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Novel Dreams

July 31, 2010 by 6 Comments

I spoke to a literary agent recently. I didn’t pitch her my novel. I just wanted to get a feel for what the industry is like now.

Doesn’t sound like much has changed in the ten years since I worked in book publishing.

She was very straight-forward with me and didn’t sugarcoat the process, which I appreciated. She did give me some very good advice:

Write the novel that you want to write, the one that only you can bring to the marketplace.

Writing a book and getting it published takes time. It’s a long, hard road. Writing from the heart will make the journey, at least somewhat, enjoyable.

And what’s the point otherwise?

The other great tip she gave me was to build a platform and establish an audience before pitching a book to an agent or publisher.

Hi audience! Will you follow me on this journey?

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BlogHer Approacheth

July 29, 2010 by 4 Comments

In just one week, I’ll be in New York City to attend BlogHer 2010, a conference for bloggers.

A MAJOR conference for bloggers.

It’s a big deal. Not only are there way too many awesome seminars to choose from but this conference is sponsored by some pretty big names. It’s a priceless networking opportunity and I feel so blessed to be going.

I was fortunate to buy a full conference pass at the early-bird rate from a Twitter pal (@jesshibb – you should follow her. She’s an awesome photog) who had a conflict with another awesome opportunity that she couldn’t pass up. (Thanks Jess! You rock!)

But the blessings don’t stop there.

In the few short months that I’ve been blogging, I’ve met so many incredible bloggers in the Maryland/DC Metro area. And thanks to those connections, I’m joining these ladies for the S’Mores Road Trip to BlogHer, sponsored by Hershey.

Pause for squeal of excitement!

And just this week, I’ve connected with two other bloggers to share a room with at the conference. I’m beyond excited about this because I can be close to the action and not break the bank to do it.

Pause for happy dance!

So BlogHer approacheth in just one week and I can barely contain my excitement! I’m looking forward to meeting new people, making new friends, reconnecting with old friends, visiting New York and just having a good time.

And probably eating too much chocolate. :)

As part of the S’mores Road Trip to BlogHer I received a round trip ticket on Amtrak to the convention and Hershey branded items. Any views expressed in this post are my own.

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Project Mom Casting Call

July 25, 2010 by 4 Comments

I can’t believe I’m doing this.

It’s so out of character for me. I much prefer being behind the camera than in front.

But when I heard about the Project Mom casting call, I couldn’t resist throwing my white hat into the interview ring.

The folks at Project Mom, a reality TV show about online moms, will be conducting interviews at the BlogHer conference in New York City next week and they want to know the stories behind the blogs so they can select candidates.

Here’s mine:

I’m a newbie in the blogging world. I launched Its My Time to Write this past Mother’s Day weekend, at the start of Food Allergy Awareness Week. Food and food allergies are a central part of my blog. My son has multiple food allergies and I hope that by sharing our story – the ups and downs, the challenges and triumphs – I can help raise awareness about this health issue and connect with other moms also dealing with it.

I’m also blogging because it gives me a creative outlet for my passion, writing. I love to write and my blog gives me the opportunity to write and write often. I write about my family, about being a working mom, about finding the time to exercise (or not as they case may be at the moment) and about chasing my dream of writing a novel.

In just these past few months, I’ve fallen in love with blogging. I’ve connected with the community through MomzShare and Twitter and I’m looking forward to making more connections at BlogHer. There are a lot of creative moms out there and I feel blessed to be a small part of that large group.

So, why do I want to be a part of Project Mom? I don’t really, well, not the on-air part. Just the thought of being on television is graying my hair. But it’s worth it if I can continue to raise awareness about food allergies.

And, hey, maybe it’ll be good for me to break out of my comfort zone, if only for an episode.

What do you think? Am I reality TV material?

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Change is Good, Right?

July 23, 2010 by Leave a Comment

I finished packing up my office yesterday.

Nope, I didn’t quit my job. (I love my job.)

I’m not being laid off either (thank goodness).

My position is going virtual. Next week, I start working from home full-time.

I’ve known about this change for a long time and I’m excited about it. But I’m ready for it to be complete. I’ve been working half at home and half at the office for awhile. I’m ready to be settled into one hub so I don’t feel so scattered.

I also want to get settled into a schedule, one that maximizes the time when I’m at my most productive and one that keeps that work/life balance, well, um, balanced.

It won’t be easy. There will be challenges. (Did I mention the toddler will be home with me part-time?) I know all this. But I also know that I am very blessed to have this opportunity and I don’t want to take it for granted.

Do you or have you ever been a work-at-home parent? Got any advice for me?

Filed Under: My Life in Words

Managing the Meltdowns

July 21, 2010 by 1 Comment

Before I was a mother, anytime that I saw a child having a public tantrum, I couldn’t help but cringe. I would think to myself “Why can’t that parent control her child? I hope that never happens to me.”

Ha Ha HA! Silly me.

Guess what? It has happened (several times) and it wasn’t that big of a deal. I just dealt with it and moved on. I didn’t stop to worry about what the other people in the store thought. I didn’t care. My son is 2 and toddlers have tantrums. Fact of life. Now, if he throws himself on the floor at Home Depot or the grocery store when he’s sixteen, then we might have a problem.

How have you dealt with your child’s public meltdowns?

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