And I can't sell a romance novel?

According to the USA Today (my trusted source for all things trivial):

• 75 million: The number of Americans who read at least one romance novel in 2008.

• 91: percentage of romance readers who are female.

• 31-49: Age range of the typical romance reader.

• 7: Number of days it typically takes a reader to begin and finish a romance novel.

And a few numbers from the USA TODAY Best-Selling Books list:

• 13: The percentage of total book sales that romance novels have accounted for in 2010, up from 10% in 2009.

• 25: The average number of romances that have appeared each week in the Top 150 in 2010, up from 19 a week in 2009 and 17 a week in 2008.

The article can be read here: Romance genre sweeps readers off their feet

My left thumb

Who knew how much my left thumb did for me? I mean this is an integral part of my body and all this time I've been treating it like a stepchild in a fairy tale - worse perhaps. So what brought on this epiphany?
It all began...it wasn't quite a dark and stormy night...in fact it was ultra-sunny (this is AZ, so what's new). I was looking for my car keys in my purse as I walked to the parking lot, stepped off the curb. Simple enough, you say? Yes I say, but note that when you usually step off the curb, your brain or your conscious is expecting said step. Mine was buried inside my LL Bean bag. Ergo, I tripped, ripped the top of the very nice new red sandals I had on, and landed on my rear end and my left hand. [Digression: isn't that a cool line, Margie Lawson's lessons, you know ;o)
Now, I am not sure how this all played out on camera or to any interested watchers, my entire focus being to soften the hit that my computer was going to take. That said, I have strained (my diagnosis and since I have not officially and legally practiced diagnosing any medical condition for 15 years - this could really be anything else) my left thumb. Which brings me back to how many things my left thumb is crucial for - it leaves the bloody scrape on my right knee quite in the dust!

Getting 30 pages ready to submit to the agent who requested it. I wonder if my body is subtly helping me procrastinate? Oh, there's another book idea - a world where the body is sentient separate from your mind. Sure no one's done that yet? It could be the next Twilight. Anyone listening?

Have a good Tuesday.

Progress - maybe

So! Almost a year since my last post. Mind you, I've been busy. Its not easy writing 6 chapters of various books. LOL.
At long last, I've settled in with one work in progress, tentatively titled A Druid Came Calling. What is this, you ask? An urban fantasy with strong romantic elements that has only been re-written about 17 times. Okay, if you know me, you know by now that's my exaggeration number! Still, its been rewritten a few times.
And I like it. It remains to be seen if the powers that be - agents and editors too.
I pitched Druid (as I fondly call it) at the Desert Dreams conference in April this year, and got 4 requests for a partial, and one for a full.
Sending those out, I thought - what the heck? (not always a good thought by the way) and also sent 11 more queries. Cold queries, slush pile queries. What was I thinking?

So anyway, here's the update:
15 queries sent
5 rejections
1 request for a partial (cold query response).

The nail biting continues.

nail biting time

Whew! The synopsis and first chapter of A Druid Came Calling are now with an agent.
I may not have any nails left in a few weeks.
Rayka

www.RaykaMennen.com

Announcing winner

And the winner of the Amazon gift certifcate for the Chronic Condition post is....drum roll.....Ginger Simpson.

I will send the e-certificate to your email, Ginger.

Cheers,

Rayka

www.RaykaMennen.com

Do you share this chronic condition?

Ugh! I think I have a chronic condition. It's self-diagnosed, mind you, but it's there. The symptoms are as follows:
~unable to concentrate on one story at a time
~a secondary character begins a rain dance in my head wanting his/her story told (usually it's a HE) - tap, tap, bounce, jump, jump, circle - repeat cycle;
~waking up at night with a great line or scene running through my head and thoroughly confused as it which story its for.

Now, I don't yet have a name for this condition. Figured if I was going to have it all my life, may as well think hard and give it a sexy name, eh?

Fellow writers, do you share this condition with me or perhaps some version of it? Post a comment and I will randomly select a winner on friday after 5 PM pacific time for a $10 Amazon gift certificate. Please don't forget to add your email address so I can contact you.

Cheers,
Rayka


www.RaykaMennen.com

Many thanks Ciara Gold

So I just received a Blog Award from Ciara Gold. An awesome writer and one of my critique partners. Check out her site for her brand new book and blog. Thanks Ciara. Now this will inspire me (please, please, I hope) to blog again.

Cheers,
Rayka