Rinda Elliott's Blog, page 23

So… I've been putting off getting a sore tooth repaired and it turns out that was probably causing a lot of my problems. So, after weeks of illness, then tons of antibiotics, then other antibiotics after being allergic to first… you get the drift. Life has kind of sucked a bit.

But tomorrow is root canal day and then no more abscessed tooth and maybe I can get this blog going a bit more.

I will be blogging tomorrow at The Deadline Dames–provided I get it written today. Doubt I'll want to do anything after my dentist trip.

I've really been neglecting my blog and I want to apologize. I do check stats and see a lot of my regular visitors still hanging with me, so I wanted to be honest.  I don't normally talk about personal stuff, but I've been a little under the weather. That and trying to keep up with a few writing and family obligations. Hang with me. I will be back on point soon.

So excited! My critique partner, Rachel Vincent and my friend and fellow Deadline Dame, Keri Arthur, both (Also both NYT bestselling authors!) have new releases today!

Dame Jackie wrote up a fabulous post about all their books available with a rundown on series. Check it out! Follow the DAME!

I'm working on an R&R for Foretold, the first in my Norse YA trilogy. And because I feel like I'm seriously neglecting readers here, I'm going to share another snippet of the dystopian YA I plan to rewrite as soon as this is done and off. I REALLY love Rae and the others in this book and I'm missing them. Plus, it's been enough time since the first draft was completed. So ready to rumble!

Hope this bit of Unnatural Selection to tides you over while I dive back into deep rewrites.

Three Intellective helicopters roved the sky like vultures that night. The air came cool and salty off the ocean and I huddled in the shadows of my tenement rooftop, opening my mouth to savor the salty bite on my tongue.

Wished we'd had salt for tonight's fish. I was so sick of bland fish.

Pickings were slim until the Intellective opened the next warehouse section for scavenging and it had been a while since I could afford salt, fruit or even a new pair of shoes for my brother, Neal. Kid was growing like the yeast in our starter. We had the basics when it came to food thanks to shared rooftop farms, but everything else —clothes, books or anything new brought in by the boats—all of it cost money.

Now that our parents were missing, my sister, Jessie, and Neal had only me to provide for them.

I curled my sore hands into fists. I'd planned to join the Engineering Sector like my father, had planned to earn decent money. Though Mom had trained me to be a Runner and to be ready for anything—even the Warehouse Sector—she'd made sure I had schooling and lots of books. Both my parents believed knowledge equaled power.

But all those plans were useless now. Without Dad to train me, I could only work in the worst part of Scrap City to earn enough to keep us going. Barely.

When the copter moved away, I crept to the edge of the roof and lifted the binoculars so I could watch the boats. I'd found this pair in the Warehouse District and was technically not supposed to have them. But they were small and I could hide them in the pockets of my baggy pants.

A light on the top of one boat blinked on and off three times. Explorers and food seekers rode out on the boats, or so we were told in the news vids. The scrape of unease that raised the hairs on my arms told me something else. Why did so many leave in the dark if these were innocent exploration trips? 

I scurried back into the shadows as another copter approached. The spotlight swept the roof. We weren't supposed to break curfew—not even on the roofs of our own tenement houses. Once the metal bird passed, I crept into the roof garden, spotting new, ripe tomatoes. Though we had rules about divvying up food equally to the entire building, I couldn't resist. Wrapping my fingers around a still-warm-from-the-sun tomato, I plucked it from the vine and held it to my nose. When I bit into it, the juice stung the cuts on my hand and my dehydrated lips. I eyed the water tanks. We needed rain. Badly. 

"Guess it's good I'm the one who came out."

I jumped and hurriedly swallowed, cradling the tomato protectively so I didn't drop it. "Jessie! Don't creep up on me."

"You'll have to stop sneaking out here."  She knelt next to me in the dirt and looked out to the water as the lights on the boat were starting to fade. "Be glad Mr. Sans didn't catch you filching that tomato." She sighed, turned back on me. "I can't stay long. Don't want to leave Neal alone."

"I meant to kiss him goodnight."

"You still can. He won't sleep until you do anyway."  She dug her fingers into the dirt.  "Still think something beastly is going on with the boats?"

Jessie had inherited our mother's good looks, but unfortunately, not her distrust of the Intellective, Scrap City's poor excuse for a government. It ruled, all nestled in on Mount High, away from The Salvager's fumes, away from the filth of our city. Jessie didn't share my bad feelings; she trusted the Intellective to keep us safe.

Trust didn't come so easily to me.

As you have probably guessed, I no longer use this as a daily blog. I'm not getting rid of my website, but don't see a reason to bore anyone with the humdrum stuff happening while I work on rewrites and other projects.

I had finished my dystopian YA, but I'm not happy with it and it will require a major overhaul. I know how to fix it, though, and that's good. I'm still working on an R&R for FORETOLD, but I'm honestly doing that when I'm not working on some projects that have a little more of a chance. I've had some difficult luck in finding a job, so I've been focusing on doing what I can as a writer. But this takes time because there is still waiting involved. I may end up self-publishing a few things.

Oh, and it's possible there may be a little interest in the very book that first caught my agent's attention–DWELLER ON THE THRESHOLD. I can't even begin to say how much I'm hoping on that one. Cross your fingers!

So, I'll still be updating when I have updates, still be sharing books I'm excited about and of course, plopping good music in here whenever the urge hits.

I blogged about my hobbies today at The Deadline Dames. We're doing a series called Dames at Play, sharing what we do when we're not writing. Follow the Dame!

My daughter is starting college classes today. The family walked the campus with her last Saturday and she was this cute, redheaded bundle of excitement and nerves. And at one point, when we were walking upstairs, I looked at her and had this flashback of her at two years-old; sitting in a car seat between us in the front of the pick-up we drove then. She liked the little, plastic dolls that came in McDonald's Happy Meals—called them dawbies—and she'd have one clutched in each hand. (Her favorite had little hearts and stars in the feet that worked as hole punches.) When a rock song came on, her blonde curls bounced all over the place as she head banged in that car seat.

It's hard to explain the feelings that come over you when you have that sort of vivid flashback at such a time. You're watching this grown-up who just yesterday was a little girl who cuddled in your lap and sucked her thumb to calm herself down. Emotions tangle inside. Faint sadness for the baby years that are long gone, excitement for her and the life she's getting ready to lead…pride and so much love, it replaces all the air in your lungs.

Life moves, shifts, and before you know it, the next part is here. Enjoy it.

Alex and Me

I am so guilty of slacking here. Sorry! Seriously, I have so much going on right now, blogging is sort of last on my list. With back to school and a few changes to the hubby's business, I've been busy. But I'm also writing lots of new stuff and rearranging lots of old stuff.

So… while I'm still playing catch up, here's a glimpse of a CD I'm currently obssessively listening to because it makes great, moody background music for writing.

nearLY (solo project of former NIN drummer, Jerome Dillon)

 

Here are two with the beautiful vocals of Claudia Sarne.

It's my turn today and I was feeling a little nostalgic and rambly this morning, so I shared. Hope you enjoy Humor, Whimsy and Motivation.

http://www.deadlinedames.com/?p=7537

R & Rs are Revise and Resubmit requests. Basically, if an editor sees something they like in your work, but feel it still needs tweaking, sometimes they put together a revision letter to see if an author would be interested in revising and submitting the manuscript back.

The other day, I asked on Twitter how many authors have received these and wow, there were so many! It's not something we really talk about publicly because well, it is embarrassing when you do the revisions and you still don't get the book deal.

But then, is it really?

There are so many reasons why a book deal isn't offered. It's possible one editor loves it and can't get it through acquisitions. It's possible the publisher just bought a similar premise through another editor. Many, many reasons.

But each time an author gets an R&R, he or she has to decide whether to take it on. Sometimes, the revisions can be pretty intense. If you have an agent, it's best to talk it over with them because they can usually recommend a go if they believe it's worth the time.

Have I received these? Yes. In fact, I did one that I was sure would end up a sale. It didn't, but I did take the revised book back out. I'm currently doing an R&R for another publisher. Is there a guarantee this will get the book deal? No. But I honestly looked over the very detailed notes and agreed with most of her requests. To give you an idea, she wasn't sure about the prologue. Honestly, neither was I. I added that in at another editor's request. Now, maybe I didn't carry it off as well as I'd hoped, but that particular part of the book never seemed to fit the rest. So, it was easy to cut.

So, I've been a busy, busy writer. I'm revising the book and it's intense. Taking your manuscript apart, cutting, adding… sometimes it can make you feel like this…

I don't know that this will work for the publisher, but hey, I'll get a stronger book out of this if not. I also have other work under consideration and might possibly take on a few rewrites for those…

So, while this blog sometimes gets a little quiet, things are flying behind the scenes.