Biggest Loser challenge Update!

I've lost a total of 11 pounds since I started the challenge back in March, and I have 4 more pounds to drop to get to my goal weight. I'll weigh-in this Wednesday and then next week will be the final weigh-in! I want to say thank you to all the authors on Verla Kay's website who participated on the message board. It's been wonderful and I'll definitely do another in the future!

New Creations!

I've been quite busy the past couple weeks. I've stopped writing the second book, INCURABLE, for the time being, and started a whole new book titled, UNMASKED. Of course this title might change throughout the writing process.

Here is a short draft I've come up with for a query:

Abigale Bloodgood's life is as consistent as the tick-tocking of a clock.
Tick.
A carnival comes to town.
Tock.
Time to move.
This seven year routine sprung from her mother's phobia of carnivals, which caused Abigale to sacrifice her home every year, but this year she will sacrifice more. This year she will lose Milo.
Milo has other plans. Presenting Abigale with a mask, he sneaks her into a traveling Midnight Carnival & Circus. The carnies look humanoid, but familiar. Especially the ringmaster, Gulliver, and a carny called, Voodoo Jack.

Of course there is more to the story, but I haven't written that part of the query yet. :)

It's going to be an interesting process.

UPDATE

I have one full out and am waiting to hear from them before I send out any more queries. I know I should send out more, but I like this literary agency, so I want to give them a chance. Meanwhile, I'll try to keep myself busy with writing.

Cheers!

Update!

All right, so I've received two rejections based on the query letter, one request for a full manuscript, and I am waiting on two more queries.

All in all, not too bad. I won't be querying anymore agents until I hear rejections from all the agents. I'll keep my fingers crossed for THE CALL.

Until then...

Book 2 to FIVE MINUTES is coming along great! So far I'm sticking with the title, INCURABLE.

Book 3 is still a mystery to me too. LOL

For this week on the biggest loser challenge, I've started dropping weight again! Only 1.4 pounds, but at least it's going down again. 9 pounds lost so far!

GO BLUEBOARDERS!

Kicking-off April and Word Count Madness!

To kick-off April, I've decided to write not one, but two new manuscripts. The first will actually be the second book to the one I'm subbing, which I already have quite a bit written, but that's besides the point. The second is a whole new book, which I have no idea what I'm going to do. Believe it or not, I like a challenge, so I'm really looking forward to the second one.

Word Count
I've subbed only a handful of agents for my completed MS. I'm choosing not to sub anymore until I have a response from the agents I've sent queries. The only worry I have about my MS is that the word count is 55,000. There is a little confusion on what the minimum and maximum word counts are for YA. I've always read it's anywhere from 55,000 to 85,000, but now I've read a few agent blogs who claim 60,000 is the lowest the word count can be. Since I've edited out about 7,000 words, it's dropped my word count, but my story is still strong.

What are your goals for April?

What is your opinion of acceptable word counts?

Editing Finished!

I'm thrilled to say, I've completed my editing of my YA Urban Fantasy Novel!

Time to once again query. I'm happy with the results, now I have to find an agent interested in this genre, who I haven't queried in the past. I'm off to work!

As for the Biggest Loser Challenge, I'm still working out, but am maintaining my weight at 132, so I'm going to have to work harder to drop that last 7 pounds.

To sum it up, I have a couple goals I hope to accomplish within the next couple months.

Good luck to all the other Biggest Loser contestants and authors, I'm cheering you on!

8 Pounds Dropped!

Since this is a big accomplishment for me, I'm happy to say the Biggest Loser Challenge, which I started up here and on Verla's website on March 1st, has helped motivate me to drop 8 pounds!

7 more to go until I hit my goal weight.

Editing my novel has been extremely slow these past two weeks so I'm hoping to hustle and complete it within the next month.

If you feel comfortable, post your progress.

Keep it up!

I've been constantly checking the blueboards on Verla Kay's message board, and I'm thrilled for the amount of enthusiasm for the Biggest Loser Challenge. You all are terrific and brave to post about something so personal.

We have nine more weeks to go!

Don't give up. It's going to go by whether we like it or not so why not stick to your plan?

If you want to post your weigh-ins or pounds lost that's great. You can also post them on the blueboards, which most of us are doing.

My weigh-in is 134.4 which means I dropped a total of 2.8 pounds this past week! I'm starting to tell a difference already. Only 9 more pounds for me to drop!

Good luck everyone!

Biggest Loser Challenge Kick-off!

Today kicks off the first day of the Biggest Loser Challenge! Please post your goal (How much do you want to lose?), plan (What kind of exercises will you do?), and weight. Yikes!

My goal: Lose ten pounds in ten weeks and be able to button my size3 jeans.

My plan: I will do a 1 hour combination of yoga and belly dance every other day, and 20-30 minutes on my exercise bike every other day. Replace all my beverages with water. Take a cranberry, iron, and vitamin B12 pill every morning.

My weight: 137.2

I'm 5'6 and would like to weigh 125. This has been my dream for 10 years so hopefully I'll accomplish in these ten weeks.

Good luck everyone!

Biggest Loser challenge reminder!

Reminder!

The challenge officially begins tomorrow, March 1st.

Document your goal, plan, and weight. If you would like to give additional information that's fine too. I wish everyone the best of luck and will be trying to accomplish my goal right along with you!

Cheers!

Biggest Loser challenge!

I'm starting a Biggest Loser challenge beginning March the 1st!

I challenge everyone to set a goal and try to achieve that goal in ten weeks. Every week I'll post for a Biggest Loser update, where everyone can track their progress!

Step one: Set a goal. (Be realistic.)

Step two: Create a plan. (Will you cut out calorie intake? Try a new workout strategy?)

Step three: Stick to your plan! 

Personally I'm wanting to drop 10-15 pounds, but my goal will be: lose ten pounds in ten weeks. I'm cutting out juice and replacing it with water. NO sodas. I'm also watching the calories. (I bought a Marie Callender's chicken pot pie - single serving - and it had over 1000 calories in that little pot pie!) I'm doing beginner's yoga and belly dance to tone up my muscles and roughly 20-30 on the exercise bike EVERY OTHER DAY. You want to give your muscles and body a chance to recover and give yourself a break.

If you don't want to join, it's all right too. I'm still going to track my progress and tell you all my weight. Yikes!

P.S. I'm so NOT cutting out the chocolate!

Revisions are coming along!

I'm a little more than halfway through revisions and things are looking great.

• I've changed my ending slightly so my MC Delilah stays in Rosewood to help Hob by using her natural gift.
• I've applied more moments of Delilah practicing things from her mother's native culture in India.
• I've made Herald a little more evil and strictly Victoria's boyfriend.
• I've made Jerald more trusting and loving from the start.
• The climax is still on Halloween, but it also happens to fall on a holiday celebrated in India called Diwali, which also practices the exchange of sweets and setting off fireworks to symbolize the triumph of good over evil! (Works perfectly with the story)

Apart from these tiny changes, I've also eliminated many words that I'd overused. I'm still adding more mood enhancers as I edit.

One great idea that the editor gave me was to start with a (Short) prologue, which I was uncertain about at first, but it turned out great!

I'm still adding things as I go. I'll keep posting periodically!

Evaluation from Editor!

I received my evaluation of my MS from an editor I hired. I have to say I LOVED all of her thoughts. She showed my strengths and weaknesses and offered some helpful suggestions.

I will be using the next couple weeks editing and changing a few things. I still have the second and third book to this series to edit.

Over the past ten months, I've received a lot of praise for my MS. The agents loved the premise, plot, characters, concept, and said it was definitely marketable. BUT they all said there was something missing in the writing. I was lacking something, but none of them ever pinpointed what it was. The editor pinpointed it though, so hopefully now that I'm on the right track with revisions, I'll be able to catch the attention of an agent.

Hiring an editor was totally worth it!

I can see myself hiring this editor for more times to come in the future.

Sent and Received!

The wonderful editor has my manuscript in hand and will return it to me no later than two weeks with her comments throughout. She loved the query letter, so hopefully the story will keep her interest.

I'm thrilled!

(Just a short blog) *wink* ;)

I'm Ready!

In the famous words of my daughters' favorite cartoon character, Spongebob Squarepants, I'm announcing that I'm ready.

• I'm ready to work harder than I have in the past years.
• I'm ready to push the boundaries of my writing.
• I'm ready to accept that I'm not perfect.
• I'm ready to have an agent!

I've received great feedback from multiple agents on my manuscript, FIVE MINUTES. Their encouragement and honest opinions have helped me grow as a writer. They all had great things to say, but with the same complaint that something was lacking in the writing.

So, I am seeking the help of a professional editor to review my manuscript and see what I'm missing.

I'll keep posting as I go through this process.

With help from this editor, I'll be confident enough to, once again, say, "I'm ready!"