Showing posts with label Annie's Book Stop. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Annie's Book Stop. Show all posts

Monday, January 7, 2013

Happy 2013!



New year, new goals, positive accomplishments… new try at blogging.  :)

Most everyone in the world is talking about (or has already talked about) their New Year's Resolutions/Goals, etc.  Not to hop on the bandwagon, but it's a fun and inspiring topic… so I'm playing with it, too.

I've already hit a couple of short-term goals this year already:

  • Submitted a novella for publishing
  • Gotten my email inbox to a manageable level (from over 1000 to under 140)
  • Handwritten my publishing deadlines for 2013 for Spencer Hill Press
  • Handwritten a Personal Goals sheet
  • Printed out my detailed deadline for January Spencer Hill Press projects
  • Accomplished editing deadlines thus far

And we're just a week into the new year!

 When I was going through my deadlines and goals, I went back through my prior years' blog posts so I could get an idea of what I'd accomplished and what I could accomplish.  I'd forgotten that I never actually got around to publishing my goals on my blog last year… so I had to go back to my January 2011 posts to get an idea of what I'd been doing.

With the path my life has taken since 2011, most of those benchmarks and steps simply are… no longer useful.

When I sat down to make my plan for this year, I needed a whole new template!

And that's ok.  I'm very happy with where my life is going.

Let's have my accomplishments for 2012 explain why:

Became a Senior Editor at Spencer Hill Press.

I've been blessed in the past decade or so to have jobs and bosses who I have loved. And every move I've made has been an improvement… yet I can't imagine a more healthy and supportive job than working at SHP. 

At Spencer Hill Press, I've had the pleasure of working on many awesome books - which I will detail as they start coming out. :) 

Published Short Stories

"Photo of a Mermaid" came out in UnCONventional by Spencer Hill Press
"Fixed" came out in Corrupts Absolutely? from Damnation Books

Sold Fiction

THE KELPIE - my first novel! - comes out this December from Spencer Hill Press
"Finding Fire" comes out in May in the Holiday Magick anthology, Spencer Hill Press
"Steadfast in the Face of Zombies" to Once Upon an Apocalypse Volume 1 - more on that when I get the info. :)

Lost Ten Pounds

After three years of gain or plateau - that's still an accomplishment.

Rode in my First Competitive Horse Show - and GOT RIBBONS!

Mind you, it's been well over a decade since I practiced any sport competitively.  This was HUGE. :)


… And there were a lot more life changes. 

I traveled to four different countries I'd never been before. And, between those travels, I was without my husband who I've not lived without for over a decade.  In fact, I only lived on my own for three months out of college before we got married… so it was definitely… an experience.  I also got really into my job at Annie's Book Stop of Worcester, helping with event coordination.

I left my last W2 job in May… because things with fiction and freelancing were picking up as well as they were.

And I still held my position as president for Broad Universe - though, honestly, between my Veep, Kimberly Long-Ewing and the rest of the Motherboard, it was a massive team effort for which I'm deeply grateful.

So, that's 2012 for you.  Massive. Change.

From there, I move forward. With a lot of hope and energy for this year. :) 

Thank you, Universe!

Oh?  What are my actual goals for this year? ;) Well… that's another blog post. ;)

Happy New Year!

Tuesday, February 14, 2012

Networking (aka Having Fun at) Boskone this Weekend!


Conventions are fun. :)  So is networking… or as I like to call it, "hanging out."

I actually hadn't intended on attending Boskone.  With all the traveling I'll be doing with going to visit Scott, and several other unplanned trips that are now getting planned, I figured I could drop out of this particular New England convention. 

But Patty, my friend and owner of Annie's Book Stop Worcester (which, by the way, could really use readers' help!!), convinced me to go. 

I am not on any programming, save the Broad Universe Rapid Fire Reading (8:00 Saturday - be there!).  I'll definitely be at the Broad Universe table, helping out.  And I volunteered to help my friend, Elaine Isaak, with her Chai and Chocolate kickstarter party at 8:30, Friday night.

Which is a pretty free-time convention for me!

Patty says I need to make this my "bar-con."  Do my social networking.  We'll be each others' wingwoman… because I have a lot to learn from her, and she (and other people, surprisingly to me) think I'm good at this networking thing.

In fact, my new housemate, Katie, is sharing a room with me and also hoping to learn some of this networking mystery.

Quite honestly, I just like getting to know people and hearing their stories.  If they find me interesting, too, we exchange contact info and possibly contact each other at a later date.

Or, someone runs into me and asks me if I know someone who…

I guess the trick of it, and "trick" makes it sound so dirty - it isn't, is that combination of enjoying the company of others and having the mental facilities to remember them in both a social context and a potential business context.

In any case, I'm looking forward to my first low-key, non-programming convention in a very while.  Look for me there - I'll be… just hangin' around.

Monday, January 23, 2012

Newsie, News, News, News!!


January is more than half over!  I'm doing stuff with Deadlines!

First, this is the LAST WEEK for anyone to sign up to take the fabulous New England Horror Writers Workshop at Annie's Book Stop in Worcester, MA! 

Kristi Petersen Schoonover, TJ May, and I are running an all-day workshop covering the craft of writing, editing, and business for writers - including a critique of the first 2000 words of your manuscript!  The workshop is only $30 - and we're giving a $5 discount to members of the Worcester Writers Collaborative, New England Horror Writers, Broad Universe and Worcester college students. Sign up three ways:

Paypal & email pattyatannies@gmail.com
Stop into Annie's Book Stop at 65 James Street in Worcester
Call Annie's at 508-796-5614

We're planning on having a fabulous time!

xx


Eighteen local authors (including me!) will be reading and signing and generally having a lot of fun.

Come join us!

xx

Arisia was fabulous!!  UnCONventional did wonderfully in its debut, and Our Fearless SPH Leader, Kate Kaynak, was happy to go home many boxes lighter than she came. 

The party was a blast - and it was so good to meet so many of our contributors!

We had CAKE!!  (That's me & Kate holding it in the pic, surrounded by our valiant team of editors and contributors!)

The Broad Universe table was also well visited with many sales, and we had a great showing on many fun panels.  For a more comprehensive review, check out these blogs by my buddies, Justine Graykin, Kendra Saunders, and David Sklar.

xx

Bad-Ass Faeries 2 also had another great review!  And they especially liked "Party Crashers" by Christy & me. J

xx

And, um… I have a pile o' papers that needs minimal attention before I go to bed…

Hope to see you at an event!

 
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