Sensible Shoes

Writing Workshops Times Two

2011-09-26T11:16:00.001-05:00

I was honored to be asked to conduct two workshops recently. The first was a month-long online workshop for the Celtic Heart chapter of Romance Writers of America. The subject was Point-of-View, one that's near and dear to my heart.

The second was a chapter meeting workshop for the Dallas Area Romance Authors and the subject was Building Brand You: Creating a 5-Star Online Presence.

As different as these two experiences were, they were similar in a few ways, too. And I loved them both.

Both required advanced preparation of materials: a series of written lessons to be posted on a loop every few days for the online and a powerpoint presentation for the in-person.

I had to work to make the information relevant for the particular audience, knowing that in both I would find expereince, published authors and very new writers at the beginning of their careers.

And I had to work both into my very busy schedule at our store.

But the rewards were great! Not only did I learn more about both topics, which I do every time I conduct at workshop, but I also got PAID! And in both cases, the audience was receptive, participatory, grateful and interested! I didn't bore them!

My goal is always to give them information they can actually use!

Okay, So I Lied

2011-01-14T14:03:00.002-06:00

I said I would do a better job of keeping up and then I didn't. So mea culpa. In my defense, the new store has been crazy busy and every spare minute has been spent doing marketing for it, instead of my book bizz.

But there is actual writing news to share: I am deep into an agent search for someone to represent Sensible Shoes, my nearly finished women's fiction manuscript. I identified a list of New York agents who are accepting women's fiction and have sent a number of email queries (which are the new enviro-friendly way to submit, thank heavens) to them. So far I have received 3 rejections (sad, but I'm used to it after all these years.)

The good news is that one of the agents I sent to used to handle Erma Bombeck. As you may or may not know, there is a strong Erma Bombeck presence in the book and it would be oh, so, serendipitous to have them represent me, too. And I haven't heard back from them, and no news is good news. We used to say that where there is outstanding mail (or email in this instance) there is hope.

Hopefully, that hope is not too far-fetched as I would love to get a "real" New York agent for my "real" serious book (which isn't too serious if you know Erma Bombeck, or me, for that matter.

Anyway, I'll try to do a better job of keeping up. Yeah, right.

It's Been So Long, But I'm Still Here

2010-09-18T12:23:00.001-05:00

Since I last posted in June, I have been busy opening a storefront for our family business LH Media Center. It's off theground and running now and I'm taking a little breather to get caught up with writing news. One of the perks of owning your own store is being able to put books out on the counter to sell!

Link to the store website

But the big news is that my trailer for A Hot Time in Texas got a great review from Kris Tualla of 1st Turning Point Reviews in August. Here's what she had to say about the trailer:

Kris’s Comments:

Good things: This video has nice music, engaging narration and appropriate photos. At 67 seconds long, it’s succinct and to the point. The minimal use of text is just enough to keep the viewer engaged, but not so much that it interferes with the narration. It’s classy and easy to watch.

I only have one question—while the lighthearted tone matches the “summer sizzler” description, I did want a little indication of exactly HOW Twink was ruining Ethan’s plans; was it only attraction? Or is there something deeper in their conflict? The “pull” was missing.

Teaching moment: This video is a perfect example of how less is more. With the addition of the one sentence I wished was there, we are still looking at 75 seconds, max. I watched the whole thing several times and never once wished it would get to the point! Well done! Link to 1st Turning Point Review

Nice to know the book still has legs after a year!
And anyway, I love the trailer, too! Wanna see it? Here's the YouTube link and while you're there you can see the one for A Different Drum. Link to the trailer

I'll try to do a better job of keeping up. Promise!

New Covey Book Trailer Awards

2010-06-18T15:13:00.001-05:00

Can you help me out? The book trailer for A Different Drum is up for an award at http://thenewcoveytrailerawards.blogspot.com/. Please go to the website and vote for number 6! No prizes, just bragging rights, but hey, who doesn't want to win something? The site is fun and you can get addicted to watching all the trailers. They mix all the genres so I'm up against children's books, mysteries, paranormal, you name it. Some of the trailers are really good, some are awful, but most are way too long for my taste.
I'd love for you to vote for mine, but also I'd like your comments here or on my Facebook page about what you thought about the videos--what was good and what didn't work. I create these for other people, too, and I'd like your feedback. Voting goes through the end of the month. You can also see the videos for both books to the right on the BRAND NEW VIDEO BAR! How cool is that? Let's go to the movies!

Writing for Suite101.com

2010-03-15T09:23:00.000-05:00

Trying to keep my hand in the game, or a number of games, I have signed up to submit articles to Suite101.com, an online repository of articles about everything from How to Change a Tire to Ten Tips to Keep Your Marriage Hot to What's Wrong with Our Education System? My articles are about writing: craft, publishing, career, etc. This is the latest:
Formatting a Manuscript for Submission: Dos and Don'ts of Type and Setup for Publication

Pretty dry stuff unless you're into getting published. The other one is even more specific, but funnier.
That/Which vs. Who/Whom
Anyway, check them out if you're a glutton for grammar.

I'm A Literary Luminary!

2010-03-04T15:48:00.001-06:00

Just when I think this whole thing is over, something amazing happens.

Last night I received a phone call asking me to represent Lake Highlands High School, my alma mater, at a banquet in April, honoring teachers, etc. in the Richardson ISD. The theme is Literary Luminaries, and there will be a published author from each of the four high schools.

They will have books for sale and signing, which is cool, plus fund raising, auction, etc. to raise funds for the schools. The sponsoring group is Excellence in Education.

I am so honored and just a little intimidated. What if the author from Berkner High School turns out to be Nora Roberts or Stephen King or someone incredible. Or, I could be lucky and the guy sitting next to me wrote the definitive tome on the lives of bees or something.

No matter, the truth is, IT'S AN HONOR JUST TO BE INVITED.

THE GOOD, THE BAD, AND THE UGLY

2010-03-02T11:50:00.003-06:00

Here's the ugly part. I almost sold out and abandoned the reason I started this blog in the first place: to chronicle the book writing and publishing business. But I've realized that I need to stay true to my purpose, even if this is just a journal to myself.   So it's back to business.

AND HERE'S THE BAD PART: The Fastest Rejection on Record!

I sent an email query to The Nelson Agency and got an email response THE SAME DAY! Nothing good comes that quickly, so of course it was bad news. "Just not right for their list."   I would give a lot to know something a tad more specific.   At least I didn't have a lot of time to build my hopes up.

Yeah, I can always find a silver lining.

AND NOW FOR THE GOOD PART:

Seriously Reviewed, a website that "seriously reviews" romance novels has put my book trailer for A Different Drum on their front page as a Best of Romance Trailers. Here's the link: http://www.seriouslyreviewed.com/

This business is a lot of work. My publisher sent the link for this and I responded by sending in the info to the Serious Reviewed site. So, they didn't just pick my video off YouTube.   No, I had to be proactive, which is what has happened all along.   I guess I'll just keep on keeping on.

Agent Quest Continues

2010-03-01T15:45:00.000-06:00

Sent another query to an agent today, this one to Nelson Literary Agency in Colorado, via email. I know, not NYC, but a friend recommended them for my book.

I have been polishing the verbiage in the query forever. Here is the "blurb" that tells a little about the book:

Lead character Tess Thomason’s boring, predictable life is turned upside down on her fiftieth birthday when her newspaper editor demands she take over the fashion column at the paper and her family presents her with gift cards for a semi-extreme makeover. It’s no secret that she’s gained a teensy bit of weight since gay ex-husband Jack left her for his podiatrist. But with the gift cards mocking her and her deadline looming, she has to decide: jump out of her comfort zone and move forward or stay stuck in neutral forever. To make matters worse, her daughter announces she’s pregnant and plans for a hurry-up wedding follow, complicated by her best friend’s battle with breast cancer and her sister-in-law’s separation from Tess’ arrogant, chauvinist brother. Through it all, Tess’s attitude is laced with humor and tongue-in-cheek soul-searching, even as her life spirals out of control and she discovers a surprising new relationship she thought she’d never have again.

So, fingers-crossed. This one says they answer within a a couple of weeks. That's encouraging.

New Year, New Book

2010-02-23T16:24:00.001-06:00

At last this blog will live up to its name. I spent most of Sunday searching for New York Agents, ready at last to query about my latest manuscript, Sensible Shoes. I actually found one who had a form online and I sent it in. I am still one chapter from completing the MS, but so close and it takes so long for agents and editors to respond (sometimes up to 8 months) that I feel comfortable about sending this in now. I also identified about 8 more likely agents, all in New York or close to (like lovely New Jersey.) Some take electronic submissions and some only snail mail, so I will do an excel spreadsheet (so anal retentive, but the only way to keep up with who gets what when) and get it moving.

So we're off on another journey, this one is a more meandering course instead of the breakneck ride of the last two books. No roller coaster here, just slow and steady wins the race--we hope!!!

Anyway, if I get a NY agent, you will hear the screaming all over town--nay, nay--the world!

A Good Review?

2010-01-17T13:34:00.001-06:00

I need your opinion. This morning a review came in for A Hot Time in Texas that I can't figure out. It's from Between the Lines, an online reviewer. She first has an issue with the name Twink and alludes to the idea that Twink might be a slang word for something I am too naive to understand. No one has ever made this suggestion before. Then she mentions that some of the dialogue sounds a little contrived. So I'm thinking she hates the book, but she gives it an overall 4 stars (Great Read- A Keeper). This is VERY HIGH PRAISE. I looked at her other reviews and she is a brutal, hard grader. So I guess I am pleased that she really did like the book and gave it such high marks. Although I am at a loss to understand the Twink remark. I actually knew a woman named Twink and thought it was a great name for a pixie-ish character. So, help me out. If you know of a problem with the name Twink, let me know.

Here's the link if you want to read the whole thing.

http://blog.lyndacoker.net/2010/01/06/a-hot-time-in-texas-by-cindy-causey.aspx

New Year's Resolution--for the Millionth Time

2009-12-30T16:57:00.000-06:00

Tomorrow is New Year's Eve, the time for looking back and looking forward. The year slipping away has been phenomenal: two books published, milestones for our business, the same for our children. It has also brought some sadness and challenges, especially for our parents. As always bittersweet. And so another year sneaks in, and what will it hold? Certainly its share of joy and tears. But, this year, I'd like to look back on a couple of specific triumphs: finish Sensible Shoes and climb myself back up onto the diet bandwagon. If I could accomplish those two things, then I would feel like the turn of the decade was all I could have hoped for.
If I can finish Sensible Shoes and then sell it to a New York publisher, well, then, all would be right with the world and I would be content until 2020. That doesn't seem too much to ask for, now does it?

Most Interesting

2009-12-27T19:47:00.001-06:00

The January issue of the Lake Highlands Advocate and I am profiled as one of the 5 Most Interesting People in Lake Highlands. The magazine has been following the progress of the books on this blog and I am thrilled that they deemed it INTERESTING. So here is the link to the article (sans picture) online:

http://www.advocatemag.com/lake-highlands/magazine/The_List_LH_0110.html?c=y

And, I would invite you to browse my website for more info about me and the books, including the trailers and excerpts.

http://cindycausey.com/

And if you're interested in purchasing either (or both) books, you can get them from Amazon.com.

I guess I've come full circle now. I started this blog to follow the publishing path from start to finish. I hope this isn't the end. I'm working on a new book and with encouragement, such as the article in the Advocate, I will complete it soon and start the process all over. I hope you'll stick around for the journey.

15 Minutes Continues

2009-12-06T18:34:00.001-06:00

Just when I thought my 15 minutes of fame were over, I got an email from the Advocate, our neighborhood four-color magazine, and they want to include me in the cover story for the January issue! It is a Best of the Best story. They ran an article about this blog last January and a mention online about the book signing, call ing me "The most famous romance author in Lake Highlands". How funny is that since I'm the ONLY romance author that I know of in Lake Highlands. Anyway, it's all very fun.

The book signing was a great sucecess and here is a picture.

Book Signing this Saturday!

2009-11-15T16:18:00.000-06:00

It's actually going to happen. I am having a book signing at Highlands Cafe here in the Lake Highlands area of Dallas on Saturday, Nov. 21 from 4-6:00 p.m. I met with the very sweet women of Highlands Cafe and we decided to serve spinach dip and tea to the hungry hordes who que up for the signing. HAHAHAHAHA. Here's hoping SOMEONE comes! I've ordered plenty of books and Scott will be there to help me sell, plus a couple of the kids. Then after that we will head up to Uncle Julio's where Molly is a manager and enjoy a family birthday dinner for Scott--who's turning the BIG 6-0.

A great day! Can't wait.

Excitement for Fall

2009-10-21T18:03:00.000-05:00

So long since posts, but things got really busy after school started and now it's crazy indeed. PLUS things have really heated up for A Hot Time in Texas. I will be having a book signing in Dallas at Highlands Cafe, a sweet dining spot in our community, on Saturday, Nov. 21 late afternoon. I'm hoping everyone who hasn't ordered a copy of Hot Time will stop by and stay for dinner. I'll also have copies of Drum, too, plus I would love to sign copies already purchased.
And as if that isn't exciting enough, LakeHighlandsToday.com is doing an interview and will post it online the week before the signing. Woohoo!
AND the Dallas Public Library may purchase the books for all the Dallas area libraries. Wouldn't that be amazing. My little books in the library!
More to come, but that's it for now!

A Hot Time in Texas Makes it Debut

2009-09-09T09:48:00.003-05:00

At last! My second book from The Wild Rose Press is here! A Hot Time in Texas is a late summer sizzler set in the fictitious town of Howard, Texas and, well, I'll let the new review tell you all about it. This is what The Romance Studio had to say:

"Ms. Cindy Causey has written a wonderful book about a couple who both wanted something so badly they couldn’t see any way for compromise. The main couple was so attracted to each other. The chemistry sizzled and the conflict was electrifying. Causey created two people with their futures already settled who had not counted on love getting in the way. These people were so well written it was as if I was in the tiny town of Howard living with them and all the chaos as it presented itself.

The secondary characters were adorable, especially Ethan’s mother. This small town, written in Causey fashion, simply drew me into its clutches and made me want to live there. Even knowing how things were progressing, there was myriad of surprises and laughter (as well as tears) written throughout this manuscript. The story was fast-paced and I couldn’t stop turning the pages.

I recommend this book as a good read which will leave great feelings long after the last page is read. "

And here's the new video trailer for Hot Time.

High-Tech Workshop

2009-08-24T09:19:00.004-05:00

This past weekend I had a great time presenting a workshop on building websites and book video trailers to the authors at Dallas Area Romance Authors, a chapter of Romance Writers of America. I took my tech guy, Scott, with me because I had designed a multi-media presentation with DVDs, Internet, PowerPoint, and sound. It got pretty complicated, but worked great. We only had a couple of glitches (like losing the Internet connection) but, hey, it was a great time for a bathroom break while we fixed it. About 60 writers, very enthusiastic and they laughed in all the right places. Thank heavens. Here's a picture.

It's a Hot Time in Texas!

2009-08-06T18:51:00.003-05:00

My second book, A Hot Time in Texas, is available on Amazon.com----3 weeks early! Hard to believe it's already here. I haven't even been able to finish all my promotional ideas for A Different Drum and now I need to start on the second one. Who'd would ever have thought that I'd have THAT problem! What an embarrassment of riches.

I feel so blessed this summer with all that's happened with the books and the documentary for Good Sam. I'm just trying to maximize the potential of all this. I would hate to feel like I did with Cherish that I just never did enough.

So, here I am, thinking I will keep a low propfile about Hot Time for a little while until Drum gains a little more ground.

So everyone, keep it under your hat.

Incredible Review for A Different Drum

2009-07-16T11:33:00.002-05:00

The release of the book has been amazing. Several book signings and parties with friends and family. And yesterday I got an incredible review from an online review site call Between the Lines. The reviewer Jade Ryan gave me a TOP PICK, which I've come to understand is rare --better than 5 stars!

Here's an excerpt and link to the whole thing.

"About one chapter into this book, and I was hooked. I snarled at my children who dared draw my attention away."

http://blog.lyndacoker.net/2009/07/13/wrdf-review-of-a-different-drum-by-cindy-causey.aspx

I'm on cloud nine about this and wanted to share with all of you my great news on this crazy wild journey.

At Last!

2009-05-31T10:15:00.006-05:00

The book is here. Well, not here exactly since my author copies haven't arrived yet. But it's THERE. For sale on The Wid Rose Press.com (here's the link)

http://www.thewildrosepress.com/a-different-drum-p-1260.html?zenid=8b2a81d844f9c1de0fd3eeabafc0eef3

and Amazon.com. Here'sthe link:

http://www.amazon.com/Different-Drum-Cindy-Causey/dp/1601544502/ref=sr_1_12?ie=UTF8&s=books&qid=1243786212&sr=1-12

It's complete with a review from the fabulous LJ who was the first one to get a copy. I've spent the last couple of days, between working, trying to get the word out via about 2,000 social networking sites and vehicles. GEEZ. I wanted to post a little more info here, so I needed to wait until I had the time.

I put up the trailer on YouTube. Here's the link, in case you haven't seen it a thousand times already.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6dg3iJilcaQ&feature=channel_page

I have to say the whole thing is a little overwhelming. It's the ending (or the beginning) of a really long journey which started when I woke up one morning in 1995 with a story in my head that had to be written down. I never fancied myself a fiction writer. That was the year I sold my serious non-fiction book.

Fiction is so, so made up. It's fanciful, fun, and frolicsome--at least in my head. I know there are serious fiction writers out there who can make me cry and think and change my mind. But that's not me. I'm afraid it never will be. Oh sure, I have serious thoughts, God knows. But I save those for my non-fiction writing. My fiction will forever be light, airy, funny (I hope) and quirky.

I hope you'll check out A Different Drum. I hope you like it. I'll hope you'll come back for more in August when A Hot Time in Texas will be out.

So, the original purpose of this blog was to follow the process of getting a book published. That purpose is fulfilled and now Sensible Shoes will morph into ---who knows? I appreciate those of you who have followed along. I hope you'll stick around for whatever's next.

God's Beautiful World

2009-05-27T17:03:00.006-05:00

I just came back from five glorious days with friends in Flagstaff, AZ. Here are some pictures. Amazing.

AUTHOR COPIES READY

2009-05-06T18:27:00.002-05:00

Hi! I can now buy the first author copies of my new book A Different Drum. These are the print version of the book, which is so exciting. The book will be available to buy on May 29 via electronic or print. I'll send an email to the entire world then!

For Erin and Sarah

2009-04-30T21:59:00.004-05:00

We just finished celebrating our daughters' birthdays with a lovely, fattening, delicious dinner at Red Lobster. It's difficult to get us all together these days and we didn't have Molly and Beau due to other plans, but we were thrilled to get the five of us, including Adam, plus Sarah's Justin.

Sarah is 25 and Erin is 28 this year. Hard to believe since they came to me fully formed when Sarah was 8 and Erin was 11, part of my new, blended family when Scott and I married 17 years ago.

Erin and Sarah lived with us for a number of reasons, but it was always a joy for me as they are amazing women as they were amazing girls. But they were my stepdaughters, not my daughters really, since they had a mother, Robin, who loved them happily, deeply, completely.

And they loved her, too. How could you not since Robin was an angel among humans.

And then she died, suddenly, horribly, unexpectedly and the girls became mine. It was unspoken, mutual, easy. . . a passing of the torch from a woman I loved to me. A bequest which I embraced and have rejoiced in ever since.

Robin would be so proud of her girls. They have graduated from college and are living full lives, discovering their talents, gifts and potential more every day. They are like her in different ways. Erin has her beauty and her courage. Sarah has her compassionate spirit and her gentleness.

I have them both now, a gift from their mother to me, that I unwrap with gratitude on their birthdays.

Our family is different, many will say. But it is also seamless, beautiful, complete. We are blessed indeed.

Earth Day Keeps on Going

2009-04-23T09:38:00.003-05:00

Did you miss it?

Yesterday was Earth Day and the media was full of green this and environmental that. All good. But what about today? Earth Day is over and now what. We forget about the earth and its attendant woes for a whole year?

Let's hope not.

How about Earth Day every day? We could reduce, reuse and recycle every day. We could reduce our carbon footprint every day. We could conserve water, drive less, and eat low on the food chain every day.

Yes, we can.

Coming Full Circle

2009-04-19T16:40:00.003-05:00

You may know that life is circular.

So it should be of no surprise that my blog is circular also. It started out as a blog about writing, following the publishing process until my fiction book comes out next month--YES, NEXT MONTH!

Then I got bored and changed it to Sensible Shoes and began writing about more bloggy things like kids and diets and whatever.

Then, here came Earth Day. Well, my first book, Cherish the Gift was spawned 19 years ago on Earth Day, 1990, so I have a passion for saving our little blue planet and started writing about that.

Multiple Personality Disorder.

Here comes the circular part: Today I finished a detailed proposal for a new version of Cherish the Gift subtitled Ten THings Your Church Can Do to Save the Earth. I submitted the idea to Chalice Press last month and received a request for a full proposal to be considered at the May editorial meeting. So I have finished it and sent it off today with lots of encantations, mantras, prayers and Hail Marys (covering all the bases.)

And so, now I'm writing about writing again.

Drive-By Ecology

2009-04-14T18:26:00.005-05:00

No time today to chat, so here are five fast things to do in your car (or out of it) to save energy, resources, money and the earth.

1. Don't idle at the drive-through for more than a minute or two

2. Recycle used motor oil

3. Get tires aired up to the proper pressure

4. Tune up the car

5. Walk if you can

Leave It a Lawn

2009-04-10T11:27:00.005-05:00

God did not create lawns.

God created an ecological wonder that requires only that it be left alone to work properly. So we have come into the garden, tilled it, planted it, and mowed it. God created fields of wildflowers; we planted Bermuda grass. God created forests and we cleared them and planted St. Augustine.

And most amazingly, we insist on having lush green lawns in the strangest places--the middle of our western deserts, on craggy mountain tops, in marshy wetlands. We are punished for this by God, who sends pestilence and grubworms and dandelions. And so we poison, fertilize and yank them out by their tenacious roots.

God will win.

So, cut your losses. Plant some native grasses, trees and shrubs. Those are the ones meant for your sunlight, your temperature and rainfall. They will survive and thrive and be beautiful because they were intended in the great scheme of things to live long and prosper.

Okay, so I've mixed my Bible with Star Trek, but you know what I mean.

A Mountain of Garbage

2009-04-09T14:54:00.006-05:00

Landfills are just big mountains of garbage.
Did you know that every American throws out about 4 pounds of garbage a week? Think about that. Over the course of the year, we throw out aboiut 208 pounds of trash.

Now think about everyone in your family doing that, now everyone on your street, in the city, the state, the country. OH MY!

Now consider how much of that is recyclable. Maybe a quarter, maybe a third, maybe half?
Since we started recycling to the limit of what our city will take, we have reduced our garbage by half. We now take out just as many recyclable bags of alulminum cans, tin cans, plastic bottles, newspaper, printed materials (like junk mail), glass and cardboard packaging as we do trash bags.

I know some cities aren't as generous about their recycling program as Dallas is, but hey, you can lobby city hall. And some places, while they may not offer curbside recycling, they will have a drop-off center near their landfill.

All-in-all, it's an easy way for me to reduce my footprint on the earth. And at least I won't be leaving such a big pile of junk behind for my children to deal with.

Reduce, Reuse, Recycle

2009-04-08T09:03:00.004-05:00

The economy sucks. Your 401K has tanked. You can't pay your mortgage, you're upside down on your car loan, and you just found out your kid needs braces.

It's tough out there.

And then you hear, "Save the Planet." You can't save the planet when you're life is in the dumper!

So save yourself instead. Take a tip from your grandmother. "Use it up, wear it out, make it do or do without." That's the heart of reduce, reuse, recycle.

Reduce your buying, your garbage, your spending, your packaging, your waste.

Reuse your clothes, your toys, your tools, your leftovers in new and creative ways. Donate to charities, swap with neighbors, hand off to friends and family.

Recycle your glass, paper, aluminum, plastic. Find donation points for electronics and hazardous waste. Give precious resources new life.

And, guess what? In the midst of saving the planet you'll save money, too. Really. It might just pay for those braces.

April is Earth Month

2009-04-06T16:45:00.006-05:00

April 22 is Earth Day.

I know you don't know that, because it isn't a Hallmark card day or a TeleFlorist day or a honey-ham day or a give-gifts day or a candy day.

It's just a day for recognizing that God made the earth and there is only one of it (that we know of) and it has a finite amount of breathable air, drinkable water and tillable soil. It's a day of reckoning with our lifestyles.

Does what I do every day help or hinder the earth's ability to sustain life in the future?

No, no, no. Don't give me that "I'm just one person. How can I make a difference?" crap.

I'll tell you how you can make a difference. Every day. I'm going to put up a tip on how you can save the earth. Just you. Okay, maybe you and several billion others, but you matter.

More than you know.

Just think, if all the YOUs changed just a little, it could accomplish a lot toward saving the earth.

And don't you think that would make God smile?

Heck, yeah, it would.

So, here's today's tip: turn off the water when you brush your teeth. You'll save almost a gallon of water--clean, undirtied water running helter skelter down the drain, unused. It's easy. Teach your kids and your spouse.

Hey, there's maybe four people right there! You're on your way.

More tomorrow.

I Am What I Eat

2009-03-26T18:23:00.003-05:00

And today I am low fat, low salt, low sugar. . . and low taste. Scott and I struggle with weight and trying to eat healthier so this week we have dropped salt from our diet. For months we have been low sugar, before that it was low fat for years.

Do you know that you can't really get low fat and low sugar in the same product? Those two gems of dieting seem to be mutually exclusive. So I look at calories. I have stocked up on high fiber, whole wheat and all-natural. I suck on rice cakes spread with a barely perceptible layer of non-fat cream cheese, sprinkled with a whisper of Mrs. Dash. We eat egg substitute, turkey bacon and 35-calorie bread for breakfast.

I'm comfortable with this. I've learned to love non-fat sour cream, diet soda, and Splenda. I can eat a Lean Cuisine, Healthy Choice or Smart One. We can't believe it's not butter and even spritz it on dry, lifeless popcorn.

So adding low salt to our regimen seemed like the natural, organic thing to do. I went back to the grocery store today. I scoured the aisles for salt-free, low sodium and the moniker du jour--hint of salt. I filled the cart with low salt crackers, soup, condiments, and juices. I bought fresh meats, veggies and produce. Nothing processed, nary a box in sight except for the Shredded Wheat and Cheerios, the lowest salt cereals in captivity.

I got home and shoved the heinous sugar-free sodas, laden as they are with salt, to the back of the fridge to make way for the new salt-free vegetable juice. Tonight, we'll enjoy some special concoction, made just the way Mom never did.

But it's better than the alternative. At least we'll be here to play with our grandkids and cruise around the world (heck, yes, that's the plan.)

So, here's to the spice of life. It'll just have to do.

The Sandwich Generation

2009-03-20T14:20:00.006-05:00

So I am now officially the bologna in the Sandwich Generation--the group of people who used to be called Baby Boomers and who now hold the less-than-enviable position of having both aging parents and grown children. Less than enviable because while we thought we would have these years joyously and selfishly to ourselves, we find that we are called upon to switch our caregiving from our children, who are, for the most part, on their own, to our parents, who were, but aren't anymore.

Confused? You bet.

We have five kids, all fabulous, who would hate being discussed here, but who on occasion still show up on our virtual doorstep (via phone, email, but rarely in person) needing to borrow the odd vacuum cleaner, suitcase or 100 bucks til payday. Actually, lately they've even begun inviting us to their places for a party or dinner, a cause for celebration in my maternal heart.

They are all excellent hosts and hostesses, by the way, if I do say so myself. See the picture of them all with me last Mother's Day. I'm the one sandwiched in the middle of all that goodness.

As I've told my friends in the past, as long as all their plates are spinning, I consider it a great day. And so I wile away my very few and far between leisure hours daydreaming of more leisure hours filled with vacations to faraway and exotic places. I've begun planning cruises to skirt the outer edges of every continent, to explore the hidden wonders of the world, to taste the treasures other peoples and places have to offer.

But lately I've also started concerning myself with the spinning of my parents' plates as well as that of Scott's mother, Alice. And frequently I am left standing in a pile of broken china. Their health, financial situations, caregiving, houses, and especially stress and happiness are all part of my daily thoughts now.

Earlier today I heard a siren and saw an ambulance going in the direction of my parents' home and worried that it was on its noisy way to them. When I called to check, I found out from Dad's caregiver that my mom had gone to the beauty parlor (weekly trips to the beauty parlor, there's a topic to explore.) Thank God. That siren is not for them. Not today.

But one day it will be.

And for now my plans for great escapes are tempered with worries that while I'm away sunning on some foreign shore, a siren will scream down the street to their house or to Alice's and I won't be there to catch the falling plates.

Some Things Never Change

2009-03-15T11:13:00.003-05:00

Last night Scott and I videotaped a wedding. And aside from realizing that we are both too old to be lugging around cameras and tripods and microphones (oh my!) and staying up that late (didn't get home til almost 1:00 a.m.--I had long since turned into a pumpkin), I was gratified to see that tradition is alive and well at weddings.

We shoot several weddings a year in our business and while they're grueling for us, they are beautiful and sweet and the best part of what we're all about as human beings: family, love, tradition, commitment, love, hope, and, oh yes, love.

The grandparents show us how to enjoy a life well-lived, to be devoted to someone over time, to make sacrifices of the one for the many. The parents model (hopefully) the years of work and struggle and the reward that comes when offspring are good and grown and off on their own path. The little ones, the babies and children of the young families give us hope for the future, a fresh start to set things right, a cure for cancer or the prospect of world peace. At the very least, maybe someone will eradicate the loss of aerable topsoil and stop global warming (okay, that's another topic, I know.) You get my drift.

I love that brides wear white no matter what, that they hand roses to their mothers and their mothers-in-law, that the couple lights the unity candle, that someone reads the love passage from Corinthians, that someone always processes to Pachelbel's Canon in D and that bouquets and garters are thrown, cake is cut and the first dance makes me cry.

In a world where technology does a 180 every 18 months (yet another topic), it is comforting to know that weddings will never really change. Oh, the noveau bride may fill jars with colored sand instead of lighting a candle, but really, as long as it sits on the mantel for a few years, who cares.

The Curse of Soy

2009-03-11T16:04:00.006-05:00

My husband picked up a new prescription today and read me the warning label. He might as well have been holding raw mercury in his hand for all the things this medicine might do to him. In fact, I wouldn't have been surprised if it had come with a hazmat suit. No matter, I will be wearing one before I get in bed with him tonight.

But that's the way it is these days. Everything we thought was good for us is going to kill us now.
Here's a giant "for-instance:" soy. Now that my cholesterol is creeping up, I have been eschewing (I love that word--can't pronounce it, but writing it, well, that's cool) meat for a while now, substituting veggies or tofu whenever I can. I have also switched to soy milk for cooking and cereal. The reason? It helps with symptoms of menopause like hot flashes.

If you know me, then in your mind's eye, you're seeing me fanning myself even now.

So I have been happy to kill those two birds--cholesterol and hot flashes-- with one tasty stone.

Yesterday Scott tells me as he's reading the paper (the clarion call of doom) that THEY have found that soy may cause an increase in breast cancer. OF COURSE IT DOES! Whatever in soy that helps hot flashes must have an estrogen-like characteristic and a curse from the devil.

Bottom line--for those of us who eschewed estrogen to avoid breast cancer and have suffered through hot flashes, crying jags, forgetfulness, have drunk the soy milk, munched on tofu and sucked the edamame out of the pods (so ladylike), JOKE'S ON US!

Too late now. Anyone for a soymilk frappe?

New Look, Same Old Woman

2009-03-07T16:00:00.003-06:00

Okay, the first disclaimer. The high heels are a red herring. This blog is more about Erma Bombeck than Manolo Blahnik, and you'll find that out soon enough. It's just that pictures of lovely, comfy flats in an array of colors to match my tunics and elastic waist pants wouldn't catch your attention, so I lied.

We've been talking about the process of book publishing, and as exciting as that is to me, I'm getting the feeling it's a big yawner for you--not much better than hearing about someone's surgery, so I'll spare you the boring details until P-Day (Publication Day May 29) at which time I'll bore your head off.

In the meantime, I will be filling this space with something a little different, okay a lot different. I’ll be writing, not about fashion, which my children will tell you I know little about, but about women, for women and to women. Something I hope will be funny, wise, poignant, and relevant.
At least that’s what I promised myself.

But how to start? Aside from being a woman, I have no extraordinary qualifications for writing a column to women, for women, about women. My life is no different than yours. I have kids, parents, laundry, credit cards and cellulite. I have heartaches and backaches just like you.

But I know the first law of writing: write what you know. I know about aging kids and aging parents. Husbands and bosses. Hot flashes and ice packs. Crockpots and color-safe bleach. I know about being a woman. And so do you.

And you know there's more to you and me than just what goes on at home or even at work. We live in a global village now and as inconvenient as it may be, what happens with global poverty, global epidemics or global warming touches us all. And will definitely hit our children square in their adulthood.

So we’re going to explore new territory, examine the obstacles ahead, and try new paths. We’ll laugh a lot, cry a little, and generally lean on each other for strength. Traveling is tough, especially with the kind of baggage we’re carrying, but we can make it. Together.

First, let’s get comfortable. Unstrap the stilettos (6-inch heels! What kind of sadist invented those?) They’re not the kind of shoes we need where we’re going. Ease your feet into a pair of comfy slip-ons. Doesn’t that feel better?

And now, first things first. A new name for the blog. . . Sensible Shoes.

A Powerful Noise

2009-03-06T10:00:00.003-06:00

Last night I had the privilege of viewing, with my daughter Sarah, my friend Kathy and two strangers, an incredible film, A Powerful Noise. It was an event organized by Care International and One.org among others to coincide with the UN International Women's Day. At theatres across the country, women, and men, gathered to view the film and listen to the discussion panel which followed. At our theatre in Dallas, we arrived early to pick up our tickets and get a good seat. Imagine our surprise when only two other women showed up! Where were the people who cared about this issue--the empowerment of women? Certainly instead of a powerful noise in our theatre, we heard the crickets chirping.

At least until the movie began.

For an hour and a half, we watched the lives of three women unfold before us. These were women from far-flung reaches of the globe, light years from us, worlds apart.

And yet.

Hanh is from Vietnam, working with victims of HIV-Aids, suffering with it herself, forming a support network called the Immortal Flower Group. These people include women and children, the recipients of HIV from husbands long dead, and men as well, who feel the stigma of the disease in a country still loathe to recognize it as the epidemic it is. Her efforts include educating local businesses and being an advocate for children at risk. Her own child was lost to the disease years before.

Nada is from Bosnia, a country devastated by war, where many of the men were killed and the women are left to tend to fields and families. She works tirelessly to build a women's co-op, where the fruits of their labors can be sold at a fair price. For many, the harvests are lost because no market exists, no way to process and sell produce, meat, milk, or grains. The loss of dignity goes hand in hand with poverty and is as devastating as the crumbled infrastructure of the ruined country.

And last is the flambouyant Madame Urbain in Mali. She plucks marginalized girls off the streets, teaches them to read and write, and serves as an advocate with unscrupulous employers, making sure they are treated fairly and paid the wages owed to them. She is passionate about education for girls, and pushes, in a patriarchal society, for parents to send their daughters to school. As the recipient of an education herself, she knows it is the one true way to rise up out of poverty and create a different life for oneself and family.

Three women, one message: when women thrive, the world is a better place.

After the film ended, a panel began discussing global women's issues. It consisted of Moderator Ann Curry, former Secretary of State Madeleine Albright, actress and activist Natalie Portman, CARE president and CEO Dr. Helene Gayle; CARE advocate for maternal health and contributing editor for Marie Claire Christy Turlington Burns; and Pulitzer Prize-winning journalist, New York Times columnist and acclaimed author Nicholas Kristof.

This elite group touched on a number of issues including rape as a weapon of war, micro-lending, women's health, and gender bias. They also recognized how difficult it is for women to rise up in societies where they have no legal standing, can't own property, can't vote, and are basically the property of fathers and husbands.

At the end of the evening, the bottom line became clear: it will take the empowered women of the world, and the men who support them, to change the status quo. Women helping women in the poorest of the poor neighborhoods in the world. Women in the richest nations reaching out in different ways to lift up our sisters so they can help each other.

One of the powerful women I admire a great deal once said, "It takes a village. . ."

I would say today, it takes a world.

A Change of Pace

2009-03-03T17:11:00.004-06:00

Now that we are in waiting mode as far as the publication of the first book , I am planning to launch a new look and feel for the blog. Watch this space for the transformation to happen over the weekend. I think the posts will be more fun, more relevant, more "me". We'll see what you think.

This is a hint about what the new blog will be about. No, you're wrong, guess again.

Final Proof and Release Date!

2009-02-08T15:45:00.002-06:00

AUGUST 28, 2009!!!!

That's the release date for A Hot Time in Texas, my second book from The Wild Rose Press. That day it will be available in electronic and print forms. WOOHOO!

At the same time I also got the final proof of the completed book. It's such a rush to see the book as it will print with the cover, the copyright info, the dedication, the chapters, and the thank yous at the end.

This whole thing is very addictive. I think I want some more, please.

A Word For Our Sponsor

2009-01-27T18:16:00.002-06:00

And now a word about e-publishing. I was surprised and gratified today to find that the Romance Writers Report, the magazine of Romance Writers of America, of which I have been a member for 13 years, published my letter to the editor in response to a flurry of controversy surrounding the status of e-publishers in the romance industry.

It seems that e-pubs and the authors they represent do not qualify as "published" under RWA guidelines, due to draconian rules about print runs and advances and sales and limits on contest entries.

Whatever.

Anyway, here's my letter.

November 10, 2008

Dear Ms. Adey,

After years of trying to break in with Harlequin/Silhouette, I gave up. They had a monopoly on shorter contemporary books and I had a number of books left on editor’s desks when they moved, cleared off at the end of the year, or just lost in the shuffle. Every one of my six completed manuscripts finaled in a contest and Harlequin/Silhouette asked to see a full on each one, but then would rarely respond. Discouragement and frustration are mild words to convey how I felt year after year.

Then I heard about The Wild Rose Press, which publishes both electronic and print versions. I had shied away from e-books for the very reasons the new president mentioned in her letter. I was brainwashed that they were somehow “not quite as good”. But I looked into TWRP and liked what I saw and decided I would put my pride on the line once more. Their response was professional, swift, respectful and FUN! They bought my book and now I feel like I am with a “real” publisher. I couldn’t be happier. In fact, I’ve submitted my second manuscript and I’m hoping the editors deem it worthy of TWRP.

Sincerely,

Cindy Causey

Now Comes the Waiting

2009-01-08T20:38:00.002-06:00

I have just finished proofreading the galley for A Hot Time in Texas. No word yet on when it will be published. Sometime this year. But now that the galley is done, they will choose a publishing time. So, I wait. I also plan. I'm putting together my marketing plan for A Different Drum. I will share it with you here in a day or so when it's finished. In the meantime, I will just twiddle my thumbs, metaphorically speaking, and wait for the big day.

Here's the New Cover!

2008-12-16T10:41:00.004-06:00

The cover for my new book--A Hot Time in Texas--is ready to go and HERE IT IS! Kinda hot and steamy, huh? Just like summer in Texas. It's a little more serious than the actual book, but hey erotica, suspense, mystery, drama--they all sell, right? So, a little more oomph can't hurt. Anyway, I love the look, very different form the first one as is the book, so way to go Angela Anderson of The Wild Rose Press who did the artwork.

Filling Up the Rose Vase

2008-12-06T14:02:00.007-06:00

I got my second rose at my monthly Dallas Area Romance Authors (DARA) meeting today. I got one several months ago for A Different Drum, a white one for my first sale, and now I have my second one, a pink one. I plan to put them in a vase in my office and hopefully add more and more to them as time goes on. Why not? I'm in this for the long haul. Hundreds of roses.

Here's a picture of me getting my first rose. What an emotional day that was.

Things Are Moving Very Quickly

2008-12-04T22:22:00.001-06:00

This latest book, A Hot Time In Texas, is moving along so fast, I can hardly catch my breath. I've already received and returned the edits on the manuscript. Not very many at all, so I feel really good about that. Next step is the galley proofs. But I still haven't seen a cover, so I'm anxious about that.

Kudos to my editor at The Wild Rose Press, Stephanie Parent. She's really great to work with and I hope someday to actually meet her face to face.

EUREKA! I SOLD ANOTHER ONE!

2008-11-22T17:57:00.003-06:00

I've sold another book to The Wild Rose Press!

This one is called A Hot Time in Texas and its a sizzling romance about a chef and a banker who are completely ill-suited to one another, but can't keep their hands off each other in the middle of a steamy Texas summer. Fortune tellers, county fairs, restaurant re-dos, and a Barney Fife-styled Sheriff keep things stirred up as the temperature rises.

So we're off again to follow the adventures of my book from sale to store!

Again

2008-11-13T16:06:00.001-06:00

Issues with the grans, deadline tomorrow--no pages today

So Depressing

2008-11-12T10:01:00.001-06:00

We had a video shoot last night. I have to do 15 pages today. This isn't going to happen.

It's Write-Off Time!

2008-11-11T09:28:00.001-06:00

Writing, writing, writing. At least that's what I'm supposed to be doing. Yesterday was the first day of the DARA (Dallas Area Romance Authors) Write-Off. The idea is to set a goal (mine is five pages a day) and make or break that goal. Last time I beat my goal by 142% and came in third. But this time, I'm off to a slow start since I didn't write anything eysterday at all. Which means I have to write 10 pages today. YIKES!

So why am I sitting here talking to you? Procrastination, baby is the name of the game.

I'll start writing now. But maybe I should check email first.

Excitement and Disappointment and Waiting, oh my!

2008-11-07T16:22:00.004-06:00

So I just got the release date for A Different Drum. May 29, 2009!!!

Okay, so that's a lot farther away that I had thought it would be, but the good news is that there is a great reason for the delay. The Wild Rose Press is now publishing the print version of each book at the same time as the online version, so I will be able to promote both the online version and the paperback together, which will give me more bang for my promotional buck and reach readers who prefer a prtinted book at the same time and with the same enthsiasm as the online version.

Plus, it gives me about 6 1/2 months to get my marketing plan finalized and ready.

That's a WIN WIN for me, the book and the publisher.

Submitting a New Book!

2008-10-27T13:20:00.002-05:00

Hey, I'm not one to sit on my laurels. Even if I haven't gotten any yet! So I'm editing another manuscript to submit to The Wild Rose Press. Am I addicted? Of course! I'm a writer. We like to see our words in print. I have words. Lots of them. If I don't submit, then I will not be published. It's as simple as that. It's like the lottery. You have to buy a ticket to win. So here comes a new submission.
It's called A HOT TIME IN TEXAS. I'll put an excerpt here soon.

Our Video Shoot in South Texas & Matamoros

2008-10-27T13:13:00.001-05:00

The Galleys Are Here! The Galleys Are Here!

2008-10-22T17:37:00.002-05:00

I'm shouting because the galleys for A Different Drum arrived in my inbox the other day. The galleys are the PDF version of the book as it will actually appear in print. It's my job to proofread the galleys and send a list of corrections to my editor. So I commenced reading the entire book (again!) It never ceases to amaze me that after so many readings and so many eyes on this thing, there are still mistakes! Plus therre were some formatting errors made when the galleys were done (like bold instead of italic). But all in all, not much to worry about. The Wild Rose Press has done a great job with making the book beautiful.

I have to say, there is something pretty heady about seeing your words in print, your name in print, your dedication, etc. all there. Very cool.

The Book Trailer is Alive!

2008-09-21T18:21:00.002-05:00

It's finally finished. We've been working for several weeks on the trailer and it's done! We're so pleased with how it turned out. I hope you like it, too. You can see it bigger on the website:

www.cindycausey.com

Book in Motion

2008-09-04T08:24:00.003-05:00

The latest and greatest thing in book promotion is guess what--video trailers. They act like little mini commercials for your book, with images that move, music, graphics, and even voiceovers. This is perfect for me since Scott and I have a video production business. So we have been busy building a video trailer for A Different Drum. I wrote a script and actually bought some images online. We have production music and we found the perfect motorcycle-riding kind of song and will add some sound effects, too. Scott is doing the voiceover, "In a world where sheriffs ride cycles and women get stranded on highways. . . " You know the kind of voice I mean. He used to be in radio and has this great "radio" voice. The hardest part was finding pictures of men and women who look like my characters: perky, curly-haired blond woman and brooding, pony-tailed half-Native American man. Not easy. But it's coming together and I'll post it here when it's a wrap--as they say.

Then maybe we'll even get into the book trailer business.

ALL ABOUT STYLE

2008-08-11T10:15:00.003-05:00

The edits are here! If it weren't for the fact that I've been an advertising copywriter for most of my life, and a fiction writer with a critique group for that same length of time, I would probably feel threatened by the email that said my editor was sending the edits for the manuscript. But I am no stranger to change, criticism, or the whimsical notions of others. So I welcome the edits because it means another step in the publishing process is complete and we are closer to BOOK IN HAND!

Plus she had very nice words for me and I quote them here. "Since your story was so well-written, it's only going to require one round of initial edits (I often have to do as many as 3!). "

That made my day!

Anyway I'm going through the changes one by one and noticing a pattern. I have used a certain "style" (translate that as rules for writing) since my college days and my editor is clearly using a different "style" regarding a few things. But, she's the boss, so I will add the commas and the rest gladly. None of it changes the story one iota, so I'm pleased to do it. And when I submit to them again, which I will, I'll know ahead of time and maybe she won't make ANY CHANGES AT ALL. Yeah, right.

So, I'm off to edit and whistling a happy tune all the while.

THE COVER IS HERE!

2008-07-22T16:30:00.005-05:00

I will try to keep from posting in all caps so that I will appear professional and polished and cool about the fact that MY COVER ARRIVED!!! Sorry. So The Wild Rose Press sent over my cover yesterday and I am thrilled with the way it looks. The artist, Angela Anderson, did a great job capturing the wild New Mexico desert and the even wilder hero, motorcycle-riding sherrif, Drummond Wolfe. I've posted a picture here so you can see, too. So anyway, now I can use the image for marketing, etc. and trying to boost excitement. If only I knew WHEN the book would be out, then I could plan better. But plan I will, nonetheless. WOOHOO!

A DIGRESSION

2008-07-15T17:56:00.004-05:00

I know I promised that this blog would be about the publishing process, but not much is happening there at the moment, so I want to talk about our daughter, Sarah. A beautiful young woman, Sarah left two weeks ago for Kyrgyzstan where she will serve for 27 months in the Peace Corps. This is certainly the hardest thing she's done in her young life and it isn't that easy for us, either, let me tell you. Adam, our son, moved, jobless and firendless to Chicago a few years ago to go to Second City Comedy School, and that nearly killed me. And he was IN THE COUNTRY, a phone call away, but jobless and friendless nonetheless and it was hard. So you can imagine how it is to send your child halfway around the world, to the middle of Asia, nestled cozily between Mongolia and Tajikistan. Her cell phone doesn't work there. We're using a communication system that's akin to "I'll tell two friends and you tell two friends and so on and so on." Anyway, that's just the tip of the iceberg. There's also the hefty language barrier (they speak Russian, she speaks American), the food barrier, the outhouse barrier, the no air conditioning barrier and the walking everywhere barrier. But, and here's the great thing about Sarah, she's powering through. Blisters, sticky sweatiness, lonliness, hunger, homesickness, long hours studying a language where a "c" is an "s" and a "p" is an "r", and a rooster outside her window that wakes her at the crack of dawn will not sway her. At least not today. Needless to say, we're very proud of her. You can read her blog (few and far between, but fascinating), the link is at right.

And now, back to writing.

All About Me!

2008-06-26T17:45:00.003-05:00

Nothing is more uncomfortable for me than self-promotion. Friends and family will tell you that I am not at all shy, but I try not to hog the spotlight or toot my own horn. (I don't mind at all if someone else blows on it like crazy, though.) So the next step in my publishing journey is to start this blog and set up a website and email address so the masses presumably can beat a path to my door. Not really likely, is it?

I mean, I had my non-fiction book (see it at right--Cherish the Gift) out for a number of years and it got merely a smattering of notice, mostly from family and friends--oh, and that one guy who called me up to chew me out because "how could I perpetuate the myth of global warming when it is all a bunch of hocum?"

I digress.

So I started the blog, which has been really fun. I loved picking the template, and the colors and some features and pictures and links. But then I had to start writing. About myself. Whoa!! That is harder than you might think. Who wants to hear from me? Who cares what I think about this and that? So I've tried to make it relevant (I do better with a theme) and casual, even humorous, if possible.

And then I started to work on the website: http://www.cindycausey.com/

It's still in its infancy along with the rest of this publishing life. But it's pretty and it has links to The Wild Rose Press and Cherish the Gift and this blog, too. Marketing is so circular.

Anyway, maybe you'll let me know if any of this is working yet.

Paperwork

2008-06-11T17:20:00.004-05:00

Self exploration. Pages of paperwork for the publisher.
About me, about the book.

The Contract--very legal, very wordy. I'd actually been to some workshops and knew what to look for. Everything seemed in order except they don't offer but one (read that ONE) copy of the book in electronic form and one (read that ONE) in print form. Hmmmmm.
Author Info--contact info mostly
Author Promo Info--what will you do to make the world beat a path to your book? Start a blog? Build a website? Sure. No problem. Got an email? Of course. A picture? Oh, God, no, not a picture. Okay, here's a picture. What can you do? Workshops on writing, public speaking about the environment, sing a little ditty. What do you want me to do?
Manuscript Info--the most fun part. All about the book. What do the hero and heroine look like? What's the theme? When you give up what you think you want, you might just find your heart's desire. The setting? Present day New Mexico. Any animals? Yes, a wolf. The back cover blurb? Here you go. An excerpt? WHOA! That's hard. What 250 words do you chose out of the entire book that will entice someone to buy it, read it, love it?

Anyway, got it all done. Filled it all in and sent it all out. Phew! That was fun!!!

The Journey Begins

2008-06-03T21:22:00.003-05:00

I got the call! Well, actually it was an email, but the message is the same--I've sold a manuscript to The Wild Rose Press! The book is A Different Drum, a contemporary romance novel and Wild Rose Press is a relatively new, but vigorous electronic publisher actively acquiring new authors. I couldn't be more thrilled. No details yet, but it will be online for downloads for about six months, and then come out in paperback, available on demand from a variety of booksellers online.

I'll be using this space to track this journey from first call/email until I get the paperback in hand.

In the meantime, you can find out more about me and my books at http://www.cindycausey.com

Thanks for reading.