Welcome!

Welcome to 'Old Acquaintances' blog...The debut book by author Ursula Gorman. 'Old Acquaintances' is a mystery/romance.

Sunday, April 25, 2010

What's your strength?

It's been a while since I've posted. Nothing new yet with the book, but I should be hearing from the editor Friday or next Monday. Which brings me to this blog topic...
What are your strengths? Are you following them? A funny thing, life...it never seems to take you the way you think it should. I was never very good in English in school. As a matter of fact, it was just about my worst subject. Spelling was okay, literature I excelled at, creative writing was always a favorite of mine, but then you had to start grammar, ugh!
I never understood why you needed to diagram a sentence, who cares if it is a noun, pronoun, adjective, adverb, etc, etc, etc...What do you mean, 'What is the author trying to say'? Doesn't everyone get a different meaning when they read it? I don't know why the author wrote a whole poem about fence posts in the snow, I'm guessing he was bored and had nothing better to say.
My point is, I hated grammar in school. Still not one of my strong points, but it's funny how many things make sense NOW that I was taught, lets just say, many years ago. But I still don't understand why I need to diagram a sentence...
So, while I wasn't very good at grammar, I loved to read and write stories. I loved to try to come up with ways to tell a story be describing the scene rather than just writing it out in plain ole, 'now he's doing this', 'now he's doing that'. I wanted to use descriptive words and paint a picture. I wanted the reader to feel like they were there witnessing the scene rather than being told second hand what was happening. So, while grammar isn't my strong suit, storytelling is.
I guess my point in all of my ramblings is, just because one aspect of a dream might not be a strong point for you doesn't mean there aren't other ways to achieve that dream. I would never of thought that I could write a book, let alone become published, but it seems that if you have a strength that also brings a weakness along with it, there are ways to over come your weaknesses but you have to try, otherwise your weaknesses control you.
Go for your dreams, you never know what you can achieve!

Thursday, April 15, 2010

Book Sales

I've been doing a little figuring on when to expect to have books for sale, pre-release copies. I'm hoping to have them available for purchase by the end of October or November. Once I know how much they will be I'm thinking about advanced orders. If you order through me, the only way to get a pre-release copy I believe, I will sign it if you wish before mailing it on to you.
Once I know when and how much, I will post it to my blog and facebook page. I will also be adding a paypal to this site so you can pay that way too. But for those that don't want to go that route, you can contact me for my address and send payment that way.
I'm looking forward to having my books in hand...

Saturday, April 10, 2010

What a great day!

It was a beautiful, sunny, warm Saturday that I got to spend with my family doing what I love...shopping for plants, working in the yard, bbq-ing, reading and taking it easy! What an awesome day!
I've been itching to start on a new book but I've been putting it off thinking I needed to wait until my current book, 'Old Acquaintance' was completed...or at least through editing. But I don't think I can wait anymore. I've had several idea that I've jotted down and some of them I started writing on, but I've firmly set them all aside thinking it best to wait. I think I'm going to have to revisit them and see which one is calling to me the most. Or maybe it'll be a completely new idea.
Rissa and Stone's story has been written, it's just waiting for everyone to be able to read it. I thoroughly enjoyed getting to know them and watching them develop in the pages of 'Old Acquaintances' and sometimes I'm sad that the story is complete. I miss them!
There might be a new story that mentions them again, but I have so many other people I've started to get to know in the ideas I've jotted down that I am looking forward to watching them grow and 'become'. I don't know what the characters are going to be like as I start writing. I only have a sense of their moral makeup...I have to have that to start. I have to know where they are coming from to be able to help them develop, but it's the dynamics, quirks, personalities and dialogue that is fun to discover as a character develops...I'm looking forward to meeting my new friends!

Monday, April 5, 2010

Town Crier Bookstore, Emporia, KS

I hope everyone had a great Easter...mine was fantastic! But this post is about the day before Easter...April 3rd...I attended a book signing at the Town Crier Bookstore in Emporia, KS. Now, while my book isn't out yet, I went to support a fellow Tate author I'd meet on Facebook. While I was there, I got to talk to one of the ladies working at the store. She mentioned that they have a yearly book event every June and upwards of 40 authors attend.
So I contacted the store manager. Not only am I invited to join next June, (my book won't be ready by this June), but they are going to carry my book in their store once it is released! I would say that the 4 1/2 hour drive to visit with a fellow author paid off! I've got a booksigning lined up and a bookstore going to carry my book!
So, I'm thinking that it was a fabulous weekend all the way around! Have a great week and enjoy the beautiful spring weather...oh, and tell your friends about this blog and lets get the word out about my up coming book, 'Old Acquaintances'! ;^}

Sunday, April 4, 2010

Happy Easter!

Happy Easter everyone! What an awesome gift we have received...Jesus died on the cross for our sins and 'He has risen'! Through Jesus Christ we have been saved and because of Him, we can spend eternity with our Lord and Savior! Praise God, how awesome is that? I pray that if you don't know Him yet, you come to know Him. He did it all for us...for you!
Let us honor Him today and everyday and give thanks for His love and forgiveness. Happy Easter to everyone and my God bless you!

Thursday, April 1, 2010

It has begun!!!

Today was 'the' day my book would start production. I knew nothing would happen on my end today, or even tomorrow. It is all happening at the editing department at Tate Publishing. But just knowing someone is finally looking at my book to start the process of production is exciting.
Then I got home and checked my e-mail...It is official, it has begun...I had a 'Welcome to Copyediting' e-mail in my in box! Woo Hoo! So for the next month my book will be poured over, looking for grammatical errors...that's month one.
Month two will start the Conceptual Editing phase, making sure the story flows, the plot holds and characters are given life. Depending on how much 'help' the book needs, editing could take a total of 4 months, but then cover design starts. That's exciting! To see my book come alive on the cover is going to be fantastic!
So, now I wait for Copy Editing to contact me, or Conceptual Editing...not sure which one contacts me next, but I'm looking forward to it.
Who knew one could be so excited over a 'Welcome to Copyediting' e-mail! :)
And the anticipation continues to build...