Melissa Maygrove

I'm not sure if it takes a village to raise a child, but it takes one to launch a book. (Carrie, stop cringing at my miserable attempt at custom graphics. Just slap a Post-it note on your screen. :P) For those who don't already know, I plan to publish my debut novel this spring. Cover teaser activities are tentatively planned for the last week of March, cover reveal is the first week of April, and the release is tentatively set for early May. As one of my coworkers says, you don't ask, you don't get . So, here goes...

E-book format is improving, but it still has a ways to go. Most of the e-books I buy now have linked tables of contents. Thank you! That makes going back to find something much easier than the gazillion page-turning clicks one had to do before. A few even have the back cover blurb included somewhere near the beginning. Yay. Finally! I don't know about you, but I have a HUGE backlog of books waiting TBR. By the time I get around to some of them, I've forgotten what the story is about.

Vein vs Vane vs Vain Vein (n.) is one of many vessels forming the path for blood returning to the heart; tissue forming the framework of a leaf; a clearly defined stratum of ore, etc. Phlebotomists draw blood by puncturing a vein . Vane (n.) is a blade, fin, or plate on a fan, turbine, etc., that moves or is moved by water, steam or air. A weather vane indicates the direction of the wind . Vain (adj.) excessively proud of one's self; conceited; without real value or importance; worthless; futile. You're so vain, you probably think this example is about you .  (Ha! Couldn't resist. :P)

Sorry to disappoint you if you were expecting a movie review. This post is about point of view & filter words. There are several things I'm a stickler about when it comes to editing. Eliminating filter words (or at least seriously scrutinizing each and every one) is at the top of that list. I didn't used to feel this way. In fact, CPs used to mark my mss up worse than a toddler with a crayon, chiding me — repeatedly — to get them out. Now that I've been writing and reading fiction longer, I've moved over to their camp.

This is my Insecure Writers Support Group post for February.   For more information about the group, see the bottom of this post.   Alex's awesome co-hosts for February are: Sheena-kay Graham, Julie Musil, Jamie Ayres,   and Mike Swift!      Please stop by their blogs and say thank you. For Christmas this year, hubby gave me a two night stay at the Omni in Houston. He dropped me off and picked me up--even encouraged me to order room service. Needless to say, I took that gift and ran. *grin* I holed myself up in the spacious, king-size room and wrote. No laundry. No dishes. No screeching my WIP to a halt and leaving a scowling muse glaring at my back to go cook supper. Let me tell you, it was heaven. I kept whatever hours I wished and only left my room to fetch ice. I took a few pictures while I was there. Wanna see? Nice, right?    This chair was as comfortable as it looks. And all the lamps ha...

I'm back amongst the cyber-living with GPM and an announcement.  I missed a lot while I was gone, even though I lurked a bit. That's the downside to a hiatus.  : ( Wanna know what the upside is? I finished the draft of my current WIP, Come Back . Woot! :D Of course, we all know that's not really THE END. I still have a long way to go. But I'm stoked. Why? I don't want to jinx it, but... *squinches eyes shut*  I've set a tentative release date. God willing and the creek don't rise (and a million other things that could — and probably will — go wrong), I'll publish my debut HR sometime this spring. *sqweeee* ...*faints* Over the last few weeks, I've discovered what all is truly involved with self-publishing. I'm serious when I say, to any of you who've done it, I stand in awe of you — wide-eyed, mouth-gaping, hero-worshiping awe. I'll tell you more as things go along, but for now, please , wish me luck.  I'm gonna...