When Critique Partners Finally Meet!

This post is a little late coming, but things in the querying world have been keeping me busy and insane, so that's my excuse. In June, I got to meet all of my critique partners/my best blogging buddies!

First, Amy from The Green Bathtub and her littlest came to Houston (for a rather sad reason, initially) and she stayed a night with me and hubs. The next day we went shopping where we felt underdressed at Tiffany's and chowed down on some froyo!

Then the next week, KM from One Page at a Time and Kristi Chestnutt came into town, and together we drove all over half of Texas (Houston, obviously, San Marcos, Canyon Lake, Boerne, San Antonio) and we went to the Writers' League of Texas Agent Conference in Austin where we pitched to agents for the first time!

KM, Kristi, me

We got a chance to meet up with Kim Franklin too, and we all went shopping at the largest outlet mall in Texas! It was a fabulous time to hang with the girls in person, and I can't wait until we're all together again! Maybe a book launch party for one of us?! A girl can dream! :)

When to Say When

Revisions are pretty neat if you think about it. With a little planning and determination, you have the ability to give your story a face lift. Freshen it up. Delete an unnecessary character, make another more interesting, beef up the MC's motivation. Add some funny! The possibilities are endless! And that's the problem. When do you stop?

I've heard more than one published author say that once their book hits the shelves, they have a hard time even thinking about reading it again. They know they'd find more things they want to change, even though they've already read it through countless times, making it the absolute best they could. There's always something you're going to want to change about your own work. We are our own worst critic, after all. But at some point, you've got to stop obsessively reading over it. Trust yourself that you've made the right decisions by your characters, that you've caught all the pesky typos and out of place commas that you can (let someone else find the rest--sometimes it takes another set of eyes) and send that puppy out into the world! (can you tell I just did another round of revisions this past week?)

Have you done any revising lately? When did/will you say when?

The Difference a Year Makes

A year ago we were in a terrible drought here. Last September one of the Texas wildfires got within two miles of my parents' house and they prepared to evacuate several times. The fires were widespread across several parts of the State and did extensive damage, mostly to residential areas too. Those areas are still recovering and rebuilding, but there's a lot of green that has sprung from the ashes now.

This year, we've had quite a bit of rain, especially this week. It's been raining for days, hours and inches at a time. Even now as I write this at nearly ten o'clock hour, it's pouring, and it was pouring when I woke up from a clang of thunder at 5:30. Our backyard is a lake today, and I know there are flash flood warnings all over Houston. Flooding is it's own kind of beast. I've been flooded before, when I was 11. But that's a traumatic story for another time.

Also a year ago, I was in the heart of drafting the book I'm currently in the heart of querying. Looking back and seeing how far you've come is a whole lot easier than trying to guess where you'll be a year from now (though I'd better have a whole other book written and polished a year from now, or I'm going to have to seriously step up my game!).

This past year I've met some wonderful people in the book community (bloggers, authors, even met my critique partners in person finally!), went to TLA, went to my first agent conference with said critique partners, pitched to an agent IN PERSON! I don't like to toot my own horn, but I've done some things I'm proud of this year, out of the comfort zone. What else could you ask for in a year's time? Always move forward.

This time next year, I'd love to have an agent. That's the goal (well, and it would be great to have a book deal, but you know, one wish at a time)! Anything is possible!

What has the past year brought you? Do you have ideas of where you'd like to be a year from now?

Dawson and Jane

Oh Netflix, how I love thee. Last week I finished the entire series of Dawson's Creek. Really, it should have been called Joey's Creek because it seemed to be mostly about her. I'm pretty sure there were a couple episodes that didn't even have Dawson IN it. This was my first Dawson experience... even though the show had them graduate in 2001, which is exactly when I graduated, I was "younger" than those kids so I didn't "get" it back when the show was on.

Also thanks to Netflix, I've been watching a new show called Jane by Design. SO CUTE and ADORABLE and PRECIOUS and I CAN'T STOP WATCHING IT. It's about a girl still in high school that tries to get an internship for a fashion designer, but she's mistaken for someone else and lands a real job as the creative director's assistant. So now she's basically leading a double life so obviously, hilarity ensues. The acting's good, the storyline is fun, the characters are lovable.

And if you need another reason to watch it... watch it for Billy! He's SO SWEET it KILLS me.

So what has Netflix done for you lately? Have you watched either of these shows?

New Italy Prints in my Store!

Due to encouragement from a friend that saw these images of mine framed at my parents' house, I added a couple new prints in my Etsy store today. They put me in the summer mood!

Happy July!!

The Pitch Has Been Pitched!

What a weekend that was (I know it's already Thursday and I'm just now blogging about it, but I've been recovering and catching up on sleep)! I've almost got my voice back too. Nearly a week playing hostess to my critique partners proved to be more than my little vocal chords could handle, and I went hoarse pretty quickly. Hopefully the agent I pitched to didn't think I was trying to sound seductive or anything. I promise I wasn't. o_O

That's right! I pitched to an agent! A real, live rockstar of a literary agent! With the help of my critique partners, I memorized a two sentence pitch but she started asking questions halfway through the first sentence so a lot of good that did me haha. I'd been a bundle of nerves all day, but once I sat down with her, I instantly relaxed. She was so nice and enthusiastic about everything I had to say, I couldn't help feeling like I was chatting with someone I already knew. Our ten minutes together flew by, but I had a minute at the end to ask a couple quick questions. On the whole, I learned a great deal at the conference, and I'll take this opportunity to encourage you to attend a conference if you haven't been to one before. Break out of your comfort zone and meet with an agent in person. If I can do it, anyone can. Seriously. It's worth the nerves going into it.

I know you're wondering, but no, I'm not going to reveal who the agent was. I make a point not to get into specifics on social networking sites at this stage of the agent hunt. And I know what else you're wondering. This agent had everyone who pitched to her send a query and sample pages with the conference as the subject line. Less than two days later she requested the full! EEEEEP!

Are you querying right now? How's it going?

Anastasia Forever Trailer Release! Check it OUT!

I am so excited to be a part of the exclusive ANASTASIA FOREVER BLOG TOUR!  Only a lucky few have the chance to debut this trailer, and I’m beyond thrilled to see where Anne’s dreams lead her in the third and final installment of the DREAMING ANASTASIA Series.  Will she unlock the secrets of the past before they destroy her future?

Here’s the scoop on the DREAMING ANASTASIA Series!

There is so much to love about this series as Joy brilliantly blends Russian history, romance, magic and mythology into an enticing adventure.

In DREAMING ANASTASIA, Anne Michaelson begins to have unusual dreams and discovers that she is the only one who can save the daughter of the last tsar of Russia, Anastasia Romanov.  Believed to be dead by the world, Anastasia has been kept captive all these years by the Russian witch Baba Yaga, and only Ethan, a handsome and mysterious 18-year-old, can help Anne free Anastasia. 

Anne once again leaves behind her ordinary life in HAUNTED to join forces with the mysterious and gorgeous Ethan as the journey with the Romanov continues.  This time she is haunted by classic figures from Russian mythology, a rusalka, , a Russian folklore mermaid with a malevolent streak –  and a particular interest in Anne,  who tells her that Anastasia is still alive.  As she and Ethan team up, Anne’s search for the rusalka’s identity reveals deep and startling secrets - including the true source of Anne’s powers.

Now in ANASTASIA FOREVER, having survived Baba Yaga and the Rusalka, Anne finds herself bound by the witch to undertake a journey into past, present, and future that will determine her destiny - and that of everyone she loves.

Catch a preview of the danger, romance, and magic await Anne in this exciting glimpse ahead of ANASTASIA FOREVER by taking a look at a special sneak peak with the first three chapters here!

Are you ready to see the trailer?! Are you? Huuuuuuuh??? Check it out HERE!

ANASTASIA FOREVER comes out this August, be sure to look out for all things Anastasia at Joy’s website joysnovelidea.blogspot.com.