Decorate those dust bunnies!

©Joyce Stevens, 2006
You saw this coming, right?

Order now!
Custer and His Naked Ladies
by Janelle Meraz Hooper

When her husband unexpectedly dumps her, Glory boards an Oklahoma-bound plane at Sea-Tac Airport. On her way to the ticket counter, she takes the framed photo of her husband out of her gym bag and dumps it--frame and all--into the nearest garbage bin. She has wasted too many years on a man who doesn't want her, and her biological clock is beginning to pound like a powwow drum. iUniverse, $15.95

Email your name and address to me and I'll send you an autographed bookmark!

11-01-07- Okay, let’s get on with it. Organize those shopping lists. Decorate those dust bunnies under the bed. Dye those roots on your hair. Christmas is coming! But we still have some time for a blogger chat...

Writing tips-
Take a break- If you’re between books, and feeling burnt out, take a break. I learned this from Elizabeth Lyon (A Writer’s Guide to Fiction). I always tended to think I was being lazy if I wasn't writing. Now, after my fourth book, I’m realizing that it is a good idea to take some time off to recharge my batteries.

Writing green- scan your research from books and put it in a folder. Then, copy it to a disk. Piles of paper printouts are wasteful and can get lost—causing us to reprint the information—that we then lose again before the writing project is finished.

Quote du jour:

“The first time I met Karen Nichols, she struck me as the kind of woman who ironed her socks.” Dennis Lehane. Prayers for Rain, courtesy of Elizabeth Lyon, author

Writers, trained seals, and clowns

©Joyce Stevens, 2006
Four days until Halloween!

10-26-07- Custer and His Naked Ladies is available now on my book website from the publisher. I have no books of my own yet—it could be weeks. Those of you who have pre-ordered will get an autographed copy that should bring you more money when you resell it on Ebay! Someone told me once that bids were up to $60.00 on Ebay for my first novel, A Three-Turtle Summer ( I never saw it myself). How strange is that? To whoever bought that book I have one thing to say: www.JanelleMerazHooper.com ! Geez!

Writing tip- Talk less, listen more.

Writing green- Think green whenever you purchase carpets and furniture for yur office. There’s a carpet company now that will take back its carpet tiles and recycle them when you get tired of them. How cool is that? New hardwood floors? Think bamboo…it’s very eco-friendly and economical.

Quote du jour:
“Writers are a little below clowns and a little above trained seals.” John Steinbeck

"I like your mask!"

©Joyce Stevens, 2006
12 days until Halloween!

10-18-07- I’m expecting high winds to shut me down today, so I’m writing fast!

Writers’ Tips-

1. The standard page setup for story submissions to magazines is 12 pt. Times or Times Roman, double-spaced, with one-inch margins. Unless you are asked to do otherwise, use these guidelines. Resist using a cool font. Your submission will end up in the round file (garbage!).

2. Check each story for "which" and "that." A lot of sentences that use "which" should be changed to "that."

3. If you’re using historical information from the library for your research, scan the important parts before you turn the materials back in. I learned this the hard way. When I went to my library to check out an old book that I'd decided I wasn’t done with, It was gone. It had been stolen!

Writing green-

Make a habit of turning your equipment off at the end of your day.

Recycle paper as much as possible.

I know, this is boring stuff, but it will help!

Quote du jour:
“I like your mask!” A little kid said to my mother---she wasn’t wearing one!