Wednesday, October 08, 2008

What's that thudding sound?

The damn economy. Also known as my retirement - and yours.

With so much going on in my personal life, I've been a bit absent-minded about the mortgage/financial crisis. Of course, it'll mean hiring freezes (yep, already have one at UMB), flat COLA and merit raises, perhaps even furloughs (yep, we've had those at UMB before, too). Never before has tenure seemed so important, so cross those fingers and toes for me, as my portfolio nears completion and is thrust into that black hole known as the Faculty Affairs Committee.

This economic downturn will certainly impact publishing opportunities. The big houses were already tightening down; the smaller, indy presses are even more vulnerable. Macadam Cage has delayed publishing, and now this from Atlas and Company.

What's a poor prepublished girl to do?

GOOD NEWS!!!!! Moonrat's MISCHIEF FIGHTS CANCER raffle is a huge success, raising nearly $5K for her friend in need.

And I won - again! A book, with a love letter from the Moonrat herself. Yippee!

THE WRITING... Uh, sort of backtracking, but that's okay. It's all good. My interview with Paula Berinstein on BRIGHTER THAN BRIGHT, writing, and all that jazz will be happening in the next couple of weeks. The questions are... provocative. The coaching has commenced. I feel blessed.

READING... Just finished THREE JUNES by Julia Glass. Rather, I just finished sobbing over my salad while the kids watched Sponge Bob. This is a 'it's s small world' sort of story, where chance encounters and events pull people together - and apart. I met Ms. Glass at THE MUSE AND THE MARKETPLACE last April in Boston, where she gave a bang-up seminar. Once again, here's a writer who mixes tenses and POVs (by scene/chapter), but does it amazingly well. I loved her Fenno - compelling voice, wry with a touch of melancholy. And Scottish, which adds to his allure. This was a debut novel (2002) - wow.

I leave you with a quote from THREE JUNES: "When it comes to life, we spin our own yarn, and where we end up is really, in fact, where we always intended to be."

Peace, Linda

6 comments:

  1. the economy is scary. =( my hub is convinced that no one retires in america. he's from the uk. and I won a love letter and book, too. ME ME! =)

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  2. Yahoo!!! What book did you ask for? And no, Me! Me! ;^) Peace, Linda

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  3. i asked for CROSSED, linda. i love historicals and this is a subject i've never read. what about you?

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  4. Hey - I was just at your place! I almost asked for CROSSED, but wanted PREP - next novel has scenes at Andover and I'd like my own copy to refer to 'the bankers boys' as needed. Research, ya know?! Happy weekend, and thanks for the lovely photos... Peace, Linda

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  5. Linda,

    Just want to ask, is prepublished similar to prepubescent? prescient? prenuptual?

    Love, Jeanne

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  6. Hey Jeanne! And to think you got a google account just for me! I like to think prepublished = prescient. Prepubescent? I think my hormones are waaaaaay beyond that ;^D

    Thanks for popping by... Peace, Linda

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