BookingIt

I finally sent it off! I ran into a word count snafu and that's why I had to disappear from the blogosphere. Even with devoting as much free time as I could to writing, I think I only topped 3k a day once. How many words are you able to get in per day? What's the most you've ever written in one day? With the holidays looming, how has your word count been going? Happy Thanksgiving everyone! May your fingers be nimble, your stories be fruitful and your tummies filled. :-)

I put a ton on my plate so I'll post next week. Hopefully will visit you all before then, though. What's on your plate? Have a wonderful week!

Editing a manuscript reminds me of pruning. Sometimes you have to cut off perfectly good branches, perfectly good characters, perfectly good scenes, so that the story can flourish. Proper pruning enhances the beauty of almost any landscape tree and shrub, while improper pruning can ruin or greatly reduce its landscape potential. In most cases, it is better not to prune than to do it incorrectly. In nature, plants go years with little or no pruning, but man can ruin what nature has created. By using improper pruning methods healthy plants are often weakened or deformed. So while it's important to cut our work, it's also imperative we know what we're doing. How do you prune without ruining your work? Have you ever overedited? Took advice when you shouldn't have?

I've been meaning to do this review for a long time. I had to wait to buy Tender Graces , but I figured from reading Kathryn Magendie's blog that when I did buy it, I'd love it. I wasn't disappointed. The prose in Tender Graces captured me. The plot was interesting and the characters were unique, but the writing itself, the way Magendie uses words, elevated the story to something gorgeous. The way Magendie writes Virginia Kate's point of view is so endearing and vulnerable. Although Tender Graces is completely different than To Kill a Mockingbird, the whole time I read it I kept thinking of Scout. That wasn't the only famous book Tender Graces reminded me of. Magendie's mastery with words, how she plays with them and uses them in unique, new ways, totally reminded me of The Book Thief. I loved reading Tender Graces because it had both a compelling plot and words that felt a little like Godiva on every page. I'll definitely be reading more of her, but as ...

Some of you (specifically T. Anne *grin*) were wondering about the call. Well, it came as a surprise and was different than I expected. I had some fulls out but Les only had a proposal. I'd sent a status-check e-mail and he asked me a few questions about the story. Next thing I knew, he sent another e-mail offering representation. So it wasn't a phone call, but that was fine with me. I was nervous and excited. I had to keep rereading that e-mail to see if it said what I thought it did. After that, I contacted the list of agents who had my full. There's a certain process to follow in this type of situation and I wanted to make sure I did it right. The BookEnds blog and Rachelle Gardner's blog both have archived posts on how to handle an offer of representation. For my checklist, I used a post on Nathan Bransford's site. HERE The stats on responses were kind of interesting. Out of four agents who'd recently requested the full, one immediately declined representati...

So I veered out of Query Land and into Agent Land about two weeks ago. Agent Land is a vast place. The terrain is different for everyone, I've heard. When I took that exit, I was really scared. Nervous. Would there be more cacti in this new place? Pot holes? A smooth road? Before taking your exit, talk to others who've taken the same exit. Scope out the lay of the land. Make sure you know what you're getting into, and that it will take you to where you want to go. When you get out of Query Land and enter Agent Land, what are you expecting things to look like? What questions will you ask others about this new place? Is Agent Land exciting to you, or nerve-wracking? I signed with Les Stobbe !

I haven't read many books in the Christian market featuring Puritans. This story was wonderful! The writing was smooth and easy to get into. I loved the romantic dynamic between heroine and hero. I'm a sucker for "ugly duckling" heroines. Add to that a healthy dose of danger and intrigue, and you've got an engrossing read. Besides the interesting plot and realistic, strong characters, Jody planted me in Puritan England effortlessly. She is genius when it comes to weaving history into the story. I learned all sorts of interesting things, like it was against the law to dance. Can you imagine? And to even preach about Jesus without a special license... I flew through the story and finished with a happy sigh. If you want to read more reviews, fellow blogger Jill Kemerer posted some wonderful quotes about The Preacher's Bride . You can find the author, Jody Hedlund, on facebook and at her blog . The Preacher's Bride is based on a true story. Do you like fictio...