Wednesday 6 September 2017

IWSG post. Hello and Goodbye for a little while! RWA conference pitching results are in! Overseas travels ahead!

Hello friends!

This is a hello and goodbye post. In my last IWSG post, my mind was full of the opportunities on offer at the Romance Writers of Australia conference in Brisbane and full of insecurities over the pitching opportunities.


Top Site for Writers
Well, the conference was amazing. Such great workshops. International Australian author, Kate Forsyth was outstanding. She's won a new fan in me. What an advertisement for dedication and hard work leading to success.

I attended every session from the Draft2Digital boys who flew in from Oklahoma and somehow we managed to sit together for lunch every day. The CEO of D2D, Kris and his sidekick Dan, hosted amazing sessions, and are they growing opportunities for their authors. I've always planned to go hybrid--to publish my paranormal stories and my flash fiction collections with them while trying to find a traditional publisher for my novels, so that's still my plan.



I'm inviting D2D to guest post here in the future. If you have any questions you'd like to ask them, ask them in the comments here and I'll include them in the question and answer format.

So, what else is news? Well, I'm getting to it.

I pitched to Avon Books and Tule Publishing and both asked for my full manuscript for my Paris novel. Carrie Feron from Avon wants me to edit it so it's more women's fiction, then to send it to her. Like me, she's crazy for books set in Paris. I'd certainly be honored if she offered me a contract.

I'm going crazy getting it tweaked before I leave for overseas in a coupla weeks. (I do have a problem ever letting go--you know, it can always be improved...) I'm spending 9 days in Paris checking out locations that are in my novels. Good excuse for another visit.

I'll tell you more about my trip in another post, but my itinerary is: London, Paris, Arles in the South of France (Vincent van Gogh sites - I have an airbnb with the same view of the Rhone as below where Van Gogh painted his first Starry Night! Okay, I'm a bit of a fan and he does turn up in my novel).



I'm proud of the story I wrote from Van Gogh's POV for a WEP challenge...

Then back to Nice, one of my favorite spots in France, then onto Milan where this time I'm going to see what's left of the original Last Supper by Leonardo da Vinci.


Then onto delicious Venice where I'm joining a cruise to Montenegro, Croatia, Corfu and other Greek Islands. Back in Venice I'm celebrating my birthday with my daughter who's currently living in London. Big,  big celebrations for a couple of days there, before heading to Rome and the flight home. 5 weeks of travel bliss over for the time being.

I fly out at 1am tomorrow, so won't get much time to return comments until I'm in London. I appreciate every comment and I'll eventually get back to you.

Meanwhile, I  hope things are going super for you. Hope some of you in the US caught the eclipse! And I hope you stayed safe during Harvey and do stay safe with the next hurricane (Irma?)

There is a post at WEP announcing our winners for the August REUNIONS posts. What qualities entries! Our next challenge is DARK PLACES for Halloween in October. Start imagining those dark stories!



Please join us.

Thanks for coming by! Appreciate it!

Where will I be for the next IWSG? Cruising the Greek Islands...but who knows? I might get something written...




42 comments:

dolorah said...

Congrats on the two manuscript requests. Awesome. All that traveling sounds like fun. I've been to several cities on your itenerary, but it was a lifetime ago it seems. Never got to Greece; it is on my bucket list :)

Have fun traveling.

Lynda R Young as Elle Cardy said...

I'm so jealous of your travels!! Take me with you!!!
But seriously, have an awesome time and best wishes for those manuscripts!! How exciting!!!

Denise Covey said...

Hi Lyn! I wish I could. I actually fly out at 1am Friday. Erk! But maybe for the first time I'll sleep on a plane!

Denise Covey said...

Thanks Donna. I've never been to Greece before either. Thanks for the best wishes.

Hilary Melton-Butcher said...

Hi Denise - just have fun ... but sounds like you're making the most of being away ... should be glorious. Hope the weather cheers up a little for you by the weekend and next week ... but you'll have enormous fun seeing your daughter and just enjoying places in and around London. The rest sounds really enticing ... like Lyn - take me with you!! Cheers and hear from you sometime soon re an update - good luck with writing and the MSs ... Hilary

Laura Clipson said...

I can't wait for the Dark Places challenge. So many ideas swirling around my head! Have a fantastic time away :)

lostinimaginaryworlds.blogspot.com said...

Wonderful news about your writing progress, Denise, and very envious of your experiences ahead, hope you manage to sleep on the plane!

Natalie Aguirre said...

How awesome that you got two requests for your manuscripts. Fingers crossed for you. Have a fun trip too.

Alex J. Cavanaugh said...

Hope you knock her socks off with the revisions.
Safe travels!

Julie Flanders said...

Oh wow, I'm so jealous of the Starry Night view. How wonderful!! I am a big fan as well.
I hope you have a fantastic trip and amazing adventures all around.

Pat Hatt said...

Congrats on the two requests. Sure you'll spin those revisions out and get a winner, winner, chicken dinner. Enjoy your trip going like everywhere lol my WEP post for next month was done last week.

L. Diane Wolfe said...

You're going to have such a great trip.

Congrats on the requests and getting to meet the D2D guys.

emaginette said...

I envy your trip. Have a great time and good luck on your submissions. :-)

Anna from elements of emaginette

Nick Wilford said...

That sounds like a wonderful travel itinerary! As well as your Paris location scouting, I hope it's full of other inspirations. Have the best time.

Deborah Drucker said...

Travel and book pitching sound pretty great. Would like to hear more about D2D. Wondering how publishing Flash Fiction works. :)

Tyrean Martinson said...

I'm excited to learn more about Draft2Digital, but since they are new to me I don't know what to ask ... yet.
Happy Travels!

Donna B. McNicol said...

How exciting!! Will be watching for updates...enjoy your travel!

Olga Godim said...

Congratulations on having requests for the full MS. Two of them, no less. That's great news indeed. And have fun on your travels. Your itinerary has me soooo jealous.

Denise Covey said...

Thanks Hilary. It will be wonderful.

Denise Covey said...

Thanks Laura. Glad you're looking forward to Dark Places. I've got mine done, just got to whittle it down to 1,000 words.

Denise Covey said...

Thanks Carole Ann. It's never fun arriving somewhere after 24 hours without sleep.

Denise Covey said...

Thanks Natalie. I hope someone chooses to sign me up.

Denise Covey said...

Me too Alex. Thanks.

Denise Covey said...

Thanks Julie. The Van Gogh segment of the trip is the one I'm eagerly awaiting, on a par with Paris.

Denise Covey said...

Thanks Pat. I'm hoping for a winner winner chicken dinner for sure. Only one story this time?

Denise Covey said...

Thanks L Diane. It was fantastic chatting to them over the three days.

Denise Covey said...

Thanks Anna. I will.

Denise Covey said...

Thanks Nick. It's going to be packed full of inspiration.

Denise Covey said...

I'm going to publish a series of flash fiction by country. I have hundreds to choose from thanks to WEP.

Denise Covey said...

I've always planned to go with them. They do all the hard work for you which is great. Distribution sorted.

Denise Covey said...

Thanks Donna. I will. Just a few hours to go and I'll be on that plane.

Denise Covey said...

Thanks Olga. It'll be a blast for sure. I'm well armed with notebooks.

Jemi Fraser said...

I'm drooling with envy over your travel plans! So many amazing places to see.
Good for you - the conference was a big success and it sounds like you've got some great input.
Have fun and safe travels!!!

Denise Covey said...

Thanks Jemi.

Nilanjana Bose said...

Many congrats, Denise! Wishing you a speedy path to publication.

Your travels sound super awesome, so much art and history, so many potential stories :) - have fun and safe trips!

Denise Covey said...

Thanks Nila. It's all about the stories isn't it?

Morgan Cartwright said...

Have a fun Birthday in Venice! It's one of my favorite places to visit.

The eclipse was amazing in August, I am fortunate enough to be in an area that was in the totality zone. It was mesmerizing and lovely, even though it was only 46 seconds.

Denise Covey said...

How wonderful to see it at all.

Donna B. McNicol said...

Hope you are off enjoying yourself...when you get back, take a peek.

You and your blog have been nominated by me for the Liebster Blog Award. Check it out:

My post: https://dbmcnicol.blogspot.com/2017/09/blog-awards-and-thank-you.html

H. R. Sinclair said...

Huge Congrats! That's awesome and your trip too!

kjmckendry said...

Congratulations, and good luck on the editing! I've been loving all your travel pics on Instagram!

Denise Covey said...

Thanks Kathryn! And thanks for the likes on Insta!