Why I'm Celebrating!

Exactly ONE year ago Jeff (my husband of over 15 years) returned from Iraq, healthy and in one piece.

It brings tears to my eyes and makes my breath catch to remember the moment I saw him return from war. (He was SO buff and tanned a dark brown ~makes me melt a little thinking about it!)

Unless you have experienced it, you will never understand! Having someone you love, more than yourself, return from a place where each moment could be their last is such a blessing!

The next time you see or talk to a Service Member or their family, please make sure you thank them for their sacrifices.

Rejection.....

Well, my manuscript came back with "Pass" written across the top.

~Rejection~

It means that this agent did not feel my novel was something they could represent.

I got this rejection letter about a week ago, the day of my surgery. I have held off blogging about it because I expected to feel more! I was surprised that there wasn't much feeling at all. I had a smidge of disappointment because there was no advice given on why it was rejected. I would have appreciated to know what didn't work. Oh well.

I have tried to figure out why I didn't feel angry, hurt, or depressed, and have come down with a few ideas:

I sent this manuscript out knowing that whatever happened, it would follow God's plan. Plain and simple, this agent is not the one God wants me to be with. I don't know the reason and probably never will. I just know that the agent God sends my way is the one He has planned to be mine.

Also, I was having surgery that day which threw this whole deal into perspective. If God wants me to be published, then HE will make it happen. I didn't have time to wallow in self doubt or pity. I needed all my strength to heal.

I have since sent out one more query. For each rejection, I will send out one more query.

Rejection is never easy to deal with. I have found that if I set my sights on the fact that the person who rejected me is not the right one, I am able to handle it a little better.

We'll see if the next rejection is met with the same response. I sure hope so!

How have you dealt with rejection? Did your reaction surprise you? Why?

Hope you have a blessed day!
Andrea

Thomas Nelson Book Review Club ROCKS!

Hi All, Remember my review for The Noticer by Andy Andrews? A few weeks ago I joined the TN Book Review Bloggers group found here and downloaded The Noticer onto my electronic device. Once I read it I posted my review and was done, move onto the next book to review, right? WRONG!

Today I got the book in the mail for FREE! I'm sitting here happily shocked to have this little treasure in my hands. I had no idea I would get it electronically AND in hard cover.

What a blessing!
Thanks TN!

Thoughts for today

My devotions today focused on Job 2. It is an interesting story where Satan and God were talking about Job and how strong his faith was. God’s pride and trust in Job is inspiring! There is a verse where Job is covered in boils. His wife asks him, “Are you still holding on to your integrity? Curse God and die.” Or in other words just take the easy way out. If you don't know the story, Job holds strong and in the end is rewarded by God.

I started thinking about how to apply this verse to my life. I was reminded of my quest to write novels. I didn’t start writing with the goal and purpose to show others Christ and his never ending love. Nope, I started with a dream I had one night and the dream had nothing to do with Christ. I decided to turn my dream into a book and was just getting it (The One) started, when I realized I had to make a choice: Include God in my book or not. I had studied the market enough to know that a non-Christian book is easier to sell and it is so much easier to find an agent without the Christian tag stuck on it. In short, there are more non-Christian agents, readers and publishing houses, making it more difficult for Christian writers. I was torn between writing from my Christ indwelled heart, or my head. I prayed and talked to friends and in the end I realized that I am a Christian and Christ is a part of me. I came to the conclusion that I couldn’t write a book just to write, I couldn’t remove Christ and his love from my books any more than I could type without my hands. There are others who can do it and do it well, without feeling like they had compromised. For me it just didn't feel right.

I want to be a Christian author who will stand before others and say, “I am holding onto my integrity. I am an author of books with the purpose of spreading God’s love and healing.”

Has there been a time in your life where the thought giving up your integrity was alluring? What choice did you make? Would you make that same choice again knowing the outcome?

Blessings

Andrea

Polishing my query, again......

I am polishing up my query in hopes of sending it out later today. There are so many different sites with suggestions on how to write one. I have attempted to follow the honest approach.

What do you think? Would it prompt you to want to read it?

Dear Dream Agent,

In The One, my completed 87,000 word Inspirational Romantic Sci/Fi, God creates two people, meant to be One, and places them on different worlds. He directs the Guardian Angels to bring the man, Seth, to the woman’s world, but neither angels nor humans know if Seth will choose to listen to God in order to find the one created for him.

Seth Locke opens his eyes to find he is no longer in his room, and he is no longer on earth. He has been moved to Arland, a world where the people can see and hear their Guardian Angels. Seth is told he was brought to this new land to fulfill his calling, but that cannot happen until he finds the One woman God created for him. He feels drawn to Lilli, the first woman he meets, but is uncertain if she is his One. That would be too easy! As Seth falls deeper and deeper in love with Lilli, he questions her feelings. Seth works up the courage to ask her if she is available and finds out Lilli has found her One. He assumes it is someone else and runs away demanding his Guardian Asher send him back to Earth. He wakes up on Earth forgetting everything about Arland, but troubled by dreams of a woman named Lilli, he decides to search for her everywhere.

The One is my first novel which I wrote with a goal to reach single women who are between 14 and 25, aiming to give them encouragement and hope in the search for their one.

My resume includes multiple opportunities as a spokesperson and a peer counselor. I have spoken to groups as large as 3,000 people, and have also worked in many churches as a youth director. I enjoy working with people of all ages and encouraging them to live their lives to the fullest.

I am in the process of submitting this query to multiple agents, but would be thrilled if you chose to represent me. I request permission to submit my full manuscript for your review.

Thank you for your time and consideration. I look forward to hearing from you soon.

Book Review of BoneMan's Daughters

BoneMan's Daughters by Ted Dekker

My review

rating: 5 of 5 stars
I LOVED the Bone Man's Daughters. I won't rehash the entire story because others have done a great job summarizing it. I'm sure you get the idea by now. So I'll tell you why I liked it so much.


I'm married to a guy in the Army and could identify with the main characters Brittany, Celine and Ryan. In the military and a few other jobs, others safety must come first, but there is always collateral damage. Sadly, it’s the families that sustain terrible damage. Not having a husband, wife, father or mother around because someone else needs them more is difficult to deal with.


Ted Dekker was able to create a believable story using these characters. Sadly the situation they found themselves in is very true to life. -not with the Bone Man but as a Military family- The service member comes home to a house, not a wife, not children, but to something he/she no longer is a part of. The life is not an easy one and to make it successful, each person has to work hard. Dekker was able to write a very true to life story based on this loss of family, and how Ryan, the main character realizes what he has lost, but is it too late?


Hooah to all the Military Families fighting daily beside our Service men and women.


This book kept me turning the pages and guessing at what would come next. I’m happy to say that I wasn’t disappointed. I enjoyed the writing style and the glimpses into different character's thoughts and ideas. Very well written and suspenseful.


I would recommend this to anyone who is not too squeamish.



View all my reviews.

Book Review of The Noticer

The Noticer

by Andy Andrews

Thomas Nelson Publisher

A small town is frequently visited by Jones, an old man of no discernable age. He comes and goes as he pleases passing valuable lessons to those in need, encouraging each person he meets, and giving them nuggets of perspective that grow into life changing habits.

The Noticer is full of lessons written as parables, making them come to life and have deeper meaning. I have never written down so many quotes from one book. The Noticer was full of them and I even tweeted a few to my friends. This is a book I plan to read and re-read through out my life. I enjoyed each moment of it and will be giving this great book to family and friends for the holidays.

I read this book as a member of Thomas Nelson's Book Review Blogger Program found here: http://brb.thomasnelson.com/

Can't wait to review more of their books.

UPDATE: They sent me the book in hard cover for FREE! Just for reviewing this book. So shocked and happy! Thanks TN!

Out of the loop for a bit...

Hey All, Remember the post (http://tinyurl.com/r9ohkn) where I mentioned having to give up my wedding rings? Well, I went to see a hand specialist last Friday and he diagnosed me with a Ganglion Cyst. Yup, the joy of my life, writing, has caused me to have a cyst.

I think it's funny! But am not too happy that I can't wear my wedding rings. The pain is, well, a pain. Each time I go to grip something or grab something I hit that part of my finger. My son is so proud that he can open jars that mommy can't. I refuse to tell him it is because of my cyst. Hahaha

If you are a new writer, I would recommend removing your wedding ring before you spend 10-12 hours every day typing. My lesson is now learned.

My wonderful Dr. will remove the cyst in the AM and I might not be able to type for about a week. I plan to have my daughter update you all on Twitter.

Today I have been shopping and prepping things so at least we will be fed and hope the house can withstand my lack of attention. My hubby and kids are usually great helpers and I have no doubt they will attempt to keep things clean.

So until next week,

Blessings

Have you seen this Book Trailer?

This is a great book for writers and readers interested in learning about the agent world.

Agent Demystified:



I love how dramatic our lives appear, and how true to life it is.

You can purchase the book here: http://www.authoresspress.com/

The Authoress is on a quest to spread this video like the flu. So here is my germ filled addition.

Playing with my One Line Hook, again......

Hello All,

I am spending the day inside while the rain and sun play chase outside my window, creating the perfect day for brushing up my One Line Hook and finishing the selection for this month's Book Club.

What do you think of this One Line Hook?

When God creates two people, meant to be One, and places them on different worlds, He directs the Guardian Angels to bring the man, Seth, to the woman’s world, but neither angels nor humans know if Seth will choose to listen to God in order to find the one created for him.

Is it better than the ones below? Any and all comments welcome.

Thanks!
Blessings

Something About Me.....

Rachelle Gardner put out a writing exercise today. You can find it here: http://cba-ramblings.blogspot.com/2009/05/something-about-you.html

The mission: Write about yourself in the third person. Tell us something we wouldn't guess simply from the fact that you read this blog. And do it in a maximum of 100 words.

As usual, I read this and started searching for answers. I love a writing challenge, but writing about myself is not an easy thing to do!

I reviewed my current titles, trials and joys. My life played out before me like a movie and through it all He, Jesus Christ, was there. So I started playing around and here is what I came up with.

Andrea is a woman, claimed by me before her mother knew she was there.

I have given her a husband so she could glimpse a small portion of my love for her, and children to show her my promises and joy.

I have been with her through pain, abuse, trials, and healing. I have shown her others who don’t have me, going through the same, which has given her my heart for the hurt.


I have placed words in her mind and a drive to arrange them in a compelling story that will show my love and promise to all.


There it is; Andrea in 100 words. There was so much else about me I could say, but after it is all said and done, He is what my entire life is about.

My Christ!

Agent: Demystified

Go to: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=IAL_nTJQyw8 and watch a great book trailer. You can also see it here: http://misssnarksfirstvictim.blogspot.com/

Tons of good info in this e-book.

Enjoy!

Want to vote on my One Line Hook?

The first question you are probably asking is "What is a One Line Hook?"

It is a one line summary of a manuscript.

The second question is most likely, "Why do you need one?"

It is a single sentence an Author uses to get a reader interested.

The third question, "What makes a good Hook?"

I found some great advice here: http://querytracker.blogspot.com/2009/04/dreaded-pitch-what-to-include-in-that.html

In short: The sentence must have the tone of the book, the genre targeted, and the plot. Three little words rolled up in to one sentence that should describe your 75k-90k word book.

There are so many different ways to go about writing your hook but honestly, I found the website mentioned above to be the best help yet.

So without further ado, here are 2 pitches and you have a chance to vote for your favorite!


When Seth, a young college student, is moved to a new world by his Guardian Angel, he is told he must find his One, his soul mate, in order to fulfill his calling, and at the same time learn to trust God’s will, instead of his own, but when he struggles to find her he demands to be sent back to Earth, forcing her to come to him.


When Seth, a young college student, is moved to a new world by his Guardian Angel, he learns that he must trust God’s will, instead of his own, in order to find his One, his soul mate, but when he struggles to find her he demands to be sent back to Earth, forcing her to come to him.

Some Newbie Lessons:

I have not been at this whole writing deal for too long, but already I’ve learned so much!

1. Do not send out your first query! Brush it up, send it to tons of people and/or a critique group, then you can send it out. Inevitably if you don’t follow this advice, you will send your WORST query to your Dream Agent and possibly destroy your chances of winning over that agent.

2. If you enter a contest or a critique session, DO NOT edit your 1000 words down to 250! There is absolutely no way to get your point and plot across properly. There will be something important missing no matter what. So the reviews will not be pertinent.

3. Study, study, study. Find lessons on writing techniques and anything you can get your hands on to help you grow as a writer. Anything new that you learn will only help you.

4. Don’t hide your manuscript from helpful critique fearing it will be stolen. I have attempted to pass mine out to many different people because I desperately need the feedback, good or bad. Read up on copyright laws and don’t worry too much.

5. We all have our favorite Agents who we dream of representing us, under no circumstances should you follow them relentlessly on Twitter, FB, or their blogs. It’s not a big deal to pop in or check up on them. There are some WONDERFUL Agents out there who give advice you need daily. But be aware that when you follow them you will be sitting on the edge of your seat each time you see them post something new. My dream agent mentions doing things and going places and at first I was a bit ticked. I wanted to yell “Wait! You haven’t responded to my query yet.” How ridiculous it that? Honestly, I don’t want an agent who doesn’t make time for themselves and their family. So save yourself some heartache and back off a bit, lay low and follow #6.

6. While waiting for a response from Agents find something else to do besides wait. Write another book or small story, find a new hobby, clean the house- HAhaha!-, anything to keep your mind occupied.

That’s all for now. Like I said up at the top, I'm a newbie. You don’t have to listen to me; after all I’m not published YET! But I have learned some hard lessons and I wish to keep you from making the same mistakes I did. And trust me, there will be many more to add to this list!

Do you have any advice for a new author? I’d love to hear it.

Blessings

Andrea

Want to see a Query?

Here is my query. I have brushed it up and would enjoy reading your comments.

Andrea Gardner
http://andreasquipsnquotes.blogspot.com/
I usually add the rest of my info but not on my blog. ;)
May 5, 2009


Dear Dream Agent,

I am seeking representation for my completed 87,250 word Inspirational Romance The One.

I chose to submit my query to you after reading your web page. (I usually add something about what I saw on their page or something about their blog to make it individual)

The One tackles the issue of trusting God and his will in our lives, set in a funny, romantic story.
Seth Locke opens his eyes to find he is no longer in his bed, and he is no longer on earth. He has been moved to Arland, a world where the people can see and hear their Guardian Angels. The Arlanders are unique; God’s will is spoken to them through their Guardians. He calls the Guardians to lead, guide and direct these people, and because they listen they are advanced in every way.

Seth is told he was brought to this new land to fulfill his calling, but that cannot happen until he finds the One woman God created for him. Seth is troubled by the urgency to find his One, and is intimidated by this new world. He feels drawn to Lilli, the first woman he meets, but is uncertain if she is his One. That would be too easy! As Seth falls deeper and deeper in love with Lilli, he questions her feelings for him. When Seth finds out Lilli has found her One, he assumes it is someone else and runs away demanding his Guardian send him back to Earth. He awakens on Earth forgetting everything about Arland, but troubled by dreams of a woman named Lilli, whom he searches for everywhere.

The One is my first novel. My resume includes multiple opportunities as a spokesperson and a peer counselor. I have spoken to groups as large as 3,000 people. I have also been the primary speaker for many multimedia presentations. I enjoy working with people of all ages and encouraging them to live their lives to the fullest in Christ.

I am in the process of submitting this query to multiple agents. I would be thrilled if you chose to represent me. I request permission to submit my full manuscript for your review.

Thank you for your time and consideration. I look forward to hearing from you soon.

Sincerely,

Andrea Gardner

Some great advice!

I just finished reading a great blog: http://querytracker.blogspot.com/2009/05/simple-trick-to-help-you-get-published.html

The information here is so perfect and timely! Hope it helps you as much as it did me.

Blessings

Step Two Includes.....

Morning All, I decided to pop in and bring you up to date on my progress.

Step two of a 3 step process in finding an Agent consists of writing a synopsis, and polishing up your manuscript.

There are so many great sites out there that address writing the synopsis. For my next book, this process will be attempted BEFORE the writing starts. Not sure how that will work because I write according to the scenes in my mind. But I think it might help me focus more. We'll see.

A synopsis is a condensed look at your book. You grab your 88 thousand word manuscript and pull out the pertinent info, the highs, the lows AND the ending. Then you take all of that and write a 2 -YES 2- page synopsis using that info.

The manuscript should be all ready for printing. Check it over one last time, and print it out. (or you might get lucky and be able to submit it by e-mail.)

Don't forget to check your Agents submission requirements or requests. The Agent I am sending to only accepts the above in print and snail mail.

IF your agent requests the same, print it out on BOND paper! I searched over 100 sites on synopsis and manuscript writing and all of them say that you must use bond paper. $$$$ Save up those pennies first! It is not cheap but makes everything look so sharp.

Once it is printed don't bind it in any way, staples, clips etc. I am putting mine in a tan envelope and then into a priority mail envelope. Hopefully the double packaging will keep it from shifting around too much.

Then you mail it out and wait. I plan to start my next novel in hopes of staving off the jitters. I've found a large part of waiting to be published is waiting. Such a lesson for me~ the totally impatient one!

That is where I am at the moment. Praying the response is quick and positive!

UPDATE: I have checked with some Agent friends and the bond paper thing is not true! Thank GOD! I was starting to add up the costs and it wasn't looking good! Off to print and send send them out. Yipee!

I have........

A request for my synopsis and the first 50 pages of my manuscript!

Step two of a 3 step process!

I am polishing my synopsis now and have butterflies!

Please pray that if this is to be my agent, things will go smoothly.

Blessings!