Elizabeth Seckman is one of my writer chick pals, and when she asked me to do a blog interview, I made sure I could A. reply at my leisure via email, and B. cuss a bit.

I may have restrained myself.

See for yourself.

THE INTERVIEW

Download kindle/e-book versions of short stories and books here.

Great insight on what publishing is like today from a pro… check it out.

I used to look good in the jeans she’s wriggling into, but that was before Dunkin Donuts opened up down the street. Back when Tony was texting every afternoon and she was taking me to the gym every night, bringing me home all sweaty and slapping that cellulite cream on me. Back when we had an agreement. I was the one constant in her life. I would follow her anywhere.

Queen Bee? I heard you're looking for a co-author. Here's my email: sands.linda@gmail.com

Recently released- then corrected list from Publisher’s Weekly gives the facts and figures behind the top selling hardcover books of 2011.

How nice to see four brand new names on a fiction list that usually sounds like Who’s Who in Publishing.

From the LONG list, Congratulations goes to : The Night Circus, Dollhouse, The Art of Fielding, and The Tiger’s Wife.

I have read one of them, and have another on my short list. ( I will say the one I read was very well done, though lacking true emotion.. it felt exactly how I imagine a piece that has been over workshopped, reads- a story that was a student’s final project…)

The rest of the top sellers ( top 15 of the long list)  are familiar names: Patterson, who doesn’t seem to write his own books anymore, and is hogging three of the top 15 slots. Hey move over! Evanovich, who is not only a great at character development, plot and action, but also the queen of marketing.( I have been on her postcard list since the beginning of time, and have entered  her contests more times than I’ve bought lottery tickets.)

 ”James Patterson had seven top-sellers, with combined sales of about 2.4 million, making him the leader in the competitive hardcover fiction race. Janet Evanovich had two winners in the top 10, Smokin’ Seventeen and Explosive Eighteen; their combined sales of more than 1.4 million makes her the female winner for hardcover fiction.”

Of course, there’s Grisham, Crichton, Clancy, King and Sparks. Two I used to love, Two I still enjoy and One I never liked at all, and still wonder if a young girl is secretly penning his words.)

There’s also a couple of dead guys, one who I’m glad ( and I’m not the only one by far according to recent rants and reviews) isn’t able to attempt any more literature… and  two big name gals still writing mystery/ detective/ thrillers, with strong female protags. ( Authors I *used* to read, but grew tired of the series… shame on me.)

And there’s a woman that I’ve never read, but have seen the name on conference lists and in mystery writer circles. She comes in at #9. Nicely done. Hang on. Ok…Two clicks later, I own her book.

One more thing I noticed. ALL of these hard back fiction best sellers in 2011 are

A. from authors on the more *mature* side of life, or they’re dead

B.  from authors who have multiple published books under their belt, usually in several genres

C. all published by NY legacy publishers in the traditional manner

D. represented and promoted by a team of professionals

And all that? Make me even more depressed.

SO, what else is in this list?

Celebrity books, cookbooks…non fiction that I don’t read, but you might. Apparently SOMEONE is buying these books.

It’s tough enough most days to figure out which book to buy to help you escape the world for a few hours a day.  Now, it’s even harder to figure out if the book you’re writing will ever see the light of day.

But, I’m not going to worry about that. I’m going to keep plugging along, writing what speaks to me. Writing for the fun of it. An author friend once told me, “Linda, you’re lucky you’re not published. You can write what you want, when you want and no one can push you, or tell you it’s wrong. I wish I still had that freedom.”

I ran across this advice today, from a twitter feed… yeah, yeah, I should have been finishing that short story, but … anyway, here’s the post, called Eight Simple Tips for Editing Your Own Work.

Most of them, I agree with, and most of the bad things, I do- at least once, like editing as I write, but sometimes, I find a new direction that way.

I had to revisit the Write or Die site, as it’s been a while since I went there- here’s a quote from the site:

“As long as you keep typing, you’re fine, but if you become distracted, punishment will ensue.”

Ok, hotshot, want to try it yourself?

ENTER AT YOUR OWN RISK. and  yeah, I totally downloaded it to the i-pad2.

 Go HERE.

then come back tomorrow.

Not Waving, Drowning earns a Kirkus Review!

What Kirkus had to say:

Sands, Linda NOT WAVING, DROWNING CreateSpace (224 pp.) $14.99 Paperback $2.99 e-book September 26, 2011 ISBN: 978-1466409736

The lives of three women, separated by time and connected by loss, are woven together in unexpected ways in Sands’ debut novel. The seductive Southern charms of Savannah, Ga., provide the backdrop for Sands’ tapestry of a novel that interweaves the lives of three women from starkly different eras.

In August 2011, photographer and grieving widow Maggie Morris arrives in Savannah after her husband’s sudden death in a boating accident. While investigating his mysterious drowning, Maggie becomes entangled in the lives of several local residents. One of these is a handsome, young lighthouse restorer who recounts the story of the famous Waving Girl—Savannah’s own maritime legend who greeted ships for over 40 years from the island home she shared with her brother.

In alternating chapters, the novel flashes back to the 1890s, when a feisty newspaper reporter named Bobbie Denton, who also happens to be Maggie’s great-grandmother, meets the actual Waving Girl, née Florence Martus, while on assignment in Savannah. Flora’s story, told from an intimate point of view, centers on one day in 1940 when the 72-year-old woman lays to rest her dead brother, George, while recalling her life’s dark secrets.

If this all sounds a bit complicated, it is. Sands writes with graceful lyricism about the longings and regrets that bind these disparate women, and the images of lonely lighthouses and windswept shores are often stunning. As a whole, however, the novel suffers from narrative interruptions, with the chapters alternating rapidly and often abruptly, and many threads becoming tangled as a result.

On their own, each woman’s story is rich and engrossing. In an ambitious novel spanning more than a century, Sands creates tension in small moments and haunting questions—many of which are not answered until the final pages.

Despite the awkward narrative structure, there is plenty of Southern charm to keep readers hooked until the end. Strong female characters and an evocative setting make this an enjoyable read.

What Bookwenches had to say:

Title: Not Waving, Drowning

Author:  Linda Sands

Author’s website:  http://linda-sands.com/

Publisher: BookBaby

Release Date:  September 26, 2011

ISBN: 978-1-61842-1715 Length:

Novel Format:  Electronic

Genre: Fiction

Language/Violence Level:  2 Sensuality Level: 3 Rating:  5+ Keeper

Reviewed by:  Clea

The stories of three women, spanning a century, interlink with one another in beautifully haunting ways. Flora, a feisty elderly woman, chooses to reveal a lifetime full of secrets to a complete stranger on the day of her beloved brother’s death.  Bobbie, a turn of the century reporter, travels for her job but is actually running from the trauma of her past, sacrificing her soul for scraps of love. Maggie, a woman who finds it increasingly difficult to express her emotions, goes to Savannah to look into her husband’s mysterious disappearance. ******** Savannah, Georgia, with all its quirks and traditions serves as a back drop to a multigenerational story of three unconventional women who struggle to survive the paths their lives have taken. Their stories are linked by beautiful poetry filled with love, hurt, death, grief, and life. The poetry serves not only as a tool to link the women and their experiences, but it also enhances the feelings behind each scene and draws the reader into the lives of these characters even more. Flora, Bobbie and Maggie are three unique characters that will haunt you long after you’ve finished reading their stories. They are strong, independent women full of heartache who struggle to survive and move forward with their lives the best ways they know how. Often that means making unwise choices in life which can lead to little bits of insanity, but sometimes that’s the key to survival. This book is overflowing with emotion and a lot of it is often sadness and loneliness, but the author manages to interject mild touches of humor even in the darkest moments of sadness. This may move you from tears to giggles in the blink of an eye, but the author does it in a way that is tasteful and serves to remind you that life goes on. One thing about this book that kept me turning the pages is how the story leaps from different points in time and takes us on a timetable throughout the history of the world from the late 1800’s, to the 1940’s then jumps to modern times.  I loved how the author uses this technique to show how the things we do, think and feel will affect people of generations to come. Not Waving, Drowning isn’t a happy-go-lucky story that will perk you up and make you feel good about life; instead it is a beautifully written, sad story that will leave a lasting imprint on your soul.

Which got me thinking.

If the idea is that creativity is the same whether it’s cooking or painting or writing or gardening, then if you’re doing them all at the same time, will you only be giving a quarter of your talent to each one?
Maybe this is the reason that I can only do one of these well at a time.

( In my mind I see a woman at the stove stirring a pot with one hand, sketching with her right foot, planting a flower with her other hand and typing with her left foot.)

Yes, it is impossible to do them all at the exact same time. But in my every day life, I can either do one of these well, or burn a whole lot of food.

When I’m taking a break from writing a novel, I usually find some other creative outlet to feed me, like decorating a house, creating a garden, a crafting or building project, or baking something new. Sometimes I venture deep into the pantry and try my hand at an odd meal combination, where I feed another odd habit: the desire to use things up and toss empty containers.

sigh.

I am giving away all my oddities, aren’t I. But, seriously. Nothing pleases me more than to finish a tube of toothpaste and toss it out. I would never be a hoarder, or one of those pantry stocking coupon gals.

Anyway, Morris says- well, her character says, that easch of those things: cooking,painting writng, gardening take nothing and make something of it. Perhaps that’s the beginning of creativity. Seeing the possibility.

I like that.

Thinking about that led me here to read about  the 9 attitudes of highly creative people, which I totally agree with.

And, no, this whole blog was not a way to avoid writing. It’s just another kind of writing. Another outlet for Linda.

Many thanks in advance.

( you can also get ebooks anywhere you like to connect or buy paperback from Amazon- see links in red HERE )

Like this gal, Jackie. Check out her blog, and her comeback to the Amazon vs. Traditional Publishers dispute.

New World, Old World… or the best of both?