OA Today

Over on Operation Awesome today, I'm hosting author Tina Moss, who's talking about writing paranormal fiction. Click over and see!

And Happy-almost-Halloween!

Still, and Once Again, A Writer

I've posted before about my cancer experience, but a recent post got me thinking about it in a different way. Brigid Kemmerer posted last Friday in response to a reader's question: How do you get back into writing after a long absence or life event? She has some great insights and interpretations on how life events shape both you and your writing. Go read it here--I'll wait.

For me, writing over the last few years has been intertwined with a cancer diagnosis and the treatments. I had my 2nd biopsy the same week I got a serious R&R on my first book, and then crammed a rewrite in before my surgery. It still wasn't where I wanted it, so I did another one after the surgery and before my radiation started. Then was so out of it for a few months that I have huge gaps in my memory for that period. Wouldn't be surprised if I someday come across a file with stuff I'd written during those months, with no idea I'd done so!

But once it seemed like I was out of the woods, the book idea I'd had rattling around became my "hope" book. A sign that I was making plans again, that I had ambitions beyond my recliner. A book where I could lose myself in a world in my head, since I didn't have the energy to do much physically. Crow's Rest became the book where I threw my voice--quite literally, since I had vocal cord paralysis on one side for about 5 weeks after the surgery.

And after several stops and starts, when I had a finished book and polished it up again, it helped me feel like I was more than cancer. (Or even more than post-cancer, since I had a clean scan last January.) I was still, and once again, a writer. And as Brigid said, I'd also learned to take risks. I didn't feel like I was working on the same timeline as I'd had before--"I have time to develop as a writer" didn't feel so safe anymore.

So if nothing else came from this experience, it cured me from the tendency to pants a book without an outline, and as a result has made my writing much tighter. I also worry less about being taken seriously, or being a Great Writer of High Falutin Literature, and whether people think writing for children is training wheels for eventually writing for adults.

Because I'm writing exactly what I'm supposed to be writing, for here and now, for who I am now.

Ooops--OA today

Totally forgot to remind you I'm ranting posting on Operation Awesome today! Go check it out!

And, I went to see Gail Carriger speak in San Leandro and she posted the picture we took on her blog, too! Squee!

What A Weight Off My Shoulders!

So I cut my hair shorter. Here's how I looked on our vacation at the end of September. I'm the one on the left.

And here's the photo we took this weekend:

It's hard to tell since I'm wearing a jacket in the first pic, but I chopped about 6-7" off. And let me tell you, I wasn't aware of how much the extra length was bothering me until it was gone.

Here comes the writing metaphor: I've been working on a rewrite, and large chunks of text no longer fit the new direction the book is going. Rather than force some kind of transitional wordage to link the old parts and the new parts, I've been deleting entire chapters and starting from scratch.

It was intimidating to even consider it at first, but it's been so liberating since I've done it.

P.S. Here's a bonus pic--I couldn't work it into the writing metaphor, but I love this one! It's a sweet potato I grew.

OA Today with a Query Critique

I'm over on Operation Awesome today with our latest query critique! Please go check it out and offer some support for our brave volunteer, Maribeth Graham!

Last day to enter to get your query critiqued on OA today!

On September 16, we put out a call on Operation Awesome for brave souls who would like to have their query critiqued, and today (September 23) is the last day to enter! The winner will be emailed and tweeted with the news on the 24th, and the query with comments will go up on September 30.

If that sounds like something you'd be interested in, go enter! And good luck!

Angus MacBain & The Island of Sleeping Kings by Angela J. Townsend

Fellow Operation Awesome operative Angela J Townsend has a new book coming out September 27 from Clean Teen Publishing, and to celebrate I'm hosting a giveaway! Here's the lowdown on Angus MacBain and The Island of Sleeping Kings:

About the story:


Angus MacBain is unaware that his ancestral roots hail from an ancient sect of Scottish kings. When his dying grandfather gives him a dragon pendant, thirteen-year-old Angus learns of a legacy that will take him across an ocean to the island of Iona and thrust him into a heritage he did not know he had. He soon discovers that his mother, whom he had believed dead, is really a seal fairy, in hiding from a dangerous enemy. To save her, Angus must undergo a perilous journey of destiny and power to battle an evil Dacian knight and those who serve him. With only his family shield and the advice of a wizened vampire hunter to protect him, Angus must navigate dangerous terrain and dark enemies, in a land where the past and the present mingle, and sleeping kings wake.

About the author:

Angela Townsend was born in the beautiful Rocky Mountains of Missoula, Montana. As a child, Angela grew up listening to stories told by her grandparents, ancient tales and legends of faraway places. Influenced by her Irish and Scottish heritage, Angela became an avid research historian, specializing in Celtic mythology. Her gift for storytelling finally led her to a full time writing career.

Angela divides her time between writing, playing Celtic music on her fiddle, and Irish dancing. She resides in Northwestern Montana, with her two children Levi and Grant.

Angela's novel, Amarok, was published in November 2012 by Spencer Hill Press. It has been on Amazon’s best seller list in three categories, and was reviewed by the School Library Journal. Amarok is available in print and audio editions through Amazon.com as well as at large chain stores, including Walmart.

You can find her on her blog and Facebook and Twitter!

Plus, Angela kindly answered a few questions I was curious about:

1) What age group is Angus MacBain intended for?
All ages. I think everyone enjoys a good fantasy story. Tales told around the fireplace about dragons, castles, knights have been a long held tradition.

2) Will you share some interesting things you found while researching the fairy and folklore for this story?
I enjoy researching anything to do with Irish or Scottish myth and lore. There were many fascinating things I uncovered. Too many to mention. I've spent years researching Celtic legends and their origins In fact, I enjoy researching different cultures and myths in general.

My educational background is in Cultural Anthropology and research. The work that went into Angus MacBain and the Island of Sleeping Kings is a result of many years of careful study. MacBain is an ancestral name in my family spelled both McBain and MacBain.

I enjoyed incorporating a bit of my own family history into this novel. I have very strong Irish and Scottish roots so I have a special love for the preservation of Celtic history.

3) What other projects are you working on right now?
I'm currently working on Book 2 and Book 3 of the Angus MacBain series.

And now, you can enter to win A Magical Bag filled with Angus MacBain swag in the Rafflecopter below! Magnets, pens, erasers, wristbands, book marks, Angus Jewelry, plus bonus items!! (Sorry, this giveaway is for U.S. addresses only)

a Rafflecopter giveaway