Beach billboard. Do you know what I mean? Becky's site has a very professional appearance.

My next step will be to sketch on paper what I want the home page to look like. The more I research, the more ideas I collect. I have two more weeks of classes, exams and papers and then I'll have more time to get creative with this. I'll try to post as much of the process as I can, so people can learn from my mistakes. My goal is to have a site up and running by the end of January. If anyone wants to join me, I'd love the company.

I Need Your Advice

I know everyone is scrambling around this week in preparations for Thanksgiving, so I'll make this short and sweet. I'm working on building a website, and I'm finding this much more difficult than blogging. I would love to know from those of you who have already have a website, what d0 you like best about the process and what did you find most difficult?

I've already signed up with Yola, but I'm discovering that the templates are restricting and I'm having trouble with the layout. Any thoughts?

Basking in the Afterglow

We had our first Roanoke SCBWI meeting today, and I am thrilled with the new group. Marcie Atkins recently returned from the fall conference in Arlington and she was gracious enough to print everyone a copy of her notes. She is working on her final project for her M.A. in Children's Literature at Hollins University - a YA novel in verse. I can't even imagine tackling a project like that. And did I mention that she is a full time 4th grade teacher and that she has a 5 year-old and an infant? She puts my Spanish trials to shame. She brought a picture book manuscript for us to critique and it is delightful.

Angie Smibert brought a chapter of her YA science fiction novel today. She humbly let me ramble on and on, until half way through the critique I asked her where she was in the submission process. She informed me that she just sold it to Marshall Cavendish and picked up an agent too! After I picked my lower jaw off the floor, I asked her about its release date. Memento Nora will be coming out in the spring of 2011. And did I mention that Angie received one of the SCBWI Work in Progress Grant, Letter of Merit Awards? Congratulations Angie!

Our other three members were involved in book signings and soccer tournaments today, but we look forward to working with them next month. I can't express how thrilled I am to be apart of this group. I'm way out of my league, and I appreciate them working with me! I know that I won't be able to bring near as much expertise to the table, but I know beyond a shadow of a doubt that their input will take my work to the next level. I can hardly wait for the next meeting!

Keeping it Real

Whew! I've been missing in action this week, and I've missed my blogger buddies. It's the end of the semester, but I'm beginning to see the light at the end. I have four more exams, and two more papers. I hope to finish strong. Can you say Christmas break? I'm counting down the days. And believe it or not, as crazy as life is right now, I've been able to squeeze in several new books. I've found that reading before going to bed, relaxes me more than watching T.V. I'm enjoying a book entitled, Lives of the Signers of the Declaration of Independence, by B.J. Lossing. It was originally published in 1848, and this edition is a reprint. I justified buying it for myself since I've begun to research for my next novel. And I'm not the only one with my nose in a book. The children have discovered a new picture book entitled, Nubs, The True Story of a Mutt, a Marine & a Miracle by Major Brian Dennis, Kirby Larson, and Mary Nethery. It's one of the few picture books that have made me cry...in a good way.

Every once in a while a book hits me between the eyes simply because its so real. Do you know what I mean? I'm blown away by the sacrifices made by the signers of the Declaration of Independence AND their wives. What those people gave up for you and me is...well, I'm a writer but words don't do it justice. The picture book about Nubs is another true patriotic story of a marine and a stray dog. It's one of those tear jerker, feel good stories, but I love it because I'm an animal lover and it really happened. Even when it's fiction, I think the story still has to ring true. If it doesn't, the reader loses faith.

Caroline has been into the Wizard of Oz ever since we battled the Swine Flu. Children her age watch the same movies over and over again. I can recite every line from memory. There is one line in the beginning of the film that grates my nerves. While the twister approaches their farm, the farm hands and Uncle Henry scramble to unlock the storm cellar so that they can hide. But Aunt Em stands on the porch and hollers for Dorothy. Do you remember the scene? Anyhow, Aunt Em's tone doesn't match what's happening. She's yelling for Dorothy while the twister destroys the fence in the background. But the way she calls for Dorothy sounds like she's ringing the supper bell. If my daughter, or in this case niece, was missing and there was a tornado at my back door, I would be a little more panicked than good ole' Aunt Em. That one shot blows the entire scene for me. If I were reading the story, I would put the book away. Slam. Bam. No more story. That sounds harsh, doesn't it? But I think we need to think about those little details because they have the power to destroy a good tale.

One of the greatest joys that I experienced while writing Attack at Fleetwood Hill, was inserting truths in and around my characters. I pulled direct dialogue from Private John Opie's diary and weaved it into my story. If you're not a history buff, you would never know it. But I know its there and it makes the story even more real. Good writing is like good acting. If it's not there, the audience will know it. Have you ever read something that made you think it was real?

Historic Virginia, by Emily J. and John S. Salmon. Time Travel Has Never Been This Much Fun

"I know of no way of judging the future but by the past." Patrick Henry, 1736-1799

Along with writing Spanish papers and researching material for my Rhetorical Studies class, I've been digging through old family documents this week. I stumbled upon two DAR membership certificates that I've been hunting for months, as well as a current events study that my grandmother did during 1933. The box has become a drug - there's something about those black & white photos, yellowing papers, and dust. I can't keep my fingers off of them. This second novel is coming together much like my first. I started writing it as a contemporary piece. But every time I get to the end of chapter three, visions of Patrick Henry and the 1774 Continental Congress pop into my head. I can't help it. And I've noticed that when I'm contemplating an idea, signs pop up all around me. Guess what UPS brought me this week? Historic Virginia; Your travel guide to Virginia's fascinating historic sites, by Emily J. and John S. Salmon. Coincidence? I don't think so.

There is no way to include every significant Virginia historical site inside one volume. However, this book is special because it reads like a private tour guide. It's table of contents are broken into categories of interest. For example, there are sections for African-American and Civil Rights sites, art, literature, music, sports, battles, business and commerce, education, cemeteries and famous graves, homes, museums, justice and confinement, infrastructure, museums, natural wonders, politics, religious sites, settlement and exploration, and Virginia Indian sites too. So if you're stuck vacationing with relatives, and Aunt Bernice doesn't enjoy battlefields, tell her to be patient. After you visit Chancellorsville, you can take her to Martinsville Speedway, or better yet, go visit Patsy Cline's grave outside of Winchester, Virginia.

The book includes a regional map as well as an index, and in the back of the book there is a page which groups the sites by region too. Each historical site includes a photo, as well as a small map. But my favorite feature is the fact that the book is so user-friendly. Under each historical site, the authors listed the physical address, the phone number, the website address, and the hours of operation too. This allows visitors to maximize the amount of places they see for their time. I love that!

After I received it, one of the first things that I did was to flip to the index to see if they included the Battle of Brandy Station...and I'm proud to say that they did. The Graffiti House is featured on page 21. If you've never been to the Graffiti House please make plans to see it. They have a wonderful Christmas open house event, and you will not be disappointed! Someday I hope that my novel, Attack at Fleetwood Hill will grace its shelves. But until then, I'll use Salmons' book to plan my next research trip to Patrick Henry's Red Hill Plantation. Time travel has never been so much fun.

Ferradiddledumday by Becky Mushko

Yesterday I received my advance reader copy for Ferradiddledumday An Appalachian Version of Rumpelstiltskin, by Becky Mushko. Even though this is her book, my hands shook when I opened it. For the past two years I've watched her labor over this and it is such a joy to see it come to fruition! It truly is a work of art. The book is categorized under juvenile fiction, but the format makes it suitable for all ages. I really like the layout. The illustrations capture my Kindergartner's attention, and yet the reading level is suitable for my ten-year-old. I love books that are versatile for family reading, and those are hard to come by. The illustrations are phenomenal. Small details such as walking sticks, bare feet, and fiddles pop off the page. To say that Bruce Rae is talented is an understatement, he's more like a magician. He beautifully captures life in the Appalachians, and his art harmonizes with Becky's words. I've read other illustrated juvenile books where the text competes with the illustrations, but Ferradiddledumday is perfectly balanced. The reader is instantly swept into Gillie's world from the beginning with words like,

Indeed, when she took her sheep down the rocky and wooded mountainside to the bottomland pasture, the ticks and chiggers never bit her, the copperheads and rattlesnakes kept themselves hid, and the wild panthers that lurked on the mountain gave her a wide berth. The sun never shone on her too hard and the rain rarely wet her.

Educators will love the fact that the book includes a discussion/study guide. It's divided into four sections, including literature, geography, science and history. The questions are thorough, and thought provoking. Yet the story is so captivating that children will be mesmerized by its poetic tale. Ferradiddledumday is published by Cedar Creek Publishing and will be available in January 2010. Congratulations Becky!

Never Stop Learning...

I don't have to say that writing, parenting, and going back to school is insane...many of you do the same routine. But sometimes it gets down right comical. If I'm not pulling my hair out while trying to make deadlines, I'm laughing about it. This is one of those weeks. The children are still trying to catch up from missing a week of school from the Swine Flu, and I'm having to stay on their backs about it. My Spanish professor decided that memorizing 200 vocabulary words a week isn't enough. So with five weeks left of classes, she introduced a new tense, and I love what it's called...IMPERFECT. For those of you who have never had Spanish, consider yourself blessed. It's not that I don't enjoy learning a foreign language, it's just that grammatically speaking, if English lived in the North Pole, then you'd find Spanish living in Antarctica. Each verb has six conjugations. For example, I said, you said, he/she/it said, we said, and they said. There is also a formal Vosotros conjugation that is used only in Spain. Go figure. Anyhow, in English we use the same verb with each pronoun...but not in Spanish. They have entirely different words. So, I said is Yo Dije, you said Tu Dijiste, He/she/you El/Ella/Ud Dijo, we said Nos Dijimos, they said Ellos/Ellas/Uds. Dijeron. And that's just in the past tense! All the words change again for the present tense and the imperfect tense. The hardest part about this class is the fact that every exam is open book, but the final will be all from memory. In other words, I have no idea as to what will be on the final. God help me! At least my Rhetorical Studies class is fun. If I didn't have at least one class that interests me, I'd be in serious trouble. And yesterday I found out that I will have to take three more math classes and two more science classes. I've reached senior status and I swear I have more credits than someone working toward a doctorate. By the time I graduate, (which keeps growing with each semester) I'll be a walking encyclopedia.
On the positive side, all of these classes provide plenty of writing material. I've met some very interesting characters who are bound to appear in future projects. I've learned the latest trends in toe nail art from the girl who sits next to me in Spanish. I heard all about the U2 concert in Charlottesville because half the kids attended. (I didn't know that U2 was still that popular, I thought that was my age group) I get to hear all about their weekend plans, and who broke up with who, and their greatest fears about graduating...so far it's between having to do their own laundry and getting the cable bill paid on time. Hmmm. Bless their hearts. Life is an education, is it not?

It's a Small World After All

Today was so beautiful and the children played outside all afternoon. That makes for a great writing day! I've been studying Elana Johnson's new book, From the Query to the Call and I highly recommend it. It's so user friendly and I like being able to look up my topic and get the answer quickly. Not only is she a talented writer, but she is wonderful about sharing her knowledge! For instance, I had a question this afternoon concerning how to submit a requested manuscript. Within the hour, Elana emailed me back with the answer. Thank you, Elana! In each section, she includes a highlighted box containing important tips, links and things to remember. For everyone who has completed their novel and is ready to submit, this is a must have book. She goes into great detail concerning how to construct the query letter and how to communicate with interested editors and agents. And she even includes sample queries to study. I'm a visual learner, and I love that part! Be sure and check out her website and her blog, I promise you'll learn something new.

The writing world is actually a small world, and I feel so blessed to have talented colleagues who are willing to share their knowledge with me. I emailed Rachelle Gardner with a CBA question this afternoon and as busy as she is, she emailed me right back. She not only answered my question, but provided me with two more sources as well. The writing world would be clueless without selfless literary agents like Rachelle. I have no idea how she makes time for people like me, but I'm so thankful she does. Thank you, Rachelle! And thank you to all my literary buddies for taking this journey with me.

Nook

I feel disconnected from the blogging world this week - please forgive me! Thank you so much for your kind words and well wishes while my family was so sick. We appreciate you so much!

It's been all I can do to try and keep up. My children have an enormous stack of make-up work from being out with the Swine Flu, and I've been working on a four page Spanish take-home exam, and a paper for my Rhetorical Studies class. Only six more weeks and this semester will be over! In between classes and homework, I've started my online Christmas shopping. In the past few years, I've finished over 75% of my shopping online. It saves so much time and around this time of year, many stores offer free shipping too.

I was doing a bit of shopping at Barnes & Noble when I discovered Nook. For some reason Kindle doesn't attract my attention but this little gadget does. It retails for a whopping $260. Anybody else heard anything about it? I must admit that I'm intrigued. I spend so much time in transit that it would be easy to cart around, wouldn't it? I know what you are thinking - you're thinking, NO! But I don't think these sort of gadgets will ever replace books. On the contrary, I believe that even more people will be reading and publishers will be buying even more manuscripts. Perhaps I'm an optimist, but technology is addicting and technology sells.

Take me, for example. I never thought I'd use an ipod in a million years. I mean after all, I have a perfectly good radio in my car - why would I use that thing? But my father in love gave me a mac-daddy Apple ipod Classic for Christmas last year and I LOVE that thing. It will hold thousands of songs, and I love listening commercial free. I think that the Kindle and the Nook will catch on in the same way. People are always going to curl up with a book. I for one love the feel and the smell of a new book. But the Kindle and the Nook make reading convenient when you're not at home, and anything that boosts our industry is a good thing. And one more thing, it sure would make my back pack lighter! What are your thoughts? Do any of you own or use one of these devices?

Feed Your Creativity

Ahhh...a new day, a new week, and a new month! After Shannon left for work, I took the children to school. By the time I returned home and sat down at my desk it was 8:30. The house was quiet, and for the first time in over two weeks, I was alone. I stared at my Spanish. Then I stared at my computer, but I couldn't focus. I can't remember the last time I got out of the house by myself, so I took the day off. It was wonderful. I drove to the mall and headed straight for Macys. I love walking through the cosmetic department just to smell everything. Call me weird, but I love how the mall smells. When I was seventeen I worked for Leggett, which is now Belk. I have wonderful memories of working at the mall...especially around Christmas time. I love the smell of new clothes, new shoes, pizza, coffee, and leather.

My grandfather used to own a formal wear shop in the mall in Fayetteville, North Carolina. When I was little, he'd take me to work with him. He had one of those antique cash registers that you had to wind up to get the drawer to open. There was a tobacco shop several stores down, and he'd take me in there when he ran out of cigarettes. I still remember the large wooden Indian Chief that stood outside the door. It was painted in deep red, navy, and brown. I suppose that would be considered politically incorrect these days. But I thought it was the coolest thing when I was little. And I suppose no one would take a child into a tobacco store either. Can you imagine if he did that today - the nasty looks people would give him? Funny, I never thought about it. Pipes and cigarettes were just part of him. Actually, it was cigarettes, coffee and fine clothes. Nobody could dress like my BigDaddy - and he always smelled wonderful. Bless his heart, - he and my grandmother both dressed to the nines until the day they died.

This time of year I always think about him. He died on October 30, 1998. I was pregnant with my son, but I didn't know it. I've often thought about how he would have loved my Ben. He's been gone for eleven years, but he will forever live in my heart. My point in sharing all of this is that sometimes it's good to take some time off. We need to refuel, feed our senses, and spark creativity. We're entering the nuttiest time of year, where everybody is running in a zillion different directions. But I think it's healthy to take a breather, gather our thoughts and experience the moment before we try to get it down on paper. If you're feeling a little burned out with blogging, writing, and querying...take a break. Better yet, I'll meet you at the mall.