Taryn's Writerly Ramblings- #revisions & #rewrites & #edits, Oh My!

Things around here have been uber busy as of late. I've been deep in revisions and rewrites on LOVE BY DESIGN since earlier this month. Between revisions and rewrites I was working on, I was also doing edits based on the suggestions and feedback of a fellow KY author who was beta/editing for me.

I finished up this past Monday, just after my weekend away for my Kentucky Independent Writers meeting on the 22nd. I came back refueled and focused and whipped the last three chapters' rewrite out in no time. Tuesday I sent out to the one author who betaread the entire manuscript pre-rewrite, but who I'd shared my rewrite notes with. While she read, she kept that in mind.

Then it was off to 3 betas and an editor I had lined up. Last night I mailed it off to 2 more betas, so it's out to 5 betas + the editor.

My fellow author, sent back the 3 rewritten chapters with only minor "pickies" as she called them, a few things of which were just flubs on my part, where I pounded the story out so fast that I missed a typo or two here and there, or a added/missing word and a few other suggestions. She said that the added conflict upped the expectation at the end of the story, so I'm pleased with that feedback, for sure.

This has me thinking too about how soon I'll have a RELEASE DATE to share, and that's just making me crazy excited! I'm hoping it will be sooner rather than later. We're getting so close, I can taste it. Yippee! And that means that soon, I'll be putting out a call to bloggers who might like to interview me or have me guest on their blogs, so keep an eye peeled for a blog about that or if you sign up for my NEWSLETTER (link listed below), you can find out about it that way as well.

All while doing this, I've also been having car troubles again. Last month after I went to my first writers meeting, my check engine light came on. A diagnostic check said the thermostat was going out, but after mechanic and husband checked and didn't seem to find a problem, we basically just "reset" it and it went off without any more trouble.

This time my brakes have been squeaking and I thought maybe it was just cold weather, but then it pulled a "squealing" on me- Sounded like a big fat pig crawled up under my hood. And it wasn't the squeaking brakes, but a sound it emitted while I was accelerating, when my foot was no where near the brake pedal. It only happened on Sunday while I was in my hometown before I headed back and only for a short time. Called my husband to ask him what he thought it might be but considering he was here and I was there and he couldn't look at it or listen to it, he didn't know. Said it could be the rotors, or maybe the fan belt. When I took it over to my parents to have my dad ride with me to see if he could figure out what it was doing, it quit and has behaved ever since. Not really sure what the deal is....

But, poor Jasper is in the shop now and won't get him back till Tuesday or Wednesday right now. He's had a time of it since I got my license...maybe I'm running too hard? Or maybe it's just the wear and tear of having almost 100k miles under his belt. I know he'll need an oil change before I travel very far again, but for right now, the mechanic is going to change the fan belt, the spark plugs and lines, and some other things they seemed knowledgeable about that I don't.

I'm also re-immersing myself in Triberr (and hopefully going to find time to start posting blogs myself more consistently), joining groups on FB like Kentuckiana Authors and Kentucky Romance Writers (not the RWA Chapter I once belonged to, as it disbanded a while back.) Been doing the "social media" thing, bouncing around here and there, trying to cover some bases and make connections.

I got a new cell phone and have been having a time with the learning curve of going from my dinosaur Motorola Cadbury that I could only call and text on, to an Android phone and though I like it, I'm still a bit perturbed and displeased with some of the specs of the one I got. Why? Because the internal memory is not large enough to handle the workload of the calling plan it goes with. That just doesn't make sense to me. Don't offer a phone with a tiny internal storage if it's meant to handle a LOT of data, like the Google Play store and all the apps that are out there, especially if none of the ones pre-built in can be saved to the SD card and any tiny update to anything causes "Low Storage Space" notifications CONSTANTLY! And it tries to update all those apps as soon as I turn on my data. That's just stupid (or a genius marketing ploy to screw over the customer.)

The phone and plan should complement each other and be compatible...this DOES NOT. I can't update apps and I have a lot of "low storage space" issues to contend with if I try to, which sucks big toes, but it was the "only" phone they sell with the specific "unlimited talk, text & data" plan I went with. It'll do for now though, I suppose, as long as I don't hassle with it too much or slam it against the wall... (Yes, I was tempted within the first DAY of having it...but I'm restraining myself... Lord am I restraining myself!!!!)

I did sign up for Instagram though and found I can use it without it causing a lot of headache- it saved to my SD card! Whoo Hoo! So, you are more than welcome to come follow me there, where I'll just post random pictures of whatever suits my fancy or tickles my funny bone. Or inspires me, etc. I kinda like it.

Also been updating my website, and my FB Page - I have a few new tabs on my page. Besides Photos and Likes, I have my Twitter, Goodreads, and my Newsletter Sign-Up tied to it (If you haven't signed up I urge you to so you can stay in the know- I haven't sent out my first yet, but will soon!), and I JUST added a "My Books" Tab and the "Authorgraph" Tab and a "Pinterest" Tab, so you can easily access those things through there. I was going to do the Instagram one but it just doesn't work for some reason and I found a FAQ on their site that said it couldn't be connected to a FB Page currently through an Android, so that may be why.

I'm looking into added a Tab linked to my Website or maybe a few other of my Social Media connections, but that requires doing a FB Developers thing- I'm not sure or confident enough yet to try that, being I'm no computer whiz or graphic/web designer who's knowledgeable about HTML codes and things of that nature. I see that it implies it's simple to do, but still makes my stomach churn with anxiety that I might screw up my entire FB Page if I attempt it, so for now I'm leaving well enough alone.

It leaves me wondering, what other things readers like to find on Authors' FB Pages, so I'll leave you with a few questions today- feel free to leave me some ideas that might make my FB Page more interesting, that might draw attention and help my page gain more "Likes" and more visibility.

Do you keep up with what's going on via "Pages" you like? Are there Tabs or links or widgets that readers find helpful or that make them follow an author more closely? What are things that make you deeply invested in an author's Page enough to visit it regularly?

It's crossed my mind to look into finding a way to "Tab" link my blog there as well. Or Google+.

Let me know what you think. Would love the input!

Lil' T Stepped Outta Her Box- 1st #Writers Meeting #TuesdayswithTaryn #birdsofafeather

Hallee Bridgeman & Heather Sunseri

Yep, my world is expanding. And YES, I called myself Lil' T.

Taryn stepped outside her box on February 15th and attended her very 1st writers meeting. I belong to the Kentucky Independent Writers. I once belonged to the RWA Kentucky Romance Writers Chapter (KYRW), but I never attended any meetings because I live 2 1/2-3 hours drive from there and even though the meetings were every OTHER month, I didn't drive or have my own transportation at the time, and I didn't want to feel I was putting my spouse out to drive me up there, so far out of the way. Plus I was certainly scared spitless (yes, I'm minding my mouth, but not sure how long that will last. Haha!)

Donna McDonald & J.M. Madden

I missed out on a LOT and I'm aware of it in a way that's almost physically painful now when I look back on all the years I spent hunkered down in my self-inflicted isolation.

I  missed out on a lot of craft lessons, networking, and interaction that is so important to an author. This may be a solitary career choice, but when you have a group of like-minded authors, striving toward similar goals and dreams, it makes this journey that much easier. I hate to say it, but I regret all that wasted time, keeping to myself except via the internet. I could seriously kick my own ass for being so foolish as to think I could still get the same strengths out of it, just by being in touch.

Me and Kallypso Masters (and her assistant Charlotte)

And now that's going to change. When I started writing in 2006- or I should say, when I picked my writing back up in 2006 and began writing prolifically and in earnest because I HAD to get the stories out, I thought I was stepping outside that box and becoming bolder in who I am.

It wasn't until this past year though, that I feel I've really begun to find my courage, my bravery, to be who I am, to write what I want and to start thinking about ME for a change. Sure I was writing, but I was still hiding myself away and sure, there are authors who do not socialize or interact out there and there are stereotypes of authors like that, but I enjoy the company of my kind. We are birds of a feather and I find myself now flocking toward them, needing this more than I ever thought possible.

Katherine L Logan

Getting my driver's license has helped me in more ways than I can begin to fathom and now that I've attended my first meeting, I see that I need more than the isolation that I have subjected myself to for all these years.

I need the energy that comes from being in a group, talking, brainstorming, discussing all the things that are pertinent to us authors who, though we're taking "independent" routes to fulfill our dreams, still gain so much from the friendships and interactions with others who are also taking this same road.

Debi Warford, Laurel McKinley Keller,
Sharon Ray, Jesse V Coffey
Seraphina Donavan & Bruce McDonald II

I came away from the first meeting feeling rejuvenated, excited, proud of my small accomplishment of shaking off the fears that have held me back, stunted my growth and found myself inspired to move forward that much more.

I've been working on Love By Design. Edits are done, yet again. I need Beta Readers, but need to find those who are unbiased but trustworthy.

I'm also trying to throw myself back into the world of the living. That means blogging, sharing posts through Triberr, and I'm trying out using Google+ more often than I have been, especially as hard as Facebook makes it to share from my author page. What you can't find on Facebook, I'm hoping to making easily available to view (free) on Google+.

So.... in the meantime... I really need to get to work reading through and editing on Love By Change (Book 2 in the Love By Series and I still need to finish writing Heart of the Surf- the 4th and final book in the Pryce of Love Series. You can find out more about each of the books I'm currently working on via my Works In Progress page on my website and if you go exploring on my website, you can also find out how to sign up for my Newsletter of Love, which I will send out when I have new and exciting things to tell you about my upcoming releases.

Me & my Scrabble Buddy & fellow writer Robyn Peterman

#ThursdayswithTaryn Good Morning Glory! #busy #writer

My morning glories are starting to bloom now. My husband swears he's going to have to fight them because they're taking over some of his elephant ears. He says they're jerks who are trying to be elephant ears- their leaves are massive and do sort of resemble his plants but they have pretty little flowers. He is right though- in some respects they're trying to choke out the other things around them, so they can thrive.

I originally planted seeds on this one corner of the house because we had an old rot iron trellis that had once been a corner piece of the carport. When we closed in the carport to add an additional room to the house, the corner piece had to go, but I didn't want to toss it, we dug a hole and for a while used it for a rose trellis, but it died back, so I planted morning glories there. I haven't planted new seeds for a couple of years, but each season, late summer, they begin to flourish and they drop seeds aplenty for next year. They are taking over the wild white rose bushes I have on the side of the house.

Of course, they take care of themselves, replenishing their supply and I kind of like that I don't have to think about them much anymore. I just know they're going to be there. I always thought morning glories bloomed early summer to fall, but these tend to take their time and don't begin to bloom in shades ranging from pale pinks to dark purples until late August, early September. It's become a signal for me that school is going to start, that the weather is going to start shifting, that fall is on its way. And it gives me one last touch of summer before it's all gone away.

The Autumnal Equinox isn't until the 22nd of this month, but I already feel the change, see it out my window and it gives me a sense of purpose. The end of summer represents a slow down, but not just that, it drives me toward being more focused in my life, my writing, how I use my time.

This shift in focus might be noticed in the lag in blog posts recently, but I'll try to keep up a few times a week, even if things have gotten quiet on the blog front. If I'm not posting, it could be that I have a LOT going on behind the scenes, especially since I recently finished up the who-knows-how-many-eth read-through edits on Love by Design and there's some things I'm either working on or sorting out, so there might well be news soon about when I'll have a cover, a release date and other goodies to share with you. It's an exciting time, but also one I need to devote to doing the things behind the scenes to move myself and my books along toward self-publication and I hope you'll stick around to see how that works out because I honestly can't wait to share these stories with you.

Have a wonderful Thursday!

Tomorrow in the Friday Spotlight is

The Daughter by Christina Wolfer

so be sure to swing by and check out her novel!

August is Ky Indies #Writers Month on #EdinRoad Radio- @JesseVCoffey All KY, all #Indies, All Month.

The page to listen- Click Image above.

LIVE every Tuesday and Thursday at 6:30pm (EST)

In Celebration of Kentucky Indie Authors, August is KIW Month on Edin Road Radio!

Thurs, 8/02 -- Teresa Reasor 

Tues, 8/07 -- Sondra Allan Carr

Thurs, 8/09 -- Jennifer Madden
Tues, 8/14 -- Hallee Bridgeman
Thurs, 8/16 -- Kallypso Masters
Tues, 8/21 -- Pamela Turner
Thurs, 8/23 -- Stephen Zimmer
Tues, 8/28 -- Abigail Keam
Thurs, 8/30 -- Diane Strong

Mark your calendars and get ready for a great time!

#Writerly Wednesday- My next #WIP & Merc in Retro-Perils of the Universe #writing

I'm eager to start on my next novel, Heart of the Surf, the 4th and final book in my Pryce of Love series. Centered around the youngest of the Pryce brothers, and also the last to find love, the story will be a journey for Mark and Alexa Stevens, both of whom have their eyes on the prize of the elite and exclusive surfing competition. Little could they know that their love of sand and surf would also throw them together in another way. Already, I'm gleaning background information about my main characters at odd times, like while I'm showering. I learned a little something about Alexa's grandmother yesterday, so I can feel life being breathed into the story and the characters already.

But....

Mind you, I've never been surfing, never even been to a coastal beach, so this book will be a challenge and there will be research to do, so what better timing for research than just as Mercury is about to go Retrograde.

You see, silly or as superstitious as it might seem in me- I don't start new projects when good ol' Merc's in Retro because I have no desire to "redo" anything later. Not in a big way. There will be enough to be done with edits and polishing once I finish writing the story. Not to mention that I need time to research anyway before I start rattling on about things I know nothing about, but I'm intrigued by the idea of the life of a surfer, so the desire to learn is there.

Of course, writing will be easier still if I wait until after Mercury goes direct again anyway shortly after August begins and my children are back in school. The quiet writing time will help tremendously. It's honestly hard to work and concentrate on writing, to fall deep into my storytelling, when I have someone constantly asking me "Mommy, what's for lunch?" "Can we have a snack?" "Again, why can't we go outside in this triple digit heat?"

(Sandwiches, string cheese or yogurt, I don't want you to resemble the scorched grass in our yard that looks more like bits of hay than living green foliage)

Add to that, I'm also still researching self-publishing, so I have that on my plate, as well. Oh, and the weird dreams- so many of them lately, but I won't bore you with the bizarre and wacky details. I think it's a side effect of the planetary changes. I can feel in my bones. It always opens locked doors to the odd and unusual within me.

And so, I'm also settling back into our routine normalcy around the house after being gone to visit my family and friends in my hometown for 3 weeks. I'm still feeling sluggish today though my mind is racing that I have things to do, people to contact, etc...I can hope to find the balance, but not sure I ever will.

Hope you're having a great Wednesday! I can see the weekend

(and a lucky Friday the 13th) from here!

#WIPlash Wednesdays Complete Manuscript Number 11 #writing

Sunday I put the finishing touch on my 11th manuscript, Perfect Recipe for Love. Well, the official finishing touch- The End. Edits will ensue eventually, but for now I'm enjoying that sense of accomplishment that comes with putting the finish on yet another story...

Up next, I plan to start the 4th and last in the Pryce of Love series about the Pryce Brothers, manuscript #12 for me. Mark is up next, young surfer boy and he's going to have his hands full with the competition- "Alex" Alexa- who's the only girl in a male-dominated surf competition. You know she's going to be stubborn and bullheaded.

Considering I write by the seat of my pants though, that about all I can tell you at the moment. LOL I intend to invest in a few books about surfing, perhaps see if there are any videos on Youtube that might give me more insight and I have a bunch of websites bookmarked that list surfer lingo and information about the lifestyle. The last few books I've written had minimum research, but this one I will be giving a bit more time over to learning about the subject matter so I can present it in a realistic knowledgeable way.

I'm also endeavoring to learn more about self-publishing, and have currently been reading Smashwords Style Guide, just to familiarize myself with it before I attempt anything. Learning a little at a time, I'm really warming to the idea, but I'm not quite ready to rush in headfirst, but I'm seriously considering self-pubbing both of my 4-book series and after that, who knows. :o)

This week I'm still enjoying visiting with my parents and sister and friends and just enjoying touching base with my roots. The older I get, the more I need it. Hope everyone's having a great week! Stay cool!