Merry Christmas!

New Hope and Positive Changes

It has been a year of great challenges, with man-made tragedies, natural disasters and economic hardships. We struggle with how to get into the holiday spirit when so many have suffered such great losses. However, this is the perfect time to make a positive difference. Please stop by New Stories, Old Book to share in the discussion as I reflect on Charles Dicken's A Christmas Carol. Happy Holidays!

http://newstoriesoldbook.wordpress.com/2012/12/21/time-to-make-a-positive-difference/#more-251

Christmas Gifts Through Fiction

It is the season where everyone is frantically searching for that perfect gift to give at Christmas. Check out my latest post at New Stories, Old Blog that discusses where you might see Christmas gifts being given in literary fiction
http://newstoriesoldbook.wordpress.com/2012/12/14/171/

Service and Sacrifice

Stop by our blog New Stories, Old Book to see my latest post. I would love to hear your thoughts and discussions about sacrifice and service in relation to today's fiction. http://newstoriesoldbook.wordpress.com/2012/12/07/its-a-wonderful-life/#more-136

Congratulations to the Winners of our Launch

The winners of the three Amazon Gift Cards have been announced! Yay! Time for some shopping. Congratulations to all and Thank you to everyone who helped us to make the launch so successful :-)
http://newstoriesoldbook.wordpress.com

Feeling Nostalgic

I love this post on New Stories, Old Book blog about the nostalgia of fairy tales and biblical fanfic. A simple name or line from a story came prompt so many memories, taking you back to when and where you first heard it or even who you were with or what you were wearing. It's always fun to take a trip down memory lane, even sometimes when the memories are painful, as every experience good or bad molds you into the person that you are today. Let's stroll, shall we?
http://newstoriesoldbook.wordpress.com/2012/12/04/shrek-connecting-the-familiar-to-new-characters/#more-98

Jinx on New Stories, Old Book Blog

Don't forget to stop by the launch of our new blog New Stories, Old Book. There are plenty of ways to win a chance for three Amazon gift cards. I am excited to hear your thoughts! http://newstoriesoldbook.wordpress.com/2012/12/01/jinx/

Biblical FanFic Blog Launch

Michelle L. Johnson, Nola Sarina and I have joined forces to create a highly anticipated new blog entitled, New Stories, Old Book. We would like to invite you to join us as we embark on the journey of uniting authors and readers who enjoy Biblical influence in fiction. The blog officially launches on Saturday, Dec. 1st. We will be posting throughout the weekend to celebrate the opening of the New Stories, Old Book blog and kicking it off with prizes! 

We will be giving away three $20 Amazon gift cards. All you have to do to be entered in the giveaway is:

Like this page for one entry

Follow the blog at http://newstoriesoldbook.wordpress.com/ for TWO entries

Stalk us on Twitter @BiblicalFanFic for one entry

At the end of Sunday, 11:59 pm EST, entries will close and all entries will be put into a hat and three winners drawn.

We have a fantastic lineup of blog posts planned for the weekend of the launch as well as really exciting future events and features. Join us for the launch and meet three authors incorporating Biblical elements into several styles of fiction! This Facebook page and our Twitter @BiblicalFanFic will be updated throughout the launch, so stay tuned.

Looking forward to seeing you there!

Have a wonderful day!

Blog Interview with Fiona McLaren at The YA Bookcase

I was given an opportunity to do an interview with the amazingly talented Fiona McLaren. Please check it out! The YA Bookcase: Agent Most Awesome - Jamie Bodnar Drowley: So, this is one of the things I know all you writerly types out there are itching to get your little mittens on – Agent Interview details. ...

Jen Malone Writes: Query and First Ten Page Critique From Agent Jamie...

Jen Malone Writes: Query and First Ten Page Critique From Agent Jamie...: Thank you for supporting the Red Cross relief effort to aid those affected by Hurricane Sandy.  Various services have been donated b...

Getting an agent :-)

Great description of what it truly feels like when you get an agent!
The YA Bookcase: Halloween Agent Surprise!: Well, it's finally happened and the timing couldn't be better!  It is Halloween, my all-time favourite holiday of the year (I mean, it's ...

Congratulations Jenny and Kelley!

     I am so happy to announce the signing of our new clients, Jenny Morris and Kelley Lynn. These talented women wrote a YA contemporary novel, Already There, and I could not begin to sing its praises. They did an extraordinary job capturing the YA voice in their manuscript and I have to tell you that I was laughing aloud, crying, and cheering for the relationships the main characters built throughout their novel.

     I am so excited to represent Jenny and Kelley and look forward to a long and lasting relationship as their agent. Congratulations and thank you for allowing me the opportunity to join you on this journey!

More Great News!

     The good news just keeps flowing. I feel like I need to pinch myself. Marisa and I just signed a new client Jessica Fleck Smith to represent her New Adult Paranormal Novel. This has been a dream come true.  In just one weeks time I have been able to experience both sides of this amazing industry as both author and agent. I was walking around with a huge smile on my face after signing my contract for representation, but I have to tell you, my smile is just as bright this week after signing my client. Making the phone call was so much fun. It kind of makes you feel a little bit like Santa Clause. Marisa and I didn't want to ruin the surprise, so it went something like this, "Hi Jessica, let me know when you get a second to chat, I have a question about your word count" :-)  But when we got the her on the phone and offered representation, I could not stop the goosebumps and butterflies, especially when she accepted! I am so happy for you Jessica. You are such a talented author and I am looking forward to being on this journey with you.

It's Official!

     It official!!!!! I have signed with literary agent Michelle Johnson for representation of Unspoken. She is an amazing agent, person, and friend. I am in the best hands that anyone could ever wish for. Thank you Michelle for believing in us!

     I can't begin to describe the emotions and feelings that I experienced when Michelle made the offer and I signed the contract. Unspoken started off as a hobby then very quickly became a labor of love and great passion. When I say representing "US", I am referring to my manuscript and me. Unspoken is not just a manuscript, she is so much more. (Yes, it’s a girl!) I have spent many endless hours with her. I have laughed, cried, found comfort, gotten angry, become protective, and loved the words that have made their imprint on the pages. I am so appreciative of the many friends, family, and wonderful people that have offered encouragement and advice through this process. I am so excited to see what the future will bring for us.  

Looking for Feathers

            Writing a book had always been a dream of mine but my pursuit of a vocation had led me in a very different direction. Yet, I always wondered if writing a novel was a dream that would never come to fruition. Finally, after exhausting all my excuses, I sat down and began writing. I had forgotten how natural writing felt and how enjoyable it was for me. I had always loved writing when I was younger and even in my early years of college, I guess that was before my creative writing had to become more scientific and evidence based. Now in between being a wife, a mom, and an orthodontist, I really looked forward to my writing time. However, as much as I enjoyed writing it was also very consuming. I often wondered if I should continue to devote my time to this project. Doubts would creep in such as; was I the only one who thought that it was worth anything, was it a good story, and was I on the right track with my characters and plot? Around this time, I read an article about intuition and being open to receiving signs. I was back to the “believe, ask, and receive” advice. I was having “writer’s block” and nothing was working for me that day so I decided to stop writing and go for a drive. I was living in Colorado at the time and as I was in my car, I said out loud, “Please, I wish someone would give me a sign that I am not wasting my time” and in that exact moment, honestly that exact moment, a feather floated in front of me and landed on my sleeve. I didn’t think too much about it until I looked up and saw a sign that had the word “ANGEL” on it. Let me remind you that my novel is a coming of age young adult novel about angels. My heart raced a little and even if that was a coincidence, it had at least made me feel better and more encouraged, which is exactly what I needed to continue writing. Since that day, when I have doubts or on days when I need a pick me up, I seem to have feathers that fall to me for encouragement. I have had them show up in yoga studios, walking down a street, in my office, just about anywhere and everywhere. A group of friends and I went to see a well-known medium for fun one day and during the group reading, she pointed to me and said, “You can’t see it but a feather just came past my face and landed on you.” There was no way that she could have known about my feathers and my friends and I couldn’t help but laugh since it was not surprising to any of us. So how could this experience relate to you? Open your eyes, be receptive to signs, strive to reach new goals, keep reinventing yourself, believe that you can, and most importantly never stop looking for your feathers, whatever they might be.

Work in Progress

     Americans spend billions a year on self-improvement. Is this because we’re trying to better ourselves or are there deeper lying issues and we’re searching for answers to why we’re not happy with ourselves? Perhaps, it may be combination of both. It’s cliché to say “life is short”, “you only live once”, or “take time to smell the roses”, but if you think about it, each of these statements resonates with us. Everyone has goals we’d like to accomplish, so what has prevented us from accomplishing them? If we were to take an assessment of ourselves, the majority of the reasons would be excuses. This is why I say to you “now is the time to stop wishing, and start believing.”

     I’d like to share my own experience about a personal goal that sat dormant on the bucket list for sometime. “Run a marathon.” Is it easy to understand why that one sat there for so long? I had tried to accomplish this goal in the past but I never saw it through. From this experience let me offer the most important piece of advice I can. Close your life off to negativity. Don’t let someone say to you that you “can’t do something”, that “it’s a ridiculous idea”, or you’ll indeed fail before you begin…and yes this means ignoring the little voice inside your head telling you that others are right and you can’t do it…because you can. What were my excuses preventing me from my goal? Work schedules, family schedules, injuries, self-doubt, other people’s doubt, and many other excuses to justify why I couldn’t do this. Notice I said excuses, because that is what they were. Finally last year I said, “forget it” enough with the “I can’t do it’s” and the “maybe next year’s” and I went for it. I won’t lie, it wasn’t easy, training was hard, injuries were abundant, babysitting bills added up, and I was tired, but when that gun went off, I was so proud to be at the starting line, and even more proud to cross the finish and it was all worth it. I can’t explain the sense of pride and accomplishment I had when I completed that goal. No self-help book, no perfectly placed highlights, not even a new designer bag would allow me to feel the way I felt in that moment. I beat the odds, I felt amazing, and not even the five-mile walk back to my hotel in the freezing rain, could bring me down. 

     You might wonder, OK but did that happy feeling last? Yes, everyday. I have my medal in a shadow box and I smile every single time I see it. My advice to you is to surround yourself with things that encourage you to set new goals, and things that make you happy. You hold the answer to your own self-improvement, you’re only as happy as you decide to be, and remember we’re all works in progress.