I seem to repeat, repeat, repeat, repeat myself...

New Stories brewing in my brain juice...

2011-09-24T13:14:00.000-07:00

Excerpt from The Black Line

I entered the marketplace. It was bright and loud. It stank of sweat, sizzling meats, spices and piss. I loved the market. Here it was easy to blend in, become a shadow amongst the drunks, whores, rats and other filth that plagued this place. I pushed through the writhing mass of screaming, fighting, retching and laughing flesh towards the Hub, one of the more reputable watering holes in the market. More reputable meaning you were less likely to slip in someone's piss or vomit and break your neck while trying to find a table.
I was just about to enter the sliding doors when I felt someone grab my arm. I looked down at the hand and saw those familiar inky lines traced under the skin. My eyes drifted up to the face. It was a woman maybe in her twenties. I couldn't tell with all the filth and grime that covered her skin. At least her eyes were human, unlike mine. It didn't seem to matter. She was still a rat like me.
"Kolat," she whispered. This wasn't the first time I heard this word. She was calling me brother, in my father's language. There were many other half-bloods like me. Some tried their hardest to blend into society. The closest they got to that was becoming concubines to the rich, bodyguards or hired assassins. There were others attempting to band together and form their own colony. Ula Maq, The Dreamers. Then there was the underground resistance. I didn't know too much about them, except they called themselves, Ula Sad, The Others. We all had one thing in common. We were outcast. I wanted to push her onto the ground and run away, but I remained as still as a statue. Her black fingernails were digging into my arm. I could actually feel them on my skin. She definitely inherited the strength of the Thax. As I felt her nails piercing my skin, I thought of how strong a full-blooded Thax would be. I guess I would never know since they were driven away for good over a decade ago. All that was left behind were their bastard freak children, us. Remnants of a time best forgotten, but humans never forget. They recycle. Recycle their plastics and metals, their emotions and opinions. They now build walls, fences, forcefields to keep the others out. Shielding themselves from anyone that wasn't human, everything alien. It isn't a surprising notion. It was only since the arrival of the Thax that humans started treating humans as...humans. I looked back into the woman's eyes. They were green. I took her hand and grabbed it.
"I'm not your kolat," I said and gently pushed her away.
"You are my kolat whether you like it or not," she said, clawing at my cloak as I turned away. "They are watching you, waiting for you to take a wrong turn...waiting to send you to the line." I slowly turned and faced her again. The Black Line was the biggest wall the humans had built to this day. It was a huge forcefield that encircled the entire galaxy. "They want to quietly get rid of us. They are sick of being reminded of the past and it is written on our skin." She traced her fingers along her face. Tears were washing away the dirt, but they couldn't wash away those black veins, the dirt in our blood.
"We are protected by the law," I said.
"Oh and people never break laws," she said, running her fingers through her matted hair. She's just a crazy rat. I kept telling myself. I needed to focus on my own problems. "Laws are just words and words can be changed. You must join us now."
"Join who? Ula Maq? Ula Sad?" I shook my head. "I would've signed up long ago if I gave a shit."
"Not dreamers or others," she said and pulled me closer. "Ula Ket." She was breathing erratically, more tears forming in her eyes. I saw myself staring back at me in those two small pools of murky green. I searched my mind for the meaning of that word. I yanked my cloak from her grasp and backed away. I scanned my member chip against the side panel and the sliding door screeched open behind me.
"I am your mem!" Her screaming filled my ears. Mem, sister. "We will break through the line and find our true ket!" The doors slid shut. The girl slammed her palm against the plastic. "Ula Ket!" On her palm, there was a huge purple scar, a symbol of some kind. I burned it into my mind, just as it was burned onto her skin and turned away.

Excerpt from Mouse

He had been watching the girl for over a week now. Mouse, the old man thought, for she was quiet as one as she slipped in and out of abandoned buildings foraging for scraps of food and supplies. He guessed she was in her early teens, but he wondered how well she could communicate.
Most children he encountered scattered away like vermin when he came near and the ones that didn't, grunted and clawed at him with their small, scabbed hands. For food and water, he guessed. He didn't blame them. This was the only world they had known. How they survived this long was a mystery. They were far more resilient than he could've ever imagined. For the very few who remembered their lives before the scourge, this new life was unbearable, impossible to make peace with. Those that could not kill another, killed themselves, but the children were different.
His attention went back to the girl. He knelt behind a small brick wall to hide. He didn’t want his presence known, not yet. She peered out a doorway and glanced around warily. She swept like a shadow down the street, pausing only once to glance at her reflection in a shop’s broken window. I wonder if she has a name.
He took notice, not for the first time at what she had slung across her back. It was a small ukulele case. At first he thought she used it primarily to hold supplies or food, but he was wrong. One night as he was writing in his journal, he heard music. The instrument was horribly out of tune and missing a string, yet she pressed her small fingers onto the strings and played. As she played, she hummed tunelessly along. The man felt a tear fall and melt away into his beard. It was the most beautiful sound he had heard in years. That’s when he knew she was the one.

NanoWriMo is stressing me OUT! In a good way!

2009-11-23T19:06:00.000-08:00

I began writing a novel for http://www.nanowrimo.org because I thought it'd be a fun exercise in deadlines and spontaneous creative writing. All of that turned out to be true! You have to write 50,000 words in thirty days and nights. A person like me loves a challenge and I especially love feeling productive. I'm only at the halfway point and there were times where I felt itchy, nauseated and crampy. All of which probably was probably due to the fact that I needed to take a shower, eat and use the restroom.

I've been at it all day today and am finding myself restless and making excuses to do things like sweep up dog hair and do the laundry. Even when I email friends and family, I feel like I'm still writing my book! Here's a short blurb and excerpt from it!

Home Sweet Necropolis
Book One: The Sight
By: Linda Patricia Cleary

Penelope Caldwell lives in a cemetery. Not next to it, but right smack dab in the middle. On the eve of her sixteenth birthday, she wakes up from a nightmare in which a classmate of hers dies. Little did she know that her nightmare was actually a premonition or that ghosts were going to start following her around and asking her for favors. What a birthday gift!

Chapter Two: Diary of a Dead Girl
After the initial shock of Aaron’s death in my nightmare, I started wondering about the details. Why was he glowing? Why was he going to that old decrepit house? Why did Amanda Peters look perfect even in my dreams? Couldn’t my subconscious have given her pimples or something? Thoughts were buzzing through my brain like a swarm of excited bees. Why would I randomly have a nightmare like this? Why did Aaron die? I sat up and pulled my quilt tightly around me. When I had first awoken, I really believed he was gone. I felt my eyes watering when I heard a faint knocking on my door.
“Penny? Are you awake?” It was old dad.
“Yes, come in,” I replied, stood up and started making my bed. The door creaked open and Frank smiled at me.
“Happy birthday little girl.” He said.
“I’m not so little anymore.” I said, suddenly feeling silly because as I made that statement I was arranging a trio of raggedy stuffed animals in front of my pillow.
“You’ll always be my little girl…even when you’re thirty,” he said as hobbled over to my bed and sat down. He brushed his gnarled fingers across my quilt and sighed. He was thinking about her again. My mom.
“Get dressed the family wants to wish you a happy birthday,” he smiled and stood up to leave the room.
“You’re my only real family old dad,” I said.
“Penny, you try and get out of this every year but you know it’s the right thing to do,” he stated as he shut the door behind him.
I peeked out the window. The sky was gray and overcast with clouds and the ground still damp with morning dew. It was your typical October day in Misty Cove. You would think that I’d be disappointed that I wasn’t greeted by a ray of sunshine when I opened my curtains, but I much prefer a gray brisk day to a summer one. I love bundling up. I slipped on a pair of jeans that were crumpled at the foot of my bed and pulled on a black sweater that was draped over a chair. I slipped my thumb through a hole in the right sleeve and smiled. I shoved on my rain boots, threw on my red plaid pea coat and walked out to meet Frank. He was sitting on the front porch. He wore a large gray wool coat that had been through more than a few moth attacks and a red knit hat with a big pompom on top that mom had made for him before I was born. He was holding a large rusty shovel.
“Looks like I need to get a new shovel. A shame, this guy lasted me ten years. More than half your life,” he chuckled loudly while pointing at a dent at the tip. It’s rare to see old dad without his shovel. Mal actually drew a comic called, The Shoveler of Truth. It’s based off of Frank of course. I laughed so hard when I first saw it. On the cover is old dad with bulging muscles, still wearing his plaid pants and suspenders, holding his massive shovel high into the sky while being struck by a bolt of lightning. I giggled to myself just thinking about it.
“What’s so funny?” Frank asked looking up.
“Nothing. We should go,” I said as I felt a phantom gust pass through me causing me to shiver slightly. I pulled the hood of my coat over my head. Old dad leaned the shovel against the side of the rickety stairs. He put his arm around me as we began our walk through the graveyard.
I blew little puffs of white smoke from my mouth as we walked. I could hear old dad panting beside me. Sometimes I worried about his health but I don’t think he’s been sick even once that I can remember, if so he always toughed it out.
“The ground’s going to start getting hard soon, once the frost starts forming. So, it’d probably be a good idea to get a new shovel,” he observed while he patted me on the back.
“Oh, old dad! Just get that new shovel. It’s always hard for you to throw old things away.” This was usually the extent of our conversations. Old people always seemed to talk about things like changes in the weather and about being old.
“They just don’t make things the way they used to. I’m sure the next shovel I get will only last me six months. A year if I’m lucky!” Oh and they also talk about how things aren’t the same as they used to be. Well duh!
“Frank, a shovel is a shovel.”
“I’m sorry Penny. I shouldn’t be babbling on about shovels on your birthday,” he sighed and we continued the rest of our short trip in silence. We stopped at a gravestone covered in moss.
“I should really clean the moss off these before it gets too cold,” old dad casually commented.
“Don’t worry, I can help you with that. I don’t want your arthritis flaring up again,” I said as I stood staring blankly at the grave.
“Look at us Penny! Blathering on like a couple of old curmudgeons,” Frank laughed. “Well, we can make this quick. I know Layla is expecting us.” That made me happy. Layla always had something yummy in store for my birthday. Frank knelt at the grave and pulled out a bundle of white roses from the inside of his coat. He must’ve bought them early this morning before I was awake.
“My dear Enid, today is Penelope’s sweet sixteenth birthday and it’s also been sixteen years since you’ve left us,” he paused to take a deep breath. My mother died giving birth to me, so you could probably understand my reluctance on visiting her grave on this day. Happy birthday to me. Happy death day to my mom.

****
I just kind of chose that excerpt at random. Well, it's back to writing! Wish me luck!

xoxo
Linda

Where's the summer going?

2009-08-03T18:55:00.000-07:00

I know I have another month or so to be productive during my summer break but I feel like it's slipping away.

Her Wayward Journeys has been quite a journey indeed! I keep wanting to change this, tweak that, rewrite
this, throw out that...I want the book to be the cool universe that exists in my brain.

I guess lots of things have been difficult with having to train two dogs. Inconsistency seems to be the constant
with those two! Where one succeeds the other is oblivious. They aren't bad dogs...I think humans and dogs are
both confused most of the time. They, being partial herding/cattle breeds, have TONS of energy! But they sure
are cute.

Other than editing my book(s), I've been working hard hand making things for Karli and I's etsy shop! We've been doing okay but I need to find more ways to get our stuff seen.

Etsy
Buy Handmade
ShopGhoulieGirls

Well, it's off to editing land! I'll probably end up just making something out of fake fur...let's be honest.

xoxo
Linda

New Stuff in our shop!

2009-07-22T17:01:00.001-07:00

Etsy: Your place to buy & sell all things handmade
ShopGhoulieGirls.etsy.com

Shop Ghoulie Girls!

2009-06-25T12:49:00.001-07:00

Karli and I have finally filled our little etsy shop with stuff! We have been working hard in our dungeon of fun and are very happy with the stuff we've made! Buy stuff. New things will constantly be added so keep checking back. I put some samples of things here in my post! Have fun!
A picture from our little photo shoot, that I didn't use. Lexi was getting in on the action!

Shop Ghoulie Girls!

Karli makes the cutest things!

xoxo
Linda

When words start to lose their meaning...

2009-06-15T20:19:00.000-07:00

I have officially been on summer vacation for a total of 98 hours. Since then, I've been spending my time planning my future or alternate dimension life, writing, eating various snacks, playing with my pupster, playing Dungeons & Dragons, making things out of snuggly materials, reading, surfing the web and editing, editing oh and did I mention EDITING?

So, I decided that I'd give my book (The Dreamer) another read...it just has to get more awesome right? I hate it. Not really but reading the same words, over and over again is tiresome. I even thought that having a computerized British woman named Lucy reading it to me might make it easier...which it has to a certain extent. I love this trilogy. I think it's great and I want it to become a perfect diamond of a book. I keep polishing and polishing it but I can't understand English anymore. I've also become obsessively analytical about every SINGLE word and sentence. I guess this is completely natural for an author to go through when writing their first book.

On another note, Following Archer is coming along swell! I just need to iron out a few plot lines and twists. I think I may try to finish it this summer as well!

Karli and I have started a little etsy shop. I will provide the address for it later because there's the whole issue of making products to actually put into it. ;) I guarantee that it will be filled with fuzzy, furry, shiny, sparkly creatures and things that will make you say, "Ooooooh, I want it!" More on that later!

Random note: Here's the thing that made me feel creepy. The making of a "Reborn" doll. Interest peaked? Look it up online.

xoxo
Linda

Being simple is difficult...

2009-06-07T18:33:00.000-07:00

I received my first rejection letter! Weeee! I didn't feel held back by it too much. My initial reaction (which lasted about 10 seconds) was, "What's the point in trying to write?" but that feeling slowly faded and the rejection turned into a catalyst to make me want to move forward! The agent was extremely nice and complimented my work by expressing that I was a strong writer with an original concept but that she felt she wasn't best fit for the project.

I think that finding the perfect agent is one of the hardest things I've had to do (and am still doing!). I want to find someone who whole-heartedly believes in me and my work. It's just like any relationship. I've completed editing my manuscript which is around 340 pages and almost 90,000 words and I'm fighting this very minute to go back and start editing again.

I've also found a few new agents I will be querying. One that I'm VERY excited about. I've read interviews with him and found his words inspiring and intriguing. He's also into science-fiction and fantasy...which I think is highly important since that is what I primarily focus on. I'm trying not to get too attached to any one agent so that I don't feel too let down if/when I get rejected.

Speaking of rejections again, I started a rejection wall and even a binder! Leave it to me to make my rejections into some sort of organized project!

In my new query I've eliminated a separate synopsis and just integrated it into the letter itself and let me tell you...smooshing a 90,000 word novel into two sentences was the most difficult thing ever! But I did it! Here it is!

Fifteen year old Lexi Bennett thinks that traveling with your parents through space attempting to find a place to call home can be boring, that is until she’s left alone to fend for herself on a strange alien moon. Befriending tunnel “rats”, running from space ravagers and mind squad agents are only the beginning of her troubles, little does she know that it’s her strange dreams and mysterious gift that have the power to save the universe from its terrible fate.

I've also opened up the second book in my trilogy which is maybe a third of the way complete and my brain turned to mush. I was editing for about ten hours yesterday so I have to give myself a break I guess. I just keep having little revelations bursting in my brain and can't stop taking notes, which are plastered around my walls.

I read through my other stand alone novel, Following Archer and remembered how much I loved it! So, once I can pull my head out of deep space, I look forward to working on that piece again! How does Stephen King do this? There's no possible way! I think he has a bunch of ghost writers he keeps locked in his basement and they write for him.

Here's what I have on my writing to-do list:
1. Stop analyzing query letter and send out.
2. Stop editing The Dreamer and send out.
3. Read through The Black Stone and make edits.
4. Finish The Black Stone
5. Finish Following Archer (This and #4 in no particular order)
6. Work on I Was A Giant
7. Outline several other ideas

Other than writing...kind of...songs are being written for the Season 2 opener of Commander Quacks, Protector of the Future. Our 10 fans can't wait!! We are still mildly researching places that would be interested in airing a sci-fi puppet tv show. I mean who wouldn't??? That is a whole other story.

Here's a random high school photo that a friend put up on facebook...
It's funny I was just making fun of a guy on a TV show wearing that very poncho I'm wearing in this picture! Ironic.

More later.
xoxoxo
Linda

I'm doing things!

2009-05-14T21:16:00.000-07:00

It's almost summer time and there's no excuse for not being productive!! I am finally going to send out my query letter and sample chapter for Her Wayward Journeys! I opened my letter and realized it was dated from 2007! It's time. I am really proud of what I've accomplished with my writing and I hope it pays off. It's still the most gratifying thing I engage myself in.
I've adopted a puppy and to me I'm just one step closer to living my dream! Here she is! She reminds me of the dog from Road Warrior but sadly she will not wear a bandana...yet. One can dream.

Quacks Season 2 is in the making! We are in the process of story-boarding and writing the songs. Yes, it's going to be the music episode and dare I say that we are stoked? Pumped? Both? Yes.

There is much to do and so little time. I have been accidentally exercising a bunch due to having a new puppy which is tiring but very healthy. Did I mention I moved into a new house...well, I did and it's been nice too since I get to live with my good friends.

That's all for now all you imaginary people that will one day read my blog.

xoxo
Linda

New Episode of Quacks is up and other stuff...

2008-11-11T16:48:00.000-08:00

You can view it here...

I've been hard at work making tons of puppets for Commander Quacks. Joey, Matt and I have been planning the episodes and have figured out each season arc and the SERIES arc. We're pretty excited. A new bad guy puppet has been introduced and was made by Karli! She will be providing her many talents to this show and another show that her and I are coming up with. It is in "pre-production" and we CAN'T WAIT to start it. Oh how I wish I could do this as a living. Maybe one day...

Speaking of doing things for a living that I love one day! I am progressing nicely with Following Archer and predict I should finish the book sometime in my life...just kidding...sometime before the end of this year. It's Her Wayward Journeys that will take the rest of my life.

As for my "real" life work. I'm excited about doing the second issue of the Scribbler. Hopefully the kids will be just as excited as they were for the first issue. I have 16 kids in my creative writing class now. I think parents and teachers liked the Scribbler. Hopefully I can handle that many kids. Creation Station is also going well. 21 children! This week we are going to make puppets! I'm going to see how many things we can make with felt, hot glue guns and googly eyes...it's a crapload of things I expect...and hope.

xoxo
Linda

New Blog for...

2008-11-04T04:05:00.000-08:00

COMMANDER QUACKS!!!

Check it out. It will have updates, all episodes, information and more!
I will still update youtube but I wanted the show to have it's own page!

Commander Quacks's Blog!

xoxo
Linda

Costumes, Puppets...and Puppets...

2008-10-28T03:47:00.001-07:00

I finally made my Halloween costume...it turned out really neat with help from Karli since she had the one piece of it that made me think of the costume in the first place! I also finished and started distributing my literary magazine (The Scribbler) to the teachers and kids today! It came out really neat.

So, here's my main reason for posting this...COMMANDER QUACKS Episode 2 (The Puzzle)
This episode's way more polished!

Enjoy!

Until next post...Linda

Stuff...

2008-10-25T17:39:00.000-07:00

So, I just finished reading the entire Cirque Du Freak series by Darren Shan. I was very entertained throughout...and then very impressed with the ending. What a satisfying series! I'm finishing up a new book called The Looking Glass Wars (which I'm also enjoying) then it's onto Shan's Demonata series. At first all of my book choices lately I viewed as "research" because I am primarily reading young adult's sci-fi and fantasy like a bunch of Garth Nix, Shan and the like but it's turning out to be quite inspiring and entertaining as well!

I've been trudging along with Following Archer and am still enjoying the process and story. EDITING The Dreamer is still forever on my TO DO LIST! Her Wayward Journeys will be the death of me. I'll finish that trilogy at some point in my life!

I spent all of last night and today working on the first issue of The Scribbler. A literary magazine the kids in my creative writing class and I created. It's a Halloween issue so it's filled with scary stories, poems and also comics and drawings (from Joey's Let's Draw class. There's also photographs the students took in Karli's photography class. I'm so happy I'm finished and can't wait to give them to the students, parents and teachers!

Joey, Matt and I also created the first episode of our new puppet space adventure show called, "Commander Quacks, Protector of the Future!" Here's a little description of the show. After the destruction of Quacksonia, Commander Quacks...the one sole survivor must venture out into the far reaches of space to find a new home for himself and a vital collection of frozen eggs! Episode 1 (Ship-Jacked!)- Quacks and ZX-39 find their first planet! They beam down and meet a new shipmate and realize their ship has been stolen by space pirates!

Well, onto doing the million things I wish to do on my weekend...until next time.
xoxo
Linda

Back to writing...my books AND my blog!

2008-10-11T20:33:00.000-07:00

One day someone besides myself will actually read this blog and I'll be grateful that I actually keep it up. So, here I am keeping it up. I've been working really really hard on Following Archer and I believe that this will be THE book I publish first. Fingers crossed...I'm very happy with where it's going and how it will eventually end. I just can't wait!

I'm still progressing on other works. Her Wayward Journeys...the title is fitting with the story AND the journey of writing it. I am still with my friend Thor editing the first part and I'm still working on the second installment. It is such a big project and there are times where I get extremely overwhelmed (even underwhelmed) BUT I sit myself down, imagine the story in my brain and remember why I am writing it. Creating an entire universe is a difficult task...unless you're playing SPORE which is entirely different.

Those are the two projects that are my current priorities but there are many more on my infinite "to-do lists". There's a little voice (very tiny) inside my head that whispers, "What about music? Why haven't you written any songs lately?"...Honestly, I've been ignoring it. I'm not sure why. Writing seems to be the only thing I do that makes it okay to not be painting, or making my smooshies (my new word for my dolls), writing music or any other silly crafts and hobbies that I come up with. You know, like sewing Farscape characters into clothing and totes.

I am excited about a proposal I'm creating for some "products" that I created. Don't want to give out too much info...and I must do it with haste because if I don't someone else will have invented it and I will find them sitting on the shelves in Target.

I'm going to keep up this blog so...until next time.

Summer Summer Summer TIME...

2008-07-22T02:09:00.000-07:00

I am actually taking a "hiatus" in WORKING! For the next month and a half I am working on writing, art, music, puppets...whatever I can possibly dream up. I am pretty darn excited and overwhelmed with ideas. Here's what I've been working on.

* Editing The Dreamer and still working on The Black Stone in the Her Wayward Journeys TRILOGY
* Following Archer...which is going very well so far.
* I Was A Giant...now this is something I'm really getting excited about. It's my book project where I am writing it without outlining or over-thinking every element of the book. It's a very silly adventure/fantasy story so I'm having lots of fun writing in a stream of consciousness way with it.
* I'm also working on a few screenplays and converting some stories into screenplays.
*PUPPET VIDEOS!
*ART show with Karli!

You can view my new art on my newly renovated site. scaredgirldotnet

Again...again...again and again...

2008-04-08T00:54:00.001-07:00

I just rewrote Chapter One of The Dreamer for the third time...and it's great now! I think...
I'm starting to understand (grok) in fullness how difficult it is to finish a book. Not write it
but finish it. It's the getting rid of the crap part that's difficult. I'm still having a blast but
it's also very emotional. I'm going through ups and downs with this trilogy but I'm guessing
that's a very natural thing. Especially when it comes to artistic and creative things. Ugh, I'm
tired and start teaching my new classes tomorrow so I probably should hop into bed finish
reading Stranger in a Strange Land (if you didn't "grok" that I am reading it) and fall into the
land of LaLa.

Goodnight my fellow water brothers...Linda

Finally writing again!

2008-04-01T00:33:00.000-07:00

I wrote a few pages of The Black Stone today and yesterday...whew was it hard after going through a little hiatus or maybe it was slight writer's block. But I'm now happily rolling along. It was a visceral experience...a true writing experience. I had a tiny idea of what was going on and the characters jumped out of the computer and started telling me stories of their adventures. Afterwards I read through the pages I had apparently written and didn't remember writing any of it. I LOVE THAT!

I've been watching lots of Farscape, reading quite a bit and also doing lots of artwork which has all been inspiring in their own way. Hopefully I can stop creating blogs and get some words down before retiring this evening but here's some samples of my art that I've been vomiting out onto canvases the past couple weeks. I have a HUGE canvas that I'll be tackling next. I can't wait...I'm going to try and keep this blog up and running even if it's for my own sake!

xoxo Linda

Wow! It's been a while...

2008-03-06T12:24:00.000-08:00

I haven't been keeping up with this blog as much as I had wanted to. Since my last post I've been working on lots of new book ideas as well as getting married!

I am also working at a montessori school teaching art, music, crafts and drama to kids! It's been wonderful!

I'm almost a third of the way through my second book, "The Black Stone". It's part two of Her Wayward Journeys and it's turning out to be really exciting! Writing has become my number one passion and doesn't seem to have waned at all since I started. It really is what I want to do. I've also been reading quite a bit, which hasn't changed. I'm currently reading Perdido Street Station and Un Lun Dun both written by China Mieville. He is a really talented writer. I am also reading some classics such as Time For the Stars by Robert Heinlein and Rendezvous with Rama by Arthur C. Clarke. They are both very good as well. I haven't found my new book obsession since reading Walter Moers books though. I'd really like to find a new series or book that I absolutely CANNOT put down!

Well, I promise myself that I will write more in this blog even though no one really knows about it. haha.

xoxo Linda

Leaping Lizards! I wrote a query letter!

2007-11-19T22:27:00.000-08:00

Holy crap! I actually did it! I wrote my first draft of my VERY first query letter for my debut book entitled, 'The Dreamer'! I can't believe it! I think the odd catalyst for doing so was designing my very own letterhead...it's funny what inspires you to get the ball rolling, so to speak.

So, I designed the letterhead and found myself having difficulty in closing it without writing a letter...so, I thought that I would just go ahead and finally do it. For those of you who don't know, I've been putting off writing a query because of many made-up reasons. I am soooooo nervous and excited about finally submitting my book to agents!

Hopefully, I am lucky and someone soon will find my book publishable. Weeeeee...soon I may be able to live the lifestyle I've been dreaming of. I'm not speaking of solely making money doing something that I love but...working from home and also wearing my pajamas til' whenever. ;)

We'll see how long it takes for me to actually send it out. ha.

xoxo
Linda

My new favorite author...

2007-10-17T18:02:00.000-07:00

Walter Moers!!! I've just finished reading, Rumo & His Miraculous Adventures and it was delightful! One of the most entertaining and coziest reads ever. If I would describe it I would say that it was a warm bacon stuffed pastry. I cannot begin to describe how wonderful it was so....READ IT!
I also read his newest book...City of Dreaming Books which was also very wonderful as well. My only critique of it was that it ended too soon...but alas, it had to end at some point.
I am currently reading The 13 1/2 lives of Captain Bluebear which is turning out to be just as good as Rumo but I'm still in progress with it.

Please do not go without reading these books...they will take you on a magnificant adventure filled with creatures and characters beyond your imagination and places that you can only dream of...on accident.

xoxo
Linda

www.scaredgirl.net

2007-10-05T15:44:00.001-07:00

I've updated and re-organized my website as if it were a overly-cluttered closet full of junk!
I also wanted to make it more interesting, simple and interactive...
It's still in progress but check it out when you get the chance.

scared girl dot net

xoxoxo
Linda

I'm engaged!!

2007-10-03T18:39:00.001-07:00

Matt has proposed to me in the form of a fun scavenger hunt and I said...yes!
It was very sweet and wonderful...thank god he didn't film it or anything like that...haha.

We are thinking about having a science fiction/fantasy themed wedding which I think would be hilarious and fun! It would be somewhat appropriate since we are big nerds. Also seeing all of our family and friends dressed up in costumes will be great!

Anyways, just wanted to write a little blog about my current life changing event without being too girly...but I sure am happy!

xoxoxo
Linda

I sure am having fun!

2007-09-19T22:44:00.000-07:00

I've been diligently writing away...having lots of fun with my new little novel called, Following Archer! It's turning into quite the adventure! Did I mention that writing is just the neatest activity in the world? I am preparing my stories/manuscripts etc. for some literary agents. It's time to do it and move forward. There's a part of me that is frozen with anxiety and fear but what do I have to lose? I only have the potential of gaining...gaining a new lifestyle (which I crave!) and confidence.

Sometimes I become overwhelmed with all the possibilities and choices I have. I cannot wait to be able to do this full time. I also really want to start thinking about my kids/fun people show...MAKE BELIEVE MANSION!

I've also sketched out a new painting that is huge and crazy and am looking forward to painting it! It's going to be insane...to others I suppose. Anyways, back to the typing and the painting and the eating of pastries and chips.

PS I am reading a book called MOMO by Michael Ende which makes me want to put my friends in little onsie pajamas and stuff them into some sort of princess bed and then sit in a rocking chair and read it to them. I am also reading another book called The City of Dreaming Books by Walter Moers that is absolutely WONDERFUL! It's so humorous and entertaining. It also has a bunch of illustrations that were done by the author himself. Those are two books that were both translated from German. Read them if you have the time...

xoxox Linda

CHAPTER SEVEN!!!! I hate you.

2007-09-14T14:17:00.001-07:00

I am having the most difficult time finishing ONE chapter of my book...it is driving me to madness!

I just submitted a story to a Writer's Digest Contest! I will know in November or something if I won or not. I am mentally and emotionally preparing myself...building and constructing a piece of indestructable psychological armor so to speak.

I am also going to submitting some manuscripts/cover letters/whatever they suggest...to certain literary agents in the very NEAR future.

I am ready for rejection, acception...anything! I have nothing to lose. My sanity is too embedded in my soul to be destroyed. I find myself very relieved that I do not thrive on others praise to go on living comfortably.

My only affliction is having too much inspiration and ideas and not enough time to spend on writing books/building sets for Make Believe Mansion/making various mind-boggling puppets/writing songs for Commando the Musical/coming up with the next kick-ass TV show that affects society like visual crack cocaine...you know...the usual.

Oh yes...and I cannot seem to finish Chapter Seven of book two of Her Wayward Journeys...The Black Stone. I have been writing another new book but my thoughts are always wandering back to my original "baby". Ever since I started writing I realized how much sense it made to live very far away from "stuff" that can easily distract you.

I want to turn my dreams into make-believe...or better yet...reality. Maybe I should follow some of my own advice. Here's a Top Ten list of random stuff that has either been a big part or little fraction of my daily life these days.

1. Cupcakes
2. Tuna melts w/ gorgonzola CHEESE!
3. Ryuichi Sakamoto music
4. Shamelessly practicing with a glorious switchblade decorated with an Eagle and the word, "America" on it.
5. Writing stuff
6. Painting
7. TV shows (Star Trek, Law & Order, Tim & Eric's Awesome Show)
8. Reading endlessly (I thought I had "maybe" read about 15 books the past few months but when I actually counted it was lots more)
9. Crying while reading a friend's present (It was a book...)
10. Loving my boyfriend

List of books I remember reading in the past few months (or more?) Write me if you want to know if they were good...

American Gods- Neil Gaiman
Neverwhere- Neil Gaiman
SIX Dragonlance Novels (Original Series & Legends)- M. Weis & T. Hickman
The Telling- Ursula LeGuin
Lathe of Heaven- Ursula LeGuin
The Dispossessed- Ursula LeGuin
City of Illusions- Ursula LeGuin
The Word for World is Forest- Ursula LeGuin
The Left Hand of Darkness- Ursula LeGuin
The Farthest Shore- Ursula LeGuin
Rocannan's World- Ursula LeGuin
The Martian Chronicles- Ray Bradbury
The Land of Elyon Books (The Dark Hills Divide/Beyond the Valley of Thorns/The Tenth City)- Patrick Carman
The Giver- Lois Lowry
The Hearing Trumpet (still working on this one)
....and more I cannot remember right now...

*Up Next!
The Diamond Age- Neil Stephensen (I started it years ago but never finished)
Changing Planes- Ursula LeGuin
Anansi Boys- Neil Gaiman
Wasteland- Francesca Lia Block
FINISH reading...Hard-Boiled Wonderland- Haruki Murakami

I don't know why I am writing all of this...I guess it was just fun to see my progress in writing. Well, I'm going to stare at the computer screen and try and finish CHAPTER SEVEN or atleast work on my other writings. OR maybe I'll paint...SHEESH...see what I mean? Whatever I do I cannot go upstairs and start watching Law & Order Criminal Intent no matter how cool I think Vincent D'Onofrio is.

xoxo Linda

I really should be working on my books but instead...

2007-09-05T01:10:00.001-07:00

I will randomly rant in my blog...

Dear me...

So, today at the theatre was quite strange. There must have been a strange portal that opened up mysteriously beckoning or signaling every crazy person within a mile radius to come and visit us. It started when I arrived to work about ten minutes early and the cops and paramedics where restraining a crazy shirtless man (*I will elaborate on my opinion of shirtless people momentarily) onto a stretcher and taking him away. I was told later by Karli that she had called the cops...not merely because he had the potential of becoming very annoying within an hour but because he was jumping into the street every now and again and might be hit by a car. *Now for my opinion about shirtless people (mainly males...my opinion on shirtless women doesn't exist because if it did it would be insane). There is something wrong with these people. It is never okay to walk around shirtless unless: You are in your own home or in your backyard barbequeing or washing the car or I don't know...swimming perhaps? A shirtless male is usually seen wearing a backwards baseball hat and usually being very loud maybe because they didn't get attention for being simply shirtless and they are angry about it. They are usually jerks and want to tell you their point of view on some meaningless nonsense. I will do anything to avoid talking to a shirtless guy. I think you get my point.

Next came a man with long curly black hair and taped glasses, wearing a dark gray shirt that had some sort of stain on it. At first I thought..."Oh god, here comes a crazy guy..." but then I wasn't too worried because he looked like the type that would rather ignore others. He wasn't that type. He approached the concessions counter and inquired on the popcorn prices and sizes and politely asked if all of them were refillable. Before I could answer he started talking about some sort of seminar and then about some man by the name of Jenkins. Suddenly I was convinced that he was some sort of word magician and I was to continue listening to what he had to say and figure out the word puzzle he was saying. His powers were strong and I found myself forgetting what he was saying and even who I was. He then asked if we had midnight movies and I told him that we didn't but that the Shattuck Theatre did. He said I didn't have to apologize for it and made me wonder if I had even said that I was sorry. He then asked if I had trained to be a flight attendant and then recited the safety speech that flight attendants say before take off. He never ended up buying anything but stayed at the theatre for hours and I couldn't find a reason to kick him out. Was this all a part of his elaborate scheme???!!!

There were numerous other patrons that left our minds boggled. A loud but very docile and friendly man wearing a green plaid coat who was perfectly fine with just red vines thank you and his older plump companion. And a young obnoxious guy that somehow got his bookbag stuck hanging on our marquee and thanked us for getting it down with a lemon drop cookie that we were all afraid to eat. He was told by Karli that he was kind of freaking her out with his erratic behavior and instead of getting angry he went across the street into the alleyway and wrote down his phone number and name with a strange note in the margin that read, "But I have to get a phone first...". He also informed her not to take the note from its hiding place in the alleyway because someone from the gas station was coming for it as well.

The end of the night I found a note on the ground that was folded. On the front it said something like, "Look down here, Hurry Up" with yellow anarchy symbols on it. Inside was a message from the anarchist "Death Frog". I cannot remember the quote but it informed me that my life was a lie.

So, now I am safely at home...hopefully away from any kind of insanity that I cannot control and it is my weekend. Two days which I can sit around and write and work on my friend Joey's birthday present! I am hoping that my seemingly specified writer's block will fade away and I can work on The Black Stone once again but if not I will continue on with Following Archer which is progressing splendidly.

Following Archer...

2007-09-04T15:04:00.000-07:00

I am having tons of fun writing my new story, "Following Archer". This is the one where a boy buys a magical picture frame. Lots of neat characters are popping up and being created on the spot and it's going to be more than I originally anticipated!

I am very nervous and exicted about sending my words off to some literary agents. I am having fun researching various opportunities as well. I cannot wait for the day that I can do nothing but wake up and look forward to writing.

Book Two of Her Wayward Journeys is still trudging along since I hit my first rut in writing it. The Black Stone (Book Two) is turning out to be quite complex with different storylines and plot twists as well as the many characters I have created. I'm still very excited and the trilogy WILL be complete someday. I just want to knock the socks off the readers. It's going to be quite the adventure!

Well, I'm off to work. boohoo. I can't really complain about work...it is a very fun and desireable job although I'd rather be here writing.

xoxo
Linda

Welcome to my blog...

2007-08-28T14:37:00.000-07:00

Greetings!

I thought I'd create a little blog-space to write my thoughts and update everyone on how my writing is going!

Speaking of which...I am trudging along on Book Two (The Black Stone) of Her Wayward Journeys and find that it is getting a little difficult to write as easily as I did for the first book. Partially, because there are multiple story-lines and more neat characters to create along the way! But mostly because I want to out-do the first book.

There's going to be lots of adventure and betrayal and all that good stuff. This is only my second book so I shouldn't really beat myself up too much but I am getting harder on myself since my confidence level has also evolved somewhat.

I cannot wait to finish this series since I have already created the perfect ending but it'll take more time. I also cannot wait to start on Simon and The Forsaken Fables as well as a couple of other books I am outlining.

Writing has taken over my life in such a positive and gratifying way...a way that I can't even describe and I haven't even been published yet! I feel like this is just the beginning of a wonderful career. The happiness I feel even now will always outweigh any kind of hurdles I have to jump over in the future. Wish me luck!

xoxo
Linda

*NEW book I'm working on...

2007-08-28T14:30:00.000-07:00

*Short Synopsis

This story will be about an adolescent boy named Thurston, who is very withdrawn, quiet and sullen. He lives with his single mother who doesn’t pay too much attention to him. He gets teased and beat up frequently at school and doesn’t have many friends. One day he visits his very elderly and ill grandmother who he loves very much. She presents him a painting that she had painted when she was younger and asks him to do her a big favor. She asks him to go to a nice store and buy a frame for the painting and to hang it in his room and that it would make her very happy.

He promises his granny that he would do so that very day and says goodbye. While strolling to find a store that sold frames he encounters some schoolmates that tease him and punch him in the face, giving him a bloody lip. He finally gets away and while running away he finds a strange store in the middle of what had seemingly been an empty alleyway. He goes inside and it is the most unique and mystical store he had ever seen in his life. The storekeeper appears after he explores it a bit. He inquires to the old man why he has never seen this store even though he has lived in this city his whole life. The man says some subtle and strange…along the lines of, “It only appears when it’s truly desired or needed.” He tells the man that he is looking for a frame for the painting his grandmother had given to him. They have a conversation, which hints that the old man studying the boy very carefully. The old man gives him a beautiful frame.

He goes home that day and puts the painting into the frame and hangs it above his bed. In the middle of the night, he awakes and notices that the frame has grown immensely! It’s now the size of his bedroom window!

Basically…the boy goes into different paintings, photos and clippings every night and explores the different worlds of whatever happens to be in this mystical frame. But something is following him…some sort of shadow! Changing the paintings and images and attempting to find a world in which the shadow doesn’t find him starts becoming an obsession. In the end in a world that is an amusement park he comes face to face with his shadow and realizes it’s a part of himself he is running away from and we find out the dark truth that is a part of us all. We can’t and shouldn’t run away from our shadows…or by the end of our time there could be hundreds of shadows chasing us.