Showing my work...eek I'm gonna hurl

I am terrified of showing my work, whoa I know that is something I must overcome, no writer can write and dream of publication without taking that brave step into showing their work. That is a major step throughout the journey and after 9agent/publishing house editor) So 2012 I have decided to take a leap and showcase my writing, as of late I have entered an anthology contest hosted by the Canadian Authors Association, and recently I entered contest here


I always assume its a long shot I will win, but last year I won a few books and a critique which I guess is not the same as getting a critique from an agent but another goal for 2012 is for me to appreciate all the scary strides I take and each mss I complete even in its rough bare butt glory its still a finished manuscript that I can at least tweak. So far I have written five mss, my madness led me to conjure up a plan if I have a few mss in different genres (POLISHED) perhaps that will enable me to boost my chances of getting signed by a wonderful agent, I am writing a YA SCI-FI next in which the aliens will kick butt for a bit and then all will be well...maybe. But, every hour, sec I get new ideas and another of my madness I have outlines for several ideas these occurred summer 2011 while at park with my girls so I will slow down check those ideas after I write sci-fi and see which will stick. in addition, I write adult novels so I may write one this summer as an aspiring writer I want to balance YA/Adult mss, okay that's all for now its 1:15a.m and no coffee but wide awake so I will get a book and read until my eyes feel like cement.

Reviews rants

Today I have been on goodreads a bit, because fab blogger extraordinaire Roni Loren CRASH INTO YOU was released and I bought it and then wanted to add it to my what I'm reading stash, but as I pansied my way I located discussions of reviews.
I won't say the name to protect the anonymity of the author but basically this writer's book won't be out for a few days and people were just giving really bad reviews left right and center so to speak.

I totally understand it's the nature of the biz when a writer gets published and then officially becomes an author. I don't want to sound like a hypocrite as well because I have slammed one author's book on a few comments and I regret that, and have used the excuse I was learning and wasn't too smart about the etiquette of online behavior, I think like any critique it has to be constructive rather than intentions to hurt the person, and again another truth when I had said those things about the author it was my insecurities of not getting my 'big break' but every one's big break comes different and their success is something that should not be judged.

if their book gets optioned for a movie that is something that is cool but not something they did on their own many people was part of that; agents, book to film scouters, I am not sure if that's what they are actually called but that's what I'll call them anyways, the point is as a community of talented peeps we must express our reviews based on an objective position and not the position to tear someone down, just so that icky feeling inside is resolved, the truth is when I did inappropriate behaviors like troll a fan-site of a particular author I felt horrible and wouldn't want that to happen to me.

Due to copyright I cannot show the song.

Resolutions for 2012

Okay every year I make resolutions and every year I break them here is my resolutions from last year in regards to writing but I will add some personal goals.

*Polishing my manuscript. (I have retained an amazing editor so I am on the right path.) I am on chapter 10 revising its been a difficult process as I hone my craft but my editor is supportive and pushes me to get better so this has been very positive and I won't rush my revision the key is having a polished mss and agents/publishers will always be around
* Finishing two WIP (rough draft) I have written four (well finishing up third and fourth will be done towards the ending of January)
*Tone my body (long term goal since I was fifteen years old)Well I joined the gym I was going faithfully and then winter arrived work got stressful and you can guess the rest I stopped going regularly so I will make a huge effort to go since I am paying a membership.
*Writing for me and don't think about anything else relating to publishing biz
*decreasing my stress (this is a hard goal cuz I freak out a lot)Getting better to manage my stress and refrain from internal monologues of should've would've could've
*Write for two hours everyday as per my writing calender I have become obsessed with writing in the summer my darling girls ban me from writing during the day, as I write this blog I am writing been at it on and off since the morning give and take I take breaks to be a Mom and a spouse house work, errands but my dear husband believes in my hard work and takes the girls to his mother so I have uninterrupted writing time (twitter name too I gotta keep it real LOL)

2012 Goals
* Hone, hone, craft
*Finish edit first novel PNR
*Edit of one of four WIP to query with above manuscript
*Finish writing YA Sci-Fi
*Continue at the gym
*Don't let others negative energy sway me into a negative zone
*be respectful to others even when they don't deserve it
*Read more books hoping 25-50 books this New Year
*Be a better spouse and parent more patience when my girls are trying to tear each other's heads off
*Laugh more instead of moping about things that don't deserve attention to if it won't further me to be a better person
*Appreciate other authors that have made it, don't waste energy getting in that negative zone why they made it I have to believe one day I will get the opportunity for my dreams to come true and I would want others to appreciate my hard work no matter how that hard work came

That's all I hope that I achieve most of what I have set for myself and I am happy that I am able to experience another year with people that love me.

Book Extraordinaire of 2011

Okay I too will jumping on the bandwagon of listing my best YA books of 2011 this is the books I have read that I like firstly I will start with YA the stars beside the books are the ones that are still on my huge TBR pile and lastly I will list few books I am looking forward to for 2012 and adult books I have read or looking forward to read.

Cannot show image of books due to potential copyright. I won a book from Scholastic Press I love to support authors I adore but winning books is neat too.HUNGER GAMES I never knew about this series until a few months before the last book came out, everyone on twitter was telling me to get it and that I won't be disappointed. They were right, I loved the entire series and the only critique is that I wish the writer wrote one more book, I am looking forward to how the movie studio will adapt the first book when it comes out later this year I will be getting advanced tickets because I have a feeling the theatre will be jam packed.I read the first book last summer PARANORMALCY and loved the quirky voice of the writer and the main character, I have not gotten to the second book but what captivated when I read the first book was the amazing covers and which showcase the character who loves girlie things whilst being fierce heroine when she is capturing fugitives and other missions looking forward to following Kiersten White and what else she will write after the series wraps up.
Since I also write for adults these are authors that I adore Megan Hart ( I read NAKED and TEMPTED which hooked me to be a life long fan and my decision to also write for adults but it mainly Roni Loren who introduced me to this amazing writer and responsible for me making my decision to try writing a ERom which I completed and cannot wait to get it edited. I love Megan voice she is amazing the way she writes her steamy scenes but the core of her novels is the love story and the genuine characters that are beyond three-dimensional. As per my previous post blogger extraordinaire Roni Loren debut novel CRASH INTO YOU will be out January 3 2012

So that's it yes there are plenty of books that could have been on my list I am looking forward to 2012 firstly my journey towards publishing and of coarse no writer can be a better writer without reading a ton of books, so I look forward to reading more books from my fave authors and I like to challenge myself by reading books from authors that I may have never read.

RONI LOREN EPIC CONTEST-Show your Blue Steel look.

Here are the deets to participate in the amazing Roni Loren contest hop to her blog, laugh and join.

Don't forget this date: January 3rd 2012 CRASH INTO YOU release date go out and get this smexy book and tuck yourself away until you finish it I cannot wait, this book is on top of my TBR stack.

*With permission from author I am permitted to use image for contest.

Blog hopping I came across author multi-tasker extraordinaire Elana Johnson I first knew about Elana via writeoncon 2010 I received so much advice and it was also what helped solidify that my dream of getting published was serious and I was going to work hard. It was difficult reading her post although quite honest I felt like I wanted to reach out to her and give her a big hug, she has made it the 1% author who had beat the odds firstly gaining an agent and then getting published her first debut POSSESSION. The path I am at right now is still filled with dreams such as my first book will sell gazillion dollars, yes I have slapped myself a few times to shake out of that delusion reading Elana's post again reaffirmed the reality sometimes getting published things don't always go the way we planned, I also have read recently authors, writers leaving their agents or realizing after few books have been sold a publishing company wasn't right for them. I loved reading POSSESSION I have to admit though Suzanne Collins HUNGER GAMES trilogy made me appreciate Dystopia but as I was reading Elana's post a thought came to me timing is so crucial to writers and so many books debut on the same day some of the books have similar themes, does that affect the destiny of writers books? Competition is very hard and at times I say perhaps pursuing writing would be too much for me, (but that thought is quickly rebuttal)pouring my heart out writing a book and the expectations of what I wanted does not become what was imagined. I can only put myself in sympathising what Elana is going through but I believe if I endured what she was feeling at that time when she wrote her post and continued to write that is what it means to be a writer, because sometimes after the glamour of rock star authors has faded its all back to the beginning, so although its okay to feel down from time to time, I am learning no matter what I will dust myself off and keep trying to get better at honing the craft, and I believe Elana has done that as well, so fellow writers support this amazing writer and go buy her amazing debut POSSESSION>