Mission Accomplished!

NaNoWrimo is over for another year. I didn't realize the effect of these 6 a.m. mornings. While I admit weekend mornings are my time to write, 6:00 a.m. is a tad early even for me. And this morning one look in the mirror and the red eye syndrome made me take a step back. Sleep, I need sleep! But I'm happy to report that I also reached my personal goal of 60,000 words!

It's been wild and crazy and my fingers hurt but I did it! And even Rourke is exhausted. I think I just heard him begin to snore from his new place of importance, a two blanket bed behind my chair.

Ryshia
www.ryshiakennie.com

NaNoWrimo - We Did It!

Today is the day I broke through the 50,000 word barrier and made NaNoWrimo 2008!! 
Whoo Hoo!!!!

Now if we can just replicate today's word count, 60,000 words by the end of the month may be doable.

To add to the good feel of the day, I found a new penny in my boot after today's dog walk. Hmmm - anyone believe in omens or just good luck charms? Or maybe we just make our own luck.

Either way - how was the luck in your day?

Ryshia
www.ryshiakennie.com

Promises Along the Way

Promises are sometimes hard to keep. Even promises to your self and sometimes, especially those. The other day I thought I could write 60,000 words by the end of this month. Now, I'm considering if this is possible with 15,000 words to go. I'm not saying I'm not going to be able to make 60,000 words by the end of Sunday but the possibility is looking more and more distant. There's been some bad days, good days really, but socializing on a time budget takes a big chunk of writing time. So it's 7:30 a.m. and the internet is about to go to the off position!

I may need all hands on deck and a little help to accomplish this goal. So I've upgraded the music to Tchaikovsky - time to call in the big guys!

What do you do when the goal seems to exceed time and will?

Ryshia

Juggling Paper

You know how it is when you've gotten so involved with something that the clutter surrounding that project begins to obscure everything?

Suddenly the path you were moving so confidently forward on has become filmed with - well stuff. That's what became of my office recently. Actually this is a recurring event rather like the seasons. The culprit? Besides the current WIP - Paper.

Too much paper. That's normal for a writer isn't it? I mean there's all those scraps of notes, the research, the remnants of stories past. But now there appears to be just too much. When my elbow rests on the keys and nudges gently against a newspaper that I must respond too - something is out of whack. Too much paper, too many projects, too many files. Research on one book that must be kept indefinitely, a list of contacts, a pile of bookmarks, it goes on and on. While trying to juggle a full day that combines family with a full-time job and writing I forgot to pay attention to the clutter. Or maybe I forgot to file! Could it be that simple? Whatever the reason - my peace is rattled. It's too much. It has to go!

Because now there's a herd in my path. Okay, not really. The picture is from Cambodia earlier this year and then there literally was almost a herd in the path.

And that's how I feel as NaNoWrimo winds down for another year. Tired, almost exultant and cluttered, and the clutter has fallen on the path.

So the garbage bag is out and the file drawer is open.

What do you do when a project threatens to swallow you alive?

Ryshia
www.ryshiakennie.com

Back to Normal - Almost!

Well, the interview is over and it was fun. Thanks Jeff! The draw is just nicely completed and an e-mail is off to the winner. It was a fun day. Thanks to everyone who stopped by and especially to those who commented.

NaNoWrimo is in its last week and my word count is on track. Except for one thing, I've decided in the waning days of this contest to surpass 50,000 words and make it a personal goal to hit 60,000 this month. Can I do it? I'm tracking my daily count on the sidebar - follow along and maybe even cheer me on.

After all, I'm serious. No, seriously I am! There aren't many days and now with ideas churning in my head it's all about speed and accuracy. As a pianist, I'll tell you a trick. When you mean business, you trim your nails. Why? Better traction on the keys - computer keys, piano keys - let's get down to business!

Here's to smiles in your day!

Ryshia

Win the book - Meet the Author - Jeff Rivera

Jeff Rivera has a unique and incredible story from childhood poverty to self-publishing and onward with that same self-published book to commercial publishing success! It is quite the journey. "Forever My Lady" is firstly a romance and secondly the result of the determination of one man to succeed. Today I'm excited to present an interview with Jeff Rivera and offer a chance for every reader of this blog to win a copy of Jeff's book "Forever My Lady". How do you win? Enter a comment any time before the end of today, November 23 and you'll be entered to win. I'll make a random draw at the end of the day and contact the winner! Good luck everyone!

And now let's meet Jeff:



Ryshia: “Forever My Lady” is a romance. Do you see your career as a romance author?

Jeff: I see a career as someone who writes emotional roller coasters, some of those will be romance, some will be young adult but all of them will make you feel, will move you emotionally. That's always my goal as an author.

Ryshia: From self-published to Warner, that’s quite a journey, what was the most memorable moment?

Jeff: The most memorable moment was getting "the" call from my agent at the time about Warner wanting to acquire Forever My Lady. It truly was a dream come true, still is.

Ryshia: Many latinos are claiming " Forever My Lady " as their story. How does that feel to you as an author?

Jeff: I am so inspired by the early fans of Forever My Lady. I mean it means a lot to hear people all over the world say that the story moved them to tears or that they could relate to it or that in some way it influenced their life. It’s strange in a way because these are just fictitious characters but even for me they have become real.

Ryshia: “Forever My Lady’s " main characters are two Mexican Americans. How is it that as a Black American you were able to write about the Latino or Chicano experience?

Jeff: I think most of my Latino and Chicano friends have branded me an Honorary Latino. Haha! I know it sounds strange to some people because of how proud I am of my heritage as a Black American but there’s a part of me that feels like I have some kind of past life connection to Latinos or something, I don’t know what it is. I feel very connected to them.

Ryshia: The publishing industry speaks of books sticking in a market and you’ve obviously had amazing success, and stuck. What bit of marketing advice would you give to authors to make their book stick?

Jeff: The biggest advice I would say is first write a phenomenal book (whatever that means to you) but a phenomenal book not based on your opinion or your best friend or your mom but hundreds of people you don't even know. Secondly, keep promoting even if it takes years, keep going, think of yourself as a brand and stop thinking of your book as "your baby" and thirdly, keep writing, keep putting book after book out there especially if it's part of a series.

Ryshia: What are you working on now and when can your readers expect your next book?

Jeff: I'm working on the sequel to Forever My Lady now and some young adult books that I'm very excited about. As far as when the sequel will come out? I don't like to put any dates out there but hopefully soon.


Ryshia: If your dream of flying in a private jet came true and you could only go to one place, where would it be?

Jeff: That is a a really good question. Let me think about that for a second ... I'd say, why not Australia where I could have the time of my life exploring the country with very close friends and close family members.

Ryshia: Where can readers buy " Forever My Lady "?

Jeff: Definitely my website: www.JeffRivera.com, Amazon.com or their local bookstore.

The scoop on "Forever My Lady":

For Dio Rodriguz, manhood means keeping his barrio rep stone-old - and striking back before others hit him first. The only thing he lets himself care about is Jennifer. The quiet, dark-eyed girl who believed in him when no one else would. But when a drive-by shooting forces him into a prison boot camp and lands Jennifer in the hospital Dio must learn a different kind of courage to survive. Against lies, violence, and heartbreaking betrayal. Dio has one last chance to turn it all around - fight for his new life...and prove his love for Jennifer is real.

Excerpt from "Forever My Lady"

Prologue

DON’T BE STUPID, FOO’. DON’T BE A PENDEJO.”

Dio looked at his homie Spooky’s grip on his jacket. Most of his boys called Dio “Playboy” because all the ladies loved him, but those who had known him since he was a kid called him by his real name, Dio.

He took another hit off his joint. He’d given up smoking over a year ago, had to, but on this day he was more nervous than he had ever been in his life.

Thunder rumbled and rain poured, making it impossible to see. Thunder scared Dio, always had. Dio fought to keep from shaking. He couldn’t breathe, couldn’t swallow. He tried to hide his fear. His mind was set. He had to do it. Dio yanked his arm away from Spooky and pushed the
door open.

“Just keep the car runnin’, ése.”

Spooky was a big guy, tattoos up and down his arm and a glass eye. He normally would have just kept Dio from leaving at all, but he knew nothing could stop him. Nothing at all.

Dio jumped out of the car. It was a ’57 Chevy, complete with chrome wheels, slick red, with a chili-pepper-hot Mexican jaina painted across the hood. Dio had painted that picture himself. It was dope.

He slammed the door shut and looked up at the cathedral in front of him. Lightning illuminated its majestic towers, windows with an eerie stained glass. He’d spent many a night imagining this would be where he’d marry her. They’d have a huge wedding with members of their families
flying in from all over the world just to watch this event, this marriage he thought was so destined to be. He’d put his everything into this dream, his one and only dream, and now as
he yanked the heavy oak doors open, his heart pounded like a subwoofer.

He dried his soaked clothes with his hand and scratched his shoes on the mat so as not to squeak across the old wood floor. The church was jam-packed, mostly with Mexicans and Puerto Ricans, but some blacks. Probably his familia, Dio thought. How could she even think about marrying some pinche negro?


Good luck everyone!

Ryshia
www.ryshiakennie.com