My debut on the External Advisory Board for NDSU's English Dept.

I spent last Friday afternoon in the company of some very educated and like-minded individuals during my debut on the English department's external advisory board. Approximately twenty of us, most of whom earned one or more degrees in English, met to discuss changes to the current curriculum, find gaps between the professional world and student life, and brainstorm ideas to entice more students to graduate with a degree in English. Unlike a lot of majors, an English degree doesn't send you on a direct path toward earning a pay check. You have to be creative and broaden your interests beyond reading and writing.

 I'll admit I was a bit nervous to attend the meeting. It's been a few years since I stepped foot on NDSU's campus, and my day job isn't like most. Plus, I was probably the least educated one there having only earned a bachelors. Yikes! Regardless, everyone was incredibly kind and open to hearing anyone's ideas. I even came away from the meeting with the name of an editor who was a graduate student there not too long ago. I'm looking forward to next year's meeting!

Preface for my next book

After watching a video on Facebook questioning why we apply labels to each other, I felt it appropriate to post a draft of the preface (author's note) for my new book. The first draft is about 55% complete, but I thought you might like a glimpse at what I've been spending my time on the last several months.

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The color of our skin does not define who we are. Our skin merely holds us together so that our guts don’t spill out and our muscles, big or small, have something to hide behind. Scientifically speaking, the definition of skin is “the natural outer layer of tissue that covers the body of a person or animal,” which means that regardless of color, our skin has a purpose; it has a job. Nowhere in the definition does it say that its color, hue, or shade decides who or what we become, nor does it guide us how to treat others in our same genus. It also lacks any encouragement to make us think that one pigment is more superior to another.

     If our skin isn’t to blame, why then do we grow up feeling a certain way because of its color? Why do some people feel privileged while others feel disgruntled? It certainly isn’t because our skin makes us physically feel that way. The appearance of our flesh doesn’t direct us to behave one way or another when confronted with difficult choices. Skin doesn’t slap us in the face as we look in the mirror and tell us that we aren’t good enough. Only someone who has been mistreated or been told lies or been provoked into believing they aren’t worthy feels this way. If skin had a few words of wisdom to extend to us all, it might be to stand taller and prouder, don’t slouch, stay out of the sun, and throw on a little lotion every now and then. So in the grand scheme of things: protect what you have because it’s yours, for better or worse.

     Since our skin can’t speak, we can blame our environment for our opinions about its color. We can bequeath our shameful misconceptions on the people we choose or are forced to live with, the exchange of looks on strangers’ faces, the words our parents use to describe our neighbors, the ideas and images we take away from books, both fiction and non-fiction, the movies we watch, the music we listen to, and the purchases we make to mimic those who hold our admiration. Some might say the fault for our skewed perception of race isn’t our fault at all. It’s because of everyone else, of what those before us have done, said, or created that makes us innocent bystanders in how we live our own lives. Some might even be so bold as to say that we have no control over our learned behavior at all.

     At an early age, we notice the differences in the people in our community, whether it’s while shopping at the mall, eating at a restaurant, or playing at the park. Upon entering school, we begin making observations about those differences, but generally go about life without prejudice. Then it happens. Children seek out those who are physically similar and form a group. They feel most comfortable around kids who share the same qualities and who have parents that mimic theirs. By doing so, they inadvertently leave other kids to do the same, no one venturing outside the comfort zone they miraculously created all by themselves. This might be why when you pass groups of students at the middle school and high school, they are color-coded for the most part. They align themselves with what they see in the mirror. Is that so wrong? Absolutely not. Is it right? Who is to say.

     As adults, it’s our job to model acceptance and equality, bring forth love and compassion, and push aside hate and revenge. It’s up to us to teach our children that skin is a casing, covered in blemishes and irregularities that are uniquely our own. Its color is predetermined for us, and there is nothing we can do to change it, nor should we want to. It’s our job to lead the future toward a place we have yet to experience, a place where prejudice is an unfamiliar term and racism isn’t spoken about. 

     It can exist. 

     This isn’t a dream.

NEW RELEASE: "The Edge of Nowhere" by C.H. Armstrong

A new Minnesota author, C.H. Armstrong, is releasing The Edge of Nowhere today, and I can't wait to read it!

IN BOOKSTORES AND ONLINE TODAY!

SYNOPSIS

The year is 1992 and Victoria Hastings Harrison Greene—reviled matriarch of a sprawling family—is dying. After surviving the Oklahoma Dust Bowl and the Great Depression, Victoria refuses to leave this earth before revealing the secrets she’s carried for decades. Once the child of a loving family during peaceful times, a shocking death shattered her life. Victoria came face to face with the harshness of the world. As the warm days of childhood receded to distant memory, Victoria learns to survive. No matter what it takes. To keep her family alive in an Oklahoma blighted by dust storms and poverty, Victoria makes choices—harsh ones, desperate ones. Ones that eventually made her into the woman her grandchildren fear and whisper about. Ones that kept them all alive. Hers is a tale of tragedy, love, murder, and above all, the conviction to never stop fighting.

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OFFICIAL VIDEO TRAILER FOR THE EDGE OF NOWHERE

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ABOUT THE AUTHOR

C.H. Armstrong is an Oklahoma native transplanted in Minnesota. A 1992 graduate of the University of Oklahoma, "Cathie"is a life-long lover of books, and staunchly outspoken on subject of banned and challenged books. The Edge of Nowhere is her first novel and was inspired by her own family's experiences during the 1930s Oklahoma Dust Bowl and The Great Depression.

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PURCHASE A COPY OF THE EDGE OF NOWHERE ONLINE NOW

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Update...I'm still here!

I was just reading through my last few blog posts...I can be such a headcase sometimes!

UPDATE: I am seriously writing again, have been since early September when the kids went back to school and the baseball season finally ended. I switched to the new, more serious series I mentioned before and am about 35% done with the first draft. I'm really stretching myself with this one since I'm writing it in the third person and in present tense. The writing group I joined (last week was my first meeting) gave me a lot of great feedback and I'm ready to submit the edited version of the first chapter. So all in all, I'm plugging away at it every chance I get. More details to come...

A new series...yet to be disclosed

The decision is made. I will begin writing a new, more serious, series of books. I can't share the idea just yet because it is still forming in my head as to how I might pull it off. All I can tell you is that it will be very different from The Kody Burkoff Mystery Series. I love Kody and her adventures, and her struggle to find the right man to fulfill her every need, but it's time to move on. It's time to dig a little deeper. It's time to get more serious. (If you are a Kody fan, the fourth book is already mapped out. Nothing says I can't take a day here and there to have a little fun!)

Starting all over terrifies me, about as much as writing in the third person, which is what will be best for my new idea. I have always written in first person. It's just what I do. Admitting this is a sure sign it's time to change. When you get comfortable with doing something, the only way to grow is to switch it up a bit.

Random thoughts

Many baseball games later and I still haven't sat down to write a single word. I did open a file one day, but was immediately shot down when my screen went white and nothing I clicked solved the problem. Computer issues. Creativity killers! Fortunately, I am not discouraged yet. Like I said before, "I will write again."

Even though I haven't written any new text, I have updated various websites with all the new book details and such. Then, I have to check the stats on Amazon every few hours to see if I sold any books. That takes time and fills ten minutes of anxiety on either side of the click. UGH!

I ordered a box of books last week that I am hoping will arrive today. It is always fun to see a stack of books with my name on it, especially when it is printed across a beautiful cover. Whether or not the cover says mystery, the photos are appealing and if I were to see it on a bookshelf, I would take a second look. I just need a reader to take that extra moment to absorb the beauty and then flip it over to read a few lines of text. I really don't ask for much.

The success of the third book is kind of my deciding factor as to which book idea to start on next. I could continue to write Kody's next adventure, which leads her to Las Vegas with Nancy, her ex-Las Vegas showgirl friend, or I could start a new two-book idea that revolves around the concept of teaching (or not teaching) children about racism and its history. I'll go into that more another time. It is still a mystery novel, but it will definitely get you thinking.

#3 is ready to download

Wow! I am so excited to finally share the third book in the Kody Burkoff Mystery Series. It has been sitting unattended for a very long time. The writing pause is over, and I hope this new excitement launches me into a tirade of words that spill from my fingertips. It won't be today since I am off to another baseball game. Maybe tomorrow. Maybe the next day. I'm ready though. Ready to write again!!!

A writing career on pause...

Getting through the holidays, picking up a part-time job, and enduring life's exceptions to the norm have put my writing career on pause. It seems that I always have something else I should do with my time. The little twinkle behind that is knowing that one agent is still considering my third book. Past that lies a sketchy outline of sorts for a fourth book that I haven't touched in a month. I think about that outline daily, yet I never open the file, never jot down a plot twist on my handy little notepad in my purse, and I don't wake up in the morning thinking about Kody and the next man in her life. Writer's block? Lack of inspiration? Feeling beaten down by countless rejections? Yes. All of it.

I will write again. I will write again. I will write again.

My first full ms request

After about a month of querying, sending out 10 letters each week, I received my first request from a literary agent for the full manuscript of book #3 in the Kody Burkoff Series. My first reaction after opening the email was to step away from the computer and start doing other non-writing things. Weird, huh? I have this horrible fear of being disappointed, and this one email could either end with me popping open a bottle of champagne, or, well, with me being completely and utterly disappointed. I've promised myself not to get excited about the prospect of landing an agent. I am, however, excited that my query letter gained some attention. From what I've read on the millions of websites explaining how to write a successful query letter, there is no right or wrong way to do it. It really all depends on what the agent is looking for on that particular day, and then maybe in which direction they want to grow their careers. Being an agent can't be an easy job. I can't imagine reading hundreds of queries every week from authors like me who are waiting for their one big break, waiting for just one person to validate their work and see that it has commercial value.

I've learned a lot in the last month about my writing and about what agents are looking for. I've also learned a lot about the various genres. Some are new to me. I had no idea there was a genre called "New Adult" for those struggling 20-somethings who have everything, yet still aren't satisfied. Um...I'll keep my comments to myself for fear of sounding like a grouchy old woman.

Who knows where this one request will take me, so I'll keep trudging forward with a positive attitude. I hope you do the same with whatever your dream may be.

Day 11 and waaaayyyy behind

After signing up for NaNoWriMo several weeks ago, I anxiously awaited the start date. Now though, after 11 days, I'm struggling to hit 5000 words. My head has been all over the place, and I've had a serious case of avoidance - avoiding what I promised myself I would do. The baseball story geared toward 8-12 year old boys has been on my mind for months. I have the characters mapped out, the plot sort of mapped out, and it's now cold and crappy outside so I have no excuses but to sit my butt on the couch in front of the fireplace and write. Just sit down and write, Jen!!!! That's what I've been telling myself.

I have to be honest and admit that the rejections that are slowly popping up in my Inbox are not helping my motivation. At least once a day I ask myself what my purpose is and why I'm wasting my time with the whole writing business. Then, a little later on, I tell myself that if I quit now, all the time I spent over the last year was for nothing. A debilitating battle develops in my head EVERY SINGLE DAY. Oh, don't feel sorry for me. I clearly know the agony I put myself through. You know what the real kicker is? There is still a teeny, tiny part of me that thinks my writing career has a chance. UGH!!!!

NaNoWriMo

I just signed up for NaNoWriMo (nanowrimo.org), which stands for National Novel Writing Month. The website's goal is to have authors complete a 50,000-word rough draft during the month of November. Challenging, right? Definitely. This event comes at the perfect time for me because I'm not quite ready to start on another Kody Burkoff mystery. (By the way, in case you're curious, the next Kody book will most likely include her ex-Las Vegas showgirl friend, Nancy, as the main character.) During November, I plan to try something a little different. It's been in my thoughts since last spring when I taught a creative writing class to a small group of middle schoolers. This new book will be about an eleven-year-old boy and the game of baseball. My target audience is boys between the ages of 8 and 11. With two boys of my own and a baseball fanatic for a husband, I feel I am quite qualified for this topic. Not to leave my daughter out, the boy will have a sister who loathes the game.

I jotted down some notes yesterday about the plot and feel pretty good about it. What I'm having a dilemma over now is whether to write the story in first or third person. I feel more comfortable writing in first, but it would give me an extra challenge to write it in third. I'll have to let you know what I decide.

Book #3: First query submitted

After much thought and having scoured every word of my 276-word query letter, I made my first submission yesterday. I spent about a week and a half perfecting it, with the help of my mom, so it feels pretty good to (hopefully) have someone else read it. I'll get busy sending it out to more agents. Word is that I should send out 10 queries a week. So far, I have a list of about 30 agents, which means I'll need to keep researching. I can't imagine my luck turning around in just three weeks. But, hey, you never know!

I never really discussed my plan for book #3 on this blog. Oh, and by the way, I'm using the working title, Crossing Carol. It may not be perfect, but at least it's something. All the other names I came up with were so overdone. Anyway, Crossing Carol is complete at just over 80,000 words (Yay, me!) and I plan to make agent submissions until someone accepts me. Usually at this time, I would get the book ready for self-publishing, but I want to try traditional publishing. The perk being that someone else can help with marketing (Yay, someone else!).

Final edit compete, at least for now

Just past the deadline, I finished editing my manuscript. I'm happy, yet not ecstatic, probably because I know that if I was to start the editing process all over again, I'd make just as many changes. But...I must move on. The next step in the process is to write the dreaded query letter, luring a prospective agent to read a few pages and snag them with my excellence. I'm hoping for better luck this time. My past attempts have been futile and short-lived. I have vowed to put in more of an effort this time. I will query until I can query no more!

The synopsis is also on my to-do list. That's another daunting task. I spent almost a year writing an 80,000-word novel and am now supposed to write a three-page summary of it, double-spaced. Who came up with that idea? I bet it wasn't a writer.

Final edit of book #3 (still untitled!)

My goal was to have book #3 completely edited by the end of today. With 35 pages to go, I'm not sure if that's going to happen. UGH! My other goal was to send out my first query letter next Monday, and I'm not sure if that will happen either. UGH! But...I'm trying not to rush it, not to push something out there that I'm not entirely happy with. Deadlines or not, I'm looking at book #3 as my golden ticket. My husband hates when I refer to it like that.

Editing my own work is not my favorite thing to do because I know that no matter how hard I study each and every word, I'll miss something. Oftentimes, I'll catch myself reading the text for meaning, which isn't good. Reading for meaning won't catch grammar mistakes.

Are you wondering why I can't choose a title for book #3? Yeah, me too. It's driving me nuts, actually. Like I said though, this book is my golden ticket, and I want it to be perfect. I've been looking online for a pattern to the titles of the best sellers and have noticed that for the most part, the titles are a single word. I'm also considering moving away from the pattern I've created for myself with using the character's name in the title. Okay, so I'm leaning toward Buried Secrets. It's not a single word, but it fits the contents and has some mystery to it. I'm not sure if it will stick since plenty of other books have the same title. UGH!

Off to editing I go!

My first author presentation

I was invited to speak at the Kasson Public Library on Monday night as part of their Books and Beyond series, and I'm rather pleased with how it went. I'm also very glad that it's over and so is my dog. She had to listen to me speak out loud for hours on end as I practiced the presentation. Never having done one before, I was incredibly nervous. Public speaking isn't something I look forward too, but I'm getting better at it and feeling more comfortable. The small audience filled with friendly faces helped immensely.

My theme, or message, for the presentation was, "Everyone has a story to tell." It goes along with my books and the main character Kody Burkoff being a ghostwriter. As I told the audience, on any given day Kody hears interesting stories from the people living in her community. Her clients share with her their wonderful, disgusting, sad, depressing, and sometimes boring events from their life. These are the same stories we might hear from the people in our own communities, if only we were a little more open. For most of us, it's human nature to hide our true selves from everyone. I mean, think about it. What do you really know about your mother, father, grandmother, etc.? Probably not as much as you'd like. An example I shared the other night is when I went to the funerals of my great-grandfather and my godfather. After reading the programs, I was embarrassed to learn who those men really were. I had no idea what they did before retirement, and I had never thought to ask. If only they had left behind a memoir for me to read. I could go on and on about my dream that everyone kept a journal to share with their families, but I can't keep going on and on because this chick needs to finish editing another book. UGH!!!!

Side project: Conversation Starters

My parents will be celebrating their 40th wedding anniversary this weekend and I've taken it upon myself to plan a dinner date for them. They have a reservation for two at one of my favorite restaurants, The Hubble House, and I called the manager yesterday to see if it was okay that I personalize their experience a bit. She said that sounded lovely. Here's my plan: a personalized wine label is on its way, my daughter made up a few wine charms with her earring making supplies (she is a crafty one!), and I wrote a small conversation starter booklet filled with questions pertaining to marriage. Wine glasses and roses are on my list to buy today, and then I'll drop it all off on Friday afternoon so the supplies will be at the restaurant ready for the big night.

Conversation starters:

I've been married for 15 years and needless to say, when we're out by ourselves, which is a rare occasion, we oftentimes don't know what to talk about. The day-to-day drama is something we try to avoid, therefore, the silence. I can only assume that after 40 years, it gets even harder to come up with fresh ideas. The questions in my booklet are ones that ask my parents to share their favorite things about marriage, their favorite qualities in each other, advice they might want to give their kids, and others along those same lines. If only I could be a fly on the wall to hear some of their answers! Regardless, whether they laugh through them or take them seriously, I'll be one happy daughter.

Giving up on a read

I hate to do it. I hate to quit a book, especially when it's by an author that I have previously enjoyed. BUT...there are so many other books on my to-read list that I can't validate continuing to read it when I'm not completely excited about getting to the end. The book is "Flight Behavior" by Barbara Kingsolver. She is a wonderful author that uses such beautiful wording and I truly appreciate that. The plot though, is boggling. (I've been using the word "boggling" a lot lately so maybe being boggled is simply a phase I'm in.) The book is about the flight of butterflies and also the flight of life. When I say that, I mean how we sometimes all want to fly away to an unknown destination because it might be a little easier, simpler, or more fun there. We don't know that of course, and as I grow older the less I believe in that theory. Life is as simple and as fun as you make it, regardless of where you reside. BUT...I'm not gonna lie...there will always be a small part of me that wants to take off for a week or a year to test it out.

I'm moving on to another book by an author I admire. She is a master at maintaining suspense. The beginning and end of each chapter is exciting and I can't wait to pick up the book at night. The author is Lisa Gardner and the book is "The Neighbor." I'll post my rating on Goodreads. Check out her work if you haven't before.

Building characters through living life

Relationships aren't always easy. Feelings get hurt, harsh words are spoken, and emotional wounds are opened and then closed again as time passes. With this in mind, how else does an author learn to build believable characters that readers can relate to? She must live through heartache, stick her foot in her mouth a few hundred times, and admit when she is wrong. She must bask in her accomplishments, smile at simple pleasures, and genuinely be happy with those individuals that she has deemed important. All of those emotions are then relayed into her writing. A great author gives it all she has even if it pains her to do so. In the end, a reader will hear the author's life experiences through her character's words and actions, and they will both call it a success.

It's my turn...

My last few posts have pretty much been morale boosters to get me back in the habit of writing. Well, today, folks, I'm going to make that happen. Two of my three kids are back in school, which means I'll have hours to myself. Hours! I'm so excited to have time to do what I want. The past six weeks my time has been theirs. We've had fun, don't get me wrong, but I'm certainly looking forward to having more control over my daily activities. For starters, I need to get organized. I need to decide what it is I want to complete first. Finish book #3 comes immediately to mind. Giving book #3 a title is second. I guess my list is done. Now for the hard part: actually doing the work. Maybe I want my kids home after all :-)

I'm up...let's do this!

It's early. I'm out of bed. The only sound I hear is the coffee percolating. Perfect conditions for writing. But where do I start? Do I continue to plan how to fix book #3 using my little black book? Do I fix the grammar and editing mistakes my reviewers pointed out? Do I start on page one of the manuscript and just jump right in? Ah, the dilemma! Okay, I think the best approach is to continue with my little black book so that I have a big picture of what needs to happen. Here are some of the requests I've received:

• More Kody
• More Minnesota
• More about the creepy guy
• Less visual imagery from Kody's brother
• Bigger surprise at the end

The above items are all doable, but the ending is a tad bit more difficult. I have a good idea of how to ramp it up, but I must be very careful not to change too much so that the entire story isn't altered. There's no need to rewrite the entire thing! I'll report back my progress...