What’s Up

I think I’m back…

Posted on by Donna Maloy, Author

In mid-March, I had major surgery on my ankle. They replaced a dead bone (!) and then fused the joint with a rod (about 8-inches long!) that goes from the bottom of my foot up into the hollow center of the tibia. There are two stabilizing pins, too. Yes, it’s as bad as it sounds.

 

My artist son did the lace effect.

Surgical anaesthesia makes me stupid. When that and the pain medication began to wear off, I realized my cast was so tight my toes turned dark whenever they weren’t level with my heart. By late in every day, the cast was really pinching hard. It was so uncomfortable, I was only getting between two and five hours of sleep a night. (Did I mention I refuse to take pain meds unless absolutely necessary.) This lasted for a month until the cast came off. Needless to say, lack of sleep makes me stupid, too.

I’m happy to say the cast came off on Monday, I’m actually walking gingerly with crutches and a big Star-Wars-style boot, I’m getting 7 hours or more of sleep, and I’m not feeling as cloudy and confused. Yay!

However, readers of my blog, TangledWords.com, may have noticed something odd about my first post-surgery post. It was another in my Monday Tips from Agents and Editors series — but I posted it on Wednesday. Ah well, you’ll forgive me, won’t you?

It’s World Book Day and I’m Updating my TBR list

Posted on by Donna Maloy, Author

I’m an eclectic reader. My paper and e-collection holds picture books, middle grade, young adult, and adult fiction as well as nonfiction.

I’m also a TBR glutton. My kindle has almost 400 titles on it and most of them have been read at least once. But periodically, I have to go through and move all the ones I bought but forgot to read up to the front. Right now, my TBR list includes one paperback — One for the Money, the first book in Janet Evanovich’s famous mystery series. The rest of the list is on my Kindle and includes

  • Greenglass House by Kate Milford
  • The Queen’s Poisoner by Jeff wheeler
  • Please Don’t Tell my Parents I Blew Up the Moon by Richard Roberts
  • A Plague of Unicorns by Jane Yolen
  • The Drowning Eyes by Emily Foster
  • Madame Tussaud by Michelle Moran
  • The Blackthorn Key by Kevin Sands
  • Serpent by Clive Cussler
  • Crouching Tiger, Forbidden Vampire by Kerrelynn Sparks (adult romance)

My latest 5-star reads?

  • Orphan X by Gregg Hurwitz (warning: this one’s INTENSE!)
  • When Falcons Fall by C. S. Harris
  • Reign of Shadows by Sophie Jordan
  • The Red Queen by Victoria Aveyard

Happy World Book Day! What’s on your TBR list?

 

 

The Short of It — Synopsis, High Concept, Query, Blurb

Posted on by Donna Maloy, Author

Fitting a 400-page manuscript into one page, one paragraph, one sentence. It can be done!

I’m going to be doing a workshop for the Houston Bay Area chapter of RWA on April 19, 2016. It’s all about quick and easy ways to summarize your manuscript. Easy. Really.

Even if you aren’t planning to query traditional publishers or agents, you may still have to provide a short synopsis of your story for bloggers, social media, back cover copy, and other promotional outlets.

I’ll put out more details a little closer to the event, but you can check out www.hbarwa.com to see who’s coming to speak at our chapter in the coming months.

Join me at the Houston Bay Area RWA meeting on Tuesday, February 16

Posted on by Donna Maloy, Author

JULIE GLOVER and CHRISTINA DELAY — How to Craft a Compelling Novel with Brainstorming

Julie GloverChristina Delay

I’m really, really looking forward to what these two smart ladies have to say. The topic is one I don’t usually use — brainstorming. They’re going to show us how to use the group collective mind to unleash ideas and push us toward fresh choices in structure and characterization, turning story problems into tantalizing twists and powerful page turners. Julie and Christina have promised a hands-on brainstorming session, too. My regency YA could really use that!

About the Speakers: Christina Delay is a finalist for her young adult novel, Nocturne, in both The Lonestar 2015 contest and The Rebecca 2015 contest. Her women’s fiction book, Twelve Years, won second place in the 2015 Golden Rose contest and is a finalist in the 2015 Indiana Golden Opportunity contest. You can find Christina atReaderlicious.com, where she gets to hang out with all the Readerlicious chicks and write about weird mythology nuances and creatures.

Julie Glover pens teen fiction—indulging her desires to create interesting characters, express deep emotions, and add snark wherever possible. Her young adult contemporary novel, SHARING HUNTER, is a 2015 RWA® Golden Heart® finalist, placed first in the 2014 Utah RWA Great Beginnings Contest, and received second in the 2014 New Jersey RWA Put Your Heart in a Book Contest, YA categories

Hand and Blocks
Hand and Blocks

The meeting begins at 7:30 pm at the Kirkmont MUD Building, 10102 Blackhawk Road, Houston, TX 77089. Social time starts at 7 pm. Join us for dinner first at 9ers Grill, at the intersection of Blackhawk and Beltway 8.