Random Musings

Sometimes I feel like I’ve queried every agent there is to query, so when I find a new one, (well, new to me) I’m nearly giddy with excitement!

I’ve recently found 3 new-to-me agents, and have already been rejected by one of them (lol-he’s super fast!), but I prefer knowing sooner than later.

I’ve been trying not to over-think my novel. Sometimes I hear agents say characters who are 18 are too old for YA, (which two of the four main characters in my book are, and the other two are 19 and 20). I’m fully aware that my novel can skirt the line of teen and adult fiction, but when I think of the body of work I plan to write, then I’ll fall on the side of a YA writer.

So when I hear stuff like 18 is too old for YA, I think, well, the very definition of Young Adult is a Young Adult, so why can’t it include characters who are 18-20. Not to mention, I think if you still have the word TEEN after your age, then you are still a TEEN and can therefore be considered part of the Young Adult genre! My book is relatable to people from the ages 14 and over. Does it have to be set in high school? Not every teen wants to read about high school angst. I have plenty of angst in my book, and plenty of UST. And honestly, I’m ranting a little, but I’ve never been rejected for this reason, so maybe it’s just the blurb I read that’s got me going. Sorry. J

On to other topics…I’m very interested to see who the new Secret Agent is on Authoress’s blog this month. I’m hoping that it’s someone I haven’t queried yet, because the genre is what I write and you know how I like to find new agents! I have a fear that even long after I’ve gotten an agent and a deal, I’ll still be Googling agents, looking for their genre and there submission guidlines…I can’t stop myself!

Anywho, I’ve been working on my SNI, wrote 2300 words on Sunday! It’s a Paranormal YA called Platinum Diaries about a girl who has psychic dreams. I’m still working out the opening, but right now I’m just letting it spill out of me.

I just finished reading The Lovely Bones by Alice Sebold. I know I’m late. I usually am, but man, that was an awesome book! It was very hard to get through the beginning. It’s hard for me to see/hear/read about people being harmed for no other reason than the pleasure of someone else. I’ve never been harmed like that personally, but it doesn’t stop me from feeling it deeply. And boy did I feel it. The book haunted me the more I delved into it, the layers were so true and heavy and at the same time beautiful. I’m happy I read it. The moment I read that Peter Jackson was bringing it to the screen, I wanted to read it. Now I’m reading The Hunger Games…see, I’m late with everything. J

I know this post is all over the place, but I’m a bit of a scatter brain lately. I haven’t been sleeping too well and it didn’t help that some IDIOT called and R.S.V.P’d for my mother’s birthday party at 12:16 am!!!! OMG I was heated! I think the man (who was only invited because he’s a friend of my stepdad’s) had been drinking.
The conversation went like this:

Drunk man: Um…is this Karen?

Me: “Yes,” I say with a snap because I realize it’s actually someone calling to rsvp and not a wrong number or--thank God--someone telling me that someone in my family is hurt.

DM: “I got an invite, wanted to RSVP…were you sleep?”

Me: “Of course I was sleep!”

DM: “Oh, sorry, I just got home. Should I call again?”

Me: “No, don’t EVER call again. Are you coming or not?”

DM: “Oh yeah, I’ll be there.”

Me: “Bloody fantastic.” Click.

Okay, WTF? Now some may think my responses to Drunk Man were rude, but I can’t be responsible for what flies out of my mouth when you wake me up! I swear, I have not had a normal RSVP for this party yet. It’s getting a little scary.

What's in a Name?

I don’t know if anyone has noticed, but I’ve changed my username from Rosepddle to Karen Denise. I did this mainly because Karen Denise is the name I plan to write under, and so I want to start using it. I’d love to use my real last name, but there is a pretty well known author out there with my name already. Fiddle sticks!

I’ve had some people ask me about my username. What’s it mean? What’s it stand for? Why’s it spelled that way? Well, way back when I was in my 20’s (seems like freakin’ yesterday) I went to sign up for an email account. I wanted rose petal or some form of it as my last name is Rose. Well, it was taken and so were a lot of other alternatives I tried, (e.g. rose_petal, rosepettal, and roseptal just to name a few).

Well, obviously it wasn’t my most creative day otherwise I’m sure I could have come up with something that actually included the words Rose and Petal, combined with a number. Instead I was like, I’m just going to use rosepddle. One thing I can say, no one else had it-lol. But I’ve been referred to as rose puddle, rose paddle, rose piddle…and the list goes on. LOL. I know why people’s first thought wasn’t rose petal, but really, rose puddle, paddle, piddle? What the heck is a rose piddle anyway? Lol.

Nevertheless, I’m now going to be known as Karen Denise, even though the overwhelming vote was for K. D. Rose. Maybe I'll keep the voting open for a few more days.What do you all think? Weigh in and vote on my Penname!

Another One Bites the Dust

Well, I got a rejection from the lovely agent with The Secret Agent Contest. Man, she’s fast! I sent it off on August 25th and she got back to me this morning. It stings, but the pain is less sharp now. I think my skin is getting thicker as I hopefully get closer to the agent who will be mine!

It was a nice letter so I can’t really complain. She didn’t think the conflict came in soon enough. By chapter 5 which is like page 48 is when the first bit of an “attack” happens so I didn’t think that was too far for the conflict. I do build the world, set up the mystery a bit and then it’s “attack”. Maybe I need rethink the beginning, but at the same time, this is the first time I’ve gotten that bit of feedback, so maybe I should just leave it alone.

She also said she felt like Ryan (one of my mc’s) was whiny and self-indulgent-lol. I smiled when I read that because Ryan is a bit self-indulgent when it comes to the female mc because they have known each other all of their lives and he picks with her kind of like a brother, he's over protective of her, and he's secretly in love with her. He is a bit of an a-hole but that’s how I want him—a slight a-hole who has a big heart and would do anything to keep the people he cares about safe. I guess I can’t really do much if some people don’t like him. It’s impossible for everyone to like what you do and who you create. I like him and I made him to be a bit self-indulgent (not whiny) and a bit of an a-hole.

So, back to waiting and writing, and waiting some more ;-)

DOH!

See, this it why you should not sneak and send a query when you should be working! I was reading the query blog today and saw that Andrea Brown Literary has a new associate agent…Mary Kole.

Well, I got all excited reading her bio, so I got out the old query letter, addressed, read it over and just before I sent it, thought, “Hmm, have I queried them already?” I open up my agent list file, search all the names and don’t find a listing for Andrea Brown. I even took it a step further and did a ctrl-F for Andrea and Brown—nothing.

So I thought, cool, gots me another agent to submit to! I get the submission together and click send. The moment I get the auto-confirmation, I’m like, “Um…this looks familiar.” I do a gmail search of my account for @andreabrownlit.com and wouldn’t you know up pops an email to another agent there that I’d sent a query on August 12, 2009!!! WTH? How could that NOT be on my list? My list is iron tight, well organized and highly efficient! Well, obviously not. How could I NOT have them on the freakin list?

What is the number one rule of most agents? DO NOT QUERY MORE THAN ONE AGENT AT A TIME!!!! I’ve never had a problem with this as I can read AND I have relative common sense.

Although this is highly unlikely, but what if they both say, “Hmm, that Karen is a snappy writer and I’d like to see a partial, nay, a full!” –cause I’m sure they talk just like that—
What do I do, blame it on a brain-fart? Blame it on the alcohol? Blame it on the dog?--my invisible dog can so address a letter and email it, but he sucks at research, obviously.

I’m thinking I’ll just have to place them in the reject pile and be done with it. Anyone out there ever do this? If so, how did it turn out?

Edits, Rewrites and More

Okay, so I’ve jumped the gun on starting my edit of the second installment in my Light Bringers trilogy. I was planning to wait until after I’ve finished reading my friends ms and all the books I just checked out of the library. I blame my premature ed-jaculation on my boring job and having far too much down time today. Since I couldn’t outright read my friends ms while at work, I opened Light Bringers 2 which is tentatively entitled, VENATORS.

I finished it on June 20th and can’t believe I actually let it sit for more than 2 months without reading it! I usually have no self control. Now that I’ve gone back to it, I’m falling in love with it all over again. Unfortunately, the beginning is still giving me a fit…as beginnings always do, but I’m going to press on and see how I feel once I’ve gone through it once on the computer, then again in print.

This couldn’t come at a more perfect time, since I’m waiting for the agent to read my full. Granted, I’m not as neurotic as I was the last time I was in this situation. I really got myself worked up and took the rejection pretty hard—I didn’t go out binge drinking or anything—but I was super bummed.

Now, I just feel more excited than nervous, more go-with-the-flow than on edge biting my nails. I guess I’ve just resolved myself to saying, it will happen, so I’ll just have to wait and see who helps me on my journey.

So, I’m off to set my editing aside for the night, watch some tv for an hour and then read more of my friends ms!

It’s Hard Being Anal

I’m doing a slow trickle with this new wave of queries. I’m finding new agents left and right to submit to…and here I thought I’d submitted to all there was out there when I sent out my last batch, but I’ve managed to find about 40 more. And I’m still looking.

The problem, it takes FOREVER!

It’s my own fault. I’ve compiled my list, color coded the agents based on whether they want only a query (pink) or a query with some type of sample or synopsis (light blue).

Well, before an agent/agency makes my list, I have to research them as thoroughly as possible. This isn’t news to any serious writer out there looking to get published.

However, when I get to the point where I’ve opened a new email draft, and I’ve addressed my query letter, I still Google them one last time. I look at their webpage, I read over any post on them on Absolute Write, and then if it’s still all good THEN I submit.

Being anal like this will probably pay off in the end—let’s hope—but man it’s slow! It took me 2 hours to send 4 emails tonight! Lol.

Now, I’m going to lose some brain cells sitting in front of the tv, and eating some orange sherbet. Yummers!

Oh, btw, I submitted my manuscript to the agent from the Secret Agent contest this morning…despite what I said, I did not wait for a shower and coffee. I woke up at 6:15, logged on and sent it! Godspeed…

Holy-crap-ola Batman!

I won the Secret Agent contest on Miss Snark’s First Victim’s blog!

I really can’t believe it, not because I don’t have any confidence in my work, but because this business is SO subjective and you just never know what will work for an agent and what won’t. I think it was just good timing. I had tried to enter the contest a while back when Authoress did it as a lottery and, alas, my number wasn’t called. Then after that, it was either that my genre wasn’t being represented or I missed the submission because I got the email alert late and submissions were closed.

Now I have my fingers, toes and eyes crossed because not only is agent Emmanuelle Alspaugh looking for something with shape-shifters in it (which Light Bringers has) but she’s looking for a werewolf story and I currently have a werewolf WIP.

Okay, I’m jumping a head of myself.

Nevertheless, if things don’t pan out the way I want, she will still be the third agent to read my full and that can’t be a bad thing!

I’m going to submit to her tomorrow because I’m dog tired right now and fear I’ll address it to the wrong person, spell her name wrong, or something just as stupid. So, I’ll send it in the morning after I’ve had my morning shower, and a cup of coffee.

I’ll keep you all posted…wish me luck!