Red House Books

Red House Books, is carrying Dog Breath. You can purchase it in the store for $9.99. Red House Books is a family-owned and operated book store in Dothan, AL.

Teressa Nyman next to Dog Breath book display.

They have new, used, rare, and collectible books.

Teressa Nyman of Red House Books says the store has been here for about 45 years.  It was started by Margaret Jackson who passed away in 1999. She was already working here at the time and four years later, her  family bought it. She has always loved working with and around books, as well as, working with people.  She  really enjoys  her customers and loves  helping them find books. “It's so rewarding to help a youngster get started reading or help someone find a new author that they fall in love with,” says Teressa Nyman.

Teressa Nyman at her desk. Let her help you find a book!

Check them out online at: http://redhousebookstore.com

Teressa Nyman standing in front of Red House Books.

Or pay them a visit: 2013 South Oates St., Business 231, Dothan, AL 36301

Book Cover

A special thanks to Babski Creative Studios for designing the cover to my comedy novel, Dog Breath.

Dog Breath by Jolene Fine is now for sale! You can find it on Kindle. It is available on your Kindle Fire, I-phone, I-pad, and other Kindle compatible devices.

In Kindle look for: ASIN: B00HVMEVV4
 

Welcome to my World

Once upon a time, my only writing goal for the week was: Write Chapter 9 of Dog Breath. It seems like such a long time ago. Probably because it was. At the time, writing was a hobby. I had no intentions or aspirations for publication. In fact, I had no idea that there were writing conferences, or literary agents, writing associations, blogs, or critique circles. My only feedback was my best friend, Deanna. (God bless her!)

Fast forward to reality, A.K.A. now.

New daily tasks replace that simple, naïve weekly goal.

Yesterday it was:
* Conference with Dog Breath cover artist.
* Start highlighting ms (that's manuscript for the newbie) for Dog Breath audio recording.
* Begin sound effects sound list.
* Categorize highlighted dialogue into male/ female/ and children roles. Type up.
* Type list of characters & associated chapters in which they are appear in ms.
* Speak with librarian in Marianna library about hanging promotional photo contest flyer for Dog Breath and library's acquisition procedures.
* Send follow-up email to librarian.
* Reread and note improvements for Chapter 21 of M.O.D. (Initials for book title of 2nd book in Sci-Fi/ Fantasy series.)

Today... well...there is a whole new list.

Welcome to my world!

Choosing a Cover Artist

 




      Choosing a cover artist for your novel is an important and personal endeavor.

      I was looking for someone who:

* listened to my ideas

* knew the tone of my novel

* could interpret someone's thoughts into a visual representation of their novel

Where was I going to find such a person?





That's when I stumbled upon this cover:

 

 

My friend, and fellow author, Jeff Bauer, went with Babski Creative Studios. It was this impressive cover design that sold me. I've already begun decisions with an artist from the company. My humorous novel about a man who works for a dog food factory is set to release at the end of January. I can not wait to see the design Elizabeth Babski creates for me!

 

 

More information on Jeff Bauer can be found at: http://www.goodreads.com/author/show/6855956.Jeff_Bauer 

 

Acting Out

                My husband watches me put on a clean dress, tan stockings, and brown leather boots. “What are you doing?” he wants to know as I step into the shower and turn on the water. He asks this with an amused laugh.

                “It was easier just to get wet,” I respond.

 

 

                No, I don’t normally take a shower with my clothes on. But, I do act out a lot of my storyline.  Which is what I am doing here.

The explanation: Ten minutes before this picture, I was sitting at my computer, editing the rough draft of Book 2 in The Lambient Series, and attempting to describe how my female protagonist feels completely drenched in a canoe, just rescued from drowning but still waiting for her father to be saved. I know I’ve felt what she’s feeling, probably caught in a rain storm and couldn’t immediately change clothes. But, as I was trying to recall what that felt like…the shower idea jumped into my head. So, I grabbed her costume, or the closest articles in my wardrobe, and a pad and pen.

                You can’t see it in the picture. But, beside my tub (aka, the canoe) is a pad and pen. Which, once someone stopped taking my picture, I scribbled down every emotion, thought, image, etc. my protagonist was feeling.

                I could have wretched my brain for hours to come up with the page of writing I did in five minutes dripping wet in the tub. Because…sometimes, it’s just easier to get wet.

What I do for love...

What I do for love…

What I do for the love of writing, that is.

It’s certainly not fame. Though, one day I do hope to be published. Not so much to be “famous” as to have others read my stories and live through my characters. One of my favorite questions to ask a stranger is: What is the best thing that could ever happen to you? The answer is so telling. Hands down, my response to my own question is to accidently stumble upon someone reading a book I’ve published on a plane or by the pool. Better yet, would be if they do NOT recognize I’m the author and we discuss the book. Even better, they like it.

So, what is that I do for the love of writing?

First, I’m in two writing critique circles. An online one with my former Houston Writers Club friends and a local one in Tallahassee, FL. The online group meets weekly via web conferencing and we email one another our ms at the beginning of each session.  While one individual is reading aloud their ms, the rest of us are critiquing it on the computer. Then, it is the next persons turn. The local group, and I use the term ‘local’ loosely since I travel two hours from Dothan, AL to attend, meets once a month.  In this group of five, the ms is emailed out the week before and at the meeting we discuss each person’s work.

Second, I read. Mainly, I read young adult novels and fantasy novels. And by reading, I should say studying because I underline, highlight, and take notes. Sometimes it seems to take me forever to get through a book because I’m so busy dissecting the way it was written. You might think that this takes away from my enjoyment of the novel….but you’d be wrong.

Third, I write and edit for about six hours every week day. It’s my job.

And maybe…. *I’m raising my diet coke to the air.* ….my dreams of being a published writer will come true. Maybe, even this year.

Stuck?

 Question: What happens when your storyline flows, but your prose doesn't?

Answer: I close my eyes and type.

If I get bogged down with word choice, it is easier to visualize the scene with my eyes closed. I picture my character and what he/she sees, put my fingers on the home keys, and type. This way the typos, word choice, and the way that the sentences look on the page do not get stop my train of thought. Or rather, my character's train of thought.

The world around us can distract us from our imagination, but our imagination will lead to better realization of the world around us.

In short, just write. None of it may be usuable in your manuscript, but then again, you may find yourself comparing the fostercare system to ungathered seed pods.

My Voice or His

Author George Lasher once told me that I’d be a successful writer when I finally found my voice. Obviously, he wasn’t referring to my volume- which could deafen penguins in Antarctica- or my opinions- which are definitive, endless, and always unsolicited. Not understanding what he meant, I carried on…writing and writing.

                Somewhere along the way, writing transformed from a hobby into something that I felt was achievable. I have explored picture books, chapter books, and comedy. And still, he was right, my dabbling missed something. I began to pray that I would be inspired and that I would improve. I finished writing an adult comedy (my first completed novel) and set out on my second. Eighty pages into that work my perspective changed on life. I stopped asking God for specific things that I wanted and needed. Instead, each day, I simply said, “Let me know your will.”

             As I sat down to write on my story- which I was very much attached to- I distinctly felt that I should cast it aside for this new world that began taking shape in my mind.  And, as my very first act of following His plan for me, I did. Ironically, that is the theme of the book: Having faith to follow God’s plan for you.  Five months later, I am completely finished. I read the final chapter to my writing group last night.

              I look back on what I’ve written. Desiree’s conflicting impulse to push people away and her desire for a forever family. Zach’s determinations to help Gretchen, even if it means defying a god. And, the principles my characters learned along the way, they were mine. As my characters learned eternal truths, so did I. Yes, I look back on this story and see my voice. That foster child who struggled for love but fought it at every turn. The one whose past could never stay buried. That teenager who was taught the truth, but refused to act on their knowledge. The one that took the long road to find the light. These are my stories embedded within the pages of a science-fiction, young adult novel. Within it is my voice. But, more importantly, there’s His voice, too.

             I’d ask you to wish me luck in finding an agent, but then I remember.

Houston Writer's Conference

     Since I am paid in "family moments"--- you know those magical fiveseconds of a day where your kids tell you your the best mom ever because you picked green beans out from the garden together or you've agreed to let them help make pancakes---two-hundred and fifty dollars for a writing conference is a lot of money. But, wow, was this conference worth it!
   Honestly, I'm expecting to be bored senseless with alot of lectures, like I was back in college. (Not talking about your class Sissy.) It turned out to be quiet the opposite.
  The energy level of the presenters at the conference was amazing. I took the young adult track, for the most part. All of my speakers were practically doing song and dance numbers like they were from Gypsy. I kept picturing them breaking out into song and singing, "Let me, entertain you. Let me, make you smile!" I kid you not when I tell you one of the presenters put on fairy wings!
   One of my favorite quotes from the conference was from Elaine Scott, an author published 40 times over. She said, "Write as if they will confiscate your computer on Friday." I love that. I was really bummed the email address she gave me didn't work. If anyone knows her email address, I wanted to shoot her a note about how I loved her lecture.
  Besides talented, experienced writers giving us advice on what to do and not to do, there were many agents there.  I was able to interview with four of them. I was surprised by how friendly, nurturing, and helpful the agents I spoke with were.  Granted, during the first interview I was crazy nervous...but as the energy of the conference rubbed off on me...I was on a roll. The best feeling happened in one of my interviews. When the agent was listening to my pitch, I could really tell they were really appreciating the uniqueness and humor of the story and characters. It felt great to have an agent appear to take a genuine interest in my story.  Crossing my fingers  the agent I felt a connection to works out!

Houston Writers Guild

       Writing -for me- is like having an endless cheesecake with blueberry topping sitting inside my head.  Constantly craving  it, but as you eat, the cheesecake doesn't disappear (or add pounds) ...it just creates this salivation for more cheesecake.
       Just when I thought I couldn't crave the cheesecake anymore...I joined a critique group...and now I just may end up in an AA meeting for cheesecake someday!

(left to right: George, "Book," Jolene, Jeremiah, Araceli, Enos)

         The picture shows only a handful of people that attend one of the three critique groups.  Over 60 people regularly attend these critique groups... and the guild itself has ALOT more members.

         A little about my buddies in the picture who have made me feel so welcomed:

* George- "I call him "the voice"- his commercial tone and storytelling skills make the phone book sound like an interesting story-- why most people choose him to read their material!

* "Book"- most opinionated and doesn't sugar-coat it: which is hard to take when you are hearing it, but you really appreciate it later

* Jeremiah- Good-natured, quirky Science Fiction Writer; the gentle critic- highlights the good points of writing and then surprises me with a very specific suggestion for the piece.

* Araceli- Quiet and reserved, whose comments are generally verbal; she writes young adult

* Enos- his grumpy act isn't fooling me- I'll grow on you eventually!  Focuses on the big concepts in your work that are missing

Our president, Rodger Paulding, the quiet observer who edits your complex sentences for better read-ability.

Preparing for my next novel.

Now that I have 57 character sketches, 86 pages of character dialogue (18, 544 words), and a map of my imaginary world... I guess I am ready to start my next novel now.

What's this next novel about, you want to know...It's a teen novel that will be a mix between literary and modern fiction.  .Setting= Houston Suburbs/ Middle School.  I could talk for hours about this book, but unless your my friend or future agent... you'll just have to wait until it's finished.  I have no doubt this book will be taught in schools one day because of the message that will be in it. 

It is sad that I can't share a clip of the dialogue or idea without feeling that it might get stolen.  Sad, sad world we live in.

Better Writer than a Querier

Here is my main problem with writing... getting someone else (sorry Deanna and Madeline - best friends and children don't count in the book industry) to read my oh so wonderful writing because am not a celebrity or an already famous writer.

So, I am beginning to think that I am a better novelist than query letter writer.

Adult Comedy Fiction Novel

Well, I finally finished my adult comedy, a whole 80,000 words and 306 pages of dog, children, work, Mormon, and dare I say I threw in a little potty and x-box humor for the men out there..... as if a man who looks like Mario Brother's and smells dog breath for a living was not funny enough.... this thirty-year-old man has to find a way to make a lovely brunette advertising agent, who is the current girlfriend of his best friend and neighbor, interested in him.

So, I am back to looking for agents and publishers...

Messages to Mommy

I grew up having lots of pen pals. I loved writing letters to old friends (moved alot as a kid), people that we met on vacation (I could befriend anyone), former camp mates (Especially For Youth at BYU), or just plain strangers (other kids met in AOL chat rooms). However, my favorite all time pen pal was my sister, who was one year older than me- not to be confused with the one three years older who wrote me once (shame shame shame.)

Most people don't even like their sisters, let alone write them. But, most people live with their sisters, too. I, however, was a foster kid, and me and my sisters had been separated from each other since I was nine years old - not in different homes in the same city either- think me in Florida and them in Oregon, Texas, or Virginia. So, when you can only see your sisters for two weeks, every two years...you must write (no such thing as cell phones then and long distance bills were very expensive).

So, when my seven year old daughter, Gwendolynn, could pick anyone she wanted to be pen pals with- It was adorable that she choose me. For the last four weeks she writes me a letter in a notebook, then waits for me to read it and respond. Then, she secretly writes back. Though half of what she writes I can't make out, because she is still developing her writing and spelling skills, I adore her weekly messages to mommy.

Idea for Book Three

As soon as we get home from school each day, Gwendolynn and Madeline start flinging dead trees at me- and there must be at least thirty dead trees in each of their backpacks. “Sign this.” Fling. “Read this.” Fling. “Look at this.” Fling. I ask for a neat, orderly pile every day, but before you know it, the kitchen counters and the kitchen tiles- where many of the papers have flittered to- are littered in a mix of both girls’ papers. I am left sitting on the kitchen floor, drowning in confetti of dead trees as my darling girls have moved on to the cartoon channel.

This Thursday was no different. After spending ten minutes (still in my dress and heels sitting on the kitchen floor) sorting between the “trash” pile and the “sign” piles, I sign the planners and the conduct folders. Anything that does not look like a required signature goes in the trash pile.

After I make Rice Pilaf and chicken, we say the prayer and eat dinner together at the table- hubby  has wandered in when I was cooking.

After dinner, the girls and I are hanging out in the playroom together. Madeline is asking me about the student council form and if I signed it. I have no clue what she is talking about. Madeline disappears and returns with a form that she has fished out of the trash. I vaguely recall the form- ok so I do not recall it all- but here she is dusting pilaf off it.

Madeline, nine, informs me that she wants to run for student council. I am thinking why, when I remember that I was in student council for third through sixth grade, as well. She is very excited to show me a crumbled piece of paper (poor trees) with her speech on it. It basically says that she promises to show up, said four different ways in four different sentences. “Do you want me to help you with your speech?” I ask, because you know mommy’s do not have any of thing else to do (cough). Actually, I took one look at the paper and thought- she is differently going to lose if she uses that speech. So, I ask her a bunch of leading questions to help her create her OWN speech. All the while, I am cringing at the idea of having to make cupcakes for her campaign. Jason informs us that Obama – which is a joke in the family- has banned parents from bringing cupcakes to schools. “Darn, you will just have to win on your smile,” I tell her. Then, she smiles real big revealing her extremely crooked teeth and says with a bit of princess vanity (no clue where she gets that), “Awesome. I have the cutest smile!”

Well, if she makes the Student Council, this very well might be….(wait for it)…Book Three, Sisters of Sugar Land, Vote for Katelyn.

The Waiting Game

I am NOT a good waiter. I'm impatient. I would define myself as a "NOW"er. I think of something, I do it. I want it, (if I can afford it) I get it. An idea pops in my head, I do it now... I don't wait until there is time, I drop everything and do it. So, being a "NOW"er is not very compatible in this writing world. A week has gone by since I sent my manuscripts off and boy does it feel like months have passed. So, meanwhile, do I continue on the series, work on something else, or just wait? All of the above? Thank goodness I have these three girls to occupy me or I would go nutty!

Three Funny Girls

Enter Jocelyn, four, as she climbs up on my lap as I try to type on the computer. Her little soft hands smush my cheeks and make my eyes look at hers. She moves my head to the left and right numerous times. (I have seen her do this to the dogs numerous times and now I feel for them.) I notice something glossy on her shoulder and take a closer look. Ten strips of tape were on both shoulders. “Why is there tape all over you?” I ask smirking, because I have a hard time getting mad at her for cute things, even if they are messy. “My straps of my dress kept falling down, so I taped them,” she says very proudly.

Enter Madeline, nine, we are sitting in the third row of the church. Sacrament has just finished. “Mom,” she says very loudly. “I’m very hungry. Can I ask for the leftover bread?”

Enter Gwendolynn, seven, who has just watched me make myself a Diet Coke. I sit at the couch, two minutes later, she comes to me with a HUGE glass. “Look, Mommy, I made you two cokes.” “Thanks, sweetie,” I say, “but I already have one.” Gwendolynn, who knew this already, replies, “Good, can I have it?” Mommy- that is me- replies, “Hmmmmm…..let me think about that one…. No.” I laugh; she frowns. I have three Diet Cokes to drink.

The Real "Sisters of Sugar Land"

Enough about your boring query trouble, you say. What are the real “Sisters of Sugar Land” are up to?

Everything we did this summer together- except swimming and we did a lot of that- sewing, art, piano, writing, and cooking led up to the “Sisters of Sugar Land Summer Showcase.” You have to envision the sparkles when you say the title or it is no good. Go back and say it with the sparkles.

This showcase consisted of torturing my friends and my husband -gone to India or Norway and in no way gets to steal credit for this- with my children’s wondrous and countless talents.....who apparently take after M- O- M- M-Y. Madeline made cupcakes, played "Book of Mormon Stories" on the piano, showed off her sewn blanket, and read a book she wrote and illustrated. Hmmmm…..who does that sound like....Clap for Madeline! Gwendolynn made these incredible M&M cookies- which I ate too many of. She told everyone about the t-shirts we were wearing (yes, I wore a t-shirt and shorts-gasp). We hand painted them with a silk screen and embroidered designs around the paint. More than ten hours per t-shirt, especially since I made the kids do everything for their own shirt. Clap for Madeline! Jocelyn made a sherbet punch that did not taste good, but she loved it, because Mommy failed to get a recipe first….bad Mommy. She also had her t-shirt to show and wrote a note to Daddy for the audience as her talent- yes my four year-old can write! (again… who does that sound like?) Clap for Mo…I mean Clap for Jocelyn!

Today, the last Friday before all the kids head back to school, we went to Life Time Gym swimming. And while the other parents are sunbathing or talking to one another- or staring at me like I’m an idiot, the girls and I went on another pool adventure. We went in search of the lost turtle, on the water boat train, and to Power Island (which Gwendolynn made up- the island gives you powers- mine was to throw thunderbolts at the children.) And of course, what is a pool adventure without having a pretend cupcake and pizza tasting contest- they all should be waitresses because they really like taking my orders and throwing the food in my face when I tell them it doesn’t taste good and to add more sugar. Weirder than all that was the group of children (strangers) who asked to play with us on our adventures. They also liked taking orders from me- I’m like the female pied piper or something.

Good times. Sigh.

Finding an Agent for my Undiscovered Genius of a Series

Ok, world… I have this incredibly brilliant (choking on my own vanity here) and uplifting children's book series I am writing. These characters are quiet literally my children and I, going through a typical suburban life and letting our imaginations transform the world around us into unlimited possibilities. I know, you are wondering why is that sentence bold; don’t get ahead of me.
So, what is this incredible series called you want to know because you already are hooked on my sassy personality (choking again). Sisters of Sugar Land. I think it is cute, mainly because I’m an English teacher who thinks alliteration rocks the world, but still, I like it. LDS members out there will like the double meaning of “sisters.”
Last Thursday, I sent out my first round of queries to find an agent for my series. (Most of these agent website sites have a pre-apology note posted on their submission page: Sorry it will take 3 months to respond to your query, thanks for your submission.)
Today, I got four responses back (guess they aren’t as busy as they claim). Three said “Not for me” and I kid you not when I tell you that was the entire response. A fourth asked for the entire manuscript. I did a happy dance for about four minutes. When I sat down to send the manuscript, something inside told me to go to the agent’s website again. (I say again, because I really have looked over all the websites I sent my queries to.) Immediately, I get the “no way are you sending it to them” feeling. “But, they want to actually read my work, not some stupid cover letter!” I argue with myself. So, I set out to find out WHY I shouldn’t send it. I re-read the bios of the agents. I write down all of the books they have gotten published and then I look all of those books up online. I know, I know, it is like self-torture as I find each and every one of those books were published and marketed horribly. Many were actually rip offs of other popular series (published with the same name even).
To make up for my rejection, (which I don’t take personally, because they didn’t even read my book…because if they had they would have signed me immediately) I set off to find another agent.
So, I find an agent to query that I like and wouldn’t you know it… this agent has a line by line rubric of what she wants in her query… which is NOT anything that I can just copy and paste from my standard query. So, I wasted an entire day making a special query just for ONE literary agent who had extremely specific sentence by sentence requirements for her submission query... and she is likely to not even request to read my manuscript after all that trouble. And that bold sentence at the top… was line 7 of her special query requirements: Why can you, only you, and no one in the whole world write this story? Duh, it is my actual life… I wanted to write that… but the sentence in bold sounded better.