Getting back in the Game!

I'm taking it easy this summer, hoping to write more, polish up the manuscript that's been sitting in it's virtual drawer (the much anticipated Conquering Washington) and entering some writing contests.
First up is...the 9th "Dear Lucky Agent" Contest: Women's/Upmarket Fiction!
I'm submitting the first 189 words of CW - wish me luck!

If you'd like to learn more about the contest, or join the GLA listerv like me, go to:
http://www.guidetoliteraryagents.com/blog/


Cheers,
CAA

Wait, didn't we leave Chicago Mama???

When you have nothing to write...just upload photos of your dog

The Less Fortunate...

I have had a rocky few years here...freelance writing and political consulting aren't the most rock solid professions for a girl to choose. It's been hard at times keeping my spirits up between jobs, moving around and knowing that 98% of my worldly possessions are in a storage locker, but like most people, I have good days and bad days and try to stay mostly positive.

I am currently in Harrisonburg, VA and I've seen a TV commercial a few times that always strikes me when I see it. It is for an organization called Pleasantview - a home for adults with mental and physical disabilities. They have commercials that feature some of their residents and show what a fulfilling life they have living semi-independently in Pleasantview. One commercial in particular always makes me stop and think and quite honestly, makes me feel a little ashamed of myself. (Because of course I only see this commercial on days when I am feeling LOADS of self-pity and fear for the future) The woman in the ad is smiling and jovial and the narrator talks about how she loves to recycle - she uses the money to attend camp Easter Seals AND GIVE TO THE LESS FORTUNATE...Wow. Just, Wow. This woman, with all her difficulties every day, all the challenges she must face just to go through life's simplest tasks and she's out there finding money not for herself to make herself comfortable or happy, but to HELP OTHERS!

I am humbled. That right there is the definition of sacred in my book.

Idgy & Rose and Fried Green Tomatoes

So, I'm taking advantage of not having a full-time job to lay around with this sinus infection and do nothing. Yesterday I watched one of my favorite movies - Fried Green Tomatoes. I've always loved the story of Idgy and Rose and how their friendship made them both stronger and more mellow at the same time.

As I was watching yesterday it hit me for probably the first time - throughout history the characters of Idgy Threadgoode and Rose Jamison have been viewed as the two options for women - the two polar opposite choices we have - saint or sinner. Check a box, take your pick, you are in one category or the other, end of story. But, these two women show us that real life is a lot more complicated and messy and often most of us - men and women - are both saint and sinner. Like Rose, we come to see that "poker ain't half bad" and charity for others requires action, not just words. Like Idgy, we see that there can be a real strength of character, a "steel magnolia" as the saying goes, even with those who appear calm and collected at all times. The two women learn from each other valuable lessons about how to treat people and how to trust one another...and how to let one's hair down from time to time and just not care about what others think.

I know I often times care too much about appearances and what others will think. I'm afraid to really live because of the consequences that are perceived and often only in my own head. Other times I'm loud and self-centered and hurt people when I stubbornly refuse to do anything other than what I want to do. I feel the pull between the two sides and pray that this year, each year, I can get a little closer to walking the fine line of balance between the two extremes that culture and religion say is the accepted code of behavior for women. Neither caving in and submitting fully, nor throwing it all away and ignoring care and concern for others.

Back to Blogging

I've read many articles of writers who were resistant to blogs and then became hooked and now write and read several blogs a day. Okay, that's never going to be me...I still like hand written notes and spell every word out in text messages. And don't get me started on people texting but not picking up the phone in their hand when I try to call...but, back to blogs...I figure as long as I have some down time and need an outlet for my musings (be they daily or weekly) and I've got the time, why not try again. I will try to post once or twice a week and I promise it won't all be promos for CLICK and Conquering Washington. Okay, so I'm posting Chapter 1 of CLICK again, but I promise...not all about selling books.

Signing Off...

Okay, so the whole world is blogging and I thought, "hey, how hard can it be?" Answer: not very, if you actually do it.

Anyone checking the dates on my entries can easily see that I do not make time for this. I have, among other things: no editor/publisher/boss man telling me to do it as part of my job; no motivation or inner drive to blog to the world; too many other languishing writing projects, and so on.

So, to my three or four faithful, and anyone who googles my name and this pops up at the top...go to hollywoodjesus.com and read my book reviews, go to any bookseller or book website and buy CLICK and hold on while I finish up my next novel, Conquering Washington. I am also working on the follow up to CW and another new novel, which is, I think, a fantastic idea, but is going to take much research. Check out my facebook page for CLICK "What Happened to Shelby" and friend request me...if you don't seem too stalkerish or strange, I'll probably accept.

I'll be wandering around Virgina and Washington, D.C. and hopefully will be getting up to Philly sometime soon to see my sister and brother-in-law and hopefully catch one of his Mercury Radio Theater shows. If you're in Philly, you should too...it's the best indie punk you'll ever experience.

If you have a super cool idea for me to showcase my book or know a bookseller who likes having author signings with hip, obsure fiction authors, drop me a line...the email I actually check & goes to my blackberry is cherryames727@comcast.net

Cheers,
CAA

Happy Advent

It's hard to blog when you're dead tired...it's hard to be in the Christmas spirit when working retail...but I am giving it my best. I feel disjoined this year. Shuffled around the country, my belongings in storage, my dog hoping desparately that Santa brings him playmates and a yard (the second is definitely not happening this year...GUILT!!!)

But through everything, I've had moments when things break through. For one thing, I'm in a part of the country where people still say "Merry Christmas" to store clerks and smile as they shop for presents. Of course, I'm from Chicago where the holidays are a Christmas/Hannukah/Ramadan/etc. minefield of political correctness and not wanting to offend (not to mention the Greek Orthodox who celebrate Christmas and Easter after everybody else is bargain shopping and packing up the decorations.) In Harrisonburg, things are slower, and more simple and definitely more Christian and as I worked today, I received many "Merry Christmases" from customers and I know my face registered shock each time, but I managed to reply in kind to most before they walked off. It was kind of nice, refreshing.

So, MERRY CHRISTMAS! to all...and of course Happy Hannukah to my Jewish friends!