Tuesday, May 15, 2012

Timeline of a Dream-Come-True & Other Stuff


For several weeks I've been sitting on some huge news. Not about me. About fellow Quirky Lady Victoria Morgan. She had some HUGE GIGANTIC EXCITING EXPLOSIVE news that I had to keep quiet. It hurt. I had indigestion. I'm not kidding. Well, I can finally blab. So, here's Timeline of a Dream-Come-True (that would be Vicki's dream-come-true).....

(I'm doing this in numerical bulletpoints for Sam Wayland, because she really digs it when I do this in an email....)

1. Vicki writes an amazing historical romance about an earl who is a survivor of the Charge of the Light Brigade. Penny Watson sobs like a little baby while reading it and announces "This is it. It's the one."

2. Vicki says "I think Penny is a wingnut."

3. Vicki submits her WIP to the Golden Heart contest.

4. Vicki forgets she submitted her WIP to the Golden Heart contest. On the day that the nominees are being called, she answers the phone in a rush and is like....."Huh? Oh my God. I forgot about that. I'm a finalist!"

5. Vicki calls the Quirky Ladies who celebrate with copious cocktails.

6. Penny bawls like a baby and reiterates, "I know you think I'm a wingnut, but this is it. It's the one."

7. Vicki does not win the Golden Heart, but she does look smashing in her dress.

8. Vicki gets an agent! Not just any old agent, but Laura Bradford of the Bradford Literary Agency.

9. Penny bawls like a baby. She also drinks some more cocktails with Vicki. (I think. I can't remember that much about that evening).

10. Penny helps Vicki with some edits and continues bawling like a baby every time she reads the story. She's says "This is it. It's the one." It's possible that Vicki might start believing in Penny's prophetic abilities.

11. After many months of edits and revisions, Vicki's agent sends out the manuscript. Vicki gets some rejections.

12. Penny reiterates. "Don't give up hope. This is the one."

13. In a totally nonchalant manner, on the eve of the NECRWA conference, Vicki says to Penny, "Oh yeah. I got a call." Penny says, "So what." Vicki says, "I sold my book." Penny freaks out and bursts into tears. Vicki laughs and says "Oh my God. I didn't even cry." Penny feels sort of like an idiot but continues crying.

14. Vicki says, "You can't tell anyone." Penny, horrified that she has been given this incredible news and is unable to blab about it, says "Sure. No problem." Penny suffers from indigestion.

15. Finally, after torturing her for several weeks, Vicki says, "Okay. You can tell now."

16. VICKI'S DREAM CAME TRUE! HER SUPER FABULOUS BOOK IS BEING PUBLISHED BY BERKLEY AND NOW LOTS OF OTHER FOLKS CAN BAWL THEIR EYES OUT READING THIS AMAZING STORY!

Phew! Holding that in was not easy, let me tell you. Congrats, Vicki! Yee hawwwwww!!!!!!
P.S. The painting at the top of this blog post is one of Vicki's. Not only is she an amazing writer, but she is also a beautiful painter.


Now for the "other stuff"....

I had the first "reading" of my children's book, Lucy The Wonder Weenie. My audience: 2 adults, 1 child, and 3 assorted dogs (a Chinese Crested, a Yorkie and Chihuahua).

I read the story out loud.

2 Adults: Laughed out loud.

1 Child: Smiled. When asked if he liked it, he said, and I quote, "Yes."

3 Dogs: The Chihuahua licked my hand.

Then I showed "The Child" Sara Pulver's illustration. (Sara Pulver is the quirky, talented artist who is doing the illustrations for the book).

1 Child: Huge smile and a huge laugh. When asked if he liked it, he yelled "Yes!"

1 Chihuahua: He licked my hand again.

Story: 5 stars
Illustration 5,000 stars

Overall Rating: #weenieforthewin

(Here is another totally cool painting by Sara....


And in conclusion, Vicki's having a good year. And I predict, with my super powers, that weenie dogs will take over the literary world.

Having a weenie-licious day,
Penelope