One Week Becomes Two

Hang on, folks. There's a new post a-coming. I promise.

In the meantime, I wanted to let you know:

1. I'm still alive.
2. All three of my early queries bombed out.
3. I've been broken up over it.
4. So much so, that I've not done much writing in the last two weeks.
5. I am not quitting, though I have had the thought.
6. Today I sent a query to an agent from my Relentless Writers FB group.
7. I posted three pitches for BLESSED in today's #PitMad on Twitter, for which
8. I've received two #PitMad favorites - both from small publishers, rather than agents.
9. #PitMad is open for another three hours, meaning there's hope for more.
10. I'll be sending queries for #PitMad requests this evening after dinner, and
11. Hopefully, I'll be back to writing in earnest by tomorrow.

There ya go. I'm crushed, but not dead. Hope rises again.

Thank you to Brenda Drake for coordinating #PitMad, and to all the #PitMad agents and publishers for participating. Especially those who favorited my pitches. Y'all rock!

See you again soon!

That Rebel, Olivia J. Herrell, writing as O.J. Barré

O.J. Barré is author of the upcoming BLESSED ARE THE PEACE MAKERS trilogy. Book One, COMING HOME, is finished and in query. The first draft of Book Two, COMING TO, is nearing completion, and Book Three, COMING FULL CIRCLE, is swirling in the mists of creation.

I'm Tore Down

The life of a writer is a lonely one, filled with ups, downs and sideways thumps. Finishing a fantasy novel after six years of hard work is definitely an up. As is the excitement of having readers love your characters, your storyline, and your book.

A month ago, I began the process of finding a literary agent, someone who loves BLESSED ARE THE PEACE MAKERS: COMING HOME, has a can-do attitude, connections in the publishing industry, and the cajones to fight to get my novel published, for the most money, and into readers’ hands.

Ideally, my agent will be proficient in foreign rights, movie rights, and subsidiary rights. Because I’m convinced BLESSED can be both an international bestseller, and a blockbuster movie.

I know, I know. I’m not asking much. But isn’t that what every author wants? Maximum exposure for your literary baby?

My first query went to the (so far) dream agent. After reading my letter and first three pages, she requested 50 more. Riding a potent UP in which I KNEW this agent would love, love, LOVE my book, and ask to read the full manuscript, I waited patiently for the next request.

Then, THUMP came a dreaded “pass” email. She loves my characters and thinks I’m “very talented”, but the plot didn’t develop in the way she’d hoped. Not privy to her thoughts, I don’t know what this means, but her pass took the wind from my sails. A day later, a second agent declined, after reading only the query letter.

NEXT!

Keep querying. Keep writing. Keep my chin up. And know that the perfect agent will appear.

But, daaaammnnn. What a downer.

That I join a long (and illustrious) list of bestselling authors who were rejected repeatedly before being discovered, helps. I have another query out, and will soon email more, continuing the process until I find THE ONE.

Because I believe, no, I KNOW, she/he is out there, waiting for, praying for, my book.

That Rebel, Olivia J. Herrell, writing as O.J. Barré

P.S. If you like rockin' blues, don't miss Calvin B. Streets' rendition of I'm Tore Down

O.J. Barré is author of the upcoming BLESSED ARE THE PEACE MAKERS trilogy. Book One, COMING HOME, is finished and being queried. The first draft of Book Two, COMING TO, is nearing completion, and Book Three, COMING FULL CIRCLE, is swirling in the mists of creation.

On Writing a Blurb - Metamorphosis

What a difference a year makes. Oh wait. Eighteen months. When I reread my first stab at blurb-writing from a post I published in August 2015, I wanted to gag. Or hold my nose. 'Cause compared to the current one, it stinks. Or is that just me?

I thought it would be fun to go back and grab several iterations, so you can see the progression. If you're interested in how the blurb for BLESSED ARE THE PEACE MAKERS: COMING HOME morphed over time, start at the beginning and read all the way through. If not, read the first and skip down to the last.

Here's the first one, circa August 4, 2015

AMERICA 2042CE: A down-and-out disaster specialist finds she’s the last of a long line of magical Druid priestesses carrying the bloodline of William the Conqueror. To make matters worse, she is expected to fill the shoes of her new father, the erstwhile Grand Druid whose coma is likely the result of foul play. Taught to run from adversity by a mother who carried the secret of her powers and heritage to an alcoholic grave, and faced with a foe known only as “The Darkness”, she must race the clock, cramming twenty-six years’ of training into the short time left.

On the opposite coast her nemesis, a sorceress-turned-holy-woman, is targeted and tagged by the invisible foe: a race of Reptilian aliens residing in Earth’s interior. Placed there millennia ago and kept secret and apart from the Humans by a forgetfulness curse enforced by dragon guards, the Reptilians are determined to take control of the planet. Led by a nasty Draco general, they will use the evangelist and others like her to pit the humans against one another, leaving Earth ripe for the picking.

Okay. I didn’t gag that time. But here’s the blurb I used for French Press Bookworks’s query workshop on October 2016.

I love when fantasy collides with real life. In Blessed Are the Peace Makers, Awen, last of the Druid Priestesses, diverts Earth’s destruction in 1042AD by saving a young William the Conqueror from death. Now, it is 2042 and their descendent, a down-and-out disaster specialist, on the run from an obsessed sorceress-slash-holy-woman, is Earth’s only hope. A race of Reptilian aliens, secretly living in Earth’s mantle, plots to use the holy woman and others like her to brainwash the Humans into destroying one another, leaving AboveEarth ripe for the picking. Aided by magical animal Elders, including dragons responsible for keeping the races secret and apart, the heroine faces insurmountable odds to avert the coming Darkness.

Shorter, sweeter, but still no cigar. As both Dionne Abouelela and James Stryker asked, what are the main character's names? After workshopping with them, together briefly, and James, extensively, I ended up with this.

In the near future, fantasy collides with real life when Emily Hester, an untrained druid, must rise from the ashes of a troubled past to head the powerful Awen order, headquartered in Atlanta, Georgia. A looming threat known only as “the Darkness” – reptilian aliens living secretly in Earth’s mantle – plot to take AboveEarth by manipulating humans into destroying one another. Pursued by a smitten sorceress, Shalane Carpenter, and aided by magical animal elders, a sexy druid priest and his teen nephew, Emily must reluctantly learn the magic necessary for the druids to have a chance at saving Earth.

MUCH better. But still vague about motivation and voice. Here’s another iteration, rewritten based on an article by Laura Zats. I sent this in a query letter to agent Sara Megibow of KT Literary, then ten days later, to Laura Zats of Red Sofa Literary, and Rebecca Strauss of DeFiore and Company.

One thing her deceased mother taught Emily Mayhall was the fine art of running away. Reeling from the loss of her fiancé, her nerve, and her job as a disaster specialist, Emily is stalked by Shalane Carpenter, a shaman-sorceress whose wiles turn men, and most women, to mush, and bought her national acclaim as an evangelist. Immune to Shalane’s advances, Emily assumes a new identity, one she finds in a ledger in her mother’s strange box of druid artifacts. When a registered letter arrives addressed to Emily Mayhall Hester, she throws it on the counter, unopened. That night, the frantic dreams begin – she is Awen, druid priestess, and she must save the young Duke of Normandy’s life, or else. When the letter turns out to be from an attorney in Atlanta, GA, who represents a birth-father Emily didn’t know existed, she reluctantly accepts a free ticket to Atlanta, not knowing that the troubles she’s leaving behind, are nothing compared to what she’ll face when she gets there.

Set in the near future, fantasy collides with real life for a slew of supporting characters including a sexy druid priest and his teen nephew, “invisible” dragons, and magical animals, while a foe known only as the Darkness – reptilian aliens living in Earth’s mantle, plot to destroy humankind.

Longer. More words. But each packs a punch. I get a better sense of who the main characters are, and the predicament in which they find themselves. I want to know more. I want to read more.

Which, after all, is the whole point of a blurb.

To date, the last (along with the first three pages of the manuscript) prompted a request for additional pages from Sara (be still my heart!). Her partial-request reading time is two to four weeks - it’s been a little over one. The query-reading times for the others are longer, so we'll see.

Which is your favorite? Do you prefer a different blurb?

Here’s to a happy and hallowed day for all.

That Rebel, Olivia J. Herrell, writing as O.J. Barré

O.J. Barré is author of the upcoming Blessed Are the Peace Makers trilogy. Book One, Coming Home, is in final edits. The first draft of Book Two, Coming To, is nearing completion and Book Three, Coming Full Circle, is swirling in the mists of creation.

Oh Yes I DID! Query Emailed.

I did it. I did it.

I emailed the first agent query

For Blessed Are the Peace Makers: Coming Home

And who knows,

With luck,

Maybe the last.

No. I swear.

I’m not kidding.

I really, really

DID IT!

Before hitting send,

I hovered over the keyboard,

Heart pounding,

Breath shallow,

A little faint.

But not in a sick

Sort of way.

In a jumping out of

An airplane kind of way.

Not that I ever have.

Or probably ever will

Unless the plane’s

Going down.

Now it’s time

To celebrate.

Kombucha and

Netflix anyone? LOL.

What are you celebrating this fabulous night, as the luminous moon shines her reflected light on our highest intentions?

That Rebel, Olivia J. Herrell, writing as O.J. Barré

O.J. Barré is author of the upcoming Blessed Are the Peace Makers trilogy. Book One, Coming Home, is in final edits. The first draft of Book Two, Coming To, is nearing completion and Book Three, Coming Full Circle, is swirling in the mists of creation.

Pick One and Jump In

Since I can't seem to get my act together to write a blog post (and yes, I missed last week's too), I went through old ones mining for gold. Lo and behold, I found a draft that was basically complete and needed little editing. AND it has never been published.*

Actually, I found several, but this one is timely, as it sets up a coming post. So I'm polishing (a little) and publishing. Some back-story, since it's out of time sequence - this was written on March 17, 2016 after I attended Writer's Digest's Atlanta Writing Workshop. I hope you enjoy!

Life has taken another twist, propelling me forward and on. That’s what happens when you have a dream (or goal) and work toward it. Even if only a little at a time.

Thinking my manuscript was “ready”, I attended the Atlanta Writing Workshop on February 20 to pitch my novel to three literary agents. Nothing came of that, but during the day’s sessions, my vague suspicion that my story could be better was confirmed.

After the eye-opening “First Page” panel, I went home and cut the first five pages of BLESSED ARE THE PEACE MAKERS: COMING HOME, giving it a crisper, less background-intensive beginning and leaving more for the reader to discover. But like any remodel, the initial action creates a ton of related work.

C’est la vie.

In the last session of the day, Chuck Sambuchino shared a list of things writers can do to feel in control (though we mostly are not), and said to pick one thing and jump in with both feet. When that one is mastered, pick another. One is to build a platform, a way to let people know about our books.

Like Social Media.

Chuck asked how many were NOT on Twitter and about half the room raised our hands (including me). Not good. TWITTER is where literary agents and editors hang out. Meaning a Mecca for unrepresented writers like me. It’s also a way to get the word out about my books, once published.

So, bored with Facebook, and itching to put Chuck’s advice to work, I decided to try Twitter again. And am shocked and amazed. I like it.

The pace is fast, but brings a stream of fascinating people and topics, mostly of the artistic/literary ilk, any and all of whom are available for interaction. All I need are the cajones. Two weeks in, I have 93 followers with light participation. The more dedicated I am, the more people I meet, the more books, contests, music, etc, I discover.

I like it. I love it. I want some more of it.

So much so, that I find myself transferring Chuck’s advice to other areas. Like my livelihood, using it to launch a couple of (ad)ventures I’d been noodling, one for months.

Are you dancing around something in your life, wishing and hoping for it, dreaming of having or doing it, but not getting any closer?

Pick one. Jump in with both feet, like Chuck said. And don't forget to tell us about your adventures in the comments below.

That Rebel, Olivia J. Herrell, writing as O.J. Barré

P.S. Find me on Twitter. My current follower-count just passed 2400, and is rising steadily (if ploddingly).

* Oops. The article previously appeared on Relentless Writers in March of last year. Click here to read the original and other great posts by a variety of gifted writers, agents and editors.

O.J. Barré is the author of the Blessed Are the Peace Makers trilogy. Book One, Coming Home, is in final edits. The first draft of Book Two, Coming To, is nearing completion and Book Three, Coming Full Circle, is swirling in the mists of creation.

Deliver Me (Revisited)

Ready to jump in the Wayback (WABAC) machine?

I'm dusting off another oldie-but-goodie, a post from January 2012 - six years ago. Boy does it takes me back. Waaaaay back. To the beginning. This is when I began writing Blessed Are the Peace Makers in earnest. Now it's 2017 and I'll soon be querying agents, seeking representation for the finished version.

I know what you're thinking. Six years is a long time to write a novel. But it took what it took and I'm okay with that. Many successful authors have walked a similar path.

So without further ado, here it is. Click here for the original post and to read the comments from 2011.

The New Year has delivered me to my writing. The manuscript, notes and characters I put down almost a year ago have come to life. The excitement is back, and building. My bedroom, my writing space, is adorned with various and assorted items that inspire me: posters, art, photographs.

While at Fernbank Science Center the other day, I bought a dragon (because, yes, there will be dragons), and was gifted a poster of the oceans and seas (because I love maps and this is maybe the coolest one I've ever seen AND it inspires me).

Now that I am writing again, I seriously need a new chair. And writing gloves. My current chair was a $20 thrift store purchase last year. It has served its purpose, considering I haven't spent that many hours a day in it. However, my left butt cheek sits at an angle and is about an inch lower than my right.

Dude. It doesn't take a genius to figure out that this cannot possibly be helping a hip condition I wish to be rid of. Nor is it conducive to holding my head straight.

Vic Caswell suggested writing gloves. This house has no insulation and my crooked chair sits in a corner through which cold air seeps. Even with the heater at my knees and a blanket tucked behind me, my fingers get cold.

The rest is cake. I'm happy to be writing again, even cock-eyed. When I sat down at the first of 2012 and pieced together the already-written prologue, prophecy and main body of the story, I realized I had a substantial beginning.

But as with any muscle, the writing muscle is one you lose if you don't use. I have literally had to force myself to sit still in this lopsided rocker and write. But I persevere.

It is paying off. In the last three weeks I've added close to 10,000 words, upping total count to just shy of 18,000. Some nights the words flow. Other nights I edit. I am of the 'edit en route' variety of writer. It helps me with the flow, it helps me stay in character, and it keeps my butt in the chair.

Some nights I can't write at all, but my butt is in the chair to watch my television shows on hulu.com. Or to read.

Whatever it takes, I am telling this story. I'm doing it. And the only way that'll happen is by keeping my butt in this chair and my nose in the story.

~ ONWARD ~ Olivia J. Herrell

Ain't it awesome? I thought so, too. Especially knowing that the novel eventually morphs into a trilogy, and possibly a series, because the story is too big to fit in a normal-sized book. And the part where I no longer live in that cold, drafty house (or even that state). Or sit in that lopsided chair (with gloves) to write.

I no longer watch Hulu, choosing to wait until the content appears on Netflix commercial-free. And okay. I admit it. I am addicted. But it beats paying for cable and channels I neither watch nor want.

To close, I reiterate my 2012 ending - "Whatever it takes, I am telling this story. I'm doing it." And so I am.

What is your focus for 2017? Something fabulous and cheeky, I hope? Streeeetch!

That Rebel, Olivia J. Herrell (writing as O.J. Barre')

O.J. Barré is author of the upcoming Blessed Are the Peace Makers trilogy. Book One, Coming Home, is in final edits. The first draft of Book Two, Coming To, is nearing completion and Book Three, Coming Full Circle, is swirling in the mists of creation.

Peace Maker Progress

It’s a rainy Saturday, following on the heels of a snowy week. A good day to stay home and write.

My manuscripts haven’t been touched in ten days. Ouch. Guess I (or they) needed a rest. I have been doing research, mostly via YouTube videos, and am happy to report that I hit the mother lode.

Last night, climbing into bed very early, I opened one of my reference books. After the YouTube payola, the passages I read spurred a slew of plot twists for Book Two, setting the stage for the beginning of Book Three and reinforcing the overall theme for the series.

Yes, you read that right. The series. Because in the midst of the week’s research, it occurred to me that a Book Four might be needed.

Huh. Imagine that.

Who knew one tiny little idea, received in 2010 whilst meditating on that porch in the North Georgia Mountains, would morph into a four-hundred-thousand-word behemoth?

Certainly not me.

But I am grateful. I am grateful to the Idea Fairy and to the Genius within that grabbed the idea and ran, throwing plot points and characters and themes and settings at me so fast and furiously I had to pay attention, though I was in the middle of writing a completely-different novel.

I put that novel down and started this series, the Blessed Are the Peace Makers series.

Now it’s six-plus years later and Peace Makers is coming to fruition. Book Two is set aside for a week or so while I focus on final edits for Book One, incorporating the excellent feedback from my betas.

Then I will begin the query process for Book One and proceed with Books Two, Three and Four, if a fourth is indeed warranted.

Have a great day!

That Rebel, Olivia J. Herrell (writing as O.J. Barré)

P.S. On the mental and emotional front, I seem to be emerging from the bog of depression, anxiety and panic. Yeehaa! Thank you to the team at Terry Reilly here in Nampa, Idaho, and to my sister and brother-in-law, whose support is helping me get back on my feet.

O.J. Barré is the author of the Blessed Are the Peace Makers trilogy. Book One, Coming Home, is in final edits. The first draft of Book Two, Coming To, is nearing completion and Book Three, Coming Full Circle, is swirling in the mists of creation.

Life is a Game, Keep Playing

Lately I alternate between terror and gratitude, spending most days somewhere in between. On one hand, I know I will be okay, my needs will be met, I won’t be homeless, my heater will be fixed and my aging car will pass the upcoming emissions test.

On the other hand, nope, I’m not going there, even to write this post. But at times, I am scared, angry, worried, helpless and hopeless. On these days I crawl into bed early and pull the covers over my head.

One way I de-stress, a few minutes at a time, is playing Spider Solitaire on my iPhone. Recently I’ve hit a losing streak. A long, long losing streak.

Yesterday (or was it the day before), frustrated at yet another Spider-loss, I told myself aloud, “Keep playing.”

Why? Because experience has shown that eventually, usually soon, I will win.

As the words left my mouth, I heard what I said. A connection occurred, a live-affirming, you’re-on-the-right-track AHA moment.

KEEP PLAYING!

Because eventually, hopefully soon, I will win this game of life. The dark clouds will dissipate or blow over, the skies will clear, the depression will lift and that steady source of income will manifest.

But I cannot quit. I cannot give up. I cannot give in. I MUST keep playing in order to win.

So keep playing, I shall. For the Win!

That Rebel, Olivia J. Herrell (writing as O.J. Barré)

P.S. If you are struggling to make it (whatever your “it” is), or have reached the end of your struggles and have wisdom to share, please leave a note in the comments. There is magic in sharing. I promise.

O.J. Barré is the author of the Blessed Are the Peace Makers trilogy. Book One, Coming Home, is in final edits. The first draft of Book Two, Coming To, is nearing completion and Book Three, Coming Full Circle, is swirling in the mists of creation.

How I Scored a Query Workshop (with French Press Bookworks)

As I mentioned a few days ago, last week I "stumbled upon" a free Query Workshop - ON TWITTER! To celebrate finishing Draft 3 of Blessed Are the Peace Makers, Coming Home, I enrolled and cobbled together a quick query letter and emailed it to James Stryker (guest query ninja) and French Press Bookworks, the brilliant host.

A Free Query Workshop - Yeeehaaa!

For those who don’t know, a query is a one-page cover letter sent to prospective agents and publishers to gain interest in an author’s manuscript. The query typically accompanies a 1-3 page synopsis of your novel and/or a sample, say the first three to fifty pages (depending on the particular agent or editor).

If your query sucks, the rest probably won’t get read. So you can see how important a query letter is to the author pursuing a traditional publishing contract.

I expected to be one of several attending what I thought was an online workshop, so you can imagine my surprise when it was recorded LIVE on Google Hangouts and I, and my query, were the only guests. (Had I poked around a little prior to what was actually an Author Workshop, I probably would have figured this out.)

Before the workshop, I had dinner at my sister's and ran home with only twenty minutes to spare. Changing in to my pj's, robe and old Koolaburra's (like Uggs only handmade in Australia), I had enough time to access Dionne Abouelela's email, download the Google Hangouts app on my iPhone and click in.

There was Dionne, headphones on, live and in color and me in my pj's and robe. Seeing myself in the screen, I shucked my tell-tale robe because, well, for obvious reasons. Suffice it to say, I was ecstatic to have Dionne and James to myself, but mortified that my first online appearance as an author is with me in my pj's, freshly washed-and-oiled face and hair that hadn't seen a brush since morning.

I kid you not. If nothing else, it'll be a great story to tell when I am rich and famous. Plus, not knowing in advance kept me from being nervous. At all. Ever. Not once.

So yay for me (and boo for me).

Dionne Abouelela and James Stryker were fabulous, their feedback, helpful and encouraging. I was so stoked I couldn't fall sleep until the wee hours of the morning. Our Query Workshop is available for viewing on French Press Bookworks's website and YouTube, and now you can link to it through That Rebel with a Blog.

If you're in the query process, I encourage you to watch. All aspects of a query letter are addressed, using mine as an example. If you're not in the query process, I encourage you to watch. You can see me in pj's and hear Bugsy (my cat) join the show.

Either way, watch the Author Workshop with me, author of Blessed Are the Peace Makers, Coming Home, Dionne Abouelela, French Press Bookworks and editor at Penname Publishing, and James Stryker, author of Assimilation and other soon-to-be-published books.

Enjoy our Author Workshop. I did!

~ That Rebel, O.J. Barre (aka Olivia)

To view the Query Workshop, click one of the links above or CLICK HERE.

Connect with Dionne Abouelela and French Press Bookworks: Twitter @FPBookworks or FrenchPressBookworks.com

Connect with James Stryker: Twitter @JStryker21 or JamesStryker.com

Connect with me: Twitter @OJBarreAuthor 

No Tricks. TREAT!!!

Double Rainbow Over Nampa, Idaho 10/30/2016

I did it! Draft 3 of Blessed Are the Peace Makers, Coming Home is complete. Yeeehaaaaa!

As it stands, the word count is 104,300 or about 500 pages published.

I emailed the manuscript to five different readers and am anxiously awaiting feedback from each. Fingers crossed these guys and gals will love it and get back to me quickly.

I do need a few author-readers. Are any of you interested in reading my fairly-well edited Southern Fantasy?

To celebrate, I enrolled (via Twitter) in a free query workshop with French Press Bookworks and author James Stryker, the query ninja. After finishing the draft on Tuesday last, I cobbled together a quick query letter and emailed it to James and French Press. (Look for a post later this week for details and a video of what turned out to be a live Author Roundtable with me as guest!)

Also, I signed up today for NaNoWriMo 2016 which starts…TOMORROW…to complete the last 50,000 words of the second novel in the trilogy, Blessed Are the Peace Makers, Coming To. I'll be counting on you guys to stop by That Rebel and cheer me on.

Much has changed in my life these last months, but the burning desire to get Blessed out and in to your hands has not. To further that, I will be posting here at That Rebel weekly. My goal is twice a week, though the days will float depending on my life and schedule.

I need your help. If I show up, will you? I can’t do it without you. 

As always, thank you for stopping by That Rebel, and for your comments, blog-love and support.

I'll see you in few days,

That Rebel, OJ Barré

A WRITER’S CRISIS OF FAITH

Who am I?
What am I?
And why?

I’m wondering. Have I shot myself in the foot, screwed my pooch, flubbed my dub?

There is an author, Delilah S. Dawson, who is widely-read and telling it like it is. I had time this morning to read the beginning of her “Catcall”. Whether creative nonfiction or short-story, I want to go back, to finish. Because the lead-in is that good.

As I march through the days, weeks, months and years, diligently giving time to the massive project that is “Blessed Are the Peace Makers-The Trilogy”, I ignore that which I’ve been told is my forte: the ability to tell the truth in a relatable, and sometimes stark, clarity.

And I mourn.

Because that, my friend, fed me. Filled me.

By emptying my guts, I redeem my soul, one story at a time.

Telling my journal is not the same. Yes, it gets my thoughts and hopes and dreams on paper and out of my head. But it doesn’t bring the depth of awareness that polishing each word for public consumption gives, nor the satisfaction of others relating.

Have I lost my bearings by ignoring my friends’ (Elliot Grace, Eric W. Trant, Roland Yeomans, Andrew T. Post and other gutsy writers*) advice to embrace creative nonfiction? Have I missed the mark by throwing everything in to one fiction/fantasy project and turning my back on that which I know feeds my soul?

Holy cannoli. I have.

So now what?

Periodically, I contemplate revamping "That Rebel" and giving to it that which it deserves: an owner who loves it, and hugs it, and pets it, and squeezes it, and calls it George. Well. Maybe not George. I kinda like "That Rebel". But you get my drift.


The Abominable Snow Bunny

What holds me back?

Don’t laugh.

There are/were people reading my words that I prefer not to know me. Or my business. The fellow who proclaimed he was madly in love when we broke-up, then two weeks later moved a match (dot) com-woman in to the house I helped him pick out. My brother’s girlfriend. And…

Huh. Is that all? Two people? I let two freaking people keep me away from my love? What the hay-diddle-diddle?

That’s it. Screw it. This stops today.

But there will be changes.

I’ve taken a pen name, a pseudonym, a nom de plume, my official author-name. Call me O.J. O.J. Barré. Nice to meet you.

There will be other changes. More articles, more regularly. On a myriad of topics, not just writing. A new look. Who knows? Sky's the limit.

That Rebel ~ O. J. Barré

*As I visit my old-friends' blogs, I find that they too, have been blogging less often. How about we start a blog-challenge to kickstart our blogs. Again.

Slacker? NOT!

I know, I know. I haven't been here lately. In fact, not in a very long time.

But I'm here now and I only have a few minutes because it's late and I've spent the better part of the weekend revising BLESSED ARE THE PEACE MAKERS, COMING HOME. Editing. Rewriting. Adding needed touches here and there. Plugging in proper names for pronouns.

Giving Emily Hester, our main character, more power. Adding fore-knowledge, prescience. Introducing druids sooner. And dragons. And Brian. Setting up a first-chapter confrontation with the antagonist, bringing some events forward, emphasizing others, supplying ties where lacking and clarifying foggy passages.

So much to be done in so little time.

It occurred to me yesterday that I have only seven more writing days in which to complete this beta revision, the revision that will render my manuscript complete (please, please, please), preferably at ninety-eight to ninety-nine thousand words.

Right now, it's back up to one-hundred-and-one-thousand words, with edits complete through Page 159 (out of 404ish). Booyah!

Will I make it? Anything's possible. With five writing days left, I need only to make it through fifty pages on each of those days to achieve my goal.

Then #NaNoWriMo starts in November and I will write the last half of BOOK TWO!

All blessings, well wishes and prayers are welcome. Whether you are friend or family and feeling slighted by my silence, please know that I love you and that OJ's nose is to the grindstone, busy at the day-job and when not there, writing BLESSED ARE THE PEACE MAKERS.

I do plan to take the month of December off (from writing, not the day job) to visit friends in Southern California and to read some of the books on my TBR list, most recently-published by fellow Relentless Writer's authors, and Blogger and Facebook friends.

See you around, Olivia J. Herrell

I Made a Desk, Now What?

"I made a desk

Or rather

A desk made me.

While toying

Tossing

Wrestling ideas

Wrangling plots

Characters

Motives

Swirling the story

Letting it

Present

New patterns

Pieces,

And possibilities

The mundane

Instructions

Emptied me

Out.

Step by step

I trickled aside

And let

The story

Fall

In to place.

I made a desk

Or rather

A desk made me." ~ Olivia J. Herrell

My New Sauder Desk

Thank you, Charlotte Levine Gruber*. Thank you for reading Blessed Are the Peace Makers to the end, all ninety-nine thousand, seven hundred and forty eight words. You are my hero.

Thank you for liking the story, characters, flow.

You were kind. And excited. And honest. As my first beta reader, you rocked it.

Thank you.

As a result of your much-needed input I have a prologue to absorb, characters to assimilate, others to flesh out, conflicts to stir, gaps to fill, future-tones to invoke, lines to draw, motives to manage.

Time for rewrite.

Pausing to let the “aha” break over me, I laugh just a little. I now understand first-hand the importance of a second reader. Someone not the author. What was clear to me as I wrote, wasn’t so crystal to my reader. Huh. Imagine that.

Thank you Charlotte*.

Revised scenarios play in my head and after back-aching hours, I have a desk, complete with drawer and two cubbys.

Today I made a desk, and in the doing, the desk made me.

~ Olivia J. Herrell

P.S. In case you were curious, I did unplug on vacation to a limited extent, leaving the laptop at home and using the iPhone sparingly. Considering AT&T is my carrier and we tromped around Oregon, that wasn't difficult.

* Charlotte Levine Gruber is the author of CODE OF SILENCE. Click here to read more.

Peace Makers in a Nutshell

As I mentioned a few days ago, I'm writing a blurb about the first installment of Peace Makers (Coming Home). Here is the current iteration:

AMERICA 2042CE: A down-and-out disaster specialist finds she’s the last of a long line of magical Druid priestesses carrying the bloodline of William the Conqueror. To make matters worse, she is expected to fill the shoes of her new father, the erstwhile Grand Druid whose coma is likely the result of foul play. Taught to run from adversity by a mother who carried the secret of her powers and heritage to an alcoholic grave, and faced with a foe known only as “The Darkness”, she must race the clock, cramming twenty-six years’ of training in to the short time left.

On the opposite coast her nemesis, a sorceress-turned-holy-woman, is targeted and tagged by the invisible foe: a race of Reptilian aliens residing in Earth’s interior. Placed there millennia ago and kept secret and apart from the Humans by a forgetfulness curse enforced by dragon guards, the Reptilians are determined to take control of the planet. Led by a nasty Draco general, they will use the evangelist and others like her to pit the humans against one another, leaving Earth ripe for the picking. 

It's a bit wordy still, weighing in at 183 words, but this is the story in a nutshell. What do you think? Are you intrigued enough to buy an advance copy of the book?

~ That Rebel, Olivia J. Herrell

The In-Between Time

I’m in limbo-land, manuscript out with betas, awaiting feedback and the resulting edits. Not yet ready to pick up Book Two and carry on, I have roughed-out a blurb, taken stabs at a pitch/hook, avoided writing a full summary (if I self-publish do I need one?) and gave myself permission to take time off, grant the muse a breather and turn the focus on life-things needing done.

4th of July Fireworks 2015

I have been productive. Piles are decimated, plants repotted, budget’s coming together, eye doc and dentist seen, along with the first season of NCIS, third of Death in Paradise and samplings of Tomorrow People, Code and Witches of East End (Julia Ormond!). Somewhere in the middle I attended a local writer’s workshop and updated That Rebel's look.

I also researched and found an old blog (my first), held hostage by Squarespace for the past nine years. Soon I will pay the price to unlock it, seventy dollars and what I suspect will be copious (though healing) tears. Within are not only articles about the first book I wrote, Frank and Ernie Find Home, but others written during my mother’s end-days.

Best of all? I’ve FINALLY chosen a nom de plume, the pen name under which I will publish Blessed Are The Peace Makers, and possibly the rest of my works. Now comes the process of “invention”, creating a persona and artist platform on social media, along with a schedule (and a commitment to it!) for posts.

I'll be announcing the nom de plume soon, stay tuned!

~ That Rebel, Olivia J. Herrell

Beta's Baby!

It’s OFFICIAL! As of last night, the initial copy of Blessed Are The Peace Makers, Coming Home is in the hands of my first two beta readers. What are those? Writers (whose work I admire) that are kind enough to read through a fellow-writer’s manuscript to point out weaknesses, plot holes, areas needing clarity or improvement (or deletion), shout encouragement and the like.

Courtesy www.nursewannabeinfl.com

Eric is already gearing up to run the manuscript through his handy-dandy program (that I must get my hands on for future works – I understand he’s releasing it online soon – for free!) that searches out to-be’s, gerunds, weasels (weasel words contradict or misinform) and other grammar no-no’s.

Am I dancing in the streets? Only a little. And only on the inside. Am I elated? Yes. And honored. A tad nervous. But on top of, and snaking through the jubilation, is an emptiness. A disorientation. Like a twirling top that’s lost its momentum and is wobbling, tottering, soon to tip over, roll around, and cease all forward motion. Until the next wind-up. Thank God for Books Two and Three.

And in spite of the illusion, that feeling of suspended animation, life goes on. Next weekend I’ll attend a local writers’workshop; the price was right and it comes at a good time. Between now and then I will update and memorize my 25-word pitch (to practice when the opportunity presents itself) and compose a one-page summary of the manuscript (which is apparently easier-said than done). To my writer friends: is there anything else I need to prepare for the workshop?

Holy Smokes, is this feller fast or what? I just checked my inbox and Eric already shot back a…omg…really? A long list of those buggers I referred to above. Hmm. Looks like time to get cracking on revisions. Already. Yeehaaaa!

That Rebel ~ Olivia J. Herrell

P.S. A huge shout-out and thank you to Eric W. Trant, an author whose no-nonsense prose and generosity captured my attention several years ago. Full of gut-level honesty, something I achingly (there's one of those words) aspire to.

P.P.S. And another shout-out/thank you to Liv Rancourt, lead author (and whip-cracker, thank you, Liv!) for our Relentless Writers blog. I’m looking forward to reading her new short story.

P.P.S.S. I FINALLY (after how many years now?) downloaded Google Chrome because Blogger, as of my tries today, no longer works on Internet Explorer. And omg what a difference! What in the world was I waiting for?

Works Every Time: Sit Down, Slit It Open, Spill It Out

Today is Saturday. I wrote this on Monday. It seems like weeks ago.

Today I realized I’m unhappy. Again.

Oh, not in my mind. There I’m happy. Or I think I am. I have plenty of evidence. I love my work. I enjoy my community and volunteering for the city. I have a church (for the first time in forty years.) My completed manuscript (first in nine years) is tucked away waiting to be reread with a fresh eye, and manuscript two is half written.

However.

When I look at my behavior, or rather behaviors, plural, the signs are there. I won’t list them all, but I bet you’ll recognize a few. They include:

• eating crap “food” including demon sugar
• weight gain
• shopping
• moping
• disinterest in outside activities
• inability to exercise
• running off to coffee shops, restaurants or other places to write
• hours of Netflix
• going to bed early
• staring in to space (not the good, daydreaming kind)
• avoiding decisions
• running on auto-pilot

There are probably more, but these off-the-top-of-my-head ones are enough. I get the idea. Do you? 

What now? Figure out why?

Not necessarily.

I could distract myself, flesh out a profile on match dot com, find a man and ride that “new love” feeling for, well, maybe years. Or rent an apartment within walking distance of my favorite coffee shop/writing locale. That would open up space in the office for a couple of massage therapists, a nutritionist and/or some other cool "ist". Or I could bring in a doctor to share the practice, take care of patients when I’m away.

Courtesy hdwallpapers-3d.com

Any of these would bring activity. Break the boredom. Create happiness. If only temporary. But the truth is, I don’t know if I can be happy in West Georgia. I close my eyes, and I’m in Southern California, on a trail meandering through a scrub canyon, alone and safe, a half-mile from my complex and bustling traffic, with a smile that splits my face in two. All from pure joy. Of place.

I miss that. I miss it a lot.

So is my unhappiness place-related? I’m leaning toward yes. I have evidence.

The last I remember that kind of smile on my face, and my heart soaring, was a year ago. In Oregon, on a coast so wild as to never be tamed, in old-growth forests that march to the sea, along a ring of fire that will someday bring doom to us all.

There, I was happy. There, my heart soared. There, the smile remained plastered to my face. There, joy dwelt in my soul.

But, back to today, and my point.

If you are one of the many people that don’t know this secret, listen up.

Something wonderful happens when you put pen to paper, or fingertips to keys, and spill your blood and guts.

The subconscious is appeased. It’s had its say. And whatever the dilemma, you can always, ALWAYS get relief.

Once done with this process, I was able to return to manuscript two, stitching together the different voices into one fluid, (hopefully) flowing story. I cut the crap and sugar from my diet, including cola, got lots of sleep, and in spite of the fact that my day-job workload increased, and it was a crazy, bouncy, electrified-energy kind of week, I felt better and better each day.

Not only did I complete the edits today (through the last page written - 202), but I finished the related “God’s Eye View” spreadsheet, color-coded to keep the stories straight and evenly s/paced. It also ensures that one of the many (and egads, growing, number of) characters don’t stay silent, or hog the spotlight, for too long.



God's Eye View of BLESSED ARE THE PEACE MAKERS, COMING TO
(Compressed to Protect Contents)

Instead of making a splash (splat?) on match dot com, or running off to spend a bunch of hard-earned cash on an apartment I don’t need, I cleaned up my food, walked around the neighborhood, cleaned the house, belly-laughed at an old comedy I discovered on Netflix (Out of Practice) and drank lots of home-brewed kombucha.

But mostly? I dove back in to writing. My true love. My precious. My own.

~ Olivia J. Herrell