Happy New Year!

“For last year's words belong to last year's language and next year's words await another voice.” ~T.S. Eliot

Wow, here we are, another New Year's Eve. What are your plans? Something out and extravagant? Or something quiet and at home? Will you stay up to see the ball drop or raise a glass earlier and go to bed long before the stroke of midnight?

There's something about a new year that inspires us to change, to reach, to set goals or perhaps reflect on those we set one year ago. It's like a Monday. Or the first day of summer break. Or the day you wake up after a loss and realize this really is the first day of a whole new existence.

I'm not sure what I'd like to accomplish in 2011. I'd like to continue to enjoy my health - that's probably my #1 goal. I'd like to sign another publishing contract - that's a close #2. I'd like to travel someplace I've never been before and I'd like to meet someone new.

I think that's enough for today. Mostly, I'd like to remember to take advantage of every day, to appreciate the little things and always keep a positive outlook. And you? My wish for all you blog readers is that you have a safe, warm, wonderful 2011 - and that whatever your dreams and goals are, they come true!

Writers' Wednesday: Words from Writer's Digest

Time for my round-up of the January 2011 Writer's Digest - there are always so many good nuggets of information, it's tough to pull out my favorites. But here you go!

One author featured in the Debut Writers section talked about finding his first agent. He rewrote the entire structure of his book, which took several months, and then ultimately the agent who requested that change declined representation. In the end, though, he found an agent based on that revision. Talk about believing in yourself even after rejection!

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"8 Ways to Write a 5-Star Chapter Chapter One" has terrific advice for tackling that challenging part of a novel. My favorite piece of advice: agents are editors are looking for "honest, original, and brave" writing - not perfect or careful. Free yourself to be daring & different, and that's what can grab them. Among two "great chapter ones" mentioned: Jane Eyre and Little House in the Big Woods.

"Hooked on a Feeling" talks about emotion-driven ways to develop characters. Among the advice I really liked: make a list of people from your life (include a few physical details & their effect on you) that could include the following: a family member you're close to a family member you dislike, your first love, your greatest love, the person from childhood who annoyed you most, the person from adulthood who annoys you most, your favorite co-worker, an older person who inspires you, a person you deal with on a daily basis...There are more, but that gets you started thinking how many real-life characters you can draw from when you write.

And "What to do When Your Novel Stalls" was great for me because I am STILL struggling through a 3rd? 4th? revision of Entwined. The article compares fixing your novel to diagnosing and repairing a car and has some good advice for jump-starting problem areas or dealing with your own insecurites and doubts: "Expecting too much from an early draft will result in frustration and disappointment. You write a first draft in order to have something to revise. It will be a failure. Writers are the ones who don't let failure stop them."

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There are also great articles on finding a mentor, saving face after email gaffes, and other secrets to great story-telling.

OK, venture forth and create! Happy writing :)

Monday Mentionables: Regrouping After the Holiday

Well, we didn't get a white Christmas after all - but the snow arrived last night, about 6" worth. Depending on where you are, you probably got more than we did!

Hope everyone had a nice holiday - ours was busy but filled with friends and family, all the most important things we need :) I actually blogged over at Samhain on December 25th - if you didn't have a chance to see it, please stop by and check it out :) The post was inspired by a conversation hubby and I had a couple days before the holiday, all about shopping for people and how we decide what to buy.

And here are some pictures from our Christmas!

Stockings (sans mantle)

Smooch helping to open gifts, of course

Hanna, our exchange student, making traditional Norwegian Christmas porridge

Yum!

The Little Things

So...last Sunday night, I got up around 1 am to feed my cats who were wandering around making noise. Put them in the basement, turned around to go back upstairs, and tripped on the very first step (thanks in part to the fuzzy socks I was wearing). I landed HARD, really hard, and caught myself on my right ankle and left hand.

Wowowow....the pain in my ankle was incredible. All I could think was "Hope I didn't break it." Made it upstairs, found some ice, lay down on the couch, and hoped it was OK.

Next morning: a little swollen, more than a little black and blue, but definitely not broken. I showed my husband my battle scars, which also included a swollen & bruised left ring finger - it had definitely hurt the night before, but not nearly as much as the ankle. So I ignored it.

Live and learn. By the end of the day Monday, my finger was discolored and even more swollen. By the time I woke up on Tuesday, it had gotten worse. Yesterday afternoon, I decided I'd better have it looked at - and since I work with a group of nurses, they recommended I have a jeweler cut off the rings rather than whatever type of hacksaw they use in the ER.

So I did. The woman who did it was lovely, though she kept apologizing because yeah, it hurt, and I'm sure I was flinching. The worst part by far, though, was knowing she was cutting off my engagement and wedding rings - straight through the "ETERNAL LOVE" inscription. Sigh.

Went to the ER, got an x-ray, found out I have a teeny tiny fracture in the finger, and came home with a funky looking splint. So small. Barely visible on the film. Yet it swelled up my finger to twice its normal size.

I know they're just rings. But I didn't expect to be so upset to lose them that way. Yes, the jeweler can fix them. But it's funny how a symbol like that can grow to mean so much over the years...

Monday's Mentionables: Racing with the Clock

Working like a maniac to finish grading all students' papers for the fall semester...see you back here later this week!

Turning the Big 4-0

"We don't understand life any better at forty than at twenty, but we know it and admit it." ~ Jules Renard

So it's come and gone...my 40th birthday.

This past Wednesday, I officially hit the big 4-0. I figured I would blog today about something profound that comes with turning 40. I Googled "good things about turning 40" and found a zillion (well, a lot anyway) websites, including one called turning40.net. So if you're approaching a milestone birthday, I guess you can find comfort and humor by turning to the Internet,

But I wanted to think of my own profound statements to make. I thought I might have some kind of wisdom. I thought I might feel differently. But really? I don't, not much. In fact, the only thing I really feel is pretty damn pleased. When I look at my life -- my career, my relationships, my health -- I can't ask for more. I'm satisfied -- really, completely satisfied. This is not to say that there aren't things I still dream of (that six-figure book advance would be nice), but I have to say that every day I wake up happy and healthy and full of energy and surrounded by good friends and excited students and family who love me.

Can't really ask for more than that, can I? 40 is just a number. I figure I've earned my wrinkles, my heartache, and my accomplishments, every one of them. So yeah, I'm gonna celebrate and keep on living just the way I am. Here's to the next 40!

Monday's Mentionables: A Day in NYC!

Spent this past Saturday in New York City as part of an exchange student day trip (which, by the way, I don't ever recommend...NYC in December, that is). While we did luck out on the weather (4o and mild), the crowds were CRAZY, especially in mid-town Manhattan. Having said that, though, we enjoyed some nice sights....AND had a terrific surprise at the end of the day (scroll down to the last pic to see what it was!)

The tree in Rockefeller Center, with all the skaters below


Enjoying the view on South Street Seaport (and a gang of drunken Santas, behind us)


We headed uptown at the end of the evening, to Columbus Circle and the mall there...


Where we went into Borders and found my latest release on the shelves in the romance section!!! I almost fell over in disbelief! No better Christmas present for my writing career :)

Friday's Fun Facts: Party Pics!

Note for any locals:

I'll be at the Barnes and Noble in Newburgh, New York this Sunday from 3-5 pm as part of a weekend-long Book Fair sponsored by one of our local public high schools. A perecentage of any sales go to the school's library, and there'll be features from student activity groups (and local authors like me) both days. Stop by if you're around - great time to holiday shop!

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And some pictures from my 40th birthday party, last weekend. Lots of fun!

Some of the girls from the gym

My oldest friend from grade school, who came in from Boston to help celebrate

Hubby!

The family: my husband, Mom, sister, and brother-in-law

Monday Mentionables: Getting into the Holiday Spirit

Whew, what a weekend! We had family and friends in town to celebrate an early Christmas AND my (a little early) 40th birthday! Pictures to follow later this week, so make sure you check back.

The Christmas spirit is definitely in the air, though, and not just because we exchanged stockings and gifts here Saturday morning. Lights are strung outside, wreaths are hung, stores are filled with decorations, and carols and TV specials fill the airwaves. Last night we watched "A Charlie Brown Christmas" and "How The Grinch Stole Christmas" with Hanna (our Norwegian exchange student). I hadn't watched either of them in years, so it was fun to see them again. True classics, that's for sure. We also talked about our favorite Christmas movies of all time. Mine: "It's a Wonderful Life." Hers: "Love, Actually" (I didn't even know it was a Christmas movie, but OK). Hubby's: "A Christmas Story."

What are your favorites?

Writers' Wednesday: Buy Yourself a Blog

Heads up, fellow writers: here's an opportunity you might be interested in looking into...

Lynda Coker is holding an auction to transfer ownership of her blog, Between the Lines. This seems to be a pretty well-established blog, with supposedly 800+ followers (though blog comments don't necessarily indicate a high level of involvement). Still, if you're looking to blog or maybe do some new promo and want a built-in audience of this kind, her auction might be worth looking into. She'll post the current bid amount at the top of her blog. Bidding runs through December, and ownership will transfer in February 2011.

It's an interesting concept. Time magazine this week has a feature on the changes from 2000 - 2010, and one of those is that the number of established blogs went from 3 million in 2004 to 130 million in 2010. Do people read them? Absolutely. Do they affect book sales, if we're talking specifically about authors? Hard to tell. I do think readers enjoy getting to know the authors they love in a blog sort of format. But does a blog exponentially increase sales? I'm reserved on that one. Other types of promo do more, I think. Regardless, blogs are a FREE way to interact with readers, so the chance to "buy" one that's already established is definitely an interesting concept to consder.

Good luck bidding!

Happy Post-Thanksgiving!

Well, did everyone enjoy a nice Thankgiving holiday and weekend? We certainly did. Here are some pictures from the day:

In preparation for the big dinner, Smooch waits patiently in his chosen spot

Friends and family enjoy the company and good food!

We also braved the crowds and the stores for Black Friday early morning shopping - anyone else that crazy? We've done it every year for the past 4 or 5, so now it's become a bit of a crazy tradition. We don't go SUPER early, but we were out of the house by 4:30 and scored a Canon digital camera, a SONY digital camera, ski clothes, a step stool and some other household items, all for really great prices. After a well-earned breakfast, we were home by 9:00 am - not bad!

I wanted to give a mention to my writing friend Diane Craver, who has 2 Christmas stories out in time for the holidays. Stop by her blog to find out more about them! Perfect gift for someone who's tough to buy for...

Happy (Early) Thanksgiving!

The Pilgrims made seven times more graves than huts. No Americans have been more impoverished than these who, nevertheless, set aside a day of thanksgiving. ~H.U. Westermayer

If the only prayer you said in your whole life was, "thank you," that would suffice. ~Meister Eckhart


Wishing everyone a very (early) blessed Thanksgiving Day! I'm so thankful for much in my life: my family, friends, health, job, students, books, and lifestyle that allows me to wake up every day safe, warm, and not having to worry about how to pay my bills or put food on the table.

I hope you are equally able to celebrate all the riches in your life - enjoy!

Monday's Mentionables: Author Promotion at AAD 2011

OK, fellow authors, here's the deal: next August, I'll be attending the Authors After Dark Conference in Philadelphia. This is a conference where readers can mingle with authors - talk to their favorites and find new ones as well. For authors, there are a plethora of promotional opportunities, among them the chance to host a table in the hospitality rooms, food breaks during the conference, happy hours, etc. If authors go in together in sponsoring one of the events, obviously, it costs less per person.

So...I'm interested in knowing if any authors out there are interested in co-sponsoring an event at the AAD Conference. Doesn't mean you have to attend, obviously - it will still be a chance for you to get your name and your books out there in front of readers.

If you'd like to know more about the options available, and the various prices involved, send me an email at allieb@allieboniface.com and we can chat!

Happy Monday...

Writers' Wednesday: Two Newsletters Worth Checking Out

Two quick but really good links for writers today:

WOW - Women on Writing's Ezine - it's all about freelance work as a writer this month.

and

The Knight Agency's Newsletter - you can sign up for a free subscription just by visiting their site. Great updates about what's going on with their agency and in the industry overall.

Happy writing!

Monday Mentionables: A Good Week for Writing :)

One of the nicest things about attending a writers' group meeting is being inspired to write again. This past Saturday, I went to my local HVRWA meeting, featuring a visit by editor Trish Owens from The Wild Rose Press. While a lot of what she spoke about focused on erotice romance, since that's the line she edits for TWRP, she had some helpful tips for all writers. Plus it was just nice to be around other writers who are busy pecking away and sending out work for publication. It inspired me enough to spend a lot of Sunday working on a short story that's been on my back burner for a while.

I also had a Borders signing Saturday afternoon, and I sold a respectable 16 books - about half to people I didn't know, always a good thing! I mean, I love my friends who show up to support me, but it's also nice to have strangers either discover you or deliberately seek out your books because they know your writing already.

One more appearance for the year, Barnes and Noble next month - just 2 weeks before Christmas, so I'm hoping that will be a good day as well.

How was your weekend?

Friday Fun Facts

Two events this Saturday: my local HVRWA meeting, featuring an editor from The Wild Rose Press.

And then a book signing from 2-4 PM at the Borders in Middletown, New York - the first time Summer's Song will be available in print for sale and signing!

In honor of Veteran's Day yesterday, I thought this was a fitting video tribute:

Writers' Wednesday: To Blog or Not to Blog?

I am a bad blogger.

I mean, about a year ago I switched from writing every day to writing 3 days a week. I know I lost a few followers, but what's a girl with a full-time job to do?

And I rarely have the time to visit and comment on other people's blogs. I know that's poor blog etiquette, and believe me, I'd really like to have the time to do that...I just don't. If it comes down to 30 minutes when I could write or I could read blogs and comment on them, I'd probably write.

I know that authors' online presences are crucial. I know readers look for blogs, Facebook accounts, Twitter updates, and all that good stuff. Sigh. I just don't have the time to keep up. I read an article the other day about a romance author who's been writing for 20+ years and doesn't even have a website. She doesn't feel left out. Of course, she has a solid following and probably doesn't have to worry about luring new readers with daily blog posts or giveaway contests or witty Tweets.

I'd like to be that kind of author. Unfortunately, in today's technology age, those of us who are just starting to build a reader base need to tap into all the avenues we can, and online, free contact with readers is an easy way to do that.

Which brings me back to square one. I like to do it. I'd like to do more of it. And I'd like to devote a little bit of time each day to connecting with other authors online as well. But the brutal truth is that from September to June, it's awfully hard to do that. So as long as I have this full-time day job, I'll do what I can and save the rest of my time for writing.

Thanks for hanging around and humoring me. When I become a best-selling author, maybe I'll quit my day job and update my Facebook page/Tweet twenty times a day. Until then, well, I'll see you around when I can lol.........

Monday Mentionables: News from the Agent Front

Well, in case you haven't heard, the big news in the agenting world is that Nathan Bransford is leaving agenting to work in the tech industry, as of sometime mid-last week, apparently. I think it came as a shock to everyone - he's a very popular agent who ran/runs a very popular blog. I did submit my YA to him and got back this response late last week:

Thank you for your note. I am no longer an agent with Curtis Brown Ltd. and will now be working in the tech industry. If you'd like to submit to another agent at Curtis Brown Ltd., please visit our website for a list of agents and our submission guidelines:

http://www.curtisbrown.com

Interesting to know that he's leaving the world of agenting...wonder why? Anyone hear any scuttlebutt?

In other (semi-related) news, I currently have my full YA manuscript out with 3 agents, two of whom requested the full from the initial query, and one who requested a partial and synopsis and then (within a day) requested the full. Times back will vary from 1 to 3 months, so I have to settle down and not expect anything soon. Will keep you posted!

Friday Fun Facts: Summer's Song Releases in Print!

In all the excitement of my reading at Lady Jane's Salon this week, I forgot to mention that Summer's Song released in print on Tuesday! I love this book (the cover too - yummy!) and am thrilled to have it out in the print world.

For locals, I have 2 upcoming appearances where this book will be available - both are listed on the sidebar to the right. Hope to see some of you there!

And to remind you what this story is about, here's the trailer. Have a great weekend!

Writers' Wednesday: Lady Jane's Salon is the Place to Be!

Ah, Lady Jane's Salon! What a wonderful night of reading and mingling in Greenwich Village! Though I was terribly nervous (I know, I know - I talk in front of people all the time. but this was different), I survived and even managed to enjoy myself a little bit, mostly about halfway through my reading when I realized I wasn't going to pass out from nerves.

The place itself is a narrow little bar with a separate room upstairs decorated entirely in red, with cushy couches and ottomans everywhere. About 10 of my own friends joined me, some who live in the city and some who came down from my hometown about 60 miles north. I'd say there were maybe 50 people attending in all. Four authors read (I chose to go first, to get it over with and so I wouldn't have to follow anyone), and the nice thing is that we all write in different genres of romance.

I was also pleasantly surprised that at the end of the night, one of the Salon founders asked me to write a blog post for their blog, reflecting on the night. They always ask one of of the four readers...I'm flattered to be the chosen one this month!

If you're ever in NYC on the first Monday of a month, and you're a romance fan, I highly recommend stopping by Madame X at 94 West Houston Street between 7 and 9 pm. At the very least, you can't beat the $5 cocktails!

Here are a few pictures to sum up the night:


Reading on the stage...thank goodness for bright lights, so I couldn't see much beyond my book!



With my husband and a signature "Madame X" cocktail after my reading

Joined by a girlfriend from college who now lives and works in the city!