#DFWCON Here I Come

As an author, besides writing, I love nothing more than getting together with like-minded people who also love all things book. This coming weekend is my chance to do just that. I will attend DFW Writer's Conference (#DFWCON).

There will be speakers, classes, panels, and others who share my passion for the craft. Literary agents and editors are looking for manuscripts of all genres. Many writers hope to meet their dream agents. Others pray they will find their future editors.

All week, I'm sure I'll be distracted and giddy and pretty much getting on the nerves of everyone around me.

I'm this guy.

All my fiends and family are the woman with the drink, thinking ,"Seriously?"

I'll practice my pitches for my books, DEVASTATION and SECRETS I KEEP. Most likely, repeating them again and again, memorizing the words, trying to not sound like I'm reciting a script.

What's a pitch? Basically, it's me trying to quickly tell an agent/editor about my book in such a way as to entice them to ask to see my entire manuscript (called a 'FULL request'), or a portion of it (a 'PARTIAL request'). 

Hopefully what I WON'T make them do is something like this...

OR

I'm really hoping to get a reaction closer to...

and then they'll go...

I'll be nervous as hell and probably drink too much coffee.

However, I do hope my books garner at least some attention.

Once I get a request, I'll email whatever they've asked for and then I'll wait to hear whether or not they...

A. pass on my manuscript

to which I'll probably be like

Then again, maybe they'll 

B. want to see more

In this case I'll be all

but hopefully, they will have asked for a FULL so I'll be getting option

C. They'll be interested in either representing or publishing my book

When this finally happens you can bet your ass I'll be 

and 

followed by

and then

Whatever the outcome, I will eventually find my dream agent. Actually, I already have one in mind, and am crossing my fingers s/he will read my manuscript, fall in love, and call me before I even go to the conference. Just save me the nerve wracking I know is coming, PLEASE! You know who you are, dream agent. ;) However, should s/he find my book just isn't for her/him, I'm confident God has someone else in mind. Who knows?  Maybe I'll meet them at #DFWCON!

Are you going to #DFWCON? Tell me... let's find each other on Facebook and/or Twitter (@KHarveyWrites). Are you going to any other conferences or exciting destinations in the near future? Tell us about it in the comments. 

Please follow my blog. It would be an honor to count you as one of my regular readers.

COVER REVEAL: DIVINITY by Michelle L. Johnson

I'm so pleased to have the opportunity to reveal the cover of Michelle L. Johnson's new release, DIVINITY (Spencer Hill Press/Sep 2014).

The beautiful cover, designed by Regina Wamba at Mae I Designs, very much represents what the reader will find inside. What will they find? AWESOMENESS, of course. I've been lucky enough to read DIVINITY and I recommend it to anyone who loves a good book, but especially those readers who are fans of Biblical fan fiction. It has a unique twist on archangels and their role in this world and the next. You don't want to miss it.

First, let's take a sneak peak at the back jacket copy:

"When Julia climbs into a flaming car to save a trapped child, she's left wondering why either of them survived. Then she learns that her father is the Archangel Gabriel, and that she is half human, half Archangel. With guidance from Michael, the most powerful Archangel, Julia sets out to discover her own history and explore her angelic powers. But her journey is cut short when an evil force, invisible to human and angel alike, tears her world apart.

Now Julia must fight through her despair, harness her newfound gifts, and risk her very soul to stop the A'nwel and protect the family she never knew she had. What she doesn't know is that Archangels have secrets too."

AND...Now for the eye candy.

Check out this beautiful cover!

DIVINITY releases on September 23, 2014. Sorry, but there are no 'to buy' links just yet. However, I'll add them at the bottom of this page when they're available. In the mean time, mark your calendars, follow Michelle on Twitter at @MJsRetweet, and go stalk her on her website at www.michelleljohnson.us.

Happiness Is A Choice

This experience we call 'life' isn’t easy.

Life doesn’t always hand out rainbows and sunshine. Often it delivers hailstorms and acid rain. Actually, life downright sucks sometimes. People can be shitty, and the government routinely fails us. Our bodies don’t always hold up the way we’d like. People we love sometimes leave, or get sick and die, while there isn’t a damned thing we can do about it. How can anyone be truly happy on this spinning ball of misery we call Earth?

Before us all lay two paths. Path A and Path B.

Path A: I let circumstances and outside forces determine my perception of life. Empower others to control my emotional journey. Permit the economy, the weather, or other people to affect my level of contentment. Really there are a million different factors I might allow to govern my happiness. I call Path A the Play-dough Path, because it can be shaped and molded by many factors. 

What's your path?

Path B: I am content with my existence at any given moment, regardless of financial status, physical well-being, or the state of the world as a whole. I find a way to be grateful for the blessings God has given me, while understanding, no matter how good or how bad my life may appear, there will always be someone who has it better AND someone who has it worse. Path B I simply call Happiness.

Every person selects their path, traversing one or the other at any given time. Sometimes, I jump from one path to the other, like a kid playing hopscotch, barefooted on scalding cement in the summer sun.

Today, I choose happiness. What path have you chosen? 

Puppy Love

The day Alex found her.

Recently, on her way home from a friend's house, my daughter Alex came across a stray dog . Being Alex, she couldn't just leave the poor thing stranded and hungry. Honestly, I was less than thrilled when she dragged said dog home. Seriously. The odds of finding her family were about as good as my chances of winning Ms. Teen Texas. Keep in mind, I'm forty-one, married with children, and have never even considered competing in a pageant.

We already have two dogs. We certainly don’t need a third. 

Karma hanging out in our room.

After speculation with friends, online searching, and a consultation with our vet, we’ve decided she’s likely a Great Dane/Greyhound mix. 

As it turns out, the dog isn’t quite a dog; she’s only 8 months old. She's a very large, 56 pound puppy. So. Yeah. That.

Karma thinks she's a lap dog.

She’s not only another dog in the house, but a huge-ass pup, still in the chewing stage. She’s already eaten the baby fig tree in the back yard, which my husband’s mom gave him for his birthday. Somehow I doubt it’ll be the last thing eaten by our newest family member.

Though it's probable she'll destroy a few more household items and possibly some apparel, we’ve had Karma for three weeks and she's already left her big paw prints all over my house and my heart. She's quite the character and has brought her own spark to the family. Karma is floppy and playful, yet shy. Unfortunately, she’s obviously been through something that has made her wary of men. However, she is gradually warming up to my husband Mike, which thrills him to his soul, even if he’d never admit it in a gagillion years. Each time she pushes her muzzle into his hand or lays her head on his chest, it’s a small victory for us—and for her.

Mike plays with Karma and our toy poodle Penny.

She likes to have all the toys piled around her.

All Karma wants out of life is to be loved. Well, actually, to be loved and to have ALL the toys, ALL the time. 

Me "winning" a pageant. HA!

We actually DID find her original family, and I'll post that story sometime soon. Right now, I need someone to loan me a prom dress and fit me for a tiara. I’ve got a pageant to win.

Funny how the things we don’t want, or we’re sure will be a pain in the ass, often turn out to be some of the best parts of our lives. What have you thought would be a trial that ended up a blessing?