First and Fav Pic from GCLS 2014

Thanks goes to Bren Miller for the great pic (that's her next to me)

Rebirth!!!

This blog has gotten lost in the shuffle since I started using LJ more, and since the demise of PD Publishing sent me into a self pitying downswing.

I am done with all that crap! I am working on gathering the cash to reawaken my website, resubmitting my novels old and new to a new publisher, and doing whatever it takes to breathe new life into my career and my stories. The most recent Golden Crown conference was very cathartic in helping me drag my lazy ass out of this funk and begin the journey forward. If you have not been to one of these conferences you should go. You'll never be the same.

So far I have finished the revisions to Natural Order and sent it off to one of my best beta readers, and now am working on the revisions for Ancestral Magic. The goal is to send both off to Regal Crest along with Worlds Collide. If accepted the novels won't be rereleased in print for but they WILL be in ebook formats which is something they haven't been before. I am excited to see what new readers this will bring in.

I also am planning to go over Shadow Magic (book 2 in the series Ancestral Magic is part of) so I can submit it as well. It was on final edits right before PD went away so shouldn't need much work to be ready. Next on the to do list is Natural Rebirth (sequel to Natural Order) which when I left it (also at the time of the PD death and creative crash following that) the novel rough draft was about 2/3 completed. This task is likely to take the most time so is on the the list after Shadow Magic.

Another thing I am working on between revisions is the marketing plans for once the books are out again. I sucked at the marketing thing before. I am determined to find a way to be better at it, while still keeping up with school and mom stuff, at the same time staying within budget. This means heavy organization. I have an editor (who I loves!) who has agreed to go over some of my past novellas (I have about 5) so I can give them away as free taster fic to hopefully convince people not familiar with my work to give me a go :) I got a lot of new marketing ideas from Catherine M Wilson's workshop she did at the con on Marketing to the Mainstream, which I will share as I make my list and plans.

GCLS Report Up

I finally pulled myself away from the kittens and writing to finish the complete GCLS con report I promised everyone. Keep in mind this is my experience, and what I remember two week prior. I met so many more wonderful people then were mentioned here, but names have never been my strong suit. :)

Moon's GCLS Report

GCLS Con in 4 more days…

Laundry, packing, and so on, my weekend is full of excited preparation for GCLS Lit Con. Here’s an idea of what I have planned…

I leave out Tuesday afternoon because AirTran likes to change stuff on me (again) to force me to head out almost 24 hours early so I don’t miss social stuff Wednesday night. Luckily Patty and her honey are coming to get me and giving me a place to crash Tuesday so I don’t have to sleep in the airport. I won’t be there Tuesday until after 9:30 in the evening, so no early sightseeing for me that evening.

Wednesday check in isn’t until 5pm (though I can at least check into my room earlier than that) so I should be able to get in some sight seeing then. I’ve never been to Phoenix. Or any place that had what people could consider a “dry heat” so I’m looking forward to the experience. The meet and great should be a great time, so many people I have only known online I can finally meet in person.

Thursday we got the murder mystery going on, and I am soooo getting in on that. It should be fun (note to send, be in the vendors area at 2:50 pm on Thursday). My time co-mentoring is from 9 - 10 am so should give me plenty of time to get lunch and relax a bit before we meet up.
The change in mentoring time also means I’ll miss Page-Turning Plots: Outlining & Organizing Your Novel (Presentation & Workshop) Part I with Jennifer L. Jordan, but maybe I can get someone to take my mini recorder with them or take very good notes so I wont be too far behind when I go to Part II at 10:45 am.

It’ll all still leave me time to also go see It's Not All About You: Creating Story People with Depth (Workshop) Part I with Karin Kallmaker& Lori L. Lake at 1:30 pm since that ends at 2:30. I hope O can make it to Part II of that at 3:15 pm, but with the presentation for the murder mystery event that could be hard to manage. Whew I’m gonna be running that day.

Friday will be an early day for me convention time, even though I am regularly up at 6am when I’m not on a (working) vacation. Stop Wasting Those Gigabytes: Make the Most of Your Author Website (Presentation) with KG MacGregor is at 8:30 am, and that sound like a useful panel to check out. I have to be at Tough Girls, Bitchfights, and Girls Gone Bad (Panel/Reading) right after that, so I’ll miss part I of Katherine V. Forrest’s Writing Fiction for Publication/The Successful Manuscript: The Editor's View presentation. Talk about some rough competition to be up against. I hope some of you that may be going to GCLS will make it to the reading.

I might make it to part II of Katherine V. Forrest’s presentation after that, but the world building one looks so good to since I right exclusively paranormal within my own version on the modern world. There’s a part III and IV to this presentation as well, maybe if I am lucky all four parts will be on the GCLS DvD (which I will be ordering a copy of.

See how many cool panels there are here. More of ya’ll will have to come check the con out next year, huh? My other panel is Caliente! Spicy Hot Erotica & Romance (Panel Reading) Saturday at 1:30 pm. Gonna be some fun stuff in here, I bet ya. Ya’ll should come check it out! The winner of the murder mystery will be announced on Saturday, bit as busy as I’m going to be not sure how much of that I’ll have time to participate in. I’m really looking forward to the dance. I love music and dancing, though not sure how much energy I’ll have left for a long night. Depends how late, early I am up writing that weekend along with everything else.

Needless to say I am really looking forward to this trip, and I will do my best to keep ya’ll in touch with what’s going on at the blog. Copies of the anth Chilling Tales of Terror and the Supernatural will be there I found out, so I hope the reading I do and such help will the sale of that as well as drum up interest when Ancestral Magic comes out this fall. If nothing else, I’m sure it’ll be a great time all around.

It is done!!!

Whew, I never thought I’d finally say this, but…

(drum roll please)

…the first draft of Primal Magic is completed (sequel to Ancestral Magic). Now if I can find a couple more beta readers willing to tackle the 68,045 word manuscript, I can have it out to the publisher by end of August and reach my goal. Wow, this feels sooooo good.

I’m going to take a couple weeks off so I can actually relax during my trip to GCLS con (If I can stand to go without writing for that long) and get started on the rework of Bloodstained Innocence (which has been homeless since the demise of Stardust Press). Once that is ready to go (I want to add a few chapters and a bit more action, make the story less romancy), then begins the big job.

Working on the sequel for Natural Order, Natural Rebirth!

I love being a writer!!!

Been Absent - Back Now

I've been hanging over at my LJ blog, and neglicting this one. Now with the new blog sindication I think keeping both wouldn't be a bad thing. Likely there will be little here that you can't find at my LJ, but I may hold some suprises in me yet. Let's begin. :)

Too Much Snow

In the past week we’ve gotten over a foot of snow. Now before you start day dreaming about a winter wonderland, remember I live in the Industrial part of my end of Wisconsin. This means the chemical in this snow are likely quite toxic and plain disgusting. No face washes and catching snow flake on the tongues for my kids. In fact it’s so cold that they can’t even play outside. So here are some pics of places I’d rather be than Milwaukee right now during the winter.

So glad kids are back to school!

Here is the newest addition to my writing goal updates. Perhaps when I get through the crazy making month of January, I can work harder on my non-writing goals for this year too. :)

My submission for the Scottish Fiction contest at Dark Eden Press titled "Wild Things" is in the last beta's hands who is also going over the synopsis. So, in a few days off it goes. You can find a clip of the story here if you are interested.

Also on my rather overful plate is a story I just finished the first draft of my story for the "Toe to Toe: Standing Tall and Proud" anthology being done by Bedazzled Ink. The story is called "Reborn" and its a story about one of my most favorate fantasy characters I created, that as of yet I have not fully brought to life in print. Perhaps now is the time. The deadline is Feb 1st, and the story just made it under the 8k cut off (whew)

I've been looking into the "Pretty Scary" anth call out being published through Dark Hart, but I can't find details on word count, and none of my email have been answered. I'm assuming for now they are just busy, and am working on revising a horror story I had sitting around. If anyone knows more about this let me know, please.

Of course I am still working on revisions on Natural Order and look to be close to being able to resub that in the next week so so. Thanks all for your support and good wishes. I'll keep ya posted!

Thursday Thirteen #19 "Moon's Favorite T-shirt/Bumper Sticker Quotes"

Okay after finishing some of my 2008 writing goals this week (more to go) I gave my brain a break and decided to go something frivolous and fun for my TT this week. Enjoy!
( TT ahead )

I can't believe I wrote the whole thing!

And one the third day of the writing crunch my muses gave to me...

Nearing the finish line!

Well, I've made it over the 8k mark on my story "Wild Things" so anything after this is icing. I think I have about 2k left and then I'll edit, and fill in surnames, town names, all the research stuff. I'm amazed I've gotten so much done in two days. This might even be ready for betas by Thurday if I'm lucky. *wink* hint hint Here's a sample...

And we have progress!

For those of you expecting a "Sunday Magic Chat" or a "Green Monday" post this week, I've afriad this weekend has been far too busy for that. Between two days with a feverish child, and writing deadlines, it just wasn't possible. For anyone following my progress on my 2008 writing goals here’s what we have so far.

Drake Family News

Well, the plan for my Friday flashback had been postponed so that I may share with you the great news. If you want to know more come on in and I’ll tell ya the story. It started like this, an innocent trip to the grocery store gone array…

Friday Freeform "Australia Dreaming"

Instead of doing my weekly Friday Flashback, I've decided to go for a Friday Freeform called Australia Dreaming. So many people were talking about traveling lately, I thought I might find some pics of one of the places I've dreamed up seeing for a long time. I don't know if I can ever afford it, but not giving up on the dream quite yet.

I'm a one meme lass. :)

I've heard all kinds of meme's around, but I've had so much fun doing the Thursday Thirteen meme. This week was #16 for me, and that's with a couple weeks off. Now I am ready to comit to every week. This week is "Thirteen of the Author’s Favorite Quotes from Natural Order”. If you want to know what that is take a peek.

Greetings

My name is Moondancer Drake and I am a student of the Dianic faith as well as a member of the Temple of Diana in Wisconsin. I draw much of my inspiration from my own spirituality as well as experiences as a Cherokee woman and a mother. I live in Milwaukee with my family, which includes my son Raistlin and my daughter Willow. I’m an author of environmental paranormal lesbian romance and an very vocal advocate for civil rights and the responsibility of us all to take better care of Mother Earth. It is likely that in the future that many of my rather blunted stated opinions will offend some people, so I ask you come here with and open mind and a calm heart. If you wish to know more about me feel free to visit my website at www.moondancerdrake.com