The writer Trish Jensen collapsed at her home, was hospitalized, and got better. Unfortunately, like many writers, she has no health insurance and is now $100,000 in debt.

A group of writers have gotten together and are offering critiques by published authors for auction. If you win an auction, the named author will critique your synopsis and first chapter. A full list of authors is on the page above; the participating authors for mystery, suspense, and other is here. The single-title (i.e. not necessarily marketed as romance) list is here.

Ginger, damn. My spine is moving over that one.

Betsy, I just emailed to offer services as well. Boy, do I know the feeling.

And, I am offering up a very early, hopefully non-jinxy SQUEEEE! I was just asked by a very good editor I know whether I'd be interested in contributing one or more short stories to a project they're looking at doing - a series, using different songwriters: think "The Literary Paul Simon" or whatnot, of short fiction anthologies based on the assigned songs.

Well, DUH.

I'm about to cut the red wire.

You just gave me chills, Ginger.

Ginger. Just...damn.

(Teppy, this challenge has produced some great pieces.)

Deb, that is (in a non-jinxy way) great!

Cindy!

Any progress on picking out a store in your area for me to descend upon? I'm firming up the calendar, with four firm west coast dates, two more being batted back and forth, and Deena mentioning an Ohio libraries swing. So I'm putting this stuff together.

The last time we had the conversation, it seemed that those who know (and much better than I do) think Kate's Mystery Books in Cambridge is a great place.

Maybe if you could tell the list again (because we're so chatty, we get distracted from our mission) exactly how we should proceed (and when you'd like to come to town), and we can start making phone calls.

Kate's Mystery Books it shall be. I need to ping the list and find out from everyone when they're free to show up for an event.

Wow, Ginger. Powerful.

Working on one of my own here, too. Will post soon.

Woot! On the phone live with the Shrewsbury Library "Weaver" group at 12:15. Woot!

#1
Oh yes, the book is coming along. It's percolating back there in my brain, and when it's ready, it's going to explode on to the page like rage, like passion, like perfection. It's going to sit on that Borders' book shelf all pretty right between "Rowling" and "Tolkein", and soon there will be fanfic sites popping up online, unlikely pairings of my hapless characters in black leather slashes. Yeah, I'm going to find that perfect moment of inspiration, and all of that work I've done so far, all the thinking and charting and character sketches will pay off. It's going to happen any second. I'm going to write this book.

#2
I'm going to be brave enough to walk away from this job sometime soon. I'm going to see an opportunity and snatch it. I'm going to find another source of health insurance and not face another day of taunting teens and rude parents. I'm going to go on vacation in September and eat lunch out on a school day; I'm going to oversleep in the morning and not panic. I'm going to have the courage to make that change, and it won't matter that there are times I really love it. I won't miss it. I won't. I'm leaving any second now. Soon.