News and what EVER.

This blog is boring, I know. But I've been faithfully spending my time writing rather than blogging. No, I'm lying. Well, kind of lying. I just didn't want to post anything and have my killer bunny picture scroll further down on the page. It's so cute. Well, I think so, anyway.

I just found out another short story of mine will be published by The Wild Rose Press. More news on that later as I get the details. I love The Wild Rose Press, and not just because I'm one of their authors. First, let me preface this by saying I've been reluctant to touch the e-Publishing market, mainly because I'm an old fashioned girl and love the feel of a good book in my hands. I'm a big fan of turning pages and find when I read things online or in a digital format, I tend to skim. A lot. I'm an awful skimmer, so I frequently miss important details.

But, in addition to my mountain of novels-in-progress I've got going, I write tons of short stories. I love short stories. I like the fact that I can sit down and write one in a few hours and with a bit of editing and tweaking, it's ready to go. I like the almost instant gratification in knowing quickly how the story will end. When writing a novel, I usually don't know how it'll end until I write the end.

I love the look of The Wild Rose Press's site and the editors I have worked with have been phenomenal. My fellow authors are great, too. I love the ease of purchasing a story, too. Instant gratification. It's all good. And I predict good things for TWRP; I know someday they will become a RWA recognized publisher.

Sometimes I want something so much, it feels like it's rightfully mine. I'd like to elaborate on that but I'll save that for another post.

Man-eating bunny.

I was in fourth grade. The first story I can recall writing was about a cute, white bunny who hopped along innocently and then went on psychopathic homicidal rampages, killing innocent humans.

I remember the Teacher's Aide, who'd been working with students on these writing projects, sitting down with me to discuss my story's plot. As I read the story aloud to her, I distinctly remember how her smile faltered, her face blanched as the horror of what I'd written unfolded before her. Though she probably discussed the mechanics of my writing at length, I only remember her asking, "Why did you write this?" My answer? Because it was fun to write. Anyone can write a dumb old story about a cute, white fluffy bunny hopping happily in a meadow of wildflowers. I wanted to write something exciting, vivid and . . . different.

Being only 9, I didn't know that Monty Python had already snatched up the white, fluffy, man-eating bunny idea in Monty Python and the Holy Grail.

And so, years later I've learned there are very few original ideas remaining, only original execution and voice.

Any minute now . . .

. . . The Wild Rose Press will make A Date With Santa's Stand-In available for purchase. Here's a blurb of what it's about:

As a mall display coordinator, forty-two-year-old Mara Wentworth reluctantly goes through the motions of preparing the Santa set for the Jolly One’s annual visit. Although it’s Mara’s job to transform the mall into a dazzling winter wonderland, nudging shoppers into a festive (and free-spending) mood, she dreads her first Christmas as a divorced mother.

But when tall, wavy-haired contractor Sam Kendall arrives and buckles on his tool belt to remodel Santa’s old workshop, he drives Mara to distraction with his muscular build and constant flirting. Mara quickly chucks her “no more men” rule as she works on the Santa set with Sam. But when the mall Santa’s a no-show, Mara and Sam scramble to find a replacement, leading to a heart-warming and humorous conclusion.