Sharon Ricklin's Blog, page 3

I know it is quite unusual for me to post two blogs in one month, especially with all the publishing, editing, promoting, advertising, marketing, etc. going on...but, I just had to share this video with all of you.  (especially those of you who don't follow me on facebook, twitter or google+)  And now that I'm thinking about it, why aren't you?

My darling, awesome, super-talented granddaughter, Rachael helped me with the video.  She worked until 2 a.m. last night (Aww, come-on, I let her have a few breaks) and besides, she is over 18 now...

Me and Rach - Fall 2012

But I digress...Rachael is a writer - you can read about her here: My Post of Rachael

If you'd like to follow her blog, it's here: Rachael's blog   
      OR
LIKE her writer's page here: Rachael's Writer's Page

The reason I've posted her links for you is since she is so super-awesome at making these videos, perhaps some of you may wish to contact her to make a video for you! Trust me, she's a perfectionist too.  Each time I thought my video was good/done, she did more tweaking to make it even better!  
After you watch this video, try and tell me I'm wrong...




See what I mean?  And this is just the tip of the iceberg...she writes -(stories and songs)  she draws, she reads voraciously, she's taught herself to play the piano, and is learning (self-taught) how to play the guitar now- AND she's been accepted to all the Universities that she applied to!! (She'll be going to the University of Wisconsin, Whitewater in fall.)

Thanks again, my beautiful Rachael.  This Grandma is so very proud of you! ♥  

So, what did you think of the video?


Thanks for reading/watching

Some of you may know the story about how Ravenswynd Legends was born, but I thought I'd share it with those of you who don't.

It all started with a dream...



I had a vivid dream about being bit by a vampire.  Never before had I ever even dreamed about vampires.  (parts of this dream ended up in chapter 13 and 14...)

In the dream there was a fight scene, not as vivid as being bitten, but it also ended up in the book in chapter 15.

                                                                                     


After I had written quite a few chapters, it occurred to me that I had to add a scene that actually happened to me one day at a Mall.  Of course I changed it to fit the characters, but the man was real. His hair was really long, he had a long trench coat on, and I never did see his face.  You can read that scene in my Excerpt page if you like.





And the rest is history...If you'd like to read the paperback edition, here's the link to my book
Or your choice of paperback or Kindle here: Amazon
On Amazon you can "look inside" to read some sample chapters if you like.  Have fun!
If you do read the book, please be sure to leave a review for me! 



Have a great week!

Ravenswynd Legends is available!




I am very happy with the way the paperback turned out, but a bit confused with the way it uploaded on Amazon's KDP site.  If you order a Kindle version, you'll see what I mean.
My table of contents is not right...and there is NO way to fix it.  It looks fantastic on my word document and on the online CreateSpace document checker, and the paperback proof is perfect.
But when you open the Kindle version, there are lines dividing the chapters, but only about 3/4 of the way down, and then the lines end and the numbers stop lining up...ACK.

I thought about trying to fix this issue, but since I don't even have any lines showing on my document, how the heck would I?

If anyone out there knows a fix for this, please let me now...I'm already getting book two ready for publication!  (My artist is working on the cover) yay!

If you're interested...you can order the paperback edition Here:
Ravenswynd Legends on CreateSpace


Or Paperback OR Kindle edition) Here: Ravenswyn Legends on Amazon

Exciting times!

Thanks for all your support and encouragement.

I have some super-awesome-great news!  I finally found the name of the artist who has inspired me for years!  Apparently, way back when I had first found the "picture" of my main male character, someone else had posted/used it with no connection whatsoever to the actual artist. (tisk-tisk) I had no clue how to go about finding the artist back then, and to be honest, didn't give it much thought...until...
I started researching all the ins and outs of self-publishing - and while reading about creating a book cover, I realized there would be absolutely NO other cover art I could ever imagine using, other than (my) cherished picture. I knew I couldn't use the artwork without permission, so I decided I had start looking for the artist.  All I can say is: 

I love Google!

Lo and behold!  I found my artist yesterday, and not only is she amazing, the picture I have Loved for a few years now was still available for my book cover!  Here is her original artwork:  




The original art only needed a bit of fixing...come on, everyone knows that vampires don't wear crosses, so she changed it to a black medallion (which is in my book), and since the "man" looked a little too young, she added a bit of scruffiness to his face.  My artist, Amela had it done within a very short time and sent me this sample last night:  





Pretty awesome, right?  Don't you Love it too?
If you follow me on Face-Book, Google+ or Twitter, you may have already seen the picture.  Can you tell how excited I am?  YAY!  Now I can get to business and get my book ready for print!

Thanks again, Amela!  I Love your art, and definitely plan to use your artwork for my next project!!  I've already got my eye on several pictures!

Here is the link to my wonderful artist! (Notice how I keep saying she is MY artist? Hope she doesn't mind, but I Love her!)

https://www.facebook.com/pages/Madhoshi-Art-by-Amela-B/179124268637?ref=stream


And here is the link to her deviant-Art website: http://iimadhoshiii.deviantart.com/

Trust me, you will not be disappointed!



Thanks for reading!

I'm sitting here on
Trying to decide what to do next...


I got a rejection from Avon Impulse on Wednesday... Of course, it was a form letter, like all the rest.  I'm sad, but still not giving up...See my previous post here:
http://color-me-read.blogspot.com/2012_10_01_archive.html




If you've ever seen a form rejection, you know exactly what I mean...Here are a few examples of the ones I've received so far...

Dear Writer
Thank you for the opportunity to consider your work. Unfortunately, your story idea is not right for us at this time. We apologize for the form letter, but with the number of submissions we receive, it's not possible to give a personal response in every case.
But thank you again for your interest in [*****]; we wish you success in finding a home for your work.
The Editors
+++++++++++++


Dear Sharon,Thank you for sharing your work with me. Though this is not quiteright for us, please keep in mind that this is one opinion in a verysubjective business--and another agent is likely to feel differently.
Best of luck with this and future projects.

{*****}
+++++++++++++

Dear Sharon,
Thank you so much for querying us with your project.  Unfortunately, we did not feel it was the right fit for our agency.  While we are unable to comment personally on every query, please know we did give your work our full consideration.  Thanks for thinking of [*****] Agency and we wish you nothing but the best in your writing career.
Sincerely,

{****}
+++++++++++++

Dear Ms. Jones,
Thank you so much for your query. Unfortunately, however, this projectdoesn’t sound right for me. I encourage you to continue to submitelsewhere, and I wish you every success in your writing career. Thanksagain for thinking of me.
Cordially,
{******}


+++++++++++++


I started researching a few self-publishing sites this week.  And I asked a few questions of my writer friends on facebook who already are self-publishers.  I'm thinking of sending my novel to CreatSpace, which is an affiliate of Amazon that has "tools and services that help you complete your book and make it available to millions of potential readers."


                                                        https://www.createspace.com/

There are free publishing resources, and there are things you can pay for, such as editing, copy-editing, formatting for e-books, printing, designing covers, and marketing. (The prices range from $248.00 to $4634.00)

Within the "free resources" there are articles on "creating, formatting, and marketing."  It seems to be user friendly...but I still have not made up my mind.

Another option is to use Amazon's Kindle Direct Publishing, also know as KDP.


https://kdp.amazon.com/self-publishing/signin
There is some formatting you must do in order to upload your work, but it also seems pretty easy.  
Decisions - decisions...
I think the most daunting part would be all the self-promotion that has to be done...and that would take away from the writing time...
Tell me what you think...

Cliché    Merriam Webster’s Definition of CLICHÉ1: a trite phrase or expression; also : the idea expressed by it2: a hackneyed theme, characterization, or situation3: something (as a menu item) that has become overly familiar or commonplace


WIKIPEDIA
A cliché or cliche (UK /ˈkliːʃeɪ/ or US /klɪˈʃeɪ/) is an expression, idea, or element of an artistic work which has been overused to the point of losing its original meaning or effect, especially when at some earlier time it was considered meaningful or novel. In phraseology, the term has taken on a more technical meaning, referring to any expression imposed by conventionalized linguistic usage. The term is frequently used in modern culture for an action or idea which is expected or predictable, based on a prior event. Typically a pejorative, "clichés" are not always false or inaccurate; a cliché may or may not be true.[1] Some are stereotypes, but some are simply truisms and facts.[2] Clichés are often employed for comic effect, typically in fiction.Most phrases now considered clichéd were originally regarded as striking, but lost their force through overuse.[3] In this connection, David Mason and John Frederick Nims cite a particularly harsh judgement by Salvador Dalí: "The first man to compare the cheeks of a young woman to a rose was obviously a poet; the first to repeat it was possibly an idiot."[4] Ironically, in making this statement, Dalí was appropriating the words of French poet Gérard de Nerval: "The first man who compared woman to a rose was a poet, the second, an imbecile."[5]A cliché is often a vivid depiction of an abstraction that relies upon analogy or exaggeration for effect, often drawn from everyday experience. Used sparingly, they may succeed. However, cliché in writing or speech is generally considered a mark of inexperience or unoriginality.
  http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Clich%C3%A9   


I thought this was quite interesting:
                                                  



In writing we are told to 


  In order to do this you must:



Perhaps you think this is difficult, but








And before you know it, it will be





Speaking of pie, are you all ready for Thanksgiving?  Me neither...
So, go bake some pies and have a great holiday! 

PS. Here are the top 12 clichés that need to be permanently retired (according to the Writer's Digest team of editors) 
1. Avoid it like the plague
2. Dead as a doornail
3. Take the tiger by the tail
4. Low hanging fruit
5. If only walls could talk
6. The pot calling the kettle black
7. Think outside the box
8. Thick as thieves
9. But at the end of the day
10. Plenty of fish in the sea
11. Every dog has its day
12. Like a kid in a candy store
http://www.writersdigest.com/online-editor/12-cliches-all-writers-should-avoid
(Great blog for writers, by the way...check them out!)

PPS. I found a few (odd) clichés I've never seen before! (Does this mean we can use them?)
1. Well, pinch my toes and call me a jelly doughnut
2. Feel like I've been to two county fairs and a goat whoopin
3. He's so bucktoothed he could bite a pumpkin through a picket fence
4. If dumb were dirt, he would be about an acre
5. Two hairs past the freckle, eastern elbow time


Please feel free to post any odd/strange/unheard of cliches you've seen or heard!


Happy Writing,

I've been tagged with an award!  First I must link back to Kathleen, then answer some questions, and tag more people/blogs.  Here we go!

WOW!  AN AWARD!                                        Thank you, Kathleen Doyle ( http://writingreadingandlife.wordpress.com/ ) for thinking of me! 

I think I will answer her questions with photos! (pretty funny, huh - seeing as I love to write so much?!)  


1. What is your favorite Christmas/festive movie?  
     

I Love both of these movies.


2. What is your favorite flower?

Lavender     
3. What is your favorite non-alcoholic beverage? 


Hazelnut-Cream Coffee
4. What is your passion?
Writing
       5. What is your favorite time of year?   

Autumn is gorgeous!


6. What is your favorite time of day?
   
   
   


7. What is your favorite physical activity?
       Does typing count?
   
If I lived near the ocean, I'd do this every day!
Really!   


8. What is your favorite vacation?
      It's a toss up between my Arizona trips (the Grand Canyon is awesome) & San Diego

The Pacific Ocean in San Diego, CA                                                     


9. And now I am supposed to nominate Ten other people (blogs) for this award:

     Stephanie Poscente

     Vampire Maman

     Gina McKnight

     Dixon Rice

     Rachael Soderstrom

     Dean Pace Frech

     Jamie Raintree

     Birds Eye View

     Brenda Giguere

     Roz and Patty Write

   

On another note:  I'm still waiting for Avon Publishing to get back to me...and if they send me a rejection letter, I'm still not giving up!

 
 Have a great week.
 
 

   Check out my Writer's page.  Here's the link:
  https://www.facebook.com/pages/Sharon-Jones-Writer/185943308108341

Have you ever felt overwhelmed by the enormity of things around you?



Millions of stars...

The Earth and Moon from Mercury



            Millions of books...







I still get that sinking feeling every time I walk into a big bookstore...It's a tad overwhelming to think that out of all the millions of books, anyone would want to read mine.  And as I continue to send out query letters to agents, and get nothing back but form rejection letters, it only gets worse. 


BUT 
You have to try to overcome the giant obstacles...


                                                                               AND



 THESE FAMOUS WRITERS DID NOT GIVE UP
Madeline L’Engle’s book, A Wrinkle in Time, was turned down 29 times before she found a publisher.C.S. Lewis received over 800 rejections before he sold a single piece of writing.Margaret Mitchell’s Gone With the Wind was rejected by 25 publishers.Zen and the Art of Motorcycle Maintenance was rejected 121 times.Johathan Livingston Seagull was rejected 40times.Louis L’Amour was rejected over 200 times before he sold any of his writing.The San Francisco Examiner turned down Rudyard Kipling’s submission in 1889 with the note, “I am sorry, Mr. Kipling, but you just do not know how to use the English language.”An editor once told F. Scott Fitzgerald, “You’d have a decent book if you’d get rid of that Gatsby Character.”The Dr. Seuss book, And to Think I Saw it on Mulberry Street, was rejected for being “too different from other juveniles on the market to warrant selling.”George Orwell’s Animal Farm was rejected with the comment, “It’s impossible to sell animal stories in the USA.The manuscript for The Diary of Anne Frank received the editorial comment, “This girl doesn’t, it seems to me, have a special perception or feeling which would lift that book above the curiosity level.”







AND FURTHERMORE


THEREFORE





SO







Have a great week ,

I am honored to have been given this award by Dean Pace-Frech of: http://deanpacefrech.blogspot.com/
As the recipient of this award I have three responsibilities:
1. Share the link of the person who gave me this award...Thanks Dean!  (link above)
2. Nominate 15 more lovely blogs for the same honor...(see below)
3. Share 7 things about myself (see below the list of blogs)
* * * * * * *
My award nominees (in no particular order) are:

Stephanie Poscente http://sbposcente.blogspot.com/
Dixon Ricehttp://wredhead.blogspot.com/
Ellis Vidlerhttp://theunpredictablemuse.blogspot.com/
Angela Ackerman and Becca Puglisihttp://thebookshelfmuse.blogspot.com/
Elizabeth Spann Craighttp://mysterywritingismurder.blogspot.com/
Lisa McFerren (my super-awesome-beta reader!)http://lhmthoughts.blogspot.com/
Brenda Giguerehttp://brendagiguere.blogspot.com/
Gina McKnighthttp://ginamc.blogspot.com/
Jessica Knausshttp://jessicaknauss.blogspot.com/
Jen Wyliehttp://jlwylie.wordpress.com/
Tymothy Longoriahttp://tymothylongoria.wordpress.com/
Sean Haydenhttp://shaydenfl.wordpress.com/
Jessica McHughhttp://mcnito.blogspot.com/
Pamela Masonhttp://writermason.com/
Marla Toddhttp://vampiremaman.wordpress.com/


* * * * * * *
And finally, seven things about myself:
1. I am currently sending out query letters for my novel, Ravenswynd - Legends, which is book  one in a series of four.  I am nearly finished with book four.  
2. I am also writing a time-travel book.
3. I just joined Romance Writer's of America.
4. I live in the town of Waupun, which is in Wisconsin. 
5. Some of my favorite tv shows include: The Good Wife, Awake, Missing, Fringe, Ringer, Once Upon a Time, Smash, The Walking Dead, and Doctor Who (Thank God for DVR and Netflix)
6. I am not a vegetarian. :P
7. I would Love to live somewhere with an ocean view and no more winters.
Thanks again for this award, Dean.  And congrats to my nominees!

The Title to the Blog must be sung to the tune of "It's my party and I'll Cry if I Want To" by Leslie Gore.

If you're not familiar with it, here it is:


Is it okay to rant on your own blog?  Well, I am anyway.  I'm usually not one to complain...(at least not online) but I can't take it any more.  Even though I hate moving...(and yes, I've got tons of experience packing and unpacking since I've moved more times than I can count since DH went back to school in 95)  I am SO ready to start packing again...

I miss my house in Eagle more than any of the other places we ever lived.
These views are from my living room window...my favorite view.

Winter:

 Spring:

Summer: 
Fall:

I never had that closed-in feeling while living there...our house sat about 3 blocks off the road. 


 It was always quiet unless DH was cutting the grass or plowing a field.  Cows mooing...leaves rustling, kids giggling, birds tweeting...
I think we had thirteen windows on the main floor - here I have three.
No one lived above us - here we have loud people.

I hear doors slamming, toilets flushing (more than is necessary - ocd?)
Footsteps stomping up and down the stairs.
Video games with guns and bombs going off (base up loud) as late as 11pm.
Did I mention toilets flushing (sometimes up to 5 time in a row) oy

I miss having my own house...just sayin.


Have a great (quiet) week!