So Much to Do, So Little Time!

So I'm still alive. However, with Dear Son's new mobility I've realized it just isn't possible for me to keep up with my blog the way I intended to and still have time to actually write. So this is the new world order - I'll pop in and post when I have time and something to say, but I'm not gonna let it stress me out. I'm not even attempting to stick to a schedule for the time being, because that just isn't working out. But I still love you! And I will be tweeting regularly to keep in touch with you lovely people of the internets.

Here's what I'm working on now:

Looks fun doesn't it? :) It was a lot of fun to write! Off to continue editing.

-Gemma

Stuff For Writers - Television Tropes

Today I'm going to share one of my favorite sites. I can literally spend hours on this page without realizing that more than minutes have passed. TV tropes is "a catalog of the tricks of the trade for writing fiction." 


What are tropes, you ask? "Tropes are devices and conventions that a writer can reasonably rely on as being present in the audience members' minds and expectations." They're similar to cliches, but without the negative connotation. (Although if you've read this post, you know that well done cliches are A-OK with me) I found this video through a link on one of the pages (I can't remember which one, I spent hours there the other day) and it illustrates tropes far better, and funnier, than I could describe them.

That was awesome right? Anyhow, the site breaks down tons of plot devices and other writing tidbits with really funny, easy to understand descriptions. There are also examples of each one, in several types of media.

A few of my favorites: (Be forewarned - This site is addictive!)

Freewrite Friday - Tired Grain

Once again, I'm posting this on a non-Friday. I missed last one so my plan is to post another tomorrow. We'll see how real life aligns with my plan. Lately they've been on different schedules...

Anyhow, this is Tired Grain. Enjoy!

Truth is More Adorable Than Fiction

Girl writes love letter to fifth grade sweetheart. Boy finds letter in his closet eight years later. Boy reminisces, asks girl to prom. Girl says yes. 'Awww'-ing ensues.

This. Is. Too. Cute.

Check out the full story on The Huffington Post.

Join the conversation: Do you have any mementos from a childhood crush? How did you get it & what did you keep? I'd love to hear your stories!

Stuff For Writers: Manage Your Own Agenda

We all write for a reason, and everything we write has an underlying message.


Romeo & Juliet - Holding grudges leads to death.
Lord of the Rings - Power corrupts.
Hunger Games - Fight the Power!


I'm being facetious, but you get what I mean. Theme is a huge part of story. But please, I beg you, do not let your plot suffer at the hands of your message.

Stuff For Writers: Around the Internets

Random things I like & love, shared with you!

-Hunger Games BARBIE?!? NOOOOOO!

Katniss would melt this thing down, sharpen the end, and turn it into a shank! Although I'm pretty sure Peeta would sleep with it at night... And, ok, if I'm totally honest, a *little* part of me wants one. But it just seems so WRONG!
http://popwatch.ew.com/2012/04/09/hunger-games-katniss-everdeen-barbie/

-Double Take Photos

I like looking at pictures for inspiration, and these remind me that sometimes when you're reading a book, what you think you see isn't what's really going on. Those are my favorite stories, where you're completely convinced that one thing is happening, but then you realize that it's something else, and all of the facts still make sense. This first picture made me stare for like two minutes. My brain was so sure something crazy was going on. Then when I finally got it, it was like 'Ohhhhh! DUH!'
http://boingboing.net/2012/05/22/fun-gallery-of-double-take.html

-Will Smith does Fresh Prince Rap on Talk Show

Just because Will Smith is awesome, and the Fresh Prince is awesome, and I love most things nineties and throwback, here's Will Smith rapping the theme to 'The Fresh Prince of Bel-Air' on The Graham Norton Show earlier this week.
http://rapfix.mtv.com/2012/05/21/will-smith-raps-fresh-prince-theme-song/

-Ryan Gosling, Liteary Agent

Totally saved the best for last. Ryan Gosling. As a literary agent. Fictionalized, of course. But hilarious nonetheless. This Twitter account is my new best friend. He says things like "Hey Girl, you write, I'll take the kids to Cold Stone. That chapter: you finish it. Sundaes: we'll bring you one."  &  "Hey Girl, I'm mailing you your line edits. Realized I wrote Ryan + your name in the margins a bunch. Sorry. Sometimes I daydream at work" The hilarity/awesomeness of this page is too much for me to even describe, so go see it for yourself. *internet swoon*
https://twitter.com/#!/goslinglitagent

Indie Spotlight: Hush Money

Susan Bischoff's Hush Money is THE book that finally convinced me indie books were cool. I'd flat-out laughed at the idea/suggestion that I would ever self-publish, because I was a purist, an aspiring author who was going Big Six or Bust. Then I found a little (well, actually, there's nothing little about it) novel called 'Heroes For Hire.'

And it totally blew my mind.

A Wedding At the End of the World

Catching up on some blogging today. Just for fun, I thought I'd post my entry for Jillian Dodd's That Wedding Contest. Which I totally did not win. My entry was...different, to say the least, so that wasn't a big surprise. (See the winners here.) The challenge was to write about your dream wedding, but I've already had my dream wedding in real life, and the thought of writing a traditional wedding scene bored me. So I went waaaay outside of the box. And into the zombie apocalypse.

Before & Ashley (His Side)

The full story is told from more than one perspective, but I've decided to go ahead and post the 1/2 that's finished.  I should warn you, it will probably be more fun to read it all together since this 1/2 has major spoilers for the other side, but it's still a fun read on its own.  In the near future, I'll finish the other and put them together. 

The girl had landed in the grass, face up.

Yemi told himself not to get involved, that he needed to lay low until he found a way home. But no one else was checking to make sure she was okay. And he couldn’t sit still any longer.

He hopped over the side of the wagon and peered down at her still form. She’d been pretty from afar, but up close she was stunning, with high cheekbones, full lips, and copper skin that reflected light like a prism. Then she opened her eyes, and for a moment, he forgot to breathe.

‘Brown’ didn’t do them justice. They were more like molten lava, drizzled with caramel and sprinkled with flecks of gold.

Then she spoke. “Uh. Hi.”

OMGOSH! *Takes deep breath* I have escaped the writing cave.

So, I finally finished Before & Ashley. Sort of. This post deserves more time than I can give it right now (seeing as it 2:50 AM and my To Do list is still super massive), so I will expand later. But here are the basics:

These last few weeks have been insane. I've been absent from my blog & Twitter, and am WAY WAY late in posting Before & Ashley for the following reasons:

Coming Soon...

Indie Spotlight - Susan Bischoff's Hush Money &
Stuff For Writers - Manage Your Own Agenda

A bit behind on blogging this week, between some personal stuff and the fact that Before & Ashley keeps MORPHING LIKE SOME SORT OF ALIEN MONSTER my schedule is somewhat out of wack right now. But I haven't abandoned my poor, lonely blog. They're coming. :)

In the meantime, enjoy this photo which answers the question - What if the male Avengers posed like the female one?  (via http://twitpic.com/9i8dcn)

Freewrite Friday!: Handsome Clover

So not in the mood to do this tonight. Frantically working on an overdue story, still editing a blog post I've been working on all week, and have barely started packing for tomorrow's 8 AM flight. But the show must go on. This is gonna be done quickly and probably a whole hot mess. But here goes nothing.

Handsome Clover

“I made it to the end of the rainbow. This gold is mine, fair and square.”

The leprechaun frowned. “But you’re not supposed to be able to see where the rainbow goes. The ends should fade away into a fine, invisible mist.”

“Yeah, well, I do and they don’t. So let go of the pot and let’s both get on with our lives.”

“No!” For someone only two feet tall, the leprechaun was surprisingly strong. He gave the sturdy iron pot a tug, but I wasn’t letting go. This gold was gonna pay for my nose job. And then Bradley Strandler would have to notice me. I’d heard it a million times – “You could be so pretty if it wasn’t for that nose” – and I was ready to take matters into my own hands. Just as soon as I got this pot out of the leprechaun’s hands.

Laptop Addicts Anonymous

So I found this on a Tumblr about being a law student, but I think this picture applies to writers too. Some of us (*raises hand*) take our laptops everywhere.

Weigh in. 

What are the strangest places you've taken your laptop/spotted someone else using theirs?

Get a Hobby! Seriously...

In order to be inspired, writers need material. And while most of us have millions of pages of material already stored in our heads (especially if you had an awkward childhood), there's so much more to be discovered. And the world is changing. The only way to stay current, especially with YA trends which change at the speed of light, is to get out into the world and see what's going on.

I'll illustrate my point with personal experience. One of my hobbies is improv (I practice with a group out here in Miami and have done a few shows). And I've found that in a lot of ways, improv has helped me to become a better writer. I've got to make up stories and characters and think on my feet. I have to be creative and keep the action going and the plot exciting. And I'm learning what I need to do to keep an audience engaged as I tell a story.

Before & Ashley - Coming Soon

Soooo, Before & Ashley was supposed to be posted today. That was the plan. But during my final read through, I had an idea that I could not pass up on. It's improved the story monumentally. However, that means I won't be finished today. Instead, I'll be posting it tomorrow or Thursday.

 I hate not doing what I said I would. Ugh. So, since I didn't make my deadline, I've decided to post Before & Ashley for free! I seriously doubt that anyone in real life was actually checking my blog with bated breath, looking for it, but in the case that that is actually happening anywhere outside of my imagination, offering the story for free is my peace offering. More info soon!

Exciting News!

I feel like this woman today:

 Why? 

Because I've just had my first blog feature! Sandra at SSBookFanatics has generously hosted Words With Friends for a promo. Free, no strings attached, just a great person being really nice and sharing her resources. And she's willing to do it for you too! Find info on how to get your book promo'd here.

And check out her promo for Friends With Words here.

I'm famous! All drinks on me! (As long as you're asking for water with lemon)

;)

A Major Announcement About Tomorrow

Click 'read more' for life changing news.

Indie Spotlight: The Complex

The Complex by C. E. Zaragoza
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

The Complex is one of the better dystopians I’ve read this year. The premise was unique and Ms. Zarazoga totally delivered on the expectations of the blurb and the sample. The twist to the story was foreshadowed enough that it made sense, but not so much that it was totally obvious.

What else I loved:
- The action picks up from the beginning, and sets the tone for a novel that is extremely well paced. The Complex opens with a prologue that was interesting, but didn’t completely catch my interest because it focused on a minor character (I like to jump right into the swing of things from the main character’s POV); however, the next chapter more than made up for it, swiftly presenting a mystery. Ms. Zarazoga has a good feel for when to ramp up the action, and just as you’re starting to feel like something needs to happen, it does. The twists and turns in this story are many and varied, so if you’re a fan of action, you will not be disappointed.

-One of the most impressive things about The Complex is that is contains, not one, not two, but three unique and detailed worlds. I’ve seen many authors master plot and characterization, but struggle at world building, and that is certainly not the case here. Each world is detailed, deeply thought-out, and unique, but they still fit together and make sense in the storyline. Showers are the sort of thing that normally get left out of a story – conventional wisdom says that sort of detail should be omitted because it’s boring. But Ms. Zarazoga masterfully uses little details like personal hygiene routines to highlight the differences in the lives of people from each area.

-In addition to the thought that clearly went into world building, it’s apparent from reading this book that Ms. Zarazoga has fully immersed herself in the world of her characters. Small details are foreshadowed and then revealed in ways that will have you saying “Ohhhh. I barely noticed that, but now it makes so much sense!” For instance, the things with the neighbors is SO something a dystopian govt. would do! Like hunting for Easter eggs, you will be rewarded with literary treats for paying attention. You can tell that she visualized the big picture going in, because the story progresses in a logical way and later action builds on what was established earlier.

-It has a real ending. Not a -cliff hanger wait a few months and pay me more money if you wanna know what happens- ending. It leaves some questions open for another story, but it answers the main questions presented, and as a reader, I really, really appreciate that. I often don’t read next installments of cliff hanger books, just on principle because I think that’s an awful thing to do to a reader.

What I didn’t love:

WARNING: THIS PART IS A LITTLE BIT SPOILERY!
I thought it was only fair to be specific about my feelings in this part of the review, so I discuss two plot points.

Clearly, Living Social doesn't know me at all

Today, Living Social sent me a daily deal for Power Capes, a company that sells both pre-made and custom ordered superhero capes. I, however, have absolutely no use for a website like this. Why, you ask? Because I am a 27-year-old law school graduate with a husband, a baby, and a grounded sense of reality?

NO.

Because I make my own.


Duh.


Anyway, here's the deal for those of you who prefer your capes factory ordered:
http://www.livingsocial.com/cities/348/deals/333324-30-to-spend-on-customizable-capes

Cover Reveal - Before & Ashley

Dun Dun Dun! As simple as it it, it took a little while to decide on the cover image for Before & Ashley. But I figured it out and I'm really happy with it. In the final stages of editing now, but the story will be up on Amazon on May 1st.

What do you think?

 Does the cover intrigue you?

Under Construction...

There's a whole lot going on around here. I'm still figuring out all the tricks and secrets of Blogger, so this thing is a work in progress. But bear with me. By the end of next week, it'll be all fancy with more tabs and a cool bio and whatnot. I know. You can hardly wait.

Indie Spotlight - An Ocean of Trouble

An Ocean of Trouble by Amber Vilate
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

I’d planned to give this 3.5 stars, but since I can't, I’m rounding up to four because it was well written. Now, to explain why.

First off, I enjoyed this story. After reading ‘Sophie and the Wolf,’ I was really hoping for more from Thalia, and I wasn’t disappointed. She appears early on, and we learn a little more about her. I like Sophie, but her weird group of friends makes her story that much more interesting.

I don’t want to give anything away, but this story continues the major mystery introduced in the last one and adds something new. I liked the addition, and thought it was a cool twist that fits perfectly into this world, but it was pleasantly unexpected. I also liked the progression of Sophie’s relationship with her crush, it felt natural and realistic (as realistic as that kind of relationship can be, lol). The one thing I didn’t like was that this episode felt less enclosed than the last. It’s not that there was no new information, but still, I finished the story feeling like I had more questions than answers – this installment felt more like a chapter of a larger book than a complete piece on its own. Still, it was a good read and I’m looking forward to the next one. I suppose the point is to get readers hooked, so on that note, well played, Amber Vilate. :)

View all my reviews

Freewrite Friday! - Encouraging Mailbox

Today’s suggestion was ‘Encouraging Mailbox.’ I really like this one. Knew what I wanted to do with it pretty much immediately. So, here goes:

            Mark walked out to his mailbox with high hopes. It had been a tough week, but he had a feeling that today would be the day. Today, Mark was getting accepted to college.

            He slowly pulled the red door open and held his breath. There was a flyer - probably more coupons from the Smart Mart down the street, something from Investor’s Bank - probably another threatening letter for Dad, and on top, a single white envelope from Meadow University.

Writing Rant - Cartoon Neil Gaiman

So I was watching, *cough*, I mean my son was watching Arthur, and they aired an episode all about writing! Neil Gaiman, author of Coraline, among other books, guest starred and gave Sue Ellen some great  advice.

My favorite quotes include:

"Don't judge your story. You just started it."

"Writing can't just be about pleasing other people. You've got a story to tell and you're the only one who can tell it."

"Sometimes it takes a while for people to appreciate something new. Don't give up."

Check it out here:

Indie Spotlight: Sophie & The Wolf

The Undead Crimefighting League: Sophie and the Wolf by Amber Vilate
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

I was intrigued by the title, but when I realized this was another vampire story, I was a little wary. The blurb was interesting though, so I gave it a chance. I'm glad I did. The story started out slow, but picked up nicely. The main character, Sophie, was endearingly self-conscious, rather than annoyingly so. And her cast of friends - including two functional zombies, a genie, and a teenage goddess - set the story apart. This is the first in a series, so the ending left an opening for the next tale, but it still wrapped up this installment so that it felt complete. I'd like to learn more about the other characters, so I'll definitely be reading on.

View all my reviews

Freewrite Friday! - Old Wilderness

It's officially freewrite Friday! Opened up the Improv Suggestomatic and it gave me....

So, here it goes. Old Wilderness. (Copy/pasted this from Word. Don't know why it's all triple spaced and don't have time to fiddle with it right now. Will work on fixing this for next week)

Mirandifer Gusterson could hardly wait to deboard the hoverbus.  They were almost to Forest Park, for their tenth grade class trip, and she was bursting with excitement. Her parents were total tightwinds, insisting that she leave the door open when Toddley came over, but she’d heard Forest Park was huge, with plenty of hiding spots away from Teacher Pat’s prying eyes. She was totally gonna make out with Toddley under a tree.

This has nothing to do with anything but...

Matthew Grey Gubler tweeted a photo of himself today, with a group of middle-aged Black women dressed in red and purple clothing and church hats. (In case you didn't know, MGG is Reed from Criminal Minds) So many questions about this. Where is this? Who are these people? How the heck did this happen?

But I kind of like not knowing.

http://www.whosay.com/gublernation/photos/161169

You're welcome.

Blog Schedule

Without further ado, I present to you, my blog schedule:
(Since clearly, you've been waiting for this with bated breath all day. <- sarcasm)

Monday - Indie Spotlight
    There's a lot of self-published junk out there, but there are also some really amazing indie books. On Mondays, I'll review and link to my favorites. Feel free to send me a nomination (whether it's your book or someone else's) at gemmawritesnights@gmail.com, with the subject line "Indie Spotlight." I can't guarantee that I'll pick your suggestion, because I'm not doing normal reviews - I'm reserving this day to praise and highlight stories I loved. However, I will probably check it out.

Wednesday - Writing Rants
     On Wednesdays, I'll be sharing anecdotes, analogies, experiences, and other random thoughts on writing. There will be links to great writing related posts I've read that week, and my own reflections on whatever happens to be on my mind.

Friday - Freestyle Friday Mini Story
     Fridays are reserved for writing a very very short story (probably 500-1000 words) based on whatever pops up first on the Improv Suggestomatic. I dearly love this thing. When I opened the page to link to it, it gave me 'Elegant Jail.' It's got me thinking already.

And that, dear readers, is my blog schedule. I'll probably post on other days too, as the mood strikes me, but you can count on new material popping up here on Mondays, Wednesdays, and Fridays.

And now back to our regularly scheduled blogging..

This week has been nuts. I'm working on my next novelette, practicing for a show I'm directing this weekend, my husband is prepping for a trial, and our toddler has been alternately grumpy from teething and enthusiastically discovering new things for us to babyproof. But if I learned one thing from my last attempt at blogging, it's that I need to make a schedule and stick to it. So tomorrow I'm posting a schedule. It'll include a day dedicated to highlighting great indie books, a day where I share assorted thoughts on writing, and a freestyle day where I use a suggestion to inspire a very short story.

In the meantime, head over to I Love YA Fiction and check out the THAT Dream Wedding Contest. Write 1000 words about your dream wedding (it can be fictionalized) and you could win a Kindle Fire!

Tributes in Panem (Hunger Games Parody - Official Lyrics Video)

You're Welcome.

It's Okay to Be Cliche, or, How Meg Cabot Restored My Faith in Writing

Note: This is an old post, recycled. Inkpop isn't even Inkpop anymore. But the sentiment remains the same.
I've had my first five chapters of My Super Hero Book posted on Inkpop for about two months now, and most of the feedback has been really positive and encouraging. But when I've gotten harsh critique, there's one thing that I've heard repeatedly: there are people who think my story is too cliche. I love my story, and I very purposefully included some so-called cliche elements in it because they are plot devices that I love, but I still take this to heart somewhat. One commentor said my story reminded them of "every 90's teen movie." My initial reaction was "Hooray! that's totally what I was going for," and then I realized that they meant that as a bad thing. Oh.

Critique Groups: Why They Rock & Why a Good One is Like Randy Jackson

Today, I'm going to write about something very near and dear to my heart: critique groups. I participate in two - one is composed of online writers, who I have never met in person but have given me some amazing advice, and another is an in person group of fellow members of the Society of Children's Book Writers & Illustrators. My critique groups have been absolutely amazing at giving me helpful advice, and also giving me a confidence boost when I really needed one. A few weeks ago, I went to my group for SCBWI, and as I was reading I kept thinking to myself 'This is horrible. This is garbage. This is the worst thing I've ever written. I am so embarrassed. Why on Earth am I reading this out loud????' but I'd already started, so it was too late to quit. I finished reading my chapter, and sat back, waiting for my critique partners to eviscerate me and...they didn't. They actually had very nice things to say, suggestions too, but the general consensus was that they liked it. And once I took a deep breath, I realized that what I'd written was actually not so bad and even had some really nice moments.

Because I love Superheroes and this is AWESOME

SUPERHERO APRONS! These immediately made me have a Veruca Salt moment (Give it to me, NOW!) There's not really much to say except that these are brilliant and incredible. 

Check out the creator's website here:http://www.bethanysewandsew.com/p/superheroes.html
Bethany Sew-and-Sew. How cute is that name? I'm in total fangirl Heaven right now. And as soon as I get some disposable income, I'm getting a custom made Storm apron! *faints with glee*

My Favorite Writing Links

So I wrote this as an email for some friends in my critique group, and then thought to myself 'Well now that I've got this thing all typed out, I might as well post it.' So, you authors and aspiring authors, here are my favorite writing links! If you've got suggestions, add 'em in the comments! :)

My absolute favorite writing sites:

http://www.querytracker.net/
If you only click one of these links, it should be this one. I spend a ridiculous amount of time on this website and their query tracking tool has been a Godsend. You can use their site to search for agents by genre, and then use their free query tracking tool to keep track of each query that you send. It’s a great way to keep things organized without having to keep a notebook listing who you’ve queried, what agency, they were from, etc. You can just search your list electronically and avoid querying more than one agent at places where a no from one person is a no from everyone, check dates to know when a query should be recorded as a non-response, etc. Each agent also has a comments page, where people write about their experiences querying that person and how long it took for them to get a response. You can also find links on the comment pages to interviews, Twitter accounts, etc. if you want to do really in depth research. One word of caution is that they do list email addresses on each agent’s page (for those who take e-queries) but you should still click each agency’s website and read the actual agent listings there because they sometimes have different email addresses for queries or additional submission requirements, like a synopsis or sample pages. 

I don't usually post this much in one day, so don't get too excited.

Today, I'm importing posts from my old blog and transferring them to this one, so there'll be a crap ton of new content all at once. This is not my normal Friday posting schedule. At all. It's supposed to be Freestyle Friday, where I get a phrase from the Improv Suggestometer and write 1000 words about it. But I'll do that next week, because today I am posting something, much, much cooler.

Why I Left Twitter, Where I've Been, & Whatsup With My Pseudonym: In which I check my ego at the door, describe my brutal experience with the query process, revisit my close calls with agents (but no cigars), and explain why I finally bit the bullet and tried my hand at self-publishing

So people regularly ask how my writing is going. And for the last year or so, I’ve said evasive things like “Fine. So how about those Celtics?” This post is an honest answer to that question and an apology/explanation to the awesome writer friends I met through Twitter and then went all Without a Trace on. It’s more a stream of consciousness than an eloquent missive, so go ahead and lower your expectations now, lol. Here goes nothing.

Coming Soon...

Tomorrow's Post:

Why I Left Twitter, Where I've Been, & Why I've Got a Pseudonym - in which I check my ego at the door and describe my brutal experience with the query process, my close calls with agents (but no cigars), and why I finally bit the bullet and tried my hand at self-publishing

Why I write novelettes

Now I'm going to address a question which everyone (and by everyone, I mean no one), has been dying to hear my thoughts on. Why do I write novelettes?

Coming up next...

Right now I'm working on a novelette called Before & Ashley. Here's the summary:

Ashley Morrison loves bake sales, cow tipping, and country music. But after a hayride head injury knocks loose memories she didn't know she had, Ashley uncovers a secret past that could jeopardize her future.

Sounds fun, right? Here's my working cover. Far from the final product, but it's what I'm using to inspire me right now.

IT'S ALIVE!!!

I feel a bit like Dr. Frankenstein. After sitting in publishing mode for a while, my very first Cupcake Novelette is live and for sale! I've already sold two (count em! two!) copies. And I only bought one of them! LOL Thank you, mysterious buyer, whoever you are. You have made my day. (Is that you, Mom?)

Check it out HERE

What the heck is a Cupcake Novelette?

I describe my current series of writing projects as Cupcake Novelettes. What exactly does that mean? Well, a novelette is a piece of short fiction which is longer than a short story and shorter than a novella (obviously, much shorter than a novel), and falls between 7,500 and 17,499 words. Mine are always a minimum of 10,000 words. The average Young Adult novel is 40,000 to 60,000 words, so my Cupcake Novelettes are about 1/4 the size of those.

I did it!

I finally bit the bullet and put a story up on Amazon for all the world to see! (and by all the world, I mean my husband, my mother, and a few other folks who may stumble across it) It's called Friends With Words and it's a novelette. More on what that means and why I chose that format later. For now, I'm going to bask in the glory of having finally arrived. Because as far as I'm concerned, having a story for sale on Amazon makes me famous... :)