lovefurypassionenergy

Changes

Sandra Richards — Wed, 15 Aug 2007 19:01:00 +0000

I'm going to a different format soon. I've decided to customize WordPress and just maintain a blog on my main page, with a couple of other pages for links, my bio, that sort of thing. Then again, I might change my mind. I've been known to do that.

I received two requests from Conference for Otherworld, but the reactions of the agent and editor were what I find even more encouraging. They both said it sounded different. Apparently not so different they didn't want a look at it. So, here I go.

Making the chapters shine has been an experience for me. Each time I write something I learn something about my own process. Even as I watch what I do, I find the process is still evolving, a constant becoming. I see so many people with recommendations of how to work this way of plotting, or work that way of revising, and do this to get realistic characters--and it makes me wonder if I have any tricks I could discover for myself. Not that they'd be original, I'm pretty certain anything that I will do has been done before in the process sense. As I come down the line to the revision of Otherworld, hoping to put it to bed soon and go on to Midnight At The Mystic Cafe, I'm wondering if maybe I need a box of tricks, because each novel I've written so far has its own persona and way of coming into being. I'll keep everyone posted as to what I'm doing and how I'm doing it.

Have a day full of lovefurypassionenergy,
Sandra

Title Woes

Sandra Richards — Thu, 11 Jan 2007 22:16:00 +0000

So I've been waiting to hear back from two editors and an agent on whether they will buy my book, or represent my books. Waiting is tough, but it's part of the business.

While waiting, one of the houses I had thought might be an alternative place to try to sell my manuscript I call Spellbinder published a book with that exact title. Not the same plot. However, as most publishing companies will not allow two books with the same title in their catalogue, I find that it makes me feel less likely to get a favorable response from this company.

So, what could be my alternate title for Spellbinder? Any ideas?

Thanks in advance,
Sandra

Goodbye Gerry

Sandra Richards — Wed, 03 Jan 2007 21:46:00 +0000

Today I was sitting down, taking a break, and I had the TV on. Not that unusual, but I'm normally on the Science Channel, or G4. Today I was on Fox and the broadcast was interrupted for the motorcade taking President Gerald R. Ford to the Ford Museum for his last memorial.

This isn't something that happens every day, nor does it happen every year. For some reason, though, whenever a president is laid to rest my mind sees another funeral from my youth.

I was four years old when John Fitzgerald Kennedy was shot and killed. I remember leaving my house to go down the street to Janie Martin's house to ask her mom if her TV showed something else. No, she told me, it was the same thing. Sadly I went home, knowing that I wanted to watch Sherrif John and was instead having to watch this thing I didn't understand.

I did understand one thing, though. John John's salute. I didn't really get the concept of death completely, and this was abstract for me at four years old anyway. The president wasn't the person who kissed my boo-boos or made me clean my room. The president didn't leave presents for me under the Christmas tree or color Easter eggs I would find. But the image of a little boy, solemn faced, offering a salute to the coffin made me uncomfortable. I guess I knew somewhere he was saying goodbye to one of his parents, because his mother was there beside him but not his father. The knowledge that this could happen to me hung there like, I don't know, the ghost of Christmas yet to come, skeletal as an idea yet fleshed out with the salute of a boy not too much older than I.

I have always admired Gerald R. Ford, in a passive sort of way, I think. He had a very rough time of things, especially after Nixon resigned. Ford pardoned him, stopping any investigations and legal proceedings. I know many people feel this was all worked out with Nixon before. I'm not going to conjecture that here. I just know that it was a very hard to come into a job where the big boss just quit because of a scandal that had never shaken the position before, or since. He had to make us trust him, and he had to make us believe that we could elect another president with confidence. The opinion was split on whether the pardon was appropriate or not, but in the end people made a choice, the nation went on, and the stigma of Watergate faded from a National scandal bordering on past-time to a history lesson.

Goodbye Gerry. You kept it together for us when we were divided. Rest in peace.

Sincerely,
Sandra

Happy Holidays

Sandra Richards — Fri, 22 Dec 2006 06:43:00 +0000

Our house is quite diverse. People end up everywhere on Christmas. My Wonderful Husband™ and I go to my folks, my best friend and her SO go to her mother's, and my stepson is usually with his mom's side of the family. So, tonight is the night we get together as a house and open presents.

Though this was the first time in my life I had no time to get a tree, we had a great time. The house was decked out with lights everywhere, and candles. There were presents aplenty for everyone, the kids making out like bandits. I got plenty of things to spend--money, gift cards. There was an embarrassment of candy. And I know I'm old when I find ibuprofin in my stocking.

Now I'm exhausted, but I have a 9 year old here who wants to learn to use my Nintendo Wii (or, to say it with more fun, my Nintendo WHEEEEEEE!).

I hope everyone's holidays are as bright as mine was tonight.

2007 Will Be Sterling

Sandra Richards — Sun, 17 Dec 2006 01:22:00 +0000

Well, it's been a strange year. I had major surgery, my husband's best friend had a lung collapse, my only living grandparent died on my birthday, I revised the bylaws for Los Angeles Romance Authors, my time for my chat community took a nose-dive, and so did the attendance for said chat community, my best friend acquired a stepdaughter who has become like a little sister, and, if you can believe it, I was elected president of Los Angeles Romance Authors for 2007.

Yet, today is taken up with something else all together. We have an old man in the house. His name is Sterling, and he's a Norwegian Forest cat. That means he looks rather like Sylvester from the cartoons.

He's a grudgemudgeon. When I met him at a friend's house he bit me, and I still have the scars to this day. He's older and still as irrascible as ever.

When we first got him, he was so tough, so much the silent and mean kitty. But we caught him gathering and playing with fallen camelia flowers from the neighbor's bushes. He would spin them like tops. When seen doing this, he'd immediately break off with a surly expression. Soon, after we praised him for how beautiful the flowers were, other cats were trying to find something similar to gift us.

He tried to run away when we first brought him from our friend's house. He'd been abandoned when his first family moved, and she couldn't keep him. We kept him inside the normal two weeks, then let him out. We didn't see him for about 2 1/2 days. When he came back, he had crawled. His back feet were quite swollen, and we conjectured he'd been tossed by a car. We made him comfortable, fed and watered him, and watched to see what would happen. We expected he'd be cranky and unaccepting of the care we gave. Instead, he was grateful.

He doesn't like car rides, and he hates going to the vet. But Sterling always thanks us after vet visits. Even the one today that stressed him out so much he had begun to twitch in the vet's office.

So, why am I writing about my cat and not any of the other things happening in my life? Because Sterling reminds me that physical complaints don't have to interfere with quality of life if I don't want them to. He's got cataracts. His back is nearly fused with arthritis, making it impossible to do the usual cleaning of his fur. He has some form of skin issue around his mouth, making it hard to eat. He weighs very little--less than 5 lbs.--when he formerly weighed about 8 lbs. He can't jump up, and can hardly use his back legs to scale something, all of his strength being in his front legs. We believe he is hard of hearing. The vet told us today that he has little to no kidney function left.

Yet, he not only drinks and eat on his own, he demands to be fed, begs when we eat something, asks to be petted, moves from piece of sun on the floor to piece of sun on the floor (I swear he has the spots memorized), asks out, and curls up on the floor furnace (yes, I know, a floor furnace--gotta get a wall furnace next year, really!) when it's on. He still interacts with other cats, as well as with us. With the exception of going over the fence to hang out with our curmudgeon of a neighbor (birds of a feather, as they say), and collecting flowers, he's basically still doing everything he ever did, physical condition notwithstanding.

How many times do I make excuses for not doing something that is related to not feeling well? Do I let myself believe I'm not able to keep up with something or another because I'm buying my own BS? Nora Roberts said we make stuff up, and we as writers are prone to believe our own excuses.

I don't make New Year's resolutions, because I actually think that's a stressful way to start the New Year and it sets me up for feeling like a failure if I don't follow through because life had other plans. But this year, I think I'm going to live like Sterling--in spite of the pain, the illness, the tweaked muscles, the general stress of life. All the energy I have will go out to the things I love.

Have a happy holiday season.

Ciao,
Sandra

To MySpace Or Not To MySpace?

Sandra Richards — Sat, 09 Dec 2006 01:50:00 +0000

So I'm considering a move. This blog doesn't get a lot of traffic or comments, even when I post with any regularity. And Blogger itself doesn't have much of a scene. I know that editors and agents will look to see if I can build a community myself, but frankly if there isn't a large community-maker already, it's hard to make a "scene" about your work.

I have a MySpace page. I have no blog on it, and only four friends so far, one of them is Tom. I am considering using MySpace as my blog -and- my web presence for the time being.

I have also considered just using it for networking and buzzing my work. I figure getting people interested in the book, even before it is published, would help anyone considering my work at all.

Problem is, MySpace is happening now, but will it be happening in five years? I'd love to say yes, but no one really knows.

That's why part of me wants to only use MySpace for networking and buzzing books--the way bands and actresses and artists buzz their work. This blog wouldn't go away, it just might become more about my ups and downs as a writer. Still, two blogs, twice the time . . . so much to decide.

Ciao for now,
Sandra

The Hooker That Ate My Brain

Sandra Richards — Fri, 03 Nov 2006 23:39:00 +0000

Lana Long just won't leave me alone today. I began National Novel Writing Month (NaNoWriMo for short. If I say it out loud, it freaks my Wonderful Husband™ because it sounds like a bizarre rare disease) and I took on a story I have had in the back of my mind.

I've been working on this story for a few months, but now the heroine--Lana, who is an ex-hooker--wants me to write about her to the exclusion of anything else in my life.

Now, I don't mean she wants me to finish her story before I write about anything else. I mean, she doesn't want me to take a break for lunch.

Today I actually had some office work for LARA, and I'll have some tomorrow. My writing time is limited if not down to zero for the next two days. But she's pushing me to do the writing anyway. Can I do it? Will she let me eat? Stay tuned and see if I shoot myself before I make 50,000 words on my little widget to the right.

Don't Stop Writing,
Sandra

Thanks J.R.R.--Or Maybe Not . . .

Sandra Richards — Mon, 30 Oct 2006 20:28:00 +0000

it's been a while for me. I've been updating the bylaws of my local RWA® and I think they ate my writing brain. Now it's all in the hands of the powers that be, I can think like a writer again.

While flipping channels, I came across a biography of H.G.Wells, with emphasis on the effects of his writings. He did a lot of futuristic tales, though many of them were termed "romance" because anything that was fantastical in nature was considered to be adventure, and, therefore, romantic fiction. Romance meant a love story, but also a tale of adventure, as well.

I started a thread a good many months ago on the Romance Diva's forums, asking what other people thought of when they heard the word fantasy. I was surprised that the thread was still going, and peeked in. As I began to make my answer, I decided to share my opinion with my blog readers, as well.

Personally, I think fantasy is anything that can't be done via science. It has to be. I can't even say that there isn't anything technical in it, because many types of magic have some technicality to it--procedures, tools, perhaps specific clothing or words to be used. But it isn't the same as technology, gadgets or what I call the "MacGyver Factor."

While some peopole say fantasy is on the decline, I think what's really glutted is the fantasy sub-genre of Sword-and-Soceror. Fantasy does not have to have that element to be fantasy.

One of my favorites of all time by George MacDonald is titled Lillith and has elves and pixies and such, but it's a tale of a young man raised in the human world finding his birthright as the son of an elfin woman. He finds his room transformed and a new world that has engulfed it. His travels are amazing, and take only the whole of one night. Not something we'd see now, we don't tell stories in the same way.

Another one, and an older story as well, is H. Rider Strong's novel She, about a man who finds an eternal love as he discovers a hidden tribal society of which this woman had been a priestess.

Since Tolkein and his four book trilogy, fantasy has come to mean something in a Dark Ages type setting with elves, dragons, wizards, warriors, etc. It is the best thing he gave us--a market for stories of the fantastic--and the worst thing he gave us--an idea that this is the only type of story that is a fantasy story.

What a limiting thing this is! You see the influence even in the Harry Potter series--everything in the wizarding world built by J.K. Rowling has an "auld" feel to it. Very nice to set it apart, but also making the world subject to the Sword-And-Sorceror sub-genre. I have to now say, however, my hat is off to Jo Rowling for the balance and the research of the old ways she's put into her novels. Well done, Ms. Rowling.

However, what if you don't write that sort of thing? Classifying where your story fits in is difficult now. Fantasy must have magic. Right? Wrong?

What do you think?

Don't Stop Writing,
Sandra

New Low In Politics

Sandra Richards — Thu, 12 Oct 2006 01:25:00 +0000

So there's this article written by a man named Fred Head. He's a politician. He wants to get elected to public office in the great State of Texas. His opponent is a woman, named Susan Combs. She wrote a romance novel. So, in order to bring her down and appeal to the more conservative voters in his state, Fred Head has unearthed her novel and called for her to pull out of the race, explain herself to and apologize to the entire Republic Of Texas--for writing pornography.

Now, I understand that ignorant people who do not read romance novels are unaware of the message of hope and love these books send. I know people tried to get something on Dick Cheney for his wife's writing, which included a novel where two women became attracted to each other. And people still ignorantly assert that romance has to be put in a pigeon hole as "those" books for lonely housewives. But there's one thing I don't get.

Why is this guy mudslinging over running for Comptroller? He's out shouting at the rain over handling the money for Texas? He seems to want to get his hands on the money so much that he's clearly desperate to get into office by any means possible. He certainly doesn't think he can win on his own merits, so he's doing the age old trick--make people afraid of it, and tell them who's to blame for it.

Could it be that she's winning? Horrors, a woman might get the job he wants. Evil!

Well, Susan Combs has done so much more than Fred Head will ever do. Tom Clancy said, "Success is a finished book, a stack of pages each of which is filled with words. If you reach that point, you have won a victory over yourself no less impressive than sailing single-handed around the world." Beyond that, she has done nothing but good, having campaigned for public health, served Texas in an exemplary fashion, and helped kids get a better meal at school.

You go, Susan Combs. You keep running your race, and don't apologize for having done something as wonderful and as difficult as having finished a novel and having seen it reach publication. It's the least of your accomplishments in a list that is amazing.

Fred Head, if you really want to get elected, you should remember one thing--if you're qualified for the position, talk about that, let pepole know that, because calling Ms. Combs a pornographer publicly isn't doing the job.

Oh, and one last thing you should remember--the largest writers association in the world is formed and has offices in the state of Texas--Romance Writers Of America®. And its members vote.

Sandra Richards

Organization With Punch

Sandra Richards — Tue, 10 Oct 2006 20:03:00 +0000

Well, I've been buried knee deep in by-laws and reversioning Spellbinder. The by-laws are for my local Romance Writers of America® chapter, Los Angeles Romance Authors (LARA).

This has been quite a learning experience, especially in how particular or not a document should get. But LARA has given me enough that I felt an overwhelming need to give back in a very hands-on way. I do the website for them as a volunteer, providing not only my moderate expertise, but advising the Board as to what is and isn't possible on a website. I moderate the Writing Challenges (with other wonderful volunteers I might add), four times a year. I write for the newsletter. And now I'm chair of the by-laws committee.

What I have gotten in return has no price tag. I have become a better writer, a better business woman, and, I hope, a better person. I have colleagues I can talk to and ask questions of, who will happily help as much as is reasonably possible. They will commisserate when I'm down, understanding more perfectly than a non-author friend will. They celebrate when I have wonderful news.

I received a revision letter from Triskelion five days ago. Yup, I didn't report it here. I've been working on by-laws, rehabbing the LARA site--I'll tell you about that some other time--and making the requested revisions to the submission. As I prepare to hit "send" for the second time to an editor, I have to say that I know my prose has more punch to it than it did when I joined RWA® in 2004. I stand on the shoulders of all my fellow writers who lent me their professional eyes so that I might learn to see.

Peace,
Sandra Richards

P.S. I love the changes suggested by the editor, by the way, and, even if Triskelion doesn't care for my work after they see the changes, I believe I'm going to keep them. ;-)

Sex And Love

Sandra Richards — Wed, 23 Aug 2006 18:21:00 +0000

As I'm continuing my revision, I decided to make the love scenes a bit more powerful. I didn't really know much about constructing a love scene that hit emotionally, and I know now I can do much better than my last attempts. So, I sit down and answer several questions about the relationship between Bodhi and Britta. As I'm beginning this sexual tension audit, I do a little accounting.

Britta has way more sex than Mari, my heroine from Otherworld, does. It's appropriate for the story, after all, Britta lives as an adult in the past for six years, is very sexually open in many ways, and has more opportunity and less conflict about having sex with Bodhi than Mari has with Rand.

At first I freaked, thinking I'd over done it. But the nature of Spellbinder is vastly different from that of Otherworld, and when I settled down, I realized that both have the right amount of love scenes for the tone of the manuscript.

Romances tend to be attacked as being porn for women. I'm not sure I'd take that sitting down if I were a writer of Inspirational romances or sweet historicals, where sensuality is usual slim to none and sex is never portrayed beyond a kiss. Yes, there is sex in my books, but I don't make them "insert tab A into slot B" type of things. They have meaning and deepen the relationship and further the plot. Very much like sex in real life does.

Sex is a catalyst, but more than that, it's essential to the way people relate to each other when they are deciding to fall in love. Sex can be an argument that ends in an unexpected kiss, and it can be a reconciliation between distanced partners. Sex can be the thing that unifies an otherwise estranged couple, and it can be the thing that hails the beginning of a new set of troubles for a couple, as well as an era of peace.

More than that, I'm a firm believer that people getting naked is symbolic for people stripping themselves down to their most essential self, just for one other person. Inperfections, scars, blemishes can be hidden by clothing, altered to the eye by the shape of the outer- or even undergarments. It is always a different person who stands before you unclothed. They have nowhere to hide.

Now, I'm not saying a naked person never tells falsehoods or lies, but in the realm of storytelling, there is so much scope for using sexual encounters between characters as something that resonates about who they are and how the characters are relating, I'm hard pressed to find a real reason to not include it in the stories I concoct.

Still, I have on the back burner a lovely traditional Regency period romance, where there are kisses -- two -- and that's it. Sex doesn't have to be more revealing than that.

So, you might ask, if I can do sex with two kisses in one manuscript, why write sex in my other novels? Because I want to portray reality, and not every era nor every relationship can develop in a chaste manner. I embrace diversity, and I try to put that in my writing.

Thanks for letting me share.

Live in your heart,
Sandra

And It's About Time, Too

Sandra Richards — Sun, 13 Aug 2006 01:15:00 +0000

I promised you my new collage for the revision of Spellbinder. As you may or may not recall, I hadn't made one for the discovery draft or the subsequent drafts. I thought that a new revision warranted letting my unconcious -- the Girls In The Basement -- work on it.

As always, I cast actors, models, or other celebrities that might "vibe" the characters in the book. If you see familiar faces, that's why. It's a habit my filmmaker hubby got me into. Since it ain't broke, I see no need to fix it.

I was most surprised by the puzzle pieces the Girls In The Basement wanted me to glue on the piece. Nearly none of them are from the middle. In fact, only three of them are from a place other than the edge. Yet they insisted I glue the box the puzzle came in on the collage. Very strange, but I know it must mean something.

One surprise was looking at the completed collage and finding I still could learn something about this novel. Spellbinder started as an idea long before I thought to be a writer about four years ago. The fact that there is something new is what is so exciting to me about writing. I'm always discovering something new and true about human behavior.

Enjoy looking at it. I had so much fun making it. Excelsior!

Don't Stop Writing,
Sandra

Articles and Nora

Sandra Richards — Wed, 09 Aug 2006 18:33:00 +0000

I've been working on a few articles for L.A. Romance Authors' newsletter. This month I have two, but there's another I'm working on. Last year I wrote one titled Writing Into Battle about how plotting a battle is different from how a person usually plots a book. This next article is an expansion into the different types of battles there are and how to handle the characters involved. It's not really about weapons, but more along the lines of how different types of characters would match up against each other.

I'm considering doing this as a presentation at Nationals in Dallas next year. The workshop would include how to plot a battle, which characters are involved in what battles, and how to make the match visceral to everyone reading.

I'm just not sure how to spin my "credentials" on this one. I know about this from watching the WWE and examining how they tell a story with a fight. I've studied how battles are done in books and films when there's lots of them within the story. I'm a baseball fan and that's all about a pitcher outwitting the batter--or the manager outwitting the other manager. And I've been coached about it by my husband, a man who, until his knees gave way at the tender age of 16, had been offered a chance to train with professional wrestlers and had been scouted for three major league baseball teams.

Let me be clear, this isn't a workshop about tactics. It's about what the WWE calls the "psychology" of a match. How to make the audience boo the "heel" and cheer the "face." And how to make a "tweener" believeable when they switch sides.

On to other things.

The other day my August Romance Writers Report came in the mail, and I sat down and read my little eyeballs out. The interview with Nora Roberts was particularly fascinating. I took some of what she said and used it. I did the revision of Spellbinder's first chapter and finally am in love with it. Now I know what she means by she has to fall in love with the characters. And I've discovered that some of what works for her just might work for me.

My best friend has the camera, so I can't take a picture of my new Spellbinder collage until she returns from work. The collage is huge, though. I'm not sure it'll fit on my desk while I'm writing. I'll have to get an easel to prop it up.

Step By Step

Sandra Richards — Thu, 03 Aug 2006 15:39:00 +0000

Well, Saturday at Nationals ended up being quite busy. I went down to breakfast, went to a workshop on making a brand for myself, then suddenly had to lie down.

Lunch with Christina Dodd was fun and inspiring. I don't think I'll ever forget what she said as long as I write. Kim Louise taught me how to write more, I heard what Avalon wants from submissions, and Stephanie Bond talked about branding yourself, and did so in a completely different way than the first workshop.

The Golden Heart and RITA awards ceremony was intelligent and fun. My two friends from L.A. Romance Authors didn't win, but I'm still so proud of them.

Someday, that might be me.

I got a couple of requests from my "speed dates" with an agent and an editor. So, today, I take things in hand.

I have to confess, I wasn't happy with the revision of Spellbinder. Some things Charlotte Maclay said in her workshop in June made a few things fall into place, though. I smacked my forehead and here I am, revamping the whole darn thing.

That's okay, though. I'm good with improving what I've done. It's not the writing at this point, although I'm sure I'm better than I was even a year ago. It's the storytelling. I think I can handle it better. Brian May, guitarist for Queen, said, "Nobody creates in a vaccuum." Sometimes it takes talking to others to make things click.

I'll check in tonight. I'll have some pictures to show you.

You Deserve The Real Thing

Sandra Richards — Sat, 29 Jul 2006 05:06:00 +0000

So my Wonderful Husband™ and I went out for a walk and ended up at a local McDonald's. No big deal, you can find McDonald's in Taiwan and Korea and Russia and ... you get the picture. Anyway, most chain fast food restaurants have something regional that will sell better in the local area than any place else. For example, in a KFC in Taiwan they don't serve corn-on-the-cob, they serve corn chowder.

Here in Atlanta, they were selling a Southern Style chicken sandwich. It was comparable to a Chick-Fil-A, sort of. McDonald's also serves sweet tea, something that is unique to this region of the U.S. I'm from California, sweet tea is non-existent there.

But what surprised me most is the difference in Coca-Cola.

When I was little, Coke universally tasted wonderful in the can or bottle. I've felt the taste of Coke (as a person living in California) has become different, less refreshing. I can't say exactly why, I live in Downey, California, only a few miles from a Coca-Cola bottling plant. But a strange after taste has been creeping in steadily over the year, making Coke less than pleasant as a drink for me.

When we got to the Atlanta Marriott Marquis, I went to a soda machine and got a Coke for hubby and a diet Coke for me. It tasted wonderful, like a Coke used to in California. Maybe it's the water, I don't know. All I know is I want to buy the world a Coke and keep it company.

More tomorrow from Atlanta,
Sandra Richards

Pitching At Nationals

Sandra Richards — Fri, 28 Jul 2006 20:44:00 +0000

Well, I've completed both of my pitches, and I think my agent appointment didn't go as well as my appointment with my editor, which was totally backwards of what I had hoped.

It's hard to read them. And the person who had the appointment before me with the agent ran over, which didn't help my time at all. However, she did request a partial on my finished work and we'll go on from there.

I'm probably just suffering after pitching nerves, though.

My editor appointment also garnered a request for a partial, but I expected that. What I liked hearing were the words, "This sounds like precisely what we're looking for."

I'm going out to dinner to celebrate.

A Princess Lunch

Sandra Richards — Fri, 28 Jul 2006 20:03:00 +0000

I loved the PRO Retreat. Very inspriational. I left about half-way through to help set up the luncheon. I like setting up the luncheons, because I can snag a table near the front and wait for the rest of the attendees to be admitted.

Meg Cabot, who wrote the book The Princess Diaries that became a Disney movie, was due to speak. Our chairs were back to back, and she came in with a friend to sit. Now, we'd put copies of a special edition of The Princess Diaries as well as her new work, Size 12 Is Not Fat, on every chair.

Including Meg Cabot's. **L**

She turned to me and held out the books. "Would you like another set of these? I've read them already."

I grabbed a pen and asked her to sign them, which she graciously did.

She was fun to hear speak, and her experience while Disney was making the Princess Diaries movie were a bit of an eye-opener to how the film industry works. They ruthlessly killed off Mia's father (he's alive and well in the book) in order to woo Julie Andrews to play the part of the queen/grandma. I keep wondering how I'd feel about it all, but then again, I think I might have Meg Cabot's reaction, which was as follows:

Disney: We want to kill off Mia's father.
MC: What did he do?
Disney: We have a well-established actress we would like to have play the queen, but the queen doesn't have many lines. We thought, if we killed off Mia's father, we could give his good lines to the queen.
MC: Who's the actress?
Disney: Julie Andrews.
MC: Kill him!

Chapter Presidents Retreat

Sandra Richards — Wed, 26 Jul 2006 22:46:00 +0000

Most of the day was spent in the chapter presidents retreat. I have to say this is the best leadership meeting I have ever attended.

Bob Harris (www.nonprofitcenter.com) spoke at great length on how to run, protect, and guide an association. It brought home to me just how selfless the good women (and men!)who attempt to lead a chapter are. There was much discussion about the joys and heartaches of being in charge, and the afternoon session ended with break-out groups solving hypothetical problems that turned out to not be so hypothetical as each group had at least one person whose chapter experienced the problems up for discussion.

I didn't sleep well, so I'm taking it easy tonight, doing some down time, with some practicing my pitches in the bathroom. Gotta remember that Friday is only two days away.

See you tomorrow,
Sandra

I Love GA!

Sandra Richards — Wed, 26 Jul 2006 04:32:00 +0000

Can I move here mommy? I love the feel of the city, and that's all there is to it. Walking through it, talking to the natives, it just feels comfortable and good.

Turner Field is every bit as gorgeous in person as it looks on TV. It was 80s mullet night, too, so the fans acted goofy to old school jams. Braves lost by one, but saw some spectacular plays. I'm going to see them again on Sunday, after conference is over.

The MARTA train is easy to use, and the connecting bus and shuttle system makes this an easy place to get around. Now, this part of Atlanta is as big as my thumbnail, it isn't as spread out as Los Angeles. Maybe that's why I like the area so much. There's this big city feel surrounded by loads of trees and parks.

When we came back from the game, there was a message light on my phone. It was a message from someone I didn't know who is staying at this hotel. When I phoned them back, it turns out she was calling for **drum roll** The Other Sandra Kleinschmit. She also told me that when the Other Sandra checked in today, the hotel told her she'd already checked in! I hope I get to meet her this week.

Tomorrow morning I start early -- I'm attending the Presidents Conference.

Night all!

BOOKS!

Sandra Richards — Tue, 25 Jul 2006 19:30:00 +0000

My knees are killing me. I spent my volunteer time of two hours helping stuff the goody bags given away here a Nationals. A goody bag is good size book bag sutffed with books, and I do mean stuffed. This year everyone gets 18 books in their goody bag. The women who hefted the bags around, or rearranged the books so the bag could zipper shut, should be given a medal. Me? I can't lift, doctor's orders, so I was adding one little item to all the bags so the other volunteers could concentrate on the books. I don't know how they do it with so much energy. Wait, yes I do. I saw several empty TAB Energy drink cans in the corner. Hm. **L**

My hats off to Stephani Fry. She smiles, she jokes, and she has to be hassled, setting up the goody bags, the goody room. It's a lot of work, even just putting Avon Book invitations into the book bags.

The lovely and talented Peggy Emard also joined us, and she had a smile for us. She remembered me, even though we'd only met briefly in Reno. I'm impressed.

Okay, so here's the real scoop about what I want to do this conference. Forget my appointments, I'm on a mission: Find Sandra Kleinschmit.

I write under Sandra Richards, but my legal last name is Kleinschmitt. I've known for years that there is a romance author named Sandra Kleinschmit (one "t" no "d", I'm "tt" no "d.") Before my mother retired, people used to come up to her and say, "Did you daughter write a book? I saw a book in the airport and the author's name is Sandra Kleinschmitt."

When I got into the hotel, the lovely and talented Jason Sanders (who should be put on a medal as the Patron Saint Of The Credit Limit Challenged) mentioned that I had another room reserved. HAH!

I must meet her! Somewhere, no matter how far back we will have to go, we are related. With that name? How could we not be?

I'm having a blast. Now ... I'm going back to the other challenge I have -- getting my husband out of the Bed Of Luxurious Comfort in time to catch the Braves beat the Marlins tonight!

I'll check back later!

Don't Stop Writing,
Sandra

Best Hotel Room -- Ever

Sandra Richards — Tue, 25 Jul 2006 13:25:00 +0000

After getting no sleep, then getting a flight at 8:20 in the morning, I was hungry. We'd eaten some pizza for breakfast, because we didn't see anything on our airline tickets saying we got a meal.

We didn't. It was snacks all the way over, and my blood glucose was a bit off. I was shaky from lack of sleep, let alone lack of real nutritional content. All in all, the flight was nice, and the stewardess kept an eye on me when she learned I was diabetic.

Through my own oversight, I forgot to check what the limit was on my ATM/VISA card. The one slam I have on Marriott is they cannot treat a VISA Debit card like a credit card because they're dealing with an older system computer-wise. So, they tried to charge my room for the entire week-long stay and it was declined. After a long call to the bank, and one very grumpy/shaky/out-of-it diabetic (me!) unable to comprehend the entire situation or the solutions being offered, Jason Sanders of the Marriott was able to figure a way for me to keep my room all week, but be able to work within the skimpy limit my card has for an allowance. While I was grateful for his efforts after I finally had some real food in me, I must say he went beyond graceful in his handling of what I know was a difficult situation. I wasn't in a great mood, though, when I started up to the hotel room, and I wasn't looking forward to much but dinner. It seemed like such a hassle.

I gotta tell you, the bed alone was worth it all. We got a king size, and not only did it have six puffy pillows, there was a comforter and a "feather" bed (made with a man-made fiber and not feathers) that was a joy to sink into. I am currently trying to figure out how to attend the conference from my bed.

I can't say my view is great, but the room itself is a real picture, the business desk is roomie, there's coffee and a coffee maker (not instant!), a hair dryer and a full size ironing board with steam iron in the closet. There're granite tops on the bathroom counters and the TV stand/chest of drawers. I also love that the lamps all have electrical outlets built into their bases so you don't have to fumble around for a wall outlet. That made plugging in my computer and my cel phone's charger so easy. And the lamp doesn't have to be on for the outlet to work.

We had dinner at Champions, a sports bar. I highly recommend this place for eating. While there is a bit of noise -- they have recorded pop music playing all the while many silent screens show every sporting event in progress-I didn't find it to be overwhelming my conversation. The booths are comfortable, prices reasonable and the food is excellent. My husband had a bleu cheese burger that was about the tastiest thing I've ever had a bite of. I had a pulled pork BBQ sandwich with a cabernet sauce that I'm thinking of having for dinner again Wednesday. Or tonight.

For those still to arrive, be warned it was a 25 minute wait at the registration desk on Monday evening, and there was only about a dozen people waiting with me.

Love What You Do

Sandra Richards — Sun, 23 Jul 2006 17:13:00 +0000

We writers know overwhelming odds. Getting to write The End when you complete a manuscript is a moment fought for by all of us. James Patterson likened finishing a novel to a task no less difficult than sailing around the world.

Today I pack and finish the last minute details needed for going to Nationals, and I can't help but think about the places I'm going to see, the things I'm going to do: I hope to stand in the room where Margaret Mitchell penned one of the most famous romances in publishing history; I want to be awed by the beauty of nature at the new aquarium everyone tells me I should not miss; I think about the nerves I have surrounding my editor and agent appointments, and how I want to simply nail them and come away with requests for fulls.

But, that will all be set aside on Tuesday, July 25, 2006 when I stand in front of the marker where Henry "Hammerin' Hank" Aaron stood on April 8, 1974, as he knocked a fast ball over the left field fence of Fulton County Stadium in the fourth inning in front of 53,775 screaming Atlanta Braves fans.

Watching Hank Aaron play, the joy on his face when he was on the field was obvious and complete. The worry wasn't there when he hit the ball, not the moment he had to concentrate and do his job. In spite of everything happening around him in 1973 and the Winter of 1974, he persisted. He showed up to train, he travelled with the team, he produced the runs and fielded the balls that came to him in right field. He kept his dignity throughout it all.

He also endured death threats on himself, and his college daughter; there was an abortive attempt to kidnap her. He hired a bodyguard to be with him everywhere. All because he was born black and was on the verge of tying and breaking Babe Ruth's home run record.

As a 14-year-old white girl living in the San Fernando Valley, I rooted for Hammerin' Hank. I have always felt records are made to be broken, that we should all aspire to go beyond the greats, setting the bar higher for the next generation. I knew, in spite of my being a woman, I would never face the same adversity as Hank Aaron did in his lifetime.

When I stand with my Wonderful Husband™ at the marker where Aaron hit home run number 715, I hope to soak up the achievement and take some of it with me. I'll never have to hire a bodyguard to go to my computer and write. My stepson will never be threatened or nearly kidnapped if I win more RITAs than Nora Roberts. I will, however, love what I do with the same passion, and remember that the same thing inside Hank Aaron that made him persist and wreck that baseball to conquer the Babe lives in me, too.

In the face of that, hitting one out of the park at my appointments should be a piece of cake.

See you all in Atlanta!

Don't Stop Writing,
Sandra Richards

Conference Madness Survival

Sandra Richards — Fri, 21 Jul 2006 20:22:00 +0000

Going to a large conference can be exciting, and RWA® isn't an exception. So much to see, so much to do. So much so it can be very daunting for anyone who hasn't been to a large event such as this. Here's how I handle my RWA® Conference experience.

Give yourself extra time to get from one place to another within the hotel. Wait time will be longer than you might expect at the elevators, at the restaurants, on the shuttle to and from the airport. You're sharing all of these things with 2,000 plus conference attendees, all on similar schedules. Planning to get there about 10 minutes earlier can help you be on time for all events.

After checking-in, you might want to get a cardboard box. This is for the nearly dozen books you will receive in the gift bag and on your chair at lunch. Remember you also might buy more books at the Book Fair or the literacy signing. Taking these in your luggage on a plane can put you over the weight limit fast. There are usually several cardboard boxes located near the registration area. There is a FedEx business center where you can ship the books home, saving room in your luggage.

When you've gotten your gift bag, been through the goody room, and gotten into your hotel room, take a few moments to breathe and go over the conference schedule. If you want an advance look at it, there is a PDF copy available on the RWA® site here. CLICKY You'll need Acrobat Reader, which is free here. CLICKY

I tend to place conference into four catgories: Must Do, Wanna Do, If I Can, and Down Time.

Must Do -- is something I feel is a real can't miss. For me this includes my volunteer shifts, my editor/agent appointments, the PRO Retreat, the literacy signing, the awards gala, and a couple of chapter parties.

Wanna Do -- are the workshops from which I would benefit most. Usually, I look to see which workshops are not being recorded, then compare it to my Must Do list. If there's no conflict, I try to schedule that in. However, if there's a conflict, I weigh where I am in my writing and what can help me immediately. Also, if there's a workshop that looks like it'll be better if I can ask questions, or if there's something visual that might be lost on recording, I lean more strongly toward selecting that workshop. I know for certain my local chapter is purchasing the talks on CD and I'll be able to catch much of the workshops later.

If I Can -- are things that aren't essential, but I would love to have the chance. If there's a scheduling conflict, they will fall by the wayside. And, if I need more Down Time than I expected, I will reluctantly give way to my body's demands, or my sightseeing whims.

Down Time -- is time I'm not at the conference, not preparing to go to something at the conference, and not thinking about the conference. This can be time spent sightseeing, resting in my hotel room, taking a meal (or a drink) by myself, or catching up with friends. I plan a lot of downtime at conferences. I know that hotel a/c and conference room lighting makes my brain foggy. Add the information overload that's more than possible, and a serious amount of break time is needed to help avoid conference burn-out.

Keep some of your business cards on you at all times, and also $20, for drinks. You never know when you'll strike up a conversation and want to continue away from the conference rooms. Making new friends is every bit as important as cementing old or online friendships.

Drink plenty of water. Hotels blast their a/c and it's real easy to dehydrate. That leaves you open to catch colds, flu, or something I just call "con crud." Last thing you want is to have to miss something that's a Must Do, especially if it's an editor/agent appointment, due to illness.

Layer your outfits. A light shirt can be covered by a blouse can be covered by a sweater. While all rooms are air cooled, you still can go from a nearly empty and freezing room to one that's full and stuffy.

Travel Tips For Air Or Land

Sandra Richards — Tue, 18 Jul 2006 18:28:00 +0000

Travel to any and all conferences will take a little planning for your comfort. Long ago, people dressed up for travel because it was a luxury. Now, we tend to dress for comfort, only changing into our good clothes when we are about to reach our desitnation. Whether you go by car or fly out, here are some things to check off before you leave.

By plane:

Drink 8 ounces of water every hour you're in the air -- When you get on an airplane it is at 0% humidity. When you get off of a plane it's at 65% humidity. That only comes from the passengers -- you! Keeping hydrated will not only knock back any "bugs" you might get, you will be less likely to be ill during the conference.

Walk around for at least two minutes every hour -- Keeping the circulation going in the legs when at cruising altitudes can be crucial to diabetics and anyone with circulation problems in the knees. If you're on a flight over 5 hours, you might consider doing a little stretching for five minutes about half-way through.

Time Zone Awareness -- If you're crossing more than three time zones, you might have to consider the timing of your meals, snacks and medications. More than that, try to think of what you expect to be doing during your destination's time of day. Match your activity while in the air. This will prepare you mentally for the time change.

Medications -- take them in your carry-on or purse. Luggage does get lost, and you don't want to be without your meds. Only take them in a bottle with the printed pharmacy label, in case your carry on is spot-checked. And in that vein . . .

Important papers -- Keep all confirmations, identifications, directions, and your airline tickets in your carry-on bag. If it's something you can't get around without, don't pack it in your checked luggage.

Luggage size and weight -- Different airline carriers have different weight and suitcase dimension limitations. These are usually on their website.

But I need it! -- If you have any item you're taking for yourself -- special energy drinks, wines, coffee, etc. -- check with the airport you are flying out of as to the policy on packing beverages for yourself. For special foods, you'll have to double check with the destination airport -- they will be more aware of what the state allows to enter from other states or countries.

Make time for security -- Check with the websites for the airports you will be traveling to/from. They should be able to tell you a typical wait time, some even give a range of wait time. Also, check with the airline's website, they may have boarding rules asking you to be checked in a certain amount of time in advance of take off.

Dress for destination -- Take a look at the national forecast, make sure you know what the weather will be like when you get off the plane. If you're over or underdressed for the weather, remember, it could be as long as two hours before your ride is able to accomodate you in a busy airport.

Boost your immunity -- I will always recommend a product called Airborne. Created by a teacher tired of catching every little virus from school kids, it's a fizzy tablet you put in a little water and drink. I've had nothing but success with it. My husband doesn't care for the taste of it, but there is orange, lemon-lime and grapefruit flavors available. If you really don't like it, try putting it in some juice. Most drug stores and pharmacies carry Airborne.

By Car:

Don't drive straight through -- stop every two-to-three hours and get out, walk around for fifteen minutes. The circulation in your legs may not feel compromised, but when you drive for over four hours without a break, swelling in your ankles and knees can make you sitff beyond belief.

Have water to drink -- air conditioning or 2-70 a/c (aka, the windows down) isn't just air. There are particles from the other vehicles' exhaust, dust, and the usual things from local flora that can help dry you out.

Have snacks handy -- don't let your blood sugar dip too low. Something with a combination of carbs and protein is recommended. Crackers and peanut butter is perfect. The carbs give your blood sugar an immediate boost, while the protein will help it stay with you. This keeps you awake and mentally alert on the road.

Got stereo? -- one way to beat highway hypnosis is having a large stock of music you love to sing to, or at least can't fall asleep to. If you prefer an audio book, go for it. Long drives are great to hear a good story. Another way to spend the hours on the road is mentally going over the details of your story, your pitch, preparing for your appointments, or that possible elevator meeting.

Have your car serviced before you drive away -- Tell the mechanic how long a drive you're taking and you want everything looked at. A friend of mine's car blew up on her part way from L.A. to Reno last year. She needed neither the expense nor the scary hassle on the road.

Know the type of trip you're taking -- Driving in the desert during the day is never recommended. However, if you must, plan some downtime in the middle of the day to give your car's cooling system a break. Mountain driving requires a lot of gear shifting, so be sure the transmission is in good condition. If you have to, buy new tires. Road hazards are a cliché. Bring extra water, anti-freeze, a tire repair or stop leak cannister, jumper cables, and several quarts of oil. You never know when you'll need any of it.

Cel phone -- If you don't have a service such as OnStar, or a cellular phone, consider getting a pay-as-you-go phone, just for the trip. I know it won't help in the complete middle-of-nowhere break downs, but it is handy to have just in case. They cost about $100, but it's better to be safe than sorry.

Well, you've arrived. My next article will be about how to survive a busy and overwhelming conference.

Don't Stop Writing,
Sandra

The Pitching Yourself Baker's Dozen

Sandra Richards — Fri, 14 Jul 2006 20:27:00 +0000

The basics of pitching are so simple that even a child could do it. So why do I feel like it's pulling teeth? A minute and half is not a lot to tell a story that takes close to 400 pages to write out.

It can be done. However, as I look on my PRO-Class and AskAnAuthorPro e-mail loops, I realize that the basics aren't what I need to remember. What makes me nervous is selling the author: me. I not only have to have a story to tell, I have to have a bit to say about who I am, what I think of my writing, and what I think of the person to whom I am pitching.

Am I nervous that the editor and agent won't like the idea of my story? Certainly. But, I'm consoled by the fact that the writing will speak for itself and a request for at least a proposal is not out of the question.

Doesn't that take the pressure off? It does for me. All I have to do is talk the book for a minute, talk about me for 30 seconds, then shut up, turning the balance of the appointment over to them.

Here's a baker's dozen to-do list for pitching, some coming from others, some from myself, some just plain common-as-mud sense.

Make eye contact--nothing makes a person more uncomfortable than another person who can't seem to look them in the eye.

Know who they are -- Walking in and saying, "You were my second choice," never won anybody brownie points. Make this personal for them, let them know you wanted this appointment with them in particular and why.

Shake their hand -- develop a nice firm shake, not a limp dead fish, not a bone-crusher. Studies have shown for years that a firm handshake at an introduction as well as the ending thank you puts you in the category of memorable and likeable. Would that the rest of the pitch could be so easy.

Be interested in what you have to say -- no one will want to hear you if you bore the pants off of yourself.

Actively listen to what the editor/agent says or asks, then answer concisely -- not easy for me. So I practice snippet replies, so I have a stock answer at hand for when my brain takes a flight to South America while I'm supposed to be pitching.

Put your business card strategically on the table, name facing the editor/agent -- especially at a conference when a dizzying amount of people float in and out of appointments. Your name will probably be forgotten just from information overload alone. (I read this in an email and I'm sorry, I can't find it now. When I find the name, I'll happily give them credit.)

Leave your family, kids, pets, health and financial situation at the door -- you only have one minute to make a first impression. Make it professional and make it about you and the industry.

List your industry credits, even if it's only to say you are in a writers organization.

Pay attention to body language, both theirs and yours -- You can tell if someone's closed or open easily. If their eyes glaze over, you've lost them. If they cross their arms, they aren't open to what you're saying.

Have a proposal to hand them, but offer to mail it to them -- how much stuff can they carry in their baggage, really?

Give them your business card

Ask for one of their business cards

Say thank you, not only at the end of the interview, but snail-mail them a hand-written note -- agents and editors see a lot of e-mails and type-written letters and manuscripts. A hand written note says personal and stands out from the other text they see every day.