Fresh From the Farm

 This past Saturday my local writing group, the Long Island Romance Writers, met for our monthly meeting at the library in the small town of Southold. I traveled east with three of my writing friends. On our way to pick up the guest speaker for the day, Bertrice Small, we stopped at one of the many farm stands along the one lane country road.

The North Fork of Long Island is known for small town charm, many of those town were founded well before the Revolutionary War with land still in families it was deeded to by the King of England. The North Fork is blessed with acres upon of acres family owned farms and dozens of wineries.

I am fortunate to live near such abundant and fresh produce and I take advantage of it whenever I can. I frequent the local farmer's markets all summer and fall - because it's important to me to buy local.

On this trip I found this gorgeous cauliflower that is more than 16 inches across!

I also picked up this mini-gourd decorated with flowers that looks perfect on my desk!

Whenever I'm on vacation I try to buy something to support the local economy of that place. Do you shop local when you can? What do you buy where you live?


Today I'm also blogging at Heart-Shaped Glasses about the scary world of publishing! I hope you'll stop by and visit me there and if you comment, you'll be entered into our monthly drawing.

Have a great week!

Writing Life - LIRW Luncheon & Pitching

Part of being a writer is actually leaving the computer and mingling with other writers.

And agents and editors.

Which means talking about YOU and what YOU WRITE.

For the most part, I'm a social girl. I love a good party and if there's a chance for a tote bag, anything chocolate and something alcoholic...I'll sign up.

The nice thing about the LIRW Luncheon is always the relaxed atmosphere, guaranteed to put people at ease. Friendly, summer business casual and wonderful attendance, makes this at the top of my list of "must-do" events every year.

But...like a lot of writers I know, ask me to talk about myself and my current WIP and I might suddenly develop amnesia. Which is why for weeks before an event like the annual LIRW Luncheon - it's good to actually start memorizing your pitch.

That is, if you've decided to pitch.

Let's be honest, the industry has changed over the last few years - and I think it's a change in the author's favor (and the reader for that matter!)

I write time travels which is often put in the category of a "tough sell."

I know this. I don't care. This is what I love and what I write and I make no apologies for it.

Just a few short years ago being confident in your own work wasn't enough, and yes, I got hives talking about my books to any industry professional - even at a casual event.

Now?

Not so much. Because I've had success with a time-travel novella, I'm much more confident in the fact that I have options and if my book isn't right for one house, one editor or one agent...it's not the only game in town and I can take my ball to a new field.

So, yes I did practice my pitch and I'm excited about any opportunity that could present itself during a 4-hour event with 26 agents and editors mingling around. But, it's not often I get to wear something a little dressy and a little fun, so I'm definitely just as excited to be wearing this animal print dress! (Does that make me incredibly shallow?)

And toss in some chocolate and I'm a happy girl.

Do the new roads to publishing leave you just a little less stressed over pitching?

Writing Groups, Coffee & Belonging

Ten years ago, my wonderfully supportive husband set me up in the basement of our old house with a computer so I could finally stop talking about writing a book and actually sit down and right one.

Two years later with pages and pages of beginnings and no endings, I found my way online to the EHarlequin site, made a few online friends, discovered yahoo groups and the RWA.

Within a few short months, I was a card-carrying member of the national group and had found my way to a local Long Island chapter, the LIRW.

Before the year was out, I was secretary of the local chapter and I'd met two wonderful ladies online (Jennifer Shirk and Cynthia Selwyn) and together we formed an online critique group, The Passionate Critters.

 For a girl who didn't join a single club in high school, I'd somehow become a joiner! And loved it!

Over the years I've been a member of many online chapters of the RWA, groups either specific to my genre or simply online groups that offered interaction for a stay-at-home mom bursting to talk "shop" with everyone and anyone. (After all, no one understands a writer, like a writer!)

As my local friendships grew, so did my time away from home. Monthly meetings, weekend conferences, brainstorming sessions over coffee at the local Starbucks! I can't count the number of times we say, "let's have coffee and talk about that plot!" Or work out dialogue. Or straighten out a query letter...My Keurig at home gets a workout too when the ladies crash at my house for a night of twitter lessons or website basics!

I've been on committees, I've chaired committees. I've served on the board of my local chapter. I've helped create and grow a thriving online critique group that I'm thankful for everyday!

So, this year with finances in my house not in the best shape...I considered giving up the writing group memberships.
Groups that have been a lifeline for my writing persona for the last 8 years. I think I cried more than a few nights anticipating the void.

Although many of the friendships I have made over the years have transcended the memberships and the actual groups - those groups still pull me in. They offer shoulders, cheers and advice. The meetings and workshops always teach me something new I can use to create fresh work. They inspire me on a continuous basis to write and fight off the demons sitting on my shoulder telling me I'm no good!

I am fortunate, I have a VERY supportive family. But, no one understands a writer like another writer!

Over the last few weeks this girl who's become quite the joiner over the last 8 years, just couldn't quite kick the habit. I'm happy to say that even with finances being tight, I renewed and all my groups will be putting up with me for another year!

How about you? Are you a joiner?