I have simple tastes...really. I don't need to have obscene amounts of money, or drive around in an amazing car like a BMW Z8 convertible, Viper ACR coupe, Jaguar XKR, or a...ooops, sorry I got carried away for a moment. Okay, maybe I'd like the car, but what I need, and what I've wanted since I was a child old enough to actually remember anything, is my house in the country with a horse, jersey cow, goats, and dogs. Pretty much any animal that needs a home.
I yearn for the whisper of the wind rustling the trees, the freshness of clean air, and even the woody smell of decaying leaves and trees. I live for the day I can wake up to nothing more than the birds singing outside my window instead of the noise from trucks, cars, blasting radios, sirens, lawnmowers and various other electric machines that make too much noise.
How I curse people who think it's cool to have a motorcycle that I swear rivals the blast from an exploding nuclear bomb. Haven't they heard of noise pollution? How do they figure it's okay to intrude on our peace and quiet by revving their way through our neighbourhood. Like we want to have ours ears blasted and meditation interrupted. Jeesh!
So, with visions of a log cabin nestled amidst the calming balm of nature and my phantom animals prancing about my mind, I bid you goodnight.
Catherine
Tuesday, April 19, 2005
Sunday, April 17, 2005
There would be no science 'fantasy' genre without Tolkien's Lord of the Rings!
Interesting article about Tolkien's contribution to the genre of what is being called science fantasy. Check out this link:
http://www.prnewswire.com/news/index_mail.shtml?ACCT=104&STORY=/www/story/03-03-2003/0001900379&EDATE=
http://www.prnewswire.com/news/index_mail.shtml?ACCT=104&STORY=/www/story/03-03-2003/0001900379&EDATE=
Tuesday, April 05, 2005
Like getting root canal
Remember that lost manuscript that wasn't really lost and was sitting on John Morgan's desk all the while? Well, I received a phone call from the post office yesterday and it turns out they were still looking for my manuscript. My fault, I neglected to let them know I'd been in contact with John Morgan. Anyway, this woman told me she had called his office and found out that John Morgan was no longer with ROC books.
WHAT!!! News to me.
Any calls to his office were being directed to Anne Sowards. The post office woman had no idea the name of my manuscript and wasn't even aware she was inquiring about a parcel by using my married name rather than my maiden name, so I took it upon myself to place a phone call--just to make sure my manuscript really was bouncing around the offices somewhere.
Surprisingly, I made contact directly with Anne Sowards and let her know the situation. She was very approachable and helpful and told me that John Morgan's work had been split between herself and another editor (or two). She checked her pile while I waited on the phone (a very nice thing to do) and when she didn't find my manuscript said she'd inquire right away and let me know.
So, I waited. Only a day though. She was true to her word and e-mailed me the next day to let me know that another editor most assuredly had my manuscript. Thank goodness.
With a sigh of relief and an impatient demeanour, I now sit back, cross my fingers, say a silent prayer, and wait...and wait...
WHAT!!! News to me.
Any calls to his office were being directed to Anne Sowards. The post office woman had no idea the name of my manuscript and wasn't even aware she was inquiring about a parcel by using my married name rather than my maiden name, so I took it upon myself to place a phone call--just to make sure my manuscript really was bouncing around the offices somewhere.
Surprisingly, I made contact directly with Anne Sowards and let her know the situation. She was very approachable and helpful and told me that John Morgan's work had been split between herself and another editor (or two). She checked her pile while I waited on the phone (a very nice thing to do) and when she didn't find my manuscript said she'd inquire right away and let me know.
So, I waited. Only a day though. She was true to her word and e-mailed me the next day to let me know that another editor most assuredly had my manuscript. Thank goodness.
With a sigh of relief and an impatient demeanour, I now sit back, cross my fingers, say a silent prayer, and wait...and wait...
Friday, April 01, 2005
Lost manuscript???
Hi and sorry. You'd think that five minutes a few times a week would be easy to find. Well, guess again. My intentions are to keep my blog updated, but, yikes, life gets in the way.
My latest news about my manuscript, Beyond the Faerie Realm, is that it got lost on the way to John Morgan's office. At least I thought it was lost. Wanting to ensure it arrived quickly and safely (ha!) I sent my manuscript express post. I then proceeded to track the package. One, two...six days later and it still hadn't been delivered. After checking with the post office and finding out that they had no idea what had become of my package, I took a deep breath and made a phone call. I needed to know if my manuscript had arrived. If not, I needed to print another and send it out.
I called John Morgan's office, fully expecting to talk with an assistant, after all, it's a big company, why should he answer his own phones, but I ended up leaving a message on his personal answering machine (service...whatever). I left a brief message asking if he could have someone check into whether my manuscript had arrived (or not), and let me know. Now, when I hung up the phone, I started thinking what a dunce I was to ask him to make a long-distance phone call. I should have said I'd call his office back the next day to see if they'd managed to find out anything. Oh, well, it was too late by that time.
Anyway, within no more than an hour or so, he called me back personally and let me know that my manuscript was right in front of him. I was struck with relief it had arrived and then nervousness at talking person to person with the editor I was trying to impress. But he was really nice. He even told me it might take a while to get to my manuscript and if I was wondering what was going on, I should feel free to call and bug him about it.
Right. Is this the planet earth? Don't these editors have assistants to screen pesky authors? Maybe it's a test. Maybe he wants to see if I will call and bother him. No way. I'm doing nothing to give him any reason to reject me. The rejection I'm sure to get will be because of my work, not anything I've done to tick off the guy in charge.
In the meantime, fingers, toes, and eyes are crossed.
Talk to you soon
Catherine
My latest news about my manuscript, Beyond the Faerie Realm, is that it got lost on the way to John Morgan's office. At least I thought it was lost. Wanting to ensure it arrived quickly and safely (ha!) I sent my manuscript express post. I then proceeded to track the package. One, two...six days later and it still hadn't been delivered. After checking with the post office and finding out that they had no idea what had become of my package, I took a deep breath and made a phone call. I needed to know if my manuscript had arrived. If not, I needed to print another and send it out.
I called John Morgan's office, fully expecting to talk with an assistant, after all, it's a big company, why should he answer his own phones, but I ended up leaving a message on his personal answering machine (service...whatever). I left a brief message asking if he could have someone check into whether my manuscript had arrived (or not), and let me know. Now, when I hung up the phone, I started thinking what a dunce I was to ask him to make a long-distance phone call. I should have said I'd call his office back the next day to see if they'd managed to find out anything. Oh, well, it was too late by that time.
Anyway, within no more than an hour or so, he called me back personally and let me know that my manuscript was right in front of him. I was struck with relief it had arrived and then nervousness at talking person to person with the editor I was trying to impress. But he was really nice. He even told me it might take a while to get to my manuscript and if I was wondering what was going on, I should feel free to call and bug him about it.
Right. Is this the planet earth? Don't these editors have assistants to screen pesky authors? Maybe it's a test. Maybe he wants to see if I will call and bother him. No way. I'm doing nothing to give him any reason to reject me. The rejection I'm sure to get will be because of my work, not anything I've done to tick off the guy in charge.
In the meantime, fingers, toes, and eyes are crossed.
Talk to you soon
Catherine
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