Query for Critique--(It's always bothered me - I didn't mention Mrs. Egremony in query-this one does. She's the landlady)

Abegale’s best friend has a peculiar new landlady. She dresses like she from the pioneering days, and she asks a lot of questions. When she mentions casually to Abegale that her missing grandmother “is near, but far,” It is now Abegale who wants learn more.

In Abegale’s mission to help an old lady with some favors, she comes across the green medicine book and magic cards her grandmother left behind three years ago. Within its pages, she learns of a plant her grandmother went searching for that could heal her brother’s now severe asthma. She also learns more about who or what her grandmother really was. Abegale sets out to track down the plant and get answers her grandmother’s disappearance.

Meanwhile, some of the animals in Three Points are acting strange and seem to be calling her into the woods, a crow that follows her every move, deer pretending to be dead, and there are the dreams, all pointing Abegale back to face Nam’s abandoned cottage. But it isn’t vacant anymore. Abegale is angered by the transformation of Nam’s home into a foie gras processing plant. With the help of friends and the community they bring the lake town of Three Points together and find a way to remove the occupants before things get worse.

ABEGALE FORCE is a contemporary upper middle-grade mystery with supernatural elements, complete at 80,000 words. In writing this manuscript, I drew on my studies in herbalism, nutrition, and The Tarot, as well as my work as an artist and my experience as a parent of middle-graders.

I thank you in advance for your time and consideration.

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Short and Sweet

Okay the Querying takes time.
There are so many great agents representing MG and YA. I wind up selecting agents I serendipitously come across, whether from a blog, a tweet or friend. When I think they are looking for exactly what I have written in my MS: upper MG mystery with a little of the supernatural, I send it off. (btw, have first partial out for a peek--Everything is crossed)
But Query On, I must. (kinda fun)

Been wondering if I should have illustrated some of ABEGALE FORCE. Aside from the map of Pine Crest, I haven't. Guess it's not too late. As a kid I didn't always like illustrations in books I was reading. It contradicted what I felt the character should look like. And I still feel realistic photography doesn't belong on book covers--At least the ones with human models. It cheeses out, the book. However, illustrated book covers, are a favorite of mine. I think a drawing can be more suggestive or vague, more elegant.

I might try drawing a little and see how it looks. Hold me to it.

Oh. I'm collecting years of poems, filtering, and really want to get some out...Those are coming soon.

Summer comes to a close.

It's been a difficult journey toward writing this summer. My two boys kept ever minute filled and went to bed, much too late. Which kept me up till nearly 2:00 am most nights, just so I could check in with Twitter or Blogs and other writers. I needed to grasp what I could of my creative self.
So here I am, anxious for the first days of the kids school to begin. My list is daunting for the first week and I may have to ebb slowly.

This summer did, bring me an extremely modest, 60 pages of ABEGALE FORCE, number #2.
But my reality check came when, my eleven year asks me,” Why are you writing book two, when you haven't even sold book one?" Ahhh--children. Why? (As I carry my comp. book around to the park or set the alarm to wake me earlier than they do). They're oddly early risers in the summer, even when setting to bed after midnight--Jeesh can't I get a break?

I MUST shout to through the rafters about a GREAT website, and writer's source for everything, created by Ricki Schultz. It's called The Write-Brained Network. http://writebrainednetwork.ning.com/
Ricki, who is amazingly busy, took the time to help critique my Query and she personally responds to any and every question with delight. I got some great assistance, 'cause that's how personalized the WB Network feels--like there are assistants to help--with many writers who are most generous with critiques and help. I won't want to use any other writer's group. Thanks Ricki & The Write-Brained Network.

Okay summer check in: I did manage one hundred new followers on Twitter for my "Writer's platform." That's something. Right? Whether I self-publish or finally find an Agent--because, I barely know what I'm doing around here. I will Love having an Agent...I need a sounding board and some handholding. But I also like to do a lot of homework.
And I can Thank WBN that my Query will be showing a brighter light--now, that I can get to the Heart of my Manuscript. A few more tweaks and I'm good to go. Oh--the journey, the patience, the fortitude. I LOVE this!!! Writing-- this whole damn process, is invigorating.

Frustration abounds. But not too much-- Really.

I feel as if I have a magnet in me sometimes, with high jinx-ing electrical devices.

Yesterday, it all started with my "smartphone" when I tried to restore, or re-sync; or what ever the heck it let me do, before bothering to ask: Was I SURE about this, restoring business? Was I aware of what I stand to loose?
No it did not.
Before I knew; within a click of a button, most data, went --poof!

Maybe I could use a clean up, a reorganizing? But on my own terms; thank you very much.
I know, I should have moved those photos out of camera roll; did I need every comment/tech board reminding me of this? (at least I moved some photos along the way).
Can't be too sentimental, in this case.
No attachments...no attachments.

And, I thought I lost my mobile blogging capabilities. Alas--NEVER.

So, as far as writing is going?
Well. I'm managing #poemaday
Most days. On twitter.
Building a "platform" and gathering followers, and hunting Agents.
It is, terribly engrossing.
Finally decided to use Querytracker.net. May prove very beneficial, especially if some other, magnetic shift, pulls my composition book, out from under me.
I walk around, like a school girl;kids in tow, and the promise (to myself) that, I will work on researching the best agent for this job. Oh, and write in the other comp book,I walk around with; for first draft of second book in AbeGale Force. (Upper Middle Grade Mystery)

Ah. Gotta run. My son has come out of tutoring. (least that's one job I'm off of this summer).
I'll let you know the progress update, as soon as I know.

Abegale's Diaries

I'm just working on an IDEA, someone helped me with, which is: Abegale's Blog; or her Diary.

I'm trying to build the ideas around what Abegale did when her father died five years ago. And how she came to live with her Uncle Dave, while her mother recovered in intensive care, and her brother's feelings, from her perspective, of course.

Abegale Anton-Shale can talk about spending this time, getting close to her Grandmother, and about some of the projects they worked on together (herbal potions/wildcrafted teas and medicine). Maybe even the ghostly, or alternative realms of reality; she may have witnessed when she was 8; clouds of the unconscious burst open, into clarity, as she writes.

It's good. This is going to be fun. I'll begin with the eight-year old Abegale and slowly move into present-day Pine Crest. Going farther into her future, is possible too.

News Flash: Abegale having found her old Diaries, will begin to read them from 2020; Earth time. She states in the opening blog.
After all, Abegale didn't have a computer, and she kept her own "Knowledge Book" as her Grandmother kept a book filled with her learnings.
Abegale's book, or Diaries, are filled with her.
Her Blog is under construction. I will post, as soon as the idea has had time to pour forth.