Once you go Gnome...

You ever notice how once something becomes a part of your life you begin to see it everywhere.

Gnomes.

Everywhere I go.

Happy Friday.

#atozchallenge #roadtrip - Stormy is on the move!

Yeah, keep your eyes on the road, your hands upon the wheel
Keep your eyes on the road, your hands upon the wheel
Yeah, we're goin' to the Roadhouse
We're gonna have a real
Good time

(Roadhouse Blues by The Doors)

So, welcome to our second leg of the Post A-to-Z Road Trip!

Stormy the Weather Gnome and I are going to try to hit at least 20 new blogs a week from the Challenge list and tell you about a few of them in each of my posts.

When you go visit these awesome blogs, please make sure you tell them that you're visiting on the Post A to Z Road Trip!

No trip would be any fun at all without visiting Alex J. Cavanaugh!

Ninja Captain. Rock Guitar enthusiast. Science Fiction Adventure Author extraordinaire. Blog Genius. Music and movie connoisseur. IWSG creator.

Need we say more?

If you're not visiting his blog regularly, you are missing out.

Tara Tyler Talks
Tara Tyler

Stormy and I LOVE Tara and we always have a great time visiting her blog. She is a mom, a teacher, an author, and a lazy housewife (her words, not mine). She has a new book coming out soon and I'm so proud of her and excited to see what she comes up with next.


The future's uncertain
And the end is always near.

Let it roll, baby, roll.
Let it roll, baby, roll.
Let it roll, baby, roll.
Let it roll, all night long.


Christine Rains-Paranormal Romance Author
Christine Rains

Christine's 13th Floor Series is one of my very favorites and I'm looking forward to what she's got up her sleeve. She always adds a twist to a tale you think you know and proves you, oh so, wrong.


DL Hammons

One day, DL put up a few paragraphs of his writing for all of us to read on his blog. I can still remember my heart pounding while I read it and the premise still haunts me today. I really want to finish reading that story and I hope that we all get the chance to do just that.

Have you heard about Write Club? Well, DL is the founder of the Club and he really wants you to go visit his blog and check it out, maybe even sign up! There's only a few days left.

Thanks for visiting with us today!
Are you finding any great blogs on your trip?

How I Found the Write Path Blogfest

From Carrie Butler at So, You're a Writer:

"Hey, guys! To celebrate my third blogiversary (coming up in May), I want to do something different—something to pay it forward—but I need your help. It involves a blogfest, new writers, and pretend time travel.

I want to compile a free e-book for writers who are just starting on their road to publication, using advice from the most brilliant, up-and-coming voices in the industry: you guys!

 

THE PROMPT: 

Please write a letter/note to yourself when you first started writing toward publication."



Dear 2010 Heather,

You should have taken up scrap booking.

Remember?

You started this blog in May of 2010 right after you sent your first manuscript off to an agent.

You needed an outlet, a place to talk, vent and rant about your publishing journey.

You named the blog, The Waiting is the Hardest Part and you said, and I quote, "If I had known how hard it was going to be to get a story out of my head, on to the paper and out to the world, I may have taken up scrap booking instead."

I suppose there's still time.

Okay, maybe I'm being too hard on you, but you've had a rough few years. This is a pretty tough business to try and break into and you really only did it on a whim.

You never dreamed of being published.

The problem is, you do get published. Not that first manuscript, that one sucked, but a second story. The beginning of a series.

For a brief shining moment, you are freakin' awesome.

But, the moment crashes and burns and you find yourself back to square one.

You can blame yourself from now until the cows come home, but you didn't make the small publisher close its doors and refuse to answer emails and not send out royalty checks.

But, this is where you're going to have to dig deep. You're going to have to pull yourself up by the bootstraps and start kicking some major butt.

Because, now that you've had a taste of that fame, you want more. You want more five-star reviews. You want more emails with praise and compliments.

You want more people asking for autographs and about your next book. You want more fans. You want more people asking for you to speak at their book discussion group.

And, that's not going to come easy. It's never going to get any easier. Nothing worth having comes easy. It's always going to be hard.

You made it this far.

Don't give up. Don't give in.

Keep writing. Keep improving.

Keep moving forward.
 
Sincerely,
 
2014 Heather

p.s. When the Gnome shows up don't question it. Just go with it.

p.p.s. Buy The Emotion Thesaurus. You can't write without it.


Heather M. Gardner, author of The Maguire's Corner series
www.hmgardner.blogspot.com
 

"I give permission for my entry to be included in the e-book compilation without royalties and/or separate compensation."

#atozchallenge #roadtrip - Stormy and Heather hit the road!

They made up their minds
And they started packing
They left before the sun came up that day
An exit to eternal summer slacking
But where were they going without ever knowing the way?

(The Way by Fastball)

So, welcome to our first leg of the Post A-to-Z Road Trip!

Stormy the Weather Gnome and I are going to try to hit at least 20 new blogs a week from the Challenge list and tell you about a few of them in each of my posts.

When you go visit these awesome blogs, please make sure you tell them that you're visiting on the Post A to Z Road Trip!

Tossing It Out
Arlee Bird

We really can't start this trip without visiting the founder and leader of this great Blog Challenge, Arlee Bird aka Lee.

His vision for the Challenge may have started small but it certainly has taken on a life of its own. Over 2000 people participated in the April Challenge. Lee's theme, on 1 of his 4 blogs, was Marketing Concepts from A to Z.

We can all learn a lot from Lee, so I highly recommend visiting his April posts.

They drank up the wine
And they got to talking
They now had more important things to say
And when the car broke down They started walking
Where were they going without ever knowing the way? 

No Page Left Blank
Tracey Lynn Tobin

Tracey's A to Z theme was all about her favorite fictional characters. Buffy the Vampire Slayer, Marvel, Star Wars, Disney, Harry Potter, Supernatural & Star Trek just to name a few!


Dreaming of Publication
Jossie Marie Solheim

Joss's A to Z theme was all dogs all day long! So many dogs so little time! Pictures and videos! DOGS!


The children woke up
And they couldn't find 'em
They Left before the sun came up that day
They just drove off
And left it all behind 'em
But Where were they going without ever knowing the way?


Beneath the Jack Reviews
Tiffany York

Tiffany's A to Z theme was books, books, and more books! Book reviews, TBR lists, recommendations! Lots and lots and lots of books are listed in this blog.

Mental Indegestion
Melanie Lee

Melanie's A to Z theme was a Haiku for every day in April! Also, look for her links to her stories from the 2012 and 2013 Challenges.



Thanks for visiting with us today!
Are you finding any great blogs on your trip?

Wrap it up...it's Friday!

I've got some stuff to tell you about.


Happy Blog Anniversary to me. I've been blogging for 4 years.

***

Edits for MC2 are done.

I think my query for MC2 is done.

I think my synopsis for MC2 is done.


I think the little MC2 baby bird needs to get kicked out of the nest.

It won't be an easy sell.

It's hard to know if I should try and query it alone or w/ it's older brother MC, which is now back to being rightfully mine.

E-ther, I-ther, or ... I need to get back out there to see if anyone wants these books.

Wish me luck.

***

Monday will be my first Post A to Z Road Trip post.

I know I will find some interesting blogs to share with you guys.

You're welcome to come along on the trip. Use the link above to find out more information.

***

I think that's all I've got. 

What are you doing this weekend?

Weird story time and it's someone's book birthday!

So, here's a funny story. 

Well, not so much funny funny. More like funny ironic.

My husband's volunteer fire department has started their yearly softball games.

As an awesome wife, and glutton for punishment, I attend all these games dragging our son with us. Don't let him fool you, he loves to go and run around berserk with the other spawn ... I mean kids.

I always bring my notebook(s) to these games. Technically, I bring one with me everywhere I go these days.

Normally, I would run out of conversation with the people in the stands about three minutes in. Usually, right after, "Hey, how are you today?"

Then, I would just bury my nose in my notebook.

Now, the people in the stands know that I've written one book and they want to know more about it or more about the next book. They have all these questions and they want ... talk.

It's so hard.

I'm not completely anti-social. And, I know all these people, most of them for years. But, they didn't think I was very interesting before.

I'm still not very interesting. Hence, why I write about stuff much more interesting than my actual life.

But, having one book published, one they could read and some even held in their hands, makes me different, I guess.

What I'm getting at is ... the one thing I always did, because I don't do well socially with others, is now making me have to be more social with others.

Weird.

And, that's today's lesson, kids. 

***

I've got a little Monday surprise!

It's book release day for Melissa Maygrove! Congratulations and best of luck with your book!

Sometimes a single choice 

alters the course of a person's life 

forever.

Left behind by everyone she loves...

Rebecca Garvey had the promise of a California future dreams are made of, until the wagon train her family was traveling with left her behind. Now she’s slowly dying in the wilderness, abandoned and stripped of her self-worth. Once the shock of her desertion turns to embittered despair, she doesn’t want to be found. Then a handsome stranger challenges her convictions and changes her mind.

Headed for Texas, chased by the demons of his past...

Seth Emerson knows exactly what he wants. Working to save for a cattle ranch of his own keeps him busy and keeps his pain buried. Rescuing a stubborn woman from the hills of New Mexico Territory isn’t part of his plan—but she’s exactly what he needs.

Making greater sacrifices than either of them could foresee...

Seth and Rebecca set off on a risky journey and a quest for truth, each healing the other’s love-starved soul along the way. Will they give in to their growing attraction?  Or will they honor their commitments when Seth returns Rebecca to civilization... and her betrothed?

Come Back

by Melissa Maygrove

Western Historical Romance

Adult / New Adult

Available May 12th from Truelove Press

Where to find Melissa...

Website / Blog / Facebook / Twitter

Where to find her book...

Amazon / Kindle / Barnes & Noble / Nook / Kobo  

Don't forget to add it to your Goodreads.

Cover designed by Carrie Butler,

Forward Authority Design Services

Come Back release day giveaway (Rafflecopter)

Contest starts May 5^th and ends at midnight on May 19^th.

Winners will be announced on May 21^st.

The two prizes are:

A $50 gift card to your choice of Amazon or Barnes & Noble (Book Depository for international entrants)

A signed paperback copy of Come Back for winner living in the cont. U.S. or Authorgraph + e-book copy (international entrant)

a Rafflecopter giveaway

Thank you.

Never underestimate the power of a few wonderful words.

You guys are so supportive, plus you're fantastic for my ego.

I really appreciate your kind words and your belief that I will prevail.

The IWSG is an awesome group of people and I'm proud to be a part of it.

#IWSG - The ups and downs of publishing.

So.

Hi.

Welcome back.

The Insecure Writer's Support Group is all about encouragement and support.

It's been a great place to turn to when things aren't going our way.

Like recently.

Some of you know that my small publisher folded like a lawn chair. It wasn't pretty.

I won't bore you with the messy details but I will say that I will never again sign with a company that doesn't have a few years under their belt.

The worst part was that I had to watch my very first book get pulled from the all the sales sites. One by one.

I am now an un-published author.

It's my greatest hope that I will find a new publisher and/or agent to take on Maguire's Corner and Once Good Catch. I really want to find a new home for them.

On that note, I will say that I'm just a little bruised, certainly not broken, and I'm ready to kick some query/synopsis ass and get my books back out the door.

What are you dealing with today?

Let me know if you need me to open a can of whoop-ass and head to your location.

It ain't over until the funny Gnome sings! #atozchallenge #atozroadtrip

You must be wondering why I called y'all here today...

...it's to send you over to the Blogging from A to Z April Challenge blog to check out all the information on the 4th Annual Post-Challenge Road Trip!

 It's crazy. It's ludicrous. It's downright time consuming, but I'm a few nuggets short of a happy meal, so I'm all signed up to get on the road and finish what I started!

I'm dragging Stormy with me on this most epic adventure.

WAKE UP, STORMY!!

The Gnome and I are going to try to hit at least 20 new blogs a week from the Challenge list and tell you about a few of them in each of my posts.

I've got 2 great co-pilots steering and navigating!

Tina @ Life is Good 

&

Nicole @ The Madlab Post

So, let's get our motors runnin' and head out on the highway!

4th Annual Post-Challenge Road Trip