In an effort to keep myself busy while the publisher recovers in the hospital – if you read my last post before this one, you’ll find he’s sick – I’ve decided to have a little fun and make a soft doll collection of my characters. I’m only about 1/3 the way done with 11 out of 33 characters made, but they’re all turning out wonderfully – even the villains! The whole group is plain and outright adorable! Hope everyone likes them!
As for my magnetic paper doll collection, Dream Angel is finished and has paypal buttons all setup on my site. Nyxus and Blue Nite Soldier are well underway, but still in progress.
The head of my publisher has fallen ill, I found out just today. So, for those who want to buy the lulu.com edition, you have some extra time to do so as the soon-to-come e-book from my publisher has been put on hold until his recovery. I hope you’ll join me in wishing him a speedy recovery and all the best.
Long story short: lulu.com admitted they goofed when I self-published my soon-to-be-published e-book wit them and has decided to offer a discount to my readers. So, I’m posting the message they’ve sent offering a discount.
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| Disclaimer: Use coupon code BEACHREAD305 at checkout and receive 15% off Dream Angel. Maximum savings with this promotion is $10. You can only use the code once per account, and you can’t use this coupon in combination with other coupon codes. This great offer ends on August 15, 2010 at 11:59 PM so try not to procrastinate! While very unlikely we do reserve the right to change or revoke this offer at anytime, and of course we cannot offer this coupon where it is against the law to do so. |
| Copyright © 2002-2010 Lulu, Inc. All Rights Reserved.
This book is decidedly a limited edition and may come down soon per my publisher’s request. So, I’d suggest getting it while it’s available. This edition is both print an e-book type, and I get bare minimum profit from it. Once it’s down, the only way to get my book will be with my publisher and it won’t be in print anymore. |
While waiting patiently for the publisher to tell me the contract has arrived, I started poking through old emails and stumbled across one from years ago (it’s not super-old, but old enough) having to do with an extra credit project I had my sophomore year of high school for my health class having to do with a computerized baby doll. This was a doll that was programmed to cry at varying times and I had to use a key to make it stop. It recorded the care I gave it and my teacher would give me a grade based on that and the essay I wrote about the experience. Well, that was the weekend my older brother chose to visit the Nevada State Railroad Museum here in Carson City. So, I was stuck with a way-too-short stroller and a noisy, annoying doll. Here is the essay that earned a 120/110 grade:
“WAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAA” It’s four o’clock in the morning. “My niece was not this noisy.” I grumbled as I turned the key in the crying doll’s back. I did agree to take the doll mainly for the extra credit but also I was curious as to what my boyfriend’s reaction would be. When he tried to push the stroller on Friday he looked like Groucho Marx! He was so funny. Then on Saturday before leaving for Carson to visit the Nevada railroad museum the neighbors came over and satisfied their curiousity of the doll by turnung it upside down until it cried. Later at the railroad museum while sitting on the train one of the conductors came over curious as to why a sixteen-year-old girl would be carrying a doll on a train. My nutty brother told the poor fellow that the doll had a disk drive so he turned it over looking for it. The reaction: “WAAAAAAA AAAAA AAAAA!” He promptly tossed it back into my arms. The reaction got a roar of laughter from those on the train car. After visiting the museum and trying to maneuver a stroller all over the place. We piled back in the car and as we were leaving, the same conductor from the train recognized us and insisted that he get a picture for the museum’s website which might go up fairly soon. The rest of the weekend was fairly uneventful. It cried I shut it up. I also named it Diablo. I remember my six month old neice when she and my sister came to visit for my eigth grade graduation she was quiet except when Baby dog stole her sandwich. That stroller was also TALLER!!!!!! What are those things built for? Midgets? On Friday, the first time it cried it scared my boyfriend so bad he jumped on the nearest chair!! It had been sitting in the stroller directly behind him! He thought it was a very noisy mouse for a split second! He’d been playing computer games. (it was a math game that was supposed to help his grade) The rest of the time it just simply interrupted a few things. This baby was more annoying than any other I’ve encountered. I’ve babysat wild monsters in exchange for trading cards and even that was more fun. I’ve been babysat with wild monsters even that wasn’t all that bad. This doll deserves the name I gave it: Diablo! Translates to devil! For this doll that is an understatement! It’s going to be funny when my boyfriend has to retake health class next year! I hope he gets a carseat or he’ll look like Groucho Marx for a weekend!!!!!!!!
If you’re not rolling in the aisles, I’m very much surprised. Granted, I had no clue about the basics of essay writing, but I could tell a pretty good story and get peals of laughter in result.
I still recall even now that my very first essay was written in third grade and was simple: instructions for the ladder stitch for sewing a closure seam in a sew-and-stuff chicken I’d given my teacher to make for her newborn. She loved the chicken, I’ll say that much and found that essay to be very helpful.
Funny that this is how a writing career gets started? Saving old stories and essays can remind a writer of simple humility for the strength of the progress and the teachers that helped make that career possible. With that note in mind, I give credit to my English 101 college instructor for making my writing surpass even this silly essay of high school. One look at it and I instantly thought of a dozen ways I could improve it, but you know what? I don’t want to. It reminds me of just how far my writing has come to earning the contract to publish Dream Angel as an e-book.
I am honestly glad I’ve kept the old stories and essays as they tell me that my achievement has come from hard work, diligence, patience, and excellent instructors. My appreciation to my excellent instructor, the unsung hero of the writing world.
The mediocre teacher tells.
The good teacher explains.
The superior teacher demonstrates.
The great teacher inspires – William A. Ward
These words are all too true. The inspiration the great teacher gives is never given credit, however. I plan to give that credit.
The contract was sent Monday, June 28, 2010, which was also my parent’s 35th anniversary. Cool, huh? The best present around, I’d say! Wish me luck!
With the contract still warm from the lawyer’s desk, I got it just this morning. Excitement mounting, I have to come up with a short synopsis and get it notarized. The latter of which will be tomorrow morning.
*Squeal of delight* I’M PUBLISHED!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
Wish me luck!!!!
Dream Angel is a short story based on a dream I had October 2009. Its original purpose was to become a script for my comic books. It was set aside because I felt my drawing ability didn’t match my writing ability.
In January 2010, while conversing with a friend on MySpace, I saw a publisher’s ad and remembered my sister-in-law is trying to publish a book, so I clicked on it. I asked a few questions after exploring a little. The answer was prompt and made good sense. For the fun of it, I decided to submit the little script I’d written in October as I didn’t expect anything better than a polite rejection and a short critique if I was lucky. Ironically, it was my birthday in March when they responded accepting the story, but the catch was a nearly $4,000 investment on my part which I could not possibly hope to afford. Research began on my part and after finding a collection of subsidy publishers similar to the first, though a few of them were cheaper, they weren’t any more affordable, I thought I had a publisher that wasn’t a subsidy. Wrong! This one had a class-action lawsuit brewing against them for failure to pay royalties! Yikes!
It was my sister who found the articles about the possible class-action and in the course of conversation, mentioned I ought to try e-books instead. So, research led to lists and led to me finding out e-book publishers are more friendly to new authors simply because of the lack of printing costs. I found a list of about two hundred publishers and set myself to work finding the ones that were appropriate for my book. Unfortunately, there’s rotten apples in every barrel and I had to sift through those to find a good one.
To quote Poison Ivy in the Batman and Robin movie, “youth does have its advantages…” What I finally found is a publisher that’s been around just over a year and had just announced they were going to start publishing short stories. Perfect timing for me to step in and offer my story.
Yet again, I asked questions and got prompt responses. Fortunately for me, being both patient and vigilant paid off. Their autorepsonse said they’d answer my submission in up to three weeks (not complaining in the least, just hang in and understand what I’m saying), but it took them five and my bugging them some for answers, which they seem to appreciate.
They answered with an acceptance but the contract wasn’t ready yet – they were still in the process of writing it. Okay, so I’d have to wait a while longer. It’s now been another three weeks and they’ve finally said they’ll have it by the end of this coming week. Pity I couldn’t hold in the news yesterday, it would have made a great Father’s Day present for Dad: his youngest is getting published at 23! It’s still a great Father’s Day present and worthy of celebration.
I’ve done my homework for this little barely one-year-old company: nothing but good news, not even a little post-it of negativity! I look forward to reading their contract, which will still be warm from the lawyer’s desk! I have no reason to doubt they’d write it to favor both themselves and the author.
There’s plenty to celebrate this Father’s Day!!
Well, the most exciting news of all came actually on Friday afternoon: Dream Angel’s due to be published soon. Naturally, of course, that’s not the importance of today: it’s father’s day, the day to spend with Dad.
For a bit of humor, I could say I need to make a present for Jake Arum as well, but he’s only a fictitious dad, though I might have some fun later and do just that anyway.
The best part of a Dad is what he can teach. Even a young dad has some words of wisdom hidden deep inside. For someone like me, just handing him the tools and stepping back doesn’t work. He’ll put them away and not do the project.
I might’ve been the only girl in my high school construction class actually enrolled, but I learned quite a bit that’s come in useful from time to time. I’ve been able to help Dad with projects even by simply knowing what tool he needs and being able to find it.
Don’t discount the importance of Dads: they have a lot to share. Enjoy them while they’re here to enjoy.
Happy Father’s Day to one and all – even the homosexual Dads. I see nothing wrong with that and have seen some beautiful relationships there (some of my best friends in the world are homosexual and I have no problem with that). Enough of that, Father’s Day deserves to be enjoyed! I’m expecting a high of 73 degrees here and completely sunny. Perfect for having fun outside.
This just in: Dream Angel is due to become a published e-book!
Couldn’t resist… Just had to have a little fun with such exciting news. My first short story, Dream Angel, really is going to become an e-book, though. All the hard work, hours of research and painstaking labor have just begun! As I told a friend this morning: “Squeal of delight” just doesn’t cover how I feel about this! I’m just so far beyond ecstatic, euphoric and even cloud 9 that it’s indescribable! The contract will be complete no later than Wednesday, June 23, 2010!! The publisher said they’d send it to me as soon as it’s ready, and that’s when it’s due to be ready!
I hope everyone that sees this will join me in wishing Dream Angel the best of luck as an e-book! I did it!!!
The days of this edition are most likely numbered: http://www.lulu.com/product/paperback/dream-angel/10292400 Better get it while the gettin’s good!! It could become a collector’s edition!!! The covers are highly likely to change with the new publishing!!
Got plenty to do today! Best of all, this news makes a great Father’s Day present for Dad!! I’ve got to wrap stuff, take care of my happily singing toads, and play with the dog at the park to work off some of the excited energy!
As I posted on Facebook earlier: “WOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO HOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!”
Okay, I might as well say it: My short story has been accepted by an e-book publisher, but they’re still working on the contract. They’ll send the contract as soon as it’s complete. For now, that’s all I know… unfortunately. All I can do is keep asking for a progress report on the contract.
Until then, my story is on lulu.com as a small novel for print and download.
Keep your fingers crossed that something happens soon!
To finalize this little update, I’ve finished fixing my site. The images that needed comment boxes and rating widgets now all have them and should all work.
I’m considering adding a paypal button for buying my magnet dolls, but wonder if anyone is interested?
Am I still talking to search engine spiders, or actual people? Why is it I’ve had people sign up for this blog, fiddle a bit with my like buttons and play with my little heart rating setups for my images, but nobody’s left me any comments or offered thoughts?
I’ve got all these ways for site visitors to offer thoughts and comments anonymously and non-anonymously, but nobody has. Start up a conversation with me, please, I don’t bite! I’ll be in my chat room all day today. I’ve got it setup to make noise when someone enters the room. Even if I’m not at the computer, I’ll know when someone is there and wants to talk to me.
