No Adverbs Here

It has a long road to publication for my manuscript, Secret, Lies, and Trash, but it will at last see the light at the end of the tunnel in a few months. Recently, I completed the first set of revisions from my editor at Midnight Frost Books and received a peek at my cover design. Both very exciting and nerve-racking occurrences.

Since quite a bit of sweat and tears goes into creating a novel, being asked to make changes can be a daunting task. Characters live in your mind. So terminating them or even renaming one or two can be a difficult decision.

However, after reading my editor's comments and making the required set of adjustments, a valuable lesson has been learned. While I may have felt the initial temptation to dig my heels in and resist the changes, in the end they made my novel stronger and will help with future projects.

Choosing names can always be a tricky bit, but picking ones which are similar are to be avoided. Perhaps editors do not give readers enough credit to be able to identify the characters. Yet, the point does make sense. If you have people in your story whose names are too similar or begin with the same letter, they can be easily mixed up. It's a simple plot point to avoid in the future; make sure you vary the name structure in your story, be it first or last names.

When it comes to point of view, decide on one and maintain it throughout the manuscript. I really love a story which is related in the first person. However, I have also read books where it switches from first to third. Of course, the change occurs at breaks, but such semantics are to be avoided unless of course you are a well-knows author and can tell your story which ever way you choose. Since I am not even in the same league as Mary Higgins Clark, I did some rewrites and adjusted the POW to reflect just my protagonist. In the future, I will dodge any such issues by sticking to one.

As a writing instructor, you teach children to enrich their language by using colorful adjectives and adverbs. Be wary of overuse though. Too much of a good thing can clog up and slow down the flow of your story. I didn't realize I was in love with adverbs.

In writing, beware of evil works. They can come out of the keyboard and bite you. Not sure what evil words are? Neither was I. They are words such as need, know. In other words, choose a more vibrant vocabulary and stay away from the common place.

All authors tend to use particular words too much. I was shocked how many times I relied on certain ones as well as how much better the text sounded without them.

A completely impartial third party who reads and evaluates your work in an invaluable tool.  I may have bristled at some comments, but after careful reflection learned they made my story better.

The Indie Chicks

If you haven't checked out the Indie Chicks then you really should. It is an online magazine for women and written by women. Sure there are tons of those, but Indie Chicks is all about finding your inner spirit and doing it with style and sass. The articles are smart, edgy and relevant to the things that women deal with in their lives everyday.

Women of every age should check them out at http://theindiechicks.com/. I would be shocked if you didn't find at least one article or post that doesn't make you smile or think which is why I am very excited to be working on piece for them about the trials and tribulations of being a female writer in the sports industry.

While I wear many hats and write on a wide variety of subjects, I seem to have found my niche in sports. As a self-confessed 'tomboy,' I really don't have a problem with this though it does present its own set of challenges since sports is a predominately male field.

Sure, as Bob Dylan once sang, "the times they are a changing," however sports is still a testosterone lead medium which doesn't mean there isn't room for the ladies. It just means it is a little harder for a woman to gain a foothold and stay there.

I am excited to bring my piece to the Indie Chicks, but a little intimidated as well. I'm not sure I have found my inner badass as the magazine says, but am looking forward to trying to locate it.

What a Difference a Year Makes

It was a little over a year ago that I made the decision to focus on jump starting my sputtering writing career. After taking the advice of a fellow writer and master marketer, I started this blog, got active on various social media sites to help promote my writing and joined www.writethismoment.com to find some freelance writing job and possibly a publisher for my book.

Well, over the past twelve months I have applied for many writing jobs and actually got some. Happily, I can now put actual writing jobs on my resume along with my teaching credits. The road has been a bit bumpy and frustrating at times. However, I now find myself with a writing job I enjoy and an ebook due out in a few months.

Writing hockey and other sports features for www.thehubsm.com has been a lot of fun and has been a step up from the other sports site I was writing for. Penning features and human interest stories has always been a dream job of mine so I am really enjoying the challenge as well as the creativity that comes along with it.

One of the highlights has been interviewing a young college student who is trying to start a grassroots campaign to get the Chicago Blackhawks to change their logo to something that Native Americans do not find discriminatory. I'm also looking forward to speaking with the man behind the Chicks with Sticks organization which put together a league for Minnesota hockey moms to show their stuff out on this ice for a change.

I love doing my own interviews to go along with the pieces I am writing. The added personal touch can really bring a feature home.

As I keep freelancing along, my ears are open for some other writing opportunities which may or may not come my way, but that is the life of a writer. No assignment is ever too small.

One of my goals this school year is to finish the second installment of my mystery series with Russell Waverly as my protagonist. He's always been a favorite character to write and his story needs to be finished.

I am very happy that his first endeavor, Secrets, Lies and Trash has finally found a home with Midnight Frost Books and it will finally be coming out as a ebook in the upcoming months.

With the older ones back in school, it will hopefully be easier to find some more time to devote to writing. That is always the challenge. It is never coming up with the ideas to put down on paper. It is finding the time to do it. Though such is the lament for every parent who struggles to find the balance between working at home and taking care of the children. If anyone finds the secret, please share!

Finally Found a Home

I have been searching for what seems like ages for a publisher for my mystery, Secrets, Lies and Trash. Last week, I finally found a home for one of my favorite characters to write, Russell Waverly.

Russell was my first novel written in the first person which I absolutely love doing now. It's like the character is taking you along on a journey. Russell was a step away from my comfort zone and writing him was a challenge which I am glad that I took.

Midnight Frost Books which is an imprint of Crimson Frost Books will be bringing my story to life for readers every where to share. It has been a long time coming and I am looking forward to seeing the final cover.

Secrets, Lies and Trash is a captivating page-turner which I hope readers enjoy reading. It's backdrop is a place I am very familiar with, Spotswood, New Jersey. There are also stops along other Garden State hotspots as Russell tries to solve four murders which he thinks are tied together and in the process clear the name of a childhood friend of his deceased wife.

There's some intrigue, a little mystery and maybe even a touch of romance.

I just completed my first blog interview for Midnight Frost Books in preparation for the book which will be coming soon.

I am looking forward to finally sharing it!

Magnificent Munching

When I filled out my top three Munchmobile choices, I picked Chinese food because my children don't eat it therefore, I rarely get to taste it. I set off on my Munchmobile experience expecting to sample egg rolls, fired rice as well as my favorite, chicken and broccoli.

What I quickly learned was the Chinese I was looking forward to was Westernized and I would have my first exposure to authentic Asian dishes. According to our host, the mark of truly delicious Chinese restaurant is when the majority of the diners are not Western. Who knew?

Now, I will leave the who, what and where to our Munchmobile master, reporter and author, Peter Genovese. Genovese has been behind the wheel of the Munchmobile for The Star Ledger for 15 of its 16 years. He is also the author of 10 food bibles including his newest, Pizza City: The Ultimate Guide to New York's Favorite Food. So, he will be detailing our excursion in the August 3 installment of this summer's Munchmobile adventures.

After meeting the our driver and author as well as the other munchers, we were off, traveling in the signature van with an eight-foot hot dog strapped to the top. This year, the van was sporting a pink wrap complete with a tiara thanks to the Sweet 16 theme.

One of the rules of the Munchmobile is that the participants do not know the where until they arrive at their destination though one of our riders was able to pinpoint the last stop of the day since three of the restaurants we visited were in her neck of the Garden State.

Another interesting element was the fact that the establishments also did not know of our arrival, making for a purely objective dining experience on all parts.

At our first stop, I realized there wasn't going to be any chicken and broccoli for me. Each muncher needed to pick an entree and then all of us would sample the cuisine, taking notes for a review we would submit to our Munch captain later this week. The general idea was to choose a wide sampling of the menu in order to get an accurate opinion of the restaurant.

However, what Genovese was interested in was 'real' Chinese food not Westernized dishes. I thought I was daring at the first restaurant by choosing sesame chicken which for me was a stretch. I was also introduced to the concept of off the menu items which are traditional dishes meant for the more seasoned diner.

Our meal choices would soon involve ears, tongues, tails and of some animals I would never have imagined tasting. For the first time I actually ate lamb, duck and ox tongue. I could not hop my mind around trying the frog dish at stop number two mostly because I kept thinking about pieces of Kermit in a bowl though as a fellow muncher pointed out there was also some sections of Miss Piggy and Lamb Chop on the table too.

Yes, I did try the pig ears, but never will again. They were a little too slimey for me. My first sampling of duck was a little gross too. Not wanting to be remembered as the muncher who vomited at the table, I discreetly spit it into my napkin without swallowing. The taste was a little too fowl for me not to mention boney!

I have never spent an entire day eating, but as our munch captain pointed out, "pacing was the key" and after doing this for 15 years, he certainly knows what he is talking about!

Interesting food aside, the experience was a wonderful one and one which I will always remember. Meeting my fellow munchers as well as a reporter and author I admire and enjoy reading was amazing. I am definitely looking forward to reading about our excursion in The Star Ledger.

The next time I venture out with kids in tow or not, I will keep a little spirit of the Munchmobile in my heart and try something different. It probably will not involve pig's ears or any animal's tail or tongue, but I will try and be a little more adventurous with my meal choices.

My kids enjoyed their fortune cookies with my middle one opening his just to read the fortunes! The hubby wants a chance for a seat on one of next summer's adventures. He is the real foodie in the family and I know he would have eaten the frog, but he will have to write his own application!

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Thank you to fellow muncher Susan for the great photos!

Countdown to the Munchmobile

Well, tomorrow I will be heading out on The Star Ledger's famed Munchmobile to sample Chinese food in the Garden State. It is the popular summertime feature's sweet sixteen and I am looking forward to the unique experience.

However, I am not the foodie in the family. That honor belongs to my husband who would love to have my seat on the big dog. For those of you not familiar with the Munchmobile, it is a van with a large hot dog attached to the top which travels around New Jersey in search of the tastiest foods. Over the years, it has become a summertime staple for many folks.

I'm not a big eater so I am a little nervous about sampling a lot of foods, but while I won't win any Chinese food eating contests, I will try my best especially since my children hate Chinese food and I never get to eat it.

My interest is primarily one as a writer as well as a fan. Not only do I really enjoy the column, but as a mystery author I love the potential plot lines which is how I got a seat on the Munchmobile in the first place, beating out quite a few applicants.

As I set off for my Chinese food extravaganza tomorrow, I will have my notebook in hand, ready to jot down notes on my experience and hopefully find the time to chat with the Munchmobile's brainchild, Peter Genovese who is also the author of 12 books.

A Look Back

It has been a little over a year since I made the decision to pursue writing as a full time venture. Well, as full time as I can with the kids, but even with everything else on my plate I have tried to give my writing career a strong push.

My first step was starting this blog at the suggestion of a romance author from the one place I want to visit- Ireland. Derick Hudson has written two extremely funny, off-beat novels and self-published them. He uses his blog as well as other social media sites to help publicize his work.

I took his advice and here I am. My fiction career may not be growing by leaps and bounds, but my freelance one is taking baby steps forward. Thankfully, I have an understanding spouse.

My first paying job as a freelancer was with Rant Political where I wrote news and opinion pieces. While my rant needed some work, I really enjoyed writing news pieces and was more than a little sad after the website shut down after four months.

My next gig was covering the New Jersey Devils for Rant Sports. Now, if I could pick my dream job, it would be as a travel writer, but being a sports writer is a close second.

These two positions as well as some other small writing jobs along the way have helped to give me some experience and confidence as a writer.

Last week, I started my new position at http://www.hubsm.com/ where I get to write mostly hockey features which I love to do.

It would be awesome to say I am a former player, but the truth is I took skating lessons a few years ago just to be able to keep up with my boys on the ice.

I have grown up around sports and with two hockey playing sons and a husband who plays as well, I have developed a fondness for the sport and am very excited about my new position.

My new editor worked in the newspaper field for sometime before moving on to a second career so it was really great to hear from him that I had the chops as a writer.

Now, I know that I still have a long way to go, but I am committed to staying on the writing path. It is finally time to clean out all of my old teaching stuff from the basement and turn the page.

I also have not given up on my fiction career. Secrets, Lies and Trash just went out to another publisher last week. Here's to hoping it eventually finds a home!