For Writers without Agents

A good friend of mine sent me this link. Harper Voyager will be accepting manuscripts from unagented authors for two weeks! This is extremely good news for those of us whom agents keep rejecting. Or even those who don't want to bother looking for an agent in the first place (it takes a lot of work, and it's boring). I'm definitely going to try and have a manuscript ready by the deadline. What's 70,000 words (preferably 80,000, as they say) when I could have a contract with a major publisher? Speaking of words, I better go add some to my manuscript. I've got a schedule to keep.

My DIY Table 2.0 & Chairs

This is not a DIY blog, but after my most recent project, I'm just so proud of myself I need to post a picture. If you're not into DIY, feel free to ignore me. Otherwise, continue on for the steps I took.

I don't have any before or during pictures, because I'm just too impatient for that. So I will just say that the table, which I got from my dad who inherited it from his aunt, was originally a dark wood color. You know, a normal person's table. At first I painted it a sort of faded lime, which my husband got free from his old work. Then I decided I didn't like it and an amazing idea popped into my head. I thought, what better use for that can of Rust-oleum Aubergine spray paint that I bought just because I like the color and don't have any other practical use for?

Brilliant. But just in case you're considering getting yourself a can (I ended up using nearly three), please note that your first coat will be less aubergine, more HOLY CRAP THAT'S HOT PINK. Which is exactly what I thought. But I was already committed and I'm not afraid of color, so I persisted. And I'm glad I did. To finish it off, I coated the legs with spray sealant, and the top of the table with some brush on polyurethane (I find the spray stuff doesn't work quite as well on a surface that will get a lot of use).

As for the chairs, which somehow appeared in my dad's garage in a box, as things do, they were that weird orange color wood sometimes has. And the fabric on the cushions was this sturdy, ugly weave with specks of brown and orange. I painted them with a few light coats of Rust-oleum Heirloom White spray paint (after deciding I was too lazy to sand and prime, by the way) and finished them with some spray sealant. After I removed the fabric (and about a million stubborn staples) from the cushions, I covered them with some fabric my dad brought home from China (my dad's house apparently has a wealth of DIY materials). I was reluctant to cut the fabric at first, but then I remembered it was meant to be made into something and besides, it was just sitting in my closet.

All in all, my dining "room" is now that much closer to being as awesome as I know it will be one day. Once I get around to painting the walls and hanging two of this awesome yellow pendant I've been eyeing at Home Depot (and getting some candles for those candle holders), it will look amazing.

The coveted pendant.

The color is not quite as pink as it appears in the picture.

Hello, you cute little monkey!

This will not be our dining table forever, by the way. For one thing, there are only two chairs and we have a third little person who needs to sit down. Secondly, having twins means we will eventually need a table that seats at least five people, and this one just won't cut it. There's a leaf in the middle that folds down, so this will make a good console table or something like that. I didn't expect at first I would love the table with this color so much, but I do, and I will definitely be keeping it around my house in some function or other for quite a while.

Unchanged - Free Aug. 22 & 23

That's right! On August 22nd and 23rd, you can download my book Unchanged for free! Get it here on Amazon. Enjoy!

Review of Unchanged

I'm pleased to announce that Unchanged has finally gotten its first proper review (i.e. not just a star rating or a review by someone I know). You can see it on Goodreads here.

"Rating Clarification: 3 / 5

If you want to see more of my reviews, check out my blog @ Moosubi Reviews!

Hmm. To be honest, I’m not really sure how to review and rate Unchanged. Compared to a lot of YA PNR Kindle freebies I’ve been reading, Unchanged is probably one of the better of the batch. Still, I didn’t love it, although I would say I still enjoyed the writing…

Unchanged revolves around two lovers – one immortal, one that keeps on dying but reincarnating every one hundred years. Similar to Reincarnation by Suzanne Weyn,Unchanged has that theme that love is immortal, and cannot be stopped even through death. Although there was a definite attraction and liking between Ahaziel and Lilly, I suppose I couldn’t see their “true love”. To me, there was instant attraction, and although it didn’t bother me as it usually does, this factor probably downplayed the “love factor” for me.

Lilly, however, was a great heroine! She was definitely flawed, but also a strong and relatable character. After all, there are always times when teenagers feel less-than-perfect. Although, as I mentioned before, there is insta-love, she didn’t immediately fall into Ahaziel’s arms – instead, she was cautious and was careful in weighing her options. She was also a fighter, although not to reckless or too generous to be unrealistic. Overall, she was a smart, realistic, and likable heroine!

The side characters, however, felt a little underdeveloped for me. They seemed one-sided, and not too interesting. Part of this is because a certain portion of the book is dedicated to exploring past lives, but this still bothered me. Moreover, I felt that the final battle passed too quickly – I suppose I was looking for more of a struggle? I have to admit that Lilly’s strategy and solution to the problem was smart though – I was definitely impressed with that.

Overall, Unchanged is a pretty interesting contribution to the YA PNR genre. I also happened to get it as a Kindle Freebie, so as a free weekend read (and contribution to my challenge!), I would say I got a pretty good deal. I would recommend this book to those who are in need of a short and satisfying romance, or are interested in the idea of reincarnation."

Thank you, Rachael Woohoo!

Review Request

I'm excited to have gotten my first review request from Celise at Incandescent Enchantments! I'm very much looking forward to the review. Thanks, Celise!

Quick Update

I added two new short stories, "Simon" and "The Attic" for a total of four. The links are here.

Random Book-related Things

I'm just waiting for my toddler to wake up. He sleeps in on the oddest days.

Texts from Jane Eyre - hilarious.
DIY Bookshelves - I'm seriously considering getting my husband to build #14 for the living room. And I could feasibly do #5 for my existing shelves.
More Bookshelves - Just because I have the link bookmarked. These are a bit prettier than the others.

Good book cover - Very Magritte.

Guess what this reminds me of. Who hasn't been at least a little obsessed with goblin kings since Labyrinth? It also puts me in mind of this poem I found online years ago, but can't seem to find anywhere now.

Over the hill of Tiras Leigh,

across the Brightly Shining Sea,

come faery lords and ladies fine,

hobgoblins, nymphs, and muses nine.

To the Goblin City they fly,

under the Storm Duke's watchful eye.

Make ready now, in one month's time

the Goblin King shall take his bride.

That's it for now . . . Have a great morning!