Showing posts with label Love is Murder Conference. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Love is Murder Conference. Show all posts
Tuesday, February 3, 2009
Love Is Murder Con
Okay, it's countdown to the Love is Murder Con this weekend and my next post on Tuesday will be full of exciting post Con news so stay tuned and hope to see you there. For more info go to www.loveismurder.net.
Tuesday, September 16, 2008
There I was
In the army whenever anyone told a story about a past experience related to a tour of duty or past military event we'd like to preface it jokingly with, "There I was." Well, there I was at the VA hospital just as I mentioned in my last blog and since it was my first time I really didn't know what to expect, or so I told myself. Given the fact that it was the Spinal Cord Injury / Disorder Service unit I guess in some ways I expected to see lots of wounded veterans from the wars in Iraq and Afghanistan who had suffered injuries resulting in loss of the use of some or all of their limbs. While there may have been some of these folks in the unit the ones I encountered were either older and therefore from previous wars/conflicts like WWII or Korea or Viet Nam, and some were there due to diseases that had nothing to do with their service but because they are veterans, there they were.
One such gentleman was in the hospital due to advanced Multiple Sclerosis (MS) symptoms. His name is Chris and turns out he has a wife and children and lives in a burb not too far from where I live. Despite his advanced stage of MS, Chris could talk and talk he did. I have to say that he was one of the most upbeat and happiest people I've ever met. He didn't have the use of his hands or legs, had to take a drink from a tube suspended in the air and he had to raise his head to get his mouth around it, but damn the man was happy. He talked proudly of his service, his family and his life. We shared stories about children and life in general - he's only a few years older than I am.
I went to the Hines VA with the Veterans of Foreign Wars (VFW) for the first time and I was so pysched about going there to help others when in fact Chris helped me. I'm going through a particularly unpleasant time in my life with the breakup of my second marriage and the disappointment that such a situation naturally invokes, but talking with Chris I realized that life really can be enjoyed regardless your situaiton. I've actually been fairly upbeat throughout most of this ordeal. I've often said to people that despite my pending divorce I feel very blessed. I'm not in Iraq being shot at and I'm not an unemployed mother with five children to feed. I have a stable job and my daughter is almost finished with her undergraduate studies - and despite the debt from the student loans I've been able to make most of my ends meet. So, there!
I'm ready to send out my first fiction query letter for a novel I just wrote - and rewrote, and rewrote, and did yet more rewritting - and you know what? I think it's pretty damn good. Doesn't mean the publisher will think so but that's okay. I enjoyed writing so much that the journey of writing the book was a reward in and of itself. Now, I won't lie to you. I want to have my novel published as well as the next one and the one after that and so on and so on, but I'm happy with the work I've done so far. At a previous Love is Murder Conference (LoveIsMurder.net) our guest author, David Morrell (http://www.davidmorrell.net/) gave an awe inspiring speech about being a writing and the state of the current publishing industry. His main advice - or at least a key part that I took from his speech - If you are going to spend a year of your life writing something you may as well be happy with it and proud of your efforts whether or not it results in a publishing contract. He's right! Yes, we writers want that publishing contract and we salivate at all the bones publishers and agents throw our way, but in the end our happiness comes from being proud of what we write, not the contract itself.
So, find happiness in everything you do or at least one thing you do and if that doesn't work, go visit a VA Hospital, or any hospital, or shelter, or whatever, to remind yourself just how good things really are in terms of your own humanity and your individual life. We'll save the current economic woes for another blog.
If none of the above work, put on any version of A Christmas Carol by Charles Dickens or It's a Wonderful Life. Talk about therapeutic!
For more information on the Hines Spinal Cord Injury / Disorder Service unit here's the link:
http://www.hines.med.va.gov/pat/sci.htm
One such gentleman was in the hospital due to advanced Multiple Sclerosis (MS) symptoms. His name is Chris and turns out he has a wife and children and lives in a burb not too far from where I live. Despite his advanced stage of MS, Chris could talk and talk he did. I have to say that he was one of the most upbeat and happiest people I've ever met. He didn't have the use of his hands or legs, had to take a drink from a tube suspended in the air and he had to raise his head to get his mouth around it, but damn the man was happy. He talked proudly of his service, his family and his life. We shared stories about children and life in general - he's only a few years older than I am.
I went to the Hines VA with the Veterans of Foreign Wars (VFW) for the first time and I was so pysched about going there to help others when in fact Chris helped me. I'm going through a particularly unpleasant time in my life with the breakup of my second marriage and the disappointment that such a situation naturally invokes, but talking with Chris I realized that life really can be enjoyed regardless your situaiton. I've actually been fairly upbeat throughout most of this ordeal. I've often said to people that despite my pending divorce I feel very blessed. I'm not in Iraq being shot at and I'm not an unemployed mother with five children to feed. I have a stable job and my daughter is almost finished with her undergraduate studies - and despite the debt from the student loans I've been able to make most of my ends meet. So, there!
I'm ready to send out my first fiction query letter for a novel I just wrote - and rewrote, and rewrote, and did yet more rewritting - and you know what? I think it's pretty damn good. Doesn't mean the publisher will think so but that's okay. I enjoyed writing so much that the journey of writing the book was a reward in and of itself. Now, I won't lie to you. I want to have my novel published as well as the next one and the one after that and so on and so on, but I'm happy with the work I've done so far. At a previous Love is Murder Conference (LoveIsMurder.net) our guest author, David Morrell (http://www.davidmorrell.net/) gave an awe inspiring speech about being a writing and the state of the current publishing industry. His main advice - or at least a key part that I took from his speech - If you are going to spend a year of your life writing something you may as well be happy with it and proud of your efforts whether or not it results in a publishing contract. He's right! Yes, we writers want that publishing contract and we salivate at all the bones publishers and agents throw our way, but in the end our happiness comes from being proud of what we write, not the contract itself.
So, find happiness in everything you do or at least one thing you do and if that doesn't work, go visit a VA Hospital, or any hospital, or shelter, or whatever, to remind yourself just how good things really are in terms of your own humanity and your individual life. We'll save the current economic woes for another blog.
If none of the above work, put on any version of A Christmas Carol by Charles Dickens or It's a Wonderful Life. Talk about therapeutic!
For more information on the Hines Spinal Cord Injury / Disorder Service unit here's the link:
http://www.hines.med.va.gov/pat/sci.htm
Tuesday, February 19, 2008
Love Is Murder Photos to Share - One More Part of Social Networking by Morgan Mandel
I love using Slide.Com because it can fit lots of photos in one spot. Here are a bunch from the past Love is Murder Con Feb 1-3. There are so many names, I'll let you read them from the captions.
Enjoy!
Morgan Mandel
www.morganmandel.com
http://bookplace.ning.com
http://acmeauthorslink.blogspot.com
www.myspace.com/morganmandel
http://mysteryturtles.blogspot.com
Wednesday, January 23, 2008
Girl of My Dreams - Blog Tomorrow - Remember Love is Murder Con. By Morgan Mandel
I'm happy to report my new romantic comedy, Girl of My Dreams, is #1 at my publisher, Hard Shell Word Factory,www.hardshell.com, and #28 in the Romance category today at www.fictionwise.com.
For everyone who has purchased a copy in print or ebook, thanks a bunch. I hope you enjoy the read. Also, if you really liked it, I'd appreciate your putting up a review.
Thursday, which is tomorrow, I'll be guest blogging at www.simplyromancereviews.com If you have some extra time, stop by and read my blog about Living My Love Story. It would be great if you left a comment also so I know someone came over to read it.
I've also been promised a book review. I'll keep my fingers crossed that it's a good one.
My next stop after the blog is the Love Is Murder Conference, Feb 1-3, 2008, at the Wyndham O'Hare, in Rosemont, Illinois.
That Friday at 2pm I'll be a panelist on the Promotion Panel with Barry Eisler and Austin Camacho and that Sunday at 9am, I'll join Karen Syed, Terri Stone and Julia Buckley and speak about Media Frenzy, covering Internet marketing. That means Saturday I can enjoy the other panels! Anyway, we'll also be doing book signings.
You'll also be treated to words of wisdom from other Acme bloggers, Rob Walker, Todd Stone, who puts on a mean Novelist's Boot Camp, Margot Justes and Norm Cowie.
Last count, I heard 269 people had signed up for the conference, so it should really be something. I believe there's still room for more, so get on over to http://loveismurder.net if you've been hesitating to make a decision. With Tess Gerritsen and Lee Child as headliners, how can you lose!
I'm looking forward to seeing all the mystery authors and fans again, plus a great many romance authors will also be present from Chicago-North Romance Wriers of America, my local chapter.
If you see me there, stop by and say hello.
Gotta go now. I'm so far behind on my promo, it's unreal...and I'm on a panel about promo, wouldn't you know.
Morgan Mandel
PS Stop on by Barnes & Noble, Deer Park, Thursday, Feb. 7, 2008, 7-8:30pm
to meet Morgan Mandel and fellow Acme blogger, DL Larson.
www.morganmandel.comhttp://bookplace.ning.com
http://mysteryturtles.blogspot.com
http://www.myspace.com/morganmandel
http://acmeauthorslink.blogspot.com
For everyone who has purchased a copy in print or ebook, thanks a bunch. I hope you enjoy the read. Also, if you really liked it, I'd appreciate your putting up a review.
Thursday, which is tomorrow, I'll be guest blogging at www.simplyromancereviews.com If you have some extra time, stop by and read my blog about Living My Love Story. It would be great if you left a comment also so I know someone came over to read it.
I've also been promised a book review. I'll keep my fingers crossed that it's a good one.
My next stop after the blog is the Love Is Murder Conference, Feb 1-3, 2008, at the Wyndham O'Hare, in Rosemont, Illinois.
That Friday at 2pm I'll be a panelist on the Promotion Panel with Barry Eisler and Austin Camacho and that Sunday at 9am, I'll join Karen Syed, Terri Stone and Julia Buckley and speak about Media Frenzy, covering Internet marketing. That means Saturday I can enjoy the other panels! Anyway, we'll also be doing book signings.
You'll also be treated to words of wisdom from other Acme bloggers, Rob Walker, Todd Stone, who puts on a mean Novelist's Boot Camp, Margot Justes and Norm Cowie.
Last count, I heard 269 people had signed up for the conference, so it should really be something. I believe there's still room for more, so get on over to http://loveismurder.net if you've been hesitating to make a decision. With Tess Gerritsen and Lee Child as headliners, how can you lose!
I'm looking forward to seeing all the mystery authors and fans again, plus a great many romance authors will also be present from Chicago-North Romance Wriers of America, my local chapter.
If you see me there, stop by and say hello.
Gotta go now. I'm so far behind on my promo, it's unreal...and I'm on a panel about promo, wouldn't you know.
Morgan Mandel
PS Stop on by Barnes & Noble, Deer Park, Thursday, Feb. 7, 2008, 7-8:30pm
to meet Morgan Mandel and fellow Acme blogger, DL Larson.
www.morganmandel.comhttp://bookplace.ning.com
http://mysteryturtles.blogspot.com
http://www.myspace.com/morganmandel
http://acmeauthorslink.blogspot.com
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