I'm just surprised it took you that long.

Dittoing Amy and Anne.

So very true.

And I hate them from the movies because despite my friends' inexplicable fondness for the books, I have managed to avoid them.

After the disaster of yesterday's commute, this morning's wasn't too terrible. There are flashes of okay-ness.

If I'm recommend an entire book on a particular subject inside the MS I'm writing further discussion of a topic (as opposed to citing particular pages to prove a point) and I mention the title and author in the text is there any need to add a formal citation? I do make extensive use of formal citations in the work, so maybe not citing is inconsistent?

I'd go ahead and cite it, TB and then if it turns out it's unnecessary, it can be removed in copyedits.

I'm very close to finishing my current revision. Then it's just clean-up, not a minor task, but the novel is definitely winding down.

I also wrote the 1st draft of the first chapter of my next novel.

Meanwhile I continue my commuting misadventure. Chapter 6 wasn't bad actually. Chapter 7 though ::shakes head::. I think this morning was an actual account of the author's researching of vampires of this book. It was like reading the narrative of someone reading a Wikipedia article. This was right after a though description of eating a bowl of cereal. Why are you detailing this mundane crap for the reader? Oh, god why?

I realized I can keep cleaning up chapters after the first few are scrubbed down. So very soon, I expect at the beginning of the year, I'll be moving along to synopsis writing and query letter making. Rejection time is closing in fast.

I'm still very close to the end of my current revision. I put up a description of my novel for my blog and I'm wondering if that could be the basis of the pitch in a query letter. I'm trying to sum up the whole thing in the first sentence and then go into a longer description. I don't feel real good about the first sentence or the use of the word 'Soon' but it's a start I suppose. Trying to come up with this stuff ties my stomach in knots.

---

Aimee never intended to be more than a crafter of magical devices, but when she sets into motion events that threaten everything she knows, she must find the strength within to overcome crippling betrayal and fight back against the ancient power of the Mountain.

While disobeying orders, Aimee discovers a mysterious artifact that is a key to controlling a magical construct forged from an entire mountain. Soon, she must flee the safety of the Barriers that protect human lands under the leadership of her mentor and headmaster of the Mystic Academy, Lord Morgen. They discover the corrupting magic of The Dead Mountain is already at work and she and her companions must hurry to rein in its power.

However, Aimee discovers her allies and enemies are not as simple as she first suspected. She finds herself abandoned and facing a new master of the ancient magic, the hostile lands of the wild, and a forbidden lover who suspects her of murdering his kin. Aimee doesn’t believe she has a heroic bone in her body, but fate isn’t consulting her.

The Dead Mountain is a 123,000 word fantasy tale of cliffhanger chapters stuffed with fast-paced adventure, romance, and betrayal. It’s a story in the tradition of epic fantasy but with a female hero who relies more on her wits and determination than on swinging swords and slinging spells.

Aimee doesn’t believe she has a heroic bone in her body, but fate isn’t consulting her.

I love this sentence and would lead off with it.