Recently I have been reading a bunch of YA literature. As with the rest of the writing world, paranormal romance has exploded.

I have been both pleasantly surprised and severely disappointed with some of the literature I’ve run across. I’ve also decided that it might be easy to break into the YA market.

At the end of the year I will post a list of all the books I’ve read in the past year, the number is rising pretty high! This is the first year that I’ve recorded my reading. So, I have no basis for comparison, but it seems like I’ve been reading more than usual.

Anyway, if you’re interested in what I’ve been reading, stay tuned as the list will show up in just a few weeks now.

XOXO

Me

The publishing contracts have arrived and will be signed and mailed back today! Hooray for my novel. Look for more news on the novel release in the near future!

How is everyone else?

I hope you’ve continued checking up on the blog even though I have not been posting as often as I would like. I have been teaching two college English courses on ground and training to teach online. It has taken up most of my time!

I would like to let you know that my novella has been accepted for publication with Champagne books and that I am having a short play about Medusa published with Fickle Muses. I will keep everyone updated on both projects!

Hooray.

I’ve come up with 14 prompts and would like to share! If anyone is feeling creative, have it it! I also have a few great assignments coming up and I will post them later.

Journal Assignments

Week 1 - About Me

Week 2 - What’s in a name? Often times peoples names hold great meaning. Why were you given your name? What does it mean? Has your name influenced you as a person / your personality? What does your name mean to you? Use these questions as a guide to explain the significance of your name.

Week 3 - Write a story entitled, “The Best Day of My Life” or “The Worst Day of My Life.”

Week 4 - Make a list of 10 things you’d love to do, explain why and tell us why you have not yet done them.

Week 5 - Choose your favorite recreational activity (bowling, reading, singing, etc.) and write about it from the perspective of someone who HATES that activity.

Week 6 - Think of your favorite childhood book or nursery rhyme and re-write it from a more adult perspective.

Week 7 - Write a poem about why you love or hate your job. NO RHYMES!

Week 8 - Using the color RED as inspiration, write a story.

Week 9 - Consider a mistake you’ve made in life. Would yo do things different if you had the chance? Why? Why not?

Week 10 - Write about your favorite food. What does it taste like? Look like? Feel like? Smell Like? Why is it your favorite food. Use detail.

Week 11 - Create a fictional product. Write a 1 page essay to convince someone why they should buy your product.

Week 12 - Who is your hero? Write a few paragraphs that describe your hero and explain why this person is your hero.

Week 13 - Write a 1 page description of the worst nightmare you’ve every had. If you don’t have any, make up a chilling tale.

Week 14 - If you were president…. What would this country be like? What would you change / not change and why?

I know it’s been a while since I’ve posted something, but I’ve just started my foray into the world of being a college educator. I am teaching two writing courses for a local college this semester… which is keeping me busy like a bee.

I still teaching as a substitute in grades k-12 as well… which means I have no free time, but I’m gaining valuable experience. Hopefully this will help me find that tenure track position I’ve been dreaming about!

I promise to write soon. I’ve been reading lots of new and interesting books! So, I have many suggestions for my faithful readers.

<3

Me

Our hot water heater went out today. So, it’s cold showers until someone comes to fix it! I do not have much to report. Currently, I’m doing some research reading and I’m enjoying it.

I took Heather’s suggestion and looked up Winesburg, Ohio. I’m only a few chapters in, but it’s interesting. Written in a style that is not used anymore, but the stories themselves are interesting. Each story is about a townsperson, but the author only writes about “grotesque” people.

Other than that, I’m still waiting on final confirmation about my teaching position at the technical college and gearing up for another year as a substitute teacher. I wound up subbing for the last few days of summer school, so, I’m already back in the habit! Yay!

<3

Me

“Three months of painting, reading and napping in the sun. No papers to grade, no freshman co-eds asking stupid questions, just rest, relaxation and maybe a few alcoholic beverages.” I shifted in the sunlight. The smell of musty books stung my nostrils. I couldn’t take another year as an un-tenured assistant professor. The immature musings of the bleach-blonde sorority whores was starting to affect my I.Q.

“Gee, that sounds wonderful Mage.” The voice on the other end of the telephone sighed.

“I am going to make the most of this summer vacation. I ditched out on work before they could accost and strong-arm me into teaching summer courses for pennies and magic jumping beans. We are going to do fun, relaxing things all summer… reading, swimming, spa treatments and maybe a new tattoo or three.” I closed my eyes and sighed at the thought of a real summer vacation.

“Well, Mage, as nice as that sounds, we don’t all have frou-frou education jobs that give us insanely long vacations.” The jealously was audible. “Some of us have to go back to work on Monday.”

I ignored her protests. “As if you aren’t sitting on at least two months of stock-piled vacation days…”

“But, we’re in the middle of type-setting the new catalogue. I can’t just leave in the midst of an important project.”

“Yes, I’m sure that writing copy for farm-equipment catalogues is at the top of your list of things to do. As if they couldn’t use the same descriptions they used in the last damn catalogue. Technology hasn’t exactly progressed since last summer…”

“I guess you’ve got me there Mage. Well played.” The chuckle in her voice was a sheer sign of my triumph over her work ethic.

“Escape from the monotony of your super exciting life. I know that being a copywriter for a major distributer of farm equipment is your dream job and everything, but you can’t tell me that the idea of alcoholic Arnold Palmer’s isn’t enticing.”

“God, you’re a bitch sometimes. Not all of us landed cushy jobs in small-town academia.”

“…and, whose fault is that Rave. I didn’t tell you to jump on the slave train and forego your higher education.” Score one more for me. “I suggest you inform your place of employment that you’d like to cash in those vacation days. Then, head over to my place because we are hitting the city tonight.”

“Yes, because Milwaukee is soooooooooo exciting.”

“It’s a start Rave; it’s a start. Molehills before mountains and all that junk. Get dressed up because we’re hitting Water Street hard.”

“Great and I’ll go ahead and empty out my bank account while we’re at it.”

“You are such a whiner. Fine, the night’s on me. You won’t regret it.”

Meritville, Wisconsin, while a thriving college town, doesn’t hold much entertainment or excitement for those of us over the age of 21. It’s a stereotypical small Wisconsin town–nine bars, two liquor stores, five banks and a cobble-stone road lined with tiny novelty shops. Soaps and Stuff, Laura’s High Fashion Boutique, The Kite Factory, Brotherhood Books and more…

Oh, and the university… but that doesn’t count as the college kids and the townies don’t mix well. The university is all-inclusive. There’s no reason for those spoiled kids to take a step outside of the campus anyway. The campus comes equipped with seven eateries, three convenience stores, a movie theater and a hair salon—and people wonder why they gain 20 lbs. in college—as if the 24hr pizza delivery itself isn’t enough to verify the rumor.

Rave and I really needed to break free from our boring cookie-cutter lives to let loose and have a little fun. Milwaukee is the closest actual entertainment. So, visiting it first was a logical idea. Though, when I told Rave she wouldn’t regret it–I didn’t actually mean it—I also didn’t anticipate what actually happened.

We both knew she’d wake up with a blinding headache followed by a hangover chaser. Hell, I figured we both would. While we were well past our college party days, they weren’t so far away that we had forgotten how to let loose and have a good time. We had been best friends since high school, stayed that way through college and into our respective careers—a long but fun 14 years. (Do the math; we’re both 28 years old.)

I knew we’d both wind up smelling like a barroom floor, with matted hair, smeared eye make-up and killer hangovers. It would probably be followed by a grease-laden Denny’s breakfast and then Bloody Mary’s ala hair of the dog–I was only half right.

I created a StumbleUpon profile some time ago, but didn’t do much with it. I went back in and added a few more of my Suite101 articles to their database and thus far I’ve gotten a total of 1,360 page views in one day. I think this whole StumbleUpon thing may be the key to my success…well, not really, but it can’t hurt.

I did some checking because my articles weren’t all getting accepted and I guess you can add yourself too many times which upsets the system. So, I’ll just add the articles sporadically. I’m also looking into alternative databases in which to input my own information! Hopefully it will drum up some traffic.

I did write 5 new articles today. So, if you’re bored head on over to the suite and check them out.

<3

Me

 I’m having a stressful evening. I just worry too much! Either way, I wanted to check in. I did write a short prologue to the little paranormal project I mentioned last time. I don’t know that it will wind up being what I had expected, but it may evolve into something interesting.

 I’ll post the prologue once I’m satisfied with it and I promise to post the first chapter of “Damned Before Breakfast” sometime in the near future. I’ve been bogged down trying to get my paperwork in so that I can start my career as a college educator–albeit a part-time underpaid college educator, but hey, we all need to start somewhere!

That’s about it for now–will post more as it comes.

<3

Me

 I was in the bathroom–don ‘t worry, I wasn’t on the pot–washing my face when I got this great idea for a new novel! I had been wanting to try AugNoWriMo because JulNoWriMo pushed me to pump out a novel in one months time, but I didn’t quite have an idea for another novel.

I’ve been tossing around the idea of writing a novel about witches, but I didn’t have many of the details plotted out. So, I didn ‘t go for the whole AugNo thing—I still have to revise and put the final details on my JulNo novel! But, I think I’m going to take some time before diving back into that one.

Anyway–back to my grand idea–For some reason, I remembered the “Wayside School” books by Louis Sachar. I had loved those while I was in grade school! While, I do not plan on writing children’s novels or even a book about the oddities of a school. I do, however, like the idea of writing about an odd town, but in small stories instead of one long story–though, it wouldn’t be in the style of a collection of short stories, more a longer piece made up of smaller snapshots.

I don’t exactly have a target audience at the moment–the book will be paranormal in nature–but I’m gong to start writing anyway. Once I’ve flushed out a few of the stories, I’ll be able to tell if the novel will work as an adult piece or a YA piece.

I am excited!

<3
Me