Ramblings-n-Writings

Archive for January, 2009

I paid…are you ready?…$15 including tax!!!! I didn’t necessarily need a jacket. I have a wonderful Lands End parka, but sometimes the parka is a little too heavy for the weather or a too bulky when I’m shopping. Don’t you think this jacket will look great with a pair of jeans? Or over top one of these…

Aren’t those sweaters the cutest? I love the colors! There’s 5 sweaters, one tank top, and a nightgown (it isn’t in the picture). So how much did I pay? The cheapest item was $2.49, the most expensive was $7.49. Brand new!

I’m really excited because some of my sweaters are looking ratty after years and years of wearing or buying used. Seriously, I’ve had some of my sweaters for about 10 years. I didn’t think anyone noticed, but when I told the Farmer that I bought new sweaters, he cheered! LOL

So, by now you’re probably wondering how this is Super Savings…

If I would’ve bought everything at full price, my total would have been just under $350! Yipes! My total…drumroll please…was $57! Woot! That’s a savings of about 84%!

Now to clean out the closet and get rid of those ratty sweaters.

Have you seen Christian Writers’ Market Guide 2009by Sally Stuart? What an amazing resource with a wealth of information! In previous years, I’ve used the regular Writer’s Market (I actually just got rid of my 2003 edition), and I have to say that the Christian Writers’ Market Guide 2009 is easier to use by far.

The guide breaks the writing market into three broad categories – book publishers, periodicals, and specialty markets (greeting cards, gifts, software, games, CD/DVD/Video).

The book publishers section starts with a listing of topics and the names of publishers interested in that topic. Over 150 topics are included ranging from autobiography to fiction for teens to marriage to self-help to worship resources. What a great way to find publishers to target!

Following the topical listing is a detailed listing of each book publisher. The alphabetized listings detail contact information, basic guidelines, special needs, and lots more for each publisher. A separate section is devoted to subsidy publishers. Those publishers that do not accept unsolicited manuscripts and require an agent are noted along with those who accept book proposals via The Writer’s Edge and Christian Manuscript Submissions.

Next is a list of book distributors followed by a market analysis. This section is useful for the discerning writer who wants to target the best publishers. The analysis covers the number of books published, what topics are most popular, and who had the most bestsellers.

After book publishers comes the periodical section. The divisions are similar to publishers – topical listings, alphabetical listing, and market analysis. The major difference is within the alphabetical listing, the periodicals are alphabetized within their type, such as children’s, pastor/leadership, music.

Because of this method of organization, when I found a periodical in the topic listing that I was interested in, I turned to the index for finding the detailed listing of the magazine. Otherwise, I would have to look in each periodical type for the name.

The back section of the book contains valuable information for writers – conferences and workshops, writers’ groups, editorial services, literary agents, and contests. With the exception of literary agents and contests, the groups are organized alphabetically by state location.

As a special bonus, a CD is included with the book. This CD is perfect for the writer that travels frequently and doesn’t want to lug around the actual book. What’s on the CD? The entire book in a searchable format along with additional resources for writers! I could spend hours pouring over the additional resources and have barely comprehended all that is included. To say that the CD is priceless to a freelancer, a beginning writing, or an author doing his own promotion would be an understatement.

The big question on my mind about Christian Writers’ Market Guide 2009 was “Is it usable?” Not having an immediate project that I needed the guide for, I put myself in the shoes of a friend of mine who recently wrote a short story and needed possible magazines for submission. The problem is her story is a little longer than what the average magazine accepts.

I flipped to the teen section of periodicals since her story is geared for that age level. A couple of minutes of scanning gave me information for 2 magazines that will accept her word count. Then I looked at the topical listing section for periodicals, cross-referenced the names to the alphabetical section, and found another possible magazine for her. Two of the three magazines are ones that I’ve never heard of so probably wouldn’t have found otherwise.

If you’re concerned about the cost of a book that will go out of date in a year, realize that the detail listings for most companies include their website addresses. While the contact information, such as the editor, might change over time, a website address will probably remain the same and give you a good starting point for finding the current information in the future.

If you are a writer interested in the Christian publishing world, buy your copy of Christian Writers’ Market Guide 2009. You won’t regret it!

Product Details:
List price: $34.99
Paperback: 560 pages
Publisher: WaterBrook Press; Pap/Cdr edition (January 13, 2009)
Language: English
ISBN-10: 0307446433
ISBN-13: 978-0307446435

What do you think of my new blog design?????

I wanted something different, yet classy. Does it work?

I created the header with digital scrapbook pieces from Jaelop Designs. She has beautiful elements and papers if you enjoy creating scrapbooks, and the best part is they’re FREE! Jump on over and check out her site.

I do have one question for the techie people out there …

I want the lines between my sidebars to continue all the way down the page. Right now, the lines stop wherever the last item in the sidebar is. Does anyone know the correct HTML to do that?

My current code for the middle sidebar is:
#sidebar-wrapper {
width: 190px;
border-left:1px solid #000000;
padding:1.0em;
float: $endSide;

I tried adding a border with padding to the main wrapper section, but the line is always too close to the post text or it pushes the sidebars off the page.

So, yeah, needing some help.

Baby Mandy, a tri-color Beagle. She’s about 2 months old in this photo.

Beagles are a lot of fun. Mandy loves dragging sticks into the yard. I think this was the teething stage.

Who could resist such sad puppy eyes?

The ever curious Beagle nose.

Mandy’s doggie siblings, Sadie and Spot. They play hard every day.

Hmmm…this is what that curious Beagle nose will do. Gotta follow that smell.

Beagles require exercise especially if they overeat. Mandy’s favorite exercise is chasing the 4-wheeler through the fields.

And when the day is over, she knocks on the mud room door to spend the night inside, all cozy on her dog bed.

To see more ABC Wednesday posts, go here. To see more Wordless Wednesday posts, go here.

Lady Faith Westcott, M.L. Tyndall’s heroine in The Red Siren, has turned her back on God and on man. Having witnessed the hypocrisy in the Church of England, her older sister’s abuse at the hand of her husband, and her own mother’s untimely death in childbirth, Faith determines never to marry and to gain enough wealth so she and her two sisters will never have to depend on man or God again.

To that end, though a lady by day, she becomes a pirate by night and begins her sordid career off Portsmouth when she attacks and plunders a merchant ship commanded by the young Dajon Waite. Humiliated at being defeated by a pirate and a woman no less, Dajon returns home without cargo and ship, and his father expels him from the family merchant business.

After a brief sojourn into debased society, Dajon rejoins the Royal Navy, where he finds comfort in the strict rules and redemption through his service to others. Three years later, he is sent to the frontier outpost of Charles Town, South Carolina to deal with the pirate problem. There, he connects with his mentor and old friend, Admiral Westcott, who has just arrived with his three daughters.

Much to Dajon’s utter dismay, Admiral Westcott, who is being called away to Spain, asks Dajon to be temporary guardian of his three lovely daughters. One of the ladies seems familiar to him, a striking redhead who immediately sends his heart thumping.

Faith recognizes Captain Waite as the buffoon whose ship she plundered off Portsmouth. Yet, he appears no longer the fool, but instead a tall, handsome and commanding naval officer. Despite her immediate attraction to him, she labels him the enemy, but sparks are guaranteed to fly during the next few months when independent, headstrong and rebellious Faith falls in love with God-fearing honorable, rule-following Dajon-especially when Faith continues her pirating off the Carolina coast while her father is away.

Will Dajon catch her? And what will this man of honor and duty do when he does?

If you would like to read the first chapter of The Red Siren, go HERE

MY REVIEW
Pirates. Love. Swords. Faith. God. Snively suitor. Handsome hero. Treasure. What more could be added to this delightful book?

M.L. Tyndall’s believable story is filled with historical details about life in the early Carolinas, too. From the details of the streets to the stench of the lower decks of the ship, the imagery is vivid.

I love the idea of a lady being a pirate. She was doing a man’s job back when ladies were expected to be, well, very ladylike. Imagine the other captains when they realized they had been “had” by a female! hehehe.

I’m looking forward to book #2 in the series about Faith’s sister. I have no idea, but I’m going to guess her sister tries her hand at piracy too. We’ll find out in Fall 2009.