Catching Up

After an absence from the blog while I planned and celebrated Christmas with my six children, two daughters-in-law, and three grandchildren, I'm back in the writing and blogging mode. I'm working on my first thriller and having fun with it. I didn't know if I could sustain suspense throughout a novel but I've made it to Chapter Five.

I've had several interesting responses from small publishers, several of whom have requested the full manuscript of my mystery. Also, I still hear from some of the agents I contacted months ago. I guess agents and publishers really do slog their way through all those submissions. I remain hopeful - a new year means a new start - this could be the year!

When I was in North Carolina in the Fall, I went to a writers' meeting with my writer friend, Nancy Sales Cash. One member of the group brought a publication called Flip Dictionary to share with us. It's something of a thesaurus but instead of just synonyms for words, you can find a single word synonym for a phrase. Think about the times when it takes several words to say what's in your head but you want to use just one perfect word. I ordered mine through Amazon for $6.89. Although I have my trusty Writer's Thesaurus, I use the new Flip Dictionary more often. Take a look at it - you may like it.

Happy New Year to everyone. I feel so optimistic about this year, especially the writing opportunities and possibilities!