Manuscript Update: 2011 Fall ETA

I got a call from my publisher's VP of Creative and was told that they found an illustrator. I won't say who it is though, because who the hell knows if it's for real this time. We all remember what happened last time.

Anyway, they wanted to confirm that I was still interested in publishing my kids book with them. As I mentioned before, my contract ends at the end of the year so they need to update it (again). Once I agreed to this, they were going to contact the illustrator to confirm.

God, I hope this is happening because I've waited over three years now. I know exactly how long it takes to produce a book and it's not three years. But whatever . . . if I've waited this long, then fall 2011 isn't that far off. Yes, apparently it'll take another year to publish and get it out on the market. By then I will probably be in New Zealand having the time of my life. I'll need the extra cash influx so maybe this is working out for the best.

My fingers are crossed for this illustrator. I think this illustrator does some amazing stuff and will add so much to the story. This illustrator was, and still is, my first choice. Let's hope for the best.

Manuscript Stuck in Production Hell

I called my publisher to get an update on my manuscript. It's been three years total after all, and I haven't heard back from them since I submitted their requested changes in April.

I was told that all the manuscripts are backed up because they've slowed down production due to the bad economy. I'm not sure if I can believe that or not. I was told that they are now starting to release some books and are working their way through the backlog. If my book is three years old, how many others are before me?

It's quite infuriating to say the least. I was told that my manuscript was given to two illustrators, but they both turned it down. I'm not sure if that means they read it and didn't like it or they did sketches and the publisher didn't like it. I was told that if I could hunt around for my own illustrator it might help to speed the process along. WTF? I might as well go the independent route if I want to do that.

My contract ends in December so I'll need to decide what I want to do at that point. I'm able to either renew the contract and hope they get to it sometime in my lifetime or submit the manuscript to another publisher that may or may not want to print it. At this point, I'm leaning toward the second option. I mean, I used to work for these people and they don't really give a rat's ass about helping me in any way. I have to hunt them down to get an update. No one even answers my emails. I might as well see what strangers have to say about it.

Life Update

Not a lot has been going on that's out of the ordinary so I guess I'll just break it down for ya:

- Got a nifty, new hair cut and color on Thursday since I got off early. I went to Salon Tiffany at McCully Shopping Center for the first time. The guy, Jay, layered the hell outta my hair, which actually turned out nice. I let him do whatever as long as it wasn't too, too short. Because it's so layered (bold layers is what he called it), it's super light and bouncy. Guess there's a first for everything, right? Total for the new hair was 95 clams plus an extra 20 for tip. Not bad.

- Started applying for jobs in San Francisco this past week. I think I've applied to about four so far using the same resume and just slightly altering the cover letters. We'll see what happens. I'm not too confident that I'll get any call backs since I'm applying from out of state. However, at least there are writing jobs opening up. I haven't seen any like these in a while (like before I was seriously thinking of moving). I even applied to a real publishing company, but that was for an assistant publicist job. Still, I'd take it just to get into a national publishing house. I'm not real sure how much pay it'd offer though.

- Speaking of publishers, I followed up on my manuscript submission - from three damn years ago! Apparently, they are finally ready to move ahead on it. Geezus, it's only a kid's book man! What's the problem? Anyway, they sent it back to me with all these changes. I'll incorporate most of them, but I'm going to ask them about removing all the place names I've got in the story. They want to delete stuff like Kapiolani Park, Paki Park, etc., which I guess will make it more univeral and therefore more marketable. However, when I wrote this thing it was pretty much based out of my grandma's old place and I'd like to see that it stays that way. I'll have to contact them on Monday and ask about it. I mean, who cares if the tourist don't know where these places are. Locals - well, at least those who grew up in Kapahulu - will.

- The new (relatively speaking) girl at work is absolutely killing me. She really eff'd up this past week but apparently there will be no reprimands going on. I don't know how many chances my boss is willing to give her. The fact that he has different standards for her than me and my co-worker is ridiculous. I've already vented to one of the HR assistants, but she advised me to take it up the chain and go to my boss' boss. She said not everyone is naturally a boss so they may need some tutoring themselves. Whatever. I don't think it'll change anything. I figure if he wants to let her eff things up again, let him. Why should I save him from himself? I'll just put my blinders on and keep clip-clopping along like the worn-out, old workhorse that I am. What irritates me is that we have had so many extra-hours events lately that the two holidays we just had (Kuhio Day and Good Friday) almost seem like they're not there. They're making up for the time we had to work extra. Sometimes working in marketing really sucks. Well, no. Working in marketing sucks when you don't like the two of the three people in your department.

- I haven't read anything worthy of mention lately, despite having read a ton of books lately. Basically I got hooked on a series by Suzanne Brockmann and have just been devouring it. I haven't really had a chance to read anything of substance (although I did attempt to read some Jane Austen but just never got around to it). The books are what I'd call suspense romances, if that even makes sense. They feature a team of Navy SEALS who kick butt and fall in love. Yeah, it's stretching it but whatevers. Just let me live in my fantasy why don't you? I like the series because it's not only about all that lovey dovey crap. The characters seem real (in the completely exaggerated way that romance novels portray them LOL) with their good and bad points. They are faced with obstacles in love and battle and must find ways to overcome them. Although some may say that love and battle are one and the same, in this instance I'm referring to battle against terrorism.

Just A Quickie

Not much going on lately, but I just wanted to check in to make sure y'all knew I wasn't dead.

I'm looking forward to catching Dear John this weekend with my friend JC because she and I both love us some Channing Tatum. Planning to ball my eyes out though as I'm thinking it might be a little bittersweet? It's based on a Nicholas Sparks book and isn't there always something to cry about in his books/movies? Maybe I should go with waterproof mascara for this little outing of ours?

Other than that . . . well, I've been in new employee training class at work. No, I didn't get a new job. But, I'm sitting in on these new hire classes to get some ideas for newsletter articles. I'm running low on topics and my brain is too tired to think creatively. I'm hoping a quick review on everything will rejuvenate me. Also, it's just one way to get away from my desk and be with other people.

I'm still contemplating this and any other job. I mean, it'd be nice to quit and travel until the money dries up but that takes some guts. If I don't have the balls to do that, then I guess I could just take an extended vacation (one to two months maybe?) to travel around Europe or something. Or, I can save that money and pack up for San Francisco, hope I can get a job there and use the cash as reserves until I can find a job. Tough decisions.

Thanks, But No Thanks

I finally got a reply to my manuscript submission. Unfortunately, it was a TNT letter - thanks but no thanks. Well, I guess that should really be TBNT, but we called it a TNT letter at my old job. It looks like a form letter but at least the editor signed it herself and didn't just say from "the editor." It says that the manuscript was well written. However, due to the economy the publisher is being extremely selective with what they print. I guess you can pretty much use the economy as a reason for anything these days.

Oh well. I guess it was worth a try. I didn't feel confident in this plot anyway. It's not as smooth as my last one. Speaking of my last manuscript, I haven't heard anything about when it'll get published or what the status is on this. I wonder if they're just holding on it because of "the economy too?" I mean, I already signed the contract for that one . . . twice. It's kind of irritating actually. But what can you do? I have other things to deal with at the moment so it'll just sit there till it gets the green light.

True Blood

I just started watching HBO's True Blood season one. The first two episodes are interesting enough for me to keep watching. I'll letcha know how it goes.

Somehow, I still don't find it as good as J.R. Ward's vampire world. Maybe my imagination is just a lot better than TV? Possibly. Or maybe books are still a better way to be engulfed by fiction?

So far, True Blood is about a telepathic girl named Sookie (Anna Paquin). I can't keep the saying "Sookie, sookie now" outta my head, but I'm positive it doesn't have anything to do with this series. It's set in Louisiana post Katrina, so I suppose in modern times. Sookie is waitressing at a bar when a vampire walks in. It's the first vamp this small town has ever seen, and Sookie is fascinated. Others are horrified (typical) or scared.

My first impression is that there are just so many characters that it's hard to keep up. It's like a whirlwind, but I'm sure after a couple episodes I'll be ok. I'm also unsure of how supernatural this series is going to be. For instance, are vampires the only other species alive in this series? Or are there lycanthropes, witches/wizards or zombies? Like most stuff on HBO, it's definitely rated R with a lot of sex and violence. Not too much swearing at this point but I suppose the other stuff makes up for it.

Overall, it had a pretty good start and I'm willing to watch a couple more episodes to find out what's going on. Has anyone else seen this series?

Vampires of a Different Kind

I finally got around to watching Twilight yesterday and boy was it disappointing. Maybe I just have unrealistic expectations when it comes to cross-species love affairs? A work friend said that the books are better, so maybe I should try those on for size and drop the movies? Yup, that's right. Movies with an "s." They're making a sequel.

I think I'm just jaded because I've been reading about a different human/vampire love affair. This series by J.R. Ward focuses on a warrior race of vampires called the Black Dagger Brotherhood. It has just the right amount of chick lit smut and vampire violence to keep you turning the page. Plus each Brother has his own little personality quirk so it makes you want to find out what's the dillyo. I mean, c'mon. Who wouldn't be intrigued by:

1) a blind king vampire who doesn't want to be king and plays Russian roulette with his life;
2) a guy who is apparently God's gift to women but whose dragon tat likes to come out and play every once in a while too;
3) a guy with serious psych issues and physical disfigurement due to his enslavement and abuse by his own kind;
4) slavery boy's twin who has taken a vow of celibacy when everyone else is getting it on like Donkey Kong;
5) or a gloved psychic who burns anything he touches?

Also, the vampires aren't of the sissy-looking emo type like Edward Cullen of Twilight. They are real bad asses and can lay down the law with their fists if need be. They are seriously of the bad boy variety.

My Goodreads

Recently, I found this pretty cool website called Goodreads, which lets you list the books you've read, are reading and want to read. It's a community of literature geeks where you can compare and discuss books. You can make lists of your top books, write reviews and even get suggestions for new books to read. So far, I'm totally into it.

I'm trying to remember all the stuff I've read before, especially from back in college since I double majored in English and journalism. I didn't realize it'd be this hard, but I suppose it has been many years now. Right now I've added about 91 books, I think. You can see my profile here.

You'll definitely notice that since college, the quality of my reading has dramatically declined. There's a period when all I read was classics. It's hard to read anything else while you're in school - no time to do anything else but study. These days I've been immersed in chick lit. Yeah, not too educational or mind altering, but it's a quick read for me. Usually I can get through a book in a day or two. It's easy and brainless but I like it.

I've also added a widget on the side of my blog that scrolls through the books I've read. You'll be able to keep up with the stuff I'm reading, but it'll probably be more chick lit for a while longer. Reading is definitely something I really enjoy. I can always get lost in the lives of those caught between the pages of a book. It's a great way to escape, to travel, to dream. Definitely a Paradise within reach.

Chick Lit Hotties

Here's a quick list of chick lit authors that I love:

Meg Cabot:
http://www.megcabot.com/
I love her "Boy" series, which are The Boy Next Door, Boy Meets Girl and Every Boy's Got One.

Jane Green:
http://www.janegreen.com/
She writes some great stuff: Jemima J, Mr. Maybe, Bookends and Straight Talking

Sophie Kinsella:
http://www.randomhouse.com/bantamdell/kinsella/
Anyone who loves fashion and shopping to the point of incredible debt will love her "Shopaholic" series.

Honorable Mentions:

Marian Keyes
Jennifer Weiner
Jennifer Crusie

Chick Lit Only for Chicks?

As I sat in my car waiting for the light to change at the intersection of Piikoi and Kinau, something caught my eye. Crossing the street was a guy in his 20s-30s who had in his hand a copy of P.S. I Love You. I found this quite intriguing.

While I haven't read the book myself, I've seen the movie, which stars Hilary Swank and Gerard Butler. Now, for all intents and purposes, it seemed like the movie was targeted toward women. I'm sure not many men would willingly watch a flick that focused on how a woman overcame the grief she felt from the death of her husband. Described that way, even I don't think it sounds all that appealing.

With this said, I'm going to assume that the book was also targeted toward women and probably labeled "chick lit." So, you can see why it surprised me that this guy was walking around with this book in his hand for all eyes to see. Granted, it wasn't the original cover but you still gotta give this guy some credit for even reading it.

This new revelation brings up the question: Is chick lit only for chicks? I don't know many guys who would read something that wasn't sports related, let alone read chick lit, but it would be interesting to find out if men really did get into chick lit when no one's watching.

For the most part, these types of books all similar and have identical story arcs. Most deal with the fields of public relations, marketing, television, fashion and journalism. The main character is always looking for love and usually experiences some rocky moments before finding her true love.

Do guys find this topic appealing as well? Who's to say that only women have these issues when society seems to be pushing family life later and later in the game? Maybe guys can relate to this too and it's a universal theme? Maybe they just like the quick read (like I know I do)?

In any case, to that guy on the street proudly clutching his copy of Cecelia Ahern - Bravo!

Image source: www.barnesandnoble.com

Can I Interest You in a Book Today?

Most of my friends know that I'm a lover of movies, music and books - basically a pop culture whore - and I go through these phases of watching tons of movies, reading tons of books and listening to tons of music. I do try to mix up the genres though so that my mind doesn't turn to mush. I try for the thought provoking and swing all the way toward the indulgent. For the most part I gotta admit that I don't have a lot of restraint and usually indulge.

That's not to say that I'm opposed to classic lit or Italian operas. But lately, I don't have the willpower to pour through Moby Dick or any of its cousins. I have, however, breezed through three, almost four, Chick Lit books in a matter of days. While I know that they in no way compare to Melville's masterpiece (which I still have yet to crack open), I do feel a sense of pride for even reading text in its physical manifestation.

In this day and age, most people get their info online with audiobooks, 24/7 streaming news (and gossip) and podcasts. They catch up on a variety of things snippet by snippet, never fully diving into any one thing. The idea of holding an actual book, turning the pages and curling up on the couch is foreign to many. Who has the time?

But for those of us who do pick up a book now and then, it's a feeling that can't be beat. Feeling the crisp pages on your fingertips; smelling the clean paper smell; being the first to make a crease in the spine - these are all things that make it worthwhile. Or, if you're a used books/library patron, the idea that hundreds of other people have enjoyed these exact same pages as you can be very fulfilling (unless you are OCD, of course).

I'd hate to see the era of the book be surpassed, like many other things, by the speedy pace of technology. Yes, it can sometimes be inconvenient to lug a book around with you. Yes, it can sometimes reveal things about yourself to others that you're not yet willing to admit. Yes, it can seem unimportant when millions of things are buzzing around in your head. But, don't let it slip away.