ANWA Conference- The Travel Log

First things first. We had a blast!

Warning: This will be a ridiculously long post. Feel free to ignore it in its entirety.

The basic travel-log:
Thursday * 1430 hours Ranee` leaves snowy Torrington, headed south for Denver. After about an hour of white-knuckle driving, the snow, fog, wind clears up, and she has dry roads all the way to Denver.
1830 hours Ranee` arrives at Merilee's house without getting too lost, which is a surprise to Ranee`. Merilee isn't there. She's out getting Chick-Fil-A (spelling??) which, Ranee` is grateful for because she's hungry.
somewhere around 1900 hours Merilee shows up. She and Ranee` spend the next several hours realizing they were meant to be best friends. Melissa calls and is jealous, as she should be.
2300 hours Ranee` finally goes to bed. She sleeps awful because she keeps having nightmares that she wakes up too late and changes her outfit too many times, causing them to miss their flight to Phoenix.
Friday * 0418 hours Ranee` does wake up too late, has five minutes to throw on clothes, comb her hair and race out the door.
0430 hours Ranee` and Meri pick up Melissa right on time. Immediate bonding takes place. The laughing and giggling commences, despite the ridiculous hour.
0540ish The plane takes off for Phoenix. Ranee, Meri, and Melissa spend the entirety of the flight loudly (and with a lot of laughing) discussing the plot of Ranee's WIP, expecting the guys in front of them to turn around at some point and add their own opinion. Its clear by the time the plane lands in Phoenix at 0700ish that it's going to be a rowdy weekend.
Ranee` can no longer remember exact times.
Meri's parents pick us up and take us to breakfast, which the three ambitious and loud writers seriously need. Because Ranee's a heartless eater, she orders something with a lot of bread, which neither Meri or Melissa can eat, and enjoys it immensely right in front of them. This sort of behavior continues throughout the weekend as Ranee` stuffs her face with chocolate, mostly because the other two can't...
After breakfast, they head off with Meri's mom Cheri to do some shopping and find Melissa new shirt because she's already too skinny for the one she's wearing. They are successful and go to lunch, where Ranee's is forced to eat sprouts, which despite their warm, earthy taste, are disgusting.
They leave Cheri in the hands of Meri's sister Dani, steal Cheri's car for the duration of the weekend, and head up to the Crown Plaza for conference.
It's clear after only a few minutes in Elana Johnson's presentation that they're going to love conference.
1715 hours they head to find some food. Ranee` insists that they go somewhere with grease. Meri and Melissa drool over the large, greasy, cheesy, bacon burger and awesome cheesy-enchilada soup. Their waiter is sure the three girls are crazy. They reach a new level of friendship (an event that happens frequently throughout the weekend).
1900ish They return for another awesome class by Elana Johnson on pitching, at which point Ranee` decides to rewrite her pitch.
They spend about thirty minutes at the author mingle, Meri and Melissa trying to convince Ranee to introduce herself to Kelly Sonnack and Kirk Shaw, whom she'll pitch to the following day. Kelly's amazing outfit and boots intimidate Ranee`. She wishes she would have brought her own boots.
2300 hours After ditching the mingle and crashing in their room, Meri, Melissa and Ranee` spend the next few hours reaching new levels of friendship. They finally go to bed.
Saturday * 0630 The writers are forced to get up so they have time for breakfast and to memorize Ranee's pitch.
More conference speakers, all awesome. Ranee` has to ditch their first class early to go pitch to Kelly. Despite her nervousness, the pitch goes awesome. Kelly requests that Ranee` send her 10 pages of her manuscript. Ranee` also takes a suggestion to rewrite her pitch--again!
More conference, then lunch, where the writers get to sit with Elana Johnson, who's a riot. They shock her, but she still promises to do a book signing for Possession in Denver when it comes out in June. The writers go all fangirl!
More conference, some unfortunate classes that don't pertain to the writers. They volunteer running the pitch sessions and love meeting all the fun people at conference.
1415 Ranee` pitches to Kirk Shaw. After hearing her pitch and asking no questions, he requests she send her full manuscript. Ranee` manages to maintain her composure long enough to get out of the room.
More good conference classes, including some grammar tips from Kelly Mortimer, a great panel discussion.
After closing ceremonies, the writers crash in their room for a little bit before heading for a party at Meri's parents house. They spend the next few hours feeling right at home with Meri's family, eating delicious food (Ranee` had more than her share of great sandwiches) and hanging out. Happy Birthday to Meri's grandma who is 96 today!! :D
2300 hours The writers return to the their room.
0130 hours The writers finally drop off to sleep after a couple hours of giggling.
Sunday * 0700 hours The writers get to 'sleep in' before heading off to church with Meri's family. They spend a little bit of time at Meri's parents house learning about Melissa's awesome book before Meri's parents drop them off at the airport at 1300 hours. The writers get through security in 20 minutes and have to chill at the airport. Some grammar horrifies them--mostly Ranee` though.
1530 hours The writers board the plane and try to convince people to switch seats so they can sit together. Only one person complies. Another gives an emphatic, "No way." Ranee` has to sit alone. She loses herself in Georgette Heyer and eyes her friends jealously throughout the flight.
1700ish They land in Denver, happy to see it isn't snowing. Some more discussion on Melissa's plot ensues as they go to drop her off. Melissa's adorable kids race to the door when they see her. An almost tearful parting takes place between Melissa and Ranee`, but they promise to see each other more often now that they've reached an unknown level of friendship, something akin to sisters.
1900ish Another almost tearful parting at Meri's house. Ranee` drives away without asking how to get to I-25 and for some reason doesn't backtrack the way she came. She manages to find I-15 thirty minutes later and hasn't lost too much time. :D
2200s Ranee` is singing at the top of her lungs between Cheyenne and Torrington in an effort to stay awake.
2230 Ranee` arrives safely home in Torrington, but has to wait until the next morning to see her kids.
2300 Ranee` realizes that her son has school the next day, and she hasn't made the "All About A.J." poster yet...

First Round Q&A

Courtesy of Kristin P.! (Thank you!)
I haven't thought about what she's said, so this is by the seat of my pants. (Which is how it will be at conference. Eeek!)

Agent: "Nice to meet you, Ranee'! I love your book's title. Which world does your book take place in? 


Ranee`: "Bloom" takes place on a secret continent in the pacific. Enchanters settled there in the 9th century and placed magical protections around it in the 1500s when humans began to explore the globe. Enchanters often travel back and forth between the Enchanter realm and the 'outside world,' as they call it, but it is invisible if you don't know about it. The Enchanter realm can be accessed by boat or plane--since there are Men who have settled there in addition to Enchanters, but most Enchanters transport using their powers.
(Is that too much?)


Agent: Is it Young Adult? 


Ranee`: Yes. My target audience is girls between 14-18, but girls and women of all ages will enjoy it. The voice is fun and unique and pulls a reader of any age into it. I've had reviewers--mature women!--arguing about Finna's relationships because they care about her. That's the kind of response Finna and the other characters evoke.


Agent: Is this worst enemy going to end up as a love interest? 


Ranee`: Of course! What's a young adult novel with some romance! Another problem of Finna's is that her long-lost fairy grandmother foretells that she will have to face Death--the person--and that Liam Monroe, her worst enemy, will bargain for her life. She realizes that unless he cared for her, he wouldn't do that. She begins to see him in a new light; looking past the fact that their families have hated each other for over a hundred years, and sees the guy that he really is. A bit arrogant, but a good friend with a good heart, charming and handsome, obviously.


Agent: How will he save your way of life? 


Ranee`: For years Men and Enchanters have resented each other because of mistreatment in their pasts--Enchanters first introduced Men into the Enchanter realm as slaves. As the story begins, the tension has reached a boiling point. A powerful, but evil, politician, Sileas Parlan begins to take control little by little, stripping Enchanters of their pwers, until he rules the once democratic Enchanter realm. Finna and Liam have to team up to defeat Parlan or they will lose the right to use their Enchanter powers.


Agent: One last question, may I check and see if you're wearing crazy tights?"


Ranee`: Lol! Please, go right ahead, but you'll probably be disappointed. Can I introduce you to my friend, Kris?

Q&A

Let's play a game to help me get ready for my pitch with Kelly Sonnack at ANWA conference on the 25th & 26th!

I'm going to introduce myself, state the name of my book, it's basic info, and the logline. Then you guys act like the agent and ask me all sorts of questions (in the comments, of course!) In my next post, I'll answer them as I would if you were Ms. Sonnack. (And feel free to critique any of my basic info.)

Here goes.

Hello! I'm Ranee` Clark. I'm so excited to pitch "Bloom" to you today. It's light fantasy, approximately 91,000 words. It's about an insecure Enchanter who must trust her worst enemy to save her way of life.

Go! :)

My First EVER blog tour review: "The Star Prophecy" by Joan Sowards

The adventure begins with the blog tour
for
The StarProphecy by Joan Sowards

We will be giving away THREE copies of The Star
Prophecy.

It's easy to enter.
1. Visit the fabulous reviews and leave a comment letting us know why
you're excited to read The Star
Prophecy. Remember to include your email address.
2. If you tweet about the blog tour, or post about it on your blog or
facebook, leave the link in the comments section and you'll receive an
additional entry.

Good Luck! Entries close at midnight (MST) on January 28.


*****

My husband thinks it’s absolutely hilarious that I don’t like studying American west history or Wyoming history. I mean, I have a degree in history from the University of Wyoming. I live in the American west. But I can’t help that I just like European history and World War Two.

What does any of that have to do with reviewing The Star Prophecy by Joan Sowards? Well, when I read, I have the same problem. I’m LDS, but I hardly ever read LDS fiction. (I’m sort of stuck in a fantasy adventure—I’ll probably have to stay up all night to finish this book rut…) I’ll tell you the truth. I sort of shy away from it and I don’t know why. But The Star Prophecy is a book I’m glad I snuck out of the box to read.

Set only months before the birth of the Messiah, The Star Prophecy takes place in several settings—mostly-wicked Zarahemla, the boat Jerusha Rebekah, and Jerusalem. It tells the story of a young man, Enoch, who dreams of finding the baby Jesus by sailing west across the ocean. He takes with him a crew of friends—some welcome, some not quite so. By relying on their faith, the crew sails month after month, from one adventure to the next in search of the prophesied Messiah.

I received The Star Prophecy at the perfect time. About a week before Christmas. I dove in the same day I got it, eager to get into the Christmas spirit by reading a Nephite Christmas story. Right out of the gate, I realized I’d probably really enjoy it! It combined so many elements that I’ve come to need in a good book—Adventure, some romance, good character development—and some things that I should seek more of—spiritually uplifting with lessons about faith and obedience.

I have lots of good things to say about the ideas and plot development of The Star Prophecy. Liz Adair (author of Counting the Cost) wrote about The Star Prophecy, “[Joan Sowards] begins this adventurous tale with ‘what if?’ and tells it so well that the reader closes the book thinking ‘why not?’” Liz had it right on. With every sentence into the book, I nodded my head to myself and said, “Yeah, that could’ve happened.” Every aspect is imaginative, yet thoroughly researched, making the plot believable. I once heard a writer compare a good plot and characters with the first stages of romance—when you walk away from a kiss or a date and that person stays on your mind. Even when I tore myself away from The Star Prophecy, I thought about Enoch and his friends. What will happen next? Will they make it to Jerusalem? The plot captures you inside and holds you there! The idea is so unique as well.  My only critique of the plot development is that sometimes I felt a little gypped by how quickly some elements move along. There are moments in the story that I wanted to savor, to grow along with the character, but they happen too fast, and we move on to the next thing before I can linger.

Joan Sowards writes an excellent narrative. Another confession: my biggest pet peeve in writing is poorly done voice. That is—too many voices, jarring movements between voices, inaccurate jargon, etc. (If I’ve critiqued your work, you’ve probably noticed, hehehe J) The Star Prophecy has no problem with this. Enoch’s voice is believable, and consistent (only slipping up and using modern phrases a time or two). Though written in third person, Sowards stays with Enoch’s viewpoint throughout the novel, making it even easier to connect with him and the other characters. The narrative also flows well from idea to idea. The characters are lovable (and hate-able at times!). I enjoyed learning about each of them and coming to care for them. Their problems are easy to identify with, even though their trials took place hundreds of years ago.

Through Enoch, and all his friends, I’m sure you’ll love this imaginative tale about a boy with a dream and the lengths—and the places—he’ll go to see it through.

Coming Soon: Review for Joan Sowards' "The Star Prophecy"

The adventure begins with the blog tour
for
The Star
Prophecy by Joan Sowards

We will be giving away THREE copies of The Star
Prophecy.

It's easy to enter.
1. Visit the fabulous reviews and leave a comment letting us know why
you're excited to read The Star
Prophecy. Remember to include your email address.
2. If you tweet about the blog tour, or post about it on your blog or
facebook, leave the link in the comments section and you'll receive an
additional entry.

Good Luck! Entries close at midnight (MST) on January 28.


*****
You are crazy. No Nephite has ever
returned.

Most people laugh when they hear of Enoch's dream of returning to
Jerusalem to find the infant Messiah. Even Enoch's future father-in-law
mocks him when he asks for a postponement of his long-awaited wedding to
his beloved Rebekah. A few take Enoch seriously - the shipbuilder Omnihah,
Enoch's teacher David, and the prophet Nephi.

Five years before, a Lamanite named Samuel had stood on the wall of
Zarahemla and prophesied that "five years more cometh" and the Christ
would be born in Jerusalem. Time is running out! Enoch knows he must set
sail across the great waters in search of his dream - to see the face of
the Messiah.

The Star Prophacy is a surprising
story of courage and love, faith and fortitude. Sail with Enoch and his
friends across the sea through hardship and adventure in search of the
Christ child.


January 10
I Am A Reader, Not A
Writer

January 11
Totally Tina

January 12
Peggy Urry

January 13
Tangled Words and Dreams

January 14
Kaylee Baldwin

January 17
Of Writerly Things

January 18
Writers Mirror

January 19
Bonnie Gets a Say

January 20
The Blessing of Family
Life

January 21
Anna del C. Dye's Blog
Renee S. Clark <--That's me, guys!! :)

I'm going (can't wait!!). Are you?

19th Annual ANWA Writers Conference

"Writing at the Speed of Life"

American Night Writers Association

will hold its 19th Annual Writers Conference

in Phoenix, Arizona on February 25 & 26, 2011, with

KEYNOTE SPEAKER Chris Stewart

Author of "The Great and Terrible" fiction series, The Fourth War, Missionary Miracles: Stories and Letters from the Field, and other works

For more information check out http://anwa-lds.com/conference.html

(ANWA conference is open to ANWA members and the general public!)

So sorry, I've just been busy editing my life...

I have a few random thoughts on writing (and life) today. I was sitting on my couch thinking about something I'd said to a friend that wasn't really a big deal, but maybe wasn't the best thing to say and wished I could 'edit' it out. It doesn't seem fair that my characters don't ever say awkward things unless I mean them to. I'd actually settle for something like in Facebook, where you can delete your comments. Can you imagine going over the transcript of your day, cringing at a particular moment, and then just hitting delete? :) 

And for my second random thought. As I read through an article in the Scholastic parenting magazine they give out at my son's preschool, I noticed that one of the authors had some initials at the end of her name that I didn't recognize. We all know what M.D., Ph.D., even D.D.S. mean, but Ed.D? I actually wonder if people just throw on initials at the end of their names, just in case people don't notice and automatically consider them smarter because they have initials. So I decided I'm going to start using something like R.A.A. (really awesome author) or maybe S.F.M. (super fantastic mom). I'm actually fairly certain that will help me get published.

Love, Ranee` S. Clark, B.B.E. (best blogger ever) 

:)