Author Archives

Cathy C. Hallhttps://cathychall.wordpress.com/I write, write, write. Then I rewrite, rewrite, rewrite. THEN I submit all those polished-up words out into the world and sell 'em. It's a plan that's worked pretty well.

Finding Something Friday on a Book Giveaway! and Persistence

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Let me start by saying I am persistent. Which sounds like a good quality, but the Beneficent Mr. Hall might beg to differ.

Anyway, I have been trying forEVER to somehow win Cheryl Klein’s Second Sight. I’ve heard her speak several times, so I know her book on writing, revising and publishing books for children and young adults is awesome. I mean, I really want to win this book.

Now, of course, I could buy it. And dear readers, after MONTHS of not winning the book, followed by the birthday present of a lovely giftcard re: one of those big bookstores that shall remain nameless, I decided to buy the book. After all, technically, I was still winning the book.

So I ordered Second Sight. And just a week later, Second Sight arrived! Oh, frabjous joy! Except it was NOT Second Sight by Cheryl Klein. It was Second Sight by Amanda Quick (who I’m sure is a lovely person and it’s probably a great book but it’s not the totally awesome book I ordered.)

Thus began my two MONTH quest to get my money back and/or Second Sight by Cheryl Klein. On Wednesday, this Wednesday, I spent one hour and 23 minutes on the phone with said Big Bookstore and the manager was lovely and all but I still do not have my money and/or book. The gift certificate is “in the mail,” she said. Uh-huh.

But yesterday, I found out that Cheryl Klein is giving away yet another copy of Second Sight! I’m pretty sure it’s a sign and that my dogged persistence shall pay off.

(P.S. She also shares some excellent advice for writers and a chance to win Elizabeth Bunce’s Star-crossed and Liar’s Moon. Zip over for the hows and more here!)

A Strange Coincidence…Or Is It?

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I’m pretty sure I’ve mentioned how I keep lists.

I make a Things To Do List for most every day. I make a list of Monthly Goals. And I have a list of every essay, poem, article or story I submit. At the end of each month, I update my list of submissions. Oftentimes, I’ll go back over the months to see if I still have something out.

Such was the case with a couple stories I’d submitted to Uncle John’s Flush Fiction. I was a little late organizing this month, but I got around to my list on Monday, and when I saw how long those stories had been sitting, I crossed them out, giving up on them.

The next day, the VERY next day, I received an acceptance from the Uncle John anthology. But the editor wanted only one of the stories, a funny, supernatural piece of flash fiction about a dog who dies–and comes back.

So now I’m just a little…what’s the word? Oh, yeah. TOTALLY freaked out.