It’s coming. It’s just around the corner. I’ve contacted the editor who I hope will be my next final judge…stand by for information as I receive it…and start honing those first lines…

K*

Sigh, I do this to myself all of the time. I procrastinate. Although, I can honestly say while I have procrastinated, it wasn’t to read, shop, or lollygag in any way shape or form. No, I have procrastinated with a few deadline projects with other deadline projects. But I’m now down to the wire. I MUST finish up the contest entries for my chapter’s Heart to Heart contest. My coordinator, LaConnie has outdone herself this year. I do not think in all of my years of business I have ever met anyone as organized and as really good as LaConnie.

Myself along with some fab writers have launched a new site today The Write Attitude (it’s .net). It’s positive and uplifting. I um, haven’t done what I need to do there. I owe the site a few things. I have several guest blog spots I need to write. I have phone calls I need to make today. I have a stack of mail that needs to be sifted through and I have to work this week. Only two days, but work it is. And more than anything I have a manuscript I have to finish up revisions on.

I also want to get back into my exercise program this week. I swear I’ve put 7 pounds on since I got home from Dallas. No bueno.

So I may be a little scarce this week. But you know I won’t be able to help myself and not pop in.

So, what’s on your plate for this week?

K*

The 5th annual Brava Novella Contest will begin
accepting entries at midnight central time on
August 1, 2007 and will cease accepting entries
at midnight central time on September 30, 2007.
It’s free to enter.

The top twenty finalists
will be judged by Kensington Editorial Director
Kate Duffy. The contest is open to unpublished
authors and those published with houses other
than Kensington. The contest theme
this year is reunited lovers.

For more info and to enter, visit…
http://www.bravaauthors.com:80/novella-contest

There is also The First Chapters Romance Writing Competition.
Grand prize? A Simon and Schuster contract!

Go to http://romancenovel.gather.com to learn more. And hurry!

Good luck!

K*

Hop on over to MSW for the rest of the story!

K*

First of all, I want to say, I am very tired. Very tired as I said of all of the back biting and sniping going on within RWA and on the blogs. It’s so high school. If I was done before, I am well done now. It’s gotten to the point where there are weekly author bashing sessions going on all over the internet. It’s ugly, and it’s sad. I am weary of all of the bitchyness in the name of industry information. You can have it. All of it. If I want any industry information there are other avenues. Like my agent, and my editors. Not to mention PW and PM.

And people wonder why romance gets no respect. Hell, we can’t even respect each other.

So, on to lighter news. Yesterday I spent the better part of the day with my engaged daughter. We have picked a venue for her reception. Nailed the menu, the alcohol, and the linens. I have contacted the DJ we want, and he’s available. Last night my daughter’s Maid of Honor called wanting to chat about the bachelorette party. Of course my kid wants to take her girls to NYC. I flat out told her no. She doesn’t want to go to San Fran. She doesn’t want to go to Las Vegas. She wants South Beach in Miami, or Manhattan. Gawd. So, since this is something I really don’t have to worry about right now, I won’t.

Although I thoroughly enjoyed our time together yesterday, it was draining and I needed a nap. Instead I got to do something better. My youngest son’s football team had passing league last night at the local JC. Passing league is just that, the teams hone their passing game, sans pads, but with helmets. There is supposed to be no tackling.

When hubby and I walked up into the stands there weren’t many parents around. But within a half an hour, we had a group. People were moving their seats to come sit with us. In no time we had a boisterous crowd. It was like no time had passed since last season. I’ve known many of these parents forever. My friend, we’ll call her LB, and I have been sitting together since both of our oldest boys played together as freshmen. Both are butt heads and both are off to college. Now our youngest boys play together. Last night is the first time I have really sat down with her since the end of last season. We laughed our asses off.

So last night while we watched our kids down on the field we all caught up. We laughed. We chatted, hubby handed out a few cards, (he has his eye on a few kids) and generally had a fabulous social time. The only sour note was my kid, who, playing free safety jumped up to break up a play (which he did. It was beautiful) and landed on his shoulder. I knew immediately from his very subtle body language (see, my kid won’t let his coaches know he’s injured, coz then he can’t play, but mama knew).

Being the bold mama bear that I am, I went down to the sideline and asked my boy if it was the same shoulder injury from last year. He gave me a murderous look. Not because he was angry with me, but because he was furious his game was being interrupted by an injury. Sigh. We slapped an ice pack on him and he was back on the field ten minutes later. His coaches should not have allowed him back, but probably did because the kid said he was ok. He wasn’t. Still a stud at 65% he needed to be sidelined. Last night when he got out of the shower and tried to put on a tee shirt, his moans of pain had me out of my office and into his room in a flash.

Again, that murderous look. “I didn’t know you were up here,” he said. He was embarrassed I heard his pain. I helped him the rest of the way. It was good for him he allowed me.

Needless to say, he didn’t practice this a.m. just went and watched. He sees the specialist tomorrow. I love my kid. I love the way he toughs it out, but I wish he’d listen to his body and not try to push so hard through the pain. His brother is the same way. And so is his dad. Me? At the first hint of pain? Give me the narcotics!

So today, I went to a funeral. My name is Karin Lynn. This funeral was for another Karin Lynn. She was only 40 years old. She left two beautiful children behind and a grieving husband. She died of melanoma. She was a runner. I didn’t know her, she was the daughter-in-law of good friends of my in-laws. People I adore. So of course hubby and I went to support this great family. There must have been 400 people at the church. Amazing. We all wore pink. She loved pink. It was a very uplifting ceremony.

The reverend said a lot that resonated with me today but this stuck. “It’s not the number of years you spend here on earth but how you spend those years.” No kidding. It just made me that much more determined not to get caught up in all the flame wars on the internet. When I came home a while ago, I deleted almost 200 emails. That was what had accumulated since last night. I am so not wasting one minute of my life on the negative BS. Or negative BSing people. LOL, I feel like getting out a crucifix and holding it out in front of me to ward off all of those vampires out there.

So, while I am physically tired, I am also emotionally drained right now. But in a good way. Today is my father-in-law’s birthday, and god bless him, he spent it celebrating the death of a very brave woman he barely knew. But then, that’s dad. I also realized sitting there today looking around at all of Karin’s supporters, my in-laws, my husband, and listening to the preacher, that I am very blessed.

So, let’s end this blog post with an uplifting question: What are you thankful for?

K*

Shut. Up!

RWA and RWA National doesn’t work you, YOU work it. Don’t be a zombie, be a playah. Take what works, and believe me, if you are open minded there is a lot that works. Take advantage of the opportunities presented. Use what is available. Own it. Make the things happen that need to happen. For you. For your career. If they don’t? Dig deeper. Go back and try again. Don’t stop. Put yourself out there again, and again and again. But please, stop whining about how RWA doesn’t work for you, or how you get nothing out of it, or how you get no respect. Indeed, how the hell do you expect to get anything with all of that complaining? Take that negative energy, turn it inward, make it positive and get on with your writing.

*Note. We all know respect is earned not given. So don’t sit back and expect it. Work for it.

So please, give it a rest, ladies. I am so tired of hearing about how horrible RWA is. How they hate epubs. How erotic romance authors get no respect. How PAN snubs PRO. How PRO snubs PAN. How the conference should be this way or that way. How there should be a National conferences in other countries so those members can go to conference. Hello? Anyone notice the America part of Romance Writers of America? Hell, my good friend Michelle came from freakin’ South Africa to Dallas this year. She planned, she saved, she made it happen!

Get with the program.

If you feel like there is division, then in your mind there is. If your publisher isn’t RWA recognized, WTF does it matter? Are you writing for RWA recognition or are you writing the best story you can for the publisher you chose? Does a little nod from RWA make or break you? If it doesn’t, stop crying in your damn coffee and get back to the business at hand. If it does? Seek therapy.

*Note. Many of you are thinking, oh well that’s easy for her to say. It is. If RWA chose to unrecognize my two publishers, Simon & Schuster and Kensington Publishing, it would in no way affect what I get from RWA or how I do National. It certainly would have no bearing whatsoever on what I write, how I write, or my life as a writer.

Oh, and here’s a news flash. If you think National conference is only about landing an agent or editor. Wrong! If that is your sole reason to go you are not only selling yourself short but the conference as a whole short. There is so much more to National then the agents and editors. What about the fabulous workshops? The fabulous attendees (most are fab). What about bonding with like minds? What about making new friends, and visiting with old friends? And what about the bar? ????

Now. Is RWA perfect? No. Is conference perfect? No again. Is it bad? If it is for you then you have two choices: Run for a board position and make the changes from the inside out, or if you are not prepared to do that, quit. Because quite frankly, RWA is not for everyone. That goes for both sides of publishing. I have heard RWA called the Dark Side. The Evil Empire. The Moral Majority. The Whatever. There is bitterness from authors who feel snubbed and publishers who could do quite nicely without RWA. Bottom line, as I said, it isn’t for everyone. So be honest about that and deal with it accordingly.

Listen. If you walk around needing any person or any entity’s seal of approval you will be walking in a fog for a long time. Resentment builds. Anger flashes, and it handcuffs your creativity. Emancipate yourself. Dump that crap. Look hard at yourself in the mirror and ask yourself why you do the things you do. If it’s all about the craft, the writing the best book you can, then smile. Because if that is what drives you, then the other stuff doesn’t matter.

Okay, so, now that I have that off my chest, please return to your regularly scheduled whatever.

K*

Ps. I believe I may have another mini rant in store for your reading pleasure later this week.

but not before my writing for the day is complete.

Sigh, being responsible stinks.

ciao for now

K*

I had a startling realization about myself last Friday night. To find out what it was, you have to go to Murder She Writes, I blogged there today. Or when you read this, last night, but it’s really for today, Friday.

K*

Before I begin, let me just say if you are guilty of any of the below just take this as a tough love blog.

Do not ask Nora Roberts if you can have some of her fairy dust. It’s hers, she earned it, and it’s rude to ask for some.

When at a social gathering hosted by your publisher (cocktail party, dinner party, or dance) do not ask your editor about back cover blurbs, if she is going to buy your next proposal or why she doesn’t return your emails. Again, while these questions have their place, social gatherings especially in front of others, is not the place to ask. Take a meeting or arrange a time to discuss business.

Do not ask an editor if you can kiss her feet. Do not bow to her. And do not call her Queen. It embarrasses them, it irritates them, and it makes you look like a fool.

Do not tell an editor your gory life story. They are not interested, and it makes you look…pathetic. Do not share feuds or gossip with them. It makes you look…small.

Do not rush up to Sue Grimshaw and introduce yourself while she is involved in another conversation. I think you know why.

Do not take advantage of a drunken author you just met and ask her for pitch advice, beg her to blog or ask her for an ARC.

Do not interrupt an editor during a spotlight with a condescending tone.

Do not throw up on an agent’s brand new shoes (okay, just kidding, I didn’t witness this).

Do not get in an elevator and cut a fart. It smells.

Do not take empty boxes and backpacks to every publisher (free) signing, grab four and five books at a time from each author then go sell them on ebay.

I know there are a few more Don’ts lurking in my memory banks but for now they escape me. How about you? Any pearls to share?

K*

Yep, Miss Know It All learned a few things! And beginning tomorrow I’m going to post blogs throughout the week on several topics beginning with: The Dumb Things People Do and Say at Conference. Stay tuned. While a brief blog, it will be quite potent.

K* who needs to unpack, clear her desk and get down to revisions.