I saw this in a newspaper and so I thought I’d share it for Valentine’s Day.
Ways to say “Kiss me” in different languages:
Spanish – Besame
French – Embrasse-moi
Italian – Baciami
German – Kuss mich
Romanian – Ma saruta
Swedish – Kyss Mig
Portuguese – Beije-me
Dutch – Kus mij
I think my favorite is the German one because as soon as I read it, it sounded like something Rammstein would sing. How funny.
Happy Valentine’s Day everyone!
I just received another rejection letter. But it was a fairly detailed one and gives me something specific to work on with my book. Here it is:
***
Dear Kelly,
Thank you so much for sending me the additional material of this project for further consideration. I am sorry for the delay in getting back to you on this one. I appreciate the patience.
After having a chance to look over this project, I am afraid I am going to pass on this project. I will say, it is refreshing to see someone trying something new with this genre. With that said, I just didn’t feel the story had the depth of character development in the early pages to really draw me into the story. In many ways, I felt on the outside looking in.
I do want to wish you all the best with your writing and thank you again for giving me the chance to read this.
***
Not too shabby, as far as rejections go.
So, grudgingly, I’m diving back into my manuscript for even more revisions. Go me!
But I just learned something about one of my favorite authors that I will somehow work into a mantra for motivation: Meg Cabot (author of The Princess Diaries and many, many more) spent three years sending out queries before she got an agent and another year before that agent found a publisher. Meg was thirty at the time. Now she has dozens of books published.
This is good because a) I’m not quite thirty – just a handful of months to go, though, and b) I’ve only been querying for about a year.
So even though I totally want to cry (or die) of frustration, I’m going to press on. Wish me luck!
As most of you may know, I have three very small children, ages 2, 3, and 5. I call them my chipmunks.
My chipmunks are so awesome, they really are. Two of the three were potty trained at a year and a half and the other was trained at two. I pride myself on being the Potty Master, but really, it’s the boys that do most of the work.
But lately, my Theodore has been getting lazy. He’s been potty trained for a year now, but has recently decided that he’s done with that nonsense. He’s forgotten was a toilet is and what’s it’s for, and has insisted on going in his pants.
Well, just the other day I was in a super-cleaning kind of mood, where I was organizing closets and throwing things out. One of the many things that I cleaned out was my purse. Usually it’s a black hole where things go in but don’t ever come out. I found two pairs of (clean) underwear for Theodore (for just in case situations) and a pair of pants.
Thinking that with all the gum, change and trash in my purse, I figured it would be the hygienic thing to do to wash the clothes. Plus, I’ve never had to use the extra clothes in public. He’s ALWAYS told me he needed to go.
Well…
Today I thought I would do just a little couponing (because I don’t usually shop with all three kids in tow; I’ll go while Alvin and Simon are in school) and trek over to the library to pick up the third season of The Big Bang Theory.
The store went well (saved like 15 bucks) and the kids had actually been calm and well-behaved. We walk into the library (me toting about fifty pounds of books and movies to return, trying to hold onto Theodore’s and Alvin’s hands because they cannot be trusted to cross the street) and I smell something.
Oh, crap. (Literally.)
I dump the books and movies in the return slot and herd the children to the bathroom where I find…well, a mess. Everywhere. And I didn’t bring even wipes, much less extra clothes. I mean, really. He’s NEVER had an accident in public. In the car on a long drive, sometimes he wets himself. But even when we travel from here to Rifle (five hours), he’ll hold it. But I would have never guessed that in the forty-five minutes we were gone that he could make such a mess.
What was a mother to do? Let’s just say that most of it was cleaned up and something was thrown away, and so the poor two-year old had to go commando so his mom could get her movie series.
Stuff like this was NOT in the parenting manual I received. Oh, wait. There is no such thing. Somebody should really get on rectifying that. There should be a quiz and an application for such a big decision.
I’m having a mini pity party over here, for a few reasons:
1. The allergies that I thought I was having turned out to really be a…wait for it…cold. I’m not sick very often with something as little as the sniffles (thank you teacher immune system) but I’m prone to sinus infections. Let’s just hope that this one stays in the snot-and-kleenex category and not the doctor-and-antibiotic one. I know…total drama queen right? Reminds me of when my Simon used to call me Momma King (in place of drama queen) when he was a few years younger. Guess who taught him that? Thanks, hon.
2. I put on a shirt today that I haven’t worn in weeks and it wouldn’t button up. Uh oh. Got on the scale, and guess what? I’m the biggest that I’ve EVER been. Including when I was ten months (yes, ten months) along with my third baby. About FIFTEEN pounds bigger. I guess Not working + Eating whatever I want = Big Fat Momma. I now roll out of the car and get a tired back when I fold laundry. Sucky!
3. I’m the worst kind of writer because criticism and rejection cripple me into a self-induced writer’s block. It’s not that I am not able to write, it’s that I don’t want to. I’m like the rat who keeps hitting the electric shock bar. Sooner or later I’m going to stop doing it, right?
I was watching Ellen yesterday and Justin Bieber was on there. He was going on and on about Never Say Never, never give up. He makes it sound like he struggled all his life to live out his dream. He’s sixteen. I mean, come on. So I had to turn the television off.
I’ve written some of my favorite authors about their struggles with getting published and TWO of them posted that it took them EIGHT years. Now that is perseverance and patience at its best. Now they aren’t only published, they have awards and are national best sellers.
I wonder every day: will I always have the time/patience/financial stability that waiting eight years to make money from my writing entails?
*Sigh* Only time will tell. Now I better get off the computer and on to the treadmill.
Well, the agent that had requested my full manuscript got back to me – too quickly, really. Kinda puts a damper on my confidence. But at least she was nice:
***
Dear Kelly,
Thank you for sharing your work with me. This is a wonderful concept, and you write well—but I’m afraid that I didn’t connect with this in the way that I’d hoped.
Still, I hope you will continue writing and sending out your work. If you haven’t done so already, you may wish to look at The Jeff Herman Guide to Editors, Publishers, and Literary Agents – there, you should be able to find someone who’s a better fit for your work.
Best of luck with this and future projects.
***
It’s nice, but a little form in the rejection; I will probably e-mail her and ask WHAT EXACTLY didn’t grab her. Plus, she plugged a book in my letter.
Sucky!
Five “bad” (or not-so-great) things:
5. It’s a snow day for the kids, so they are cooped up in the house all day and aggravated they don’t get to go to school. (Yeah. Weird, right?)
4. I can’t seem to get anything done with my writing the last couple of days. I’m the worst kind of writer: the kind that waits for the muse to inspire her. Good writers force themselves to fill a writing quota. I have one, but I ignore it most days, like a smelly trash can that I’m too lazy to empty.
3. The agent that requested my full manuscript – I just learned – has the reputation to request A LOT of manuscripts, take forever (like half a year) to read, and then send a rejection letter. But let’s stay positive about that shall we…?
2. Laundry is really piling up.
1. It’s been a bad coupon weekend. There aren’t a lot that match up with sales. But at least the coupons won’t expire for a little while, so maybe next week’s sales will be better.
Five “good” things:
5. I got some of my books that I won:
I still have one more that is supposed to be on the way and I think it’s signed by the author. I thought these were supposed to be signed as well, but it seems that I’m mistaken. But, really, that’s okay. I feel privileged that I won and happy that I get free books. The author of Stealing Heaven (Elizabeth Scott) emailed me and I feel super star-struck. I’ve read and admired ALL her books.
I’ve already started ACROSS THE UNIVERSE and it’s amazing. The first chapter is unlike anything I’ve ever read – about a family getting frozen for the trip in deep space that will take over 300 years. Super cool! It was described as Titanic meets Brave New World.
4. I’m having a good hair day.
3. Simon (my oldest son) is really becoming such a good reader. Alvin (my middle) is growing less and less ornery every day. (Not that I really want to break it of him completely, because that is just who he is, but less is nice.) Theodore has decided to play this game with me called “I’m pretending I’m not potty trained anymore” and it’s been literally driving me INSANE. He’s been potty trained since he was a year and a half and now, over six months later, decides he doesn’t want to be anymore…? What? But I put this in the “good” section because when I’m irritated at him (yet again) for doing a number two in his undies, I smell the top of his head. I know…weird, right? But he still carries with him some of his baby smell (that the other chipmunks have all but lost completely) and the aroma calms me down, forcing me to remember all the cuddling we did in his early days.
2. I’m planning a trip to go see my bestest friend that I don’t often get to see. (If the weather permits). Along with her beautiful baby girl.
1. (Sappiness alert) I’m totally – and unbelievingly – falling more and more in love with my hubby the longer I’m with him. He’s just so effing funny and handy that I can’t believe it. We’ll be celebrating our fifth anniversary on April Fool’s Day. Love you, hon!
Five “ugly” things:
5. The weather (duh).
4. My allergies. I know what you’re thinking. Allergies? This early? No, you’re probably just sick with a cold. Well, yeah…maybe. But I don’t usually have super itchy eyes and sneezing fits in the winter time. The groundhog did predict an early spring, after all. Despite the several inches of snow out my window.
3. My house. It needs some serious TLC to get it in Functioning Mode. (ex. laundry, dishes, a good sweeping.)
2. My writing (or lack thereof). The novel I’m currently working on needs some editing and tightening up…but…I DON’T WANNA!
1. Theodore’s haircut. Okay, it’s not THAT bad. Well, to me. Usually I use electric clippers to cut my sons’ hair (because who in their right mind wants to pay for three boys at a barber every couple of weeks?) but this time I decided to use scissors. And it turned out…okay.
And one more positive: this blog seemed to have gotten my creative writing juices flowing and the kids are busy with Mario, so I might just get something done with my writing today! Yippie!
This will probably be my last post about couponing. Because it doesn’t seem like that many people are visiting the site when the post is about coupons. But I had to share with you our latest savings.
As I’ve said, King Soopers is having a huge sale. But you have to buy ten items that are in that sale to get the great big discount. So we (my husband and I) did, matching the coupon to the sale.
This is what we got:
30 butters (either a twin pack or a single),
10 toothpastes,
18 pkgs. of hotdogs, 28 PROGRESSO soups, 16 diced tomatoes,
and six Rotelle tomatoes. The retail price would have been $198.97. With the deal the store was having and our coupons, we paid $42.53.
We had coupons for the butter for 75 cents, but KS rounds up to a dollar and the butter was on sale for 98 cents, so we got 30 tubs of butter FOR FREE. Five of the toothpastes were free, the others were a quarter.
The Rotelle tomatoes were 12 cents each, the canned tomatoes were 27 cents each and the soup was 75 cents each, but a good brand.
Still, the coupon diva does a lot better, but saving $156.44 isn’t too shabby.
This weather in Colorado (which is totally the coldest I’ve ever experienced) is making me rethink a dream I have.
There are two things that you should know about me if you don’t already: someday I WILL live by the ocean and I HATE hot weather.
So, I thought, what better place for me than Alaska? I was so convinced of this years ago that I made a small town in that state the setting to my novel, THAW. Well, my town (Putnam) is loosely based on this other, real town – Cordova:
I know, right? Is it just the most beautiful place you’ve ever seen? I’m totally a clouded-over-day-with-cold-temperatures kind of girl and I was thrilled to be researching about this place because at times I felt I was really living there. Fishing for salmon, hiking the many trails, enjoying the temperatures that don’t usually climb past sixty in the summer time.
But now that Pueblo has been so cold the last few days, I’m wondering, Could I handle this weather ALL the time?
Maybe.
If it looked like this. Pueblo, on the other hand, does not. And there is no way that I’d be able to see moose and whales and seals and a gazillion beautiful birds here like I would there. I wouldn’t be able to scale a glacier (which is one of my other dreams) or know what it felt like to be so cut-off from “reality.”
See, Cordova is cut-off from the Alaskan road system. The only way out of town is by air or water. Yeah, you can drive around town, but there is no road to the interior. How cool is that! Plus, it is in the more southern part of Alaska, so maybe it wouldn’t be that cold all the time.
Looking it up, I found that the high today in Cordova is 33 and the low is 16. That’s warmer than it is here! To top that all off, I’d get all the rain and moisture in the air that I LOVE with the 89% humidity.
The record lows, historically, that I looked up for Cordova were -13 and -23. But these only happened once, about fifty years ago. Most of the record lows were like 20 degrees.
Not too bad.
The record lows for Pueblo are mostly in the negatives, so really, moving to Cordova wouldn’t only be prettier, but also warmer, without going over sixty degrees too often. Pueblo highs are well past 100. After seventy, I get migraines, so it all works out!
I mean, really, what more is there to say?
North! To Alaska!
So I tried to get groceries for little to nothing again. It didn’t really work.
King Soopers – as I mentioned in my previous post – is having a ten for five sale. If you buy ten of the items, you get five bucks off of your ticket. So I went in with a slew of coupons and compared the ten for five items with my coupons and even found some items on closeout, so that’s a triple discount.
So here’s what I got:
Ten cans of pringles: closeout price was $1.46, coupon for $1.00 off two, so I got them for about a dollar a piece. Two Bounty towels fifty cents off with coupon, so about eighty cents a piece.
Cookie dough was part of the ten for five and I had a coupon for $1.00 off one. So they were .99 cents. Salsa was about the same. Now, what ticks me off is that the salsa was ten for five but for some reason I got eight (miscounted?) and I didn’t get the store deal, but I did get my .50 cents off for two, so they ended up about $1.20 when they could’ve been .90 cents. If I would’ve counted better, I’d have two more salsas and paid two dollars less. ARG!
Now, the chips were ten for five and closeout, plus I had a coupon for a dollar off of one, so after everything was said and done on them, I got them for .29 cents each, down from almost three dollars.
The rice cakes were .99 cents on sale.
The total price for these groceries (before the deals and coupons) was well over sixty bucks. But I got them for thirty.
Good deal, but not great. I’m definitely NOT the coupon diva. She gets hundreds of dollars worth of groceries for under twenty bucks most of the time, if not for free.
But something else nags be about this coupon business: would I have gotten this stuff anyway? Did I NEED this stuff? No, not even close. So I’m thinking I just spent thirty bucks on stuff I don’t need and I could’ve saved thrity bucks if I didn’t go to the store at all.
Well, if I have a superbowl party (which I HIGHLY doubt), at least I’ll have plenty of chips and salsa.
kellyallanwriter 