NO MATTER HOW PRETTY IT’S WRAPPED—REJECTION STINKS

Last week, I took my two youngest kids to Peralta Trail at the base of the Superstition Mountain. I figured that no native Arizonian should live their life without hiking it.

Then I looked on the website—it’s a 4.5 mile hike—uphill. Gulp!

(Who knew the back of the Superstition was so interesting???)
Writing a novel and getting it published is like this. You have a goal—it seems like a good goal—and then halfway into it, you’re worn to a frazzle and don’t know if you’ll live through the experience. Can I make it to the top?

(There is no end in sight.)
Yes. I was rejected today. They said my manuscript was beautifully written and encouraged me to get it published—by someone else. My road to publication is like walking uphill in the desert over a bunch of rocks and along the edge of a cliff—one setback after another.

(Looking back when we're only an hour into the hike. Do you see the parking lot? Exactly!)
We’d walked a mile and I was already tired, and hot, and my legs were wobbly, and I wondered if anything could be worth all this effort. Had I packed enough water? Would I collapse and need air-evacuated out?

(This is interesting. My daughter had enough energy to climb it.)

(This is me--I had to take another break. Notice I'm wearing red so I'll be spotted easily just in case the air-evac helicopter is called.)

Then, two twenty-somethings sprinted past us. “Show-off!” Yes, I smiled and moved out of their way, but I was jealous and wishing that I could have ever-in-my-life ran up a hill. [This is also like my publishing career. Some authors have sprinted right past me and gotten their novels published easily.]
In truth, this was my first ever 10-mile hike uphill (I swear the 4.5 statistics are wrong on this one), so I’m pleased that I made it at all.

(The end is somewhere past there. We've already had 50 people pass us--including people older than me by ten years.)

Three-quarters of the way up, I was seriously re-evaluating things. This wasn’t fun—why was I doing it? “You can do it. You’re almost there,” a stranger said. “You’ll be glad you did. It’s beautiful at the top.”

(Still looking back, and wondering which is worse--going forward or going back.)

Okay then. This little boost of encouragement by someone I’d never met, gave me the incentive to go all the way to the top. [My writing friends are like this. They keep encouraging me. I keep improving my skills and one day I'll be at the top (published).]
It was a beautiful view. What made it even more glorious is that I hadn’t given up. I had endured to the end (well, other than still needing to hike back down).

(I've never seen Weaver's Needle from this side--or this close up.)

(These are pretty interesting rocks. I'm really glad I came.)
But yesterday someone asked about the hieroglyphics. What hieroglyphics? I hadn’t seen any.

(My kids have the energy to climb them. I don't.)

(We met my grandson and his Scout Troop at the top.)
My grandson asked if we’d seen the cave. What cave? I hadn’t seen a cave.

Sometimes I’m so focused on my goal that I forget to enjoy the scenery along the way--but the stuff I did see was pretty amazing.

I LOVE MY FAMILY!

This is me and my family. Not to brag, but aren't we good looking?!

I was barely able to get my kids to hold still long enough for this photo.

My son and his son got to come to AZ for a visit after the New Year and before the spring session of school. We had a great visit and I love, love, love getting to visit my little grandson. He’s so sweet.
We got to have a family reunion with all of our kids, most of their spouses, and all of our grandkids.

All of my grandkids fit on one little sofa. Cody feels awkward being the very oldest of the group. He's a one of a kind grandkid and wants to be considered as one of the kids, and not one of the grandkids. What can ya do???

We had Costa Vida, Hawaiian Haystacks, Tacos, homemade cheesecake (my son made this treat and we slurped it down in one sitting), apple pie and ice cream. We played Mafia and found out that some of us are really good at thinking of creative ways for people to die.

At Papago Park in Tempe, we had a picnic and had a marshmallow-shooting war. Great times! Several people gathered a safe distance away and watched us. Good thing was, the marshmallows were biodegradable, and the ducks and birds liked them.

The Hole in the Rock at Papago Park.

The Hole on top of The Hole in the Rock.

THE STAR PROPHECY, by Joan Sowards

I'M PART OF A BLOG TOUR FOR THE STAR PROPHECY BY JOAN. IT'S A GREAT BOOK, CHECK MY PREVIOUS REVIEW AND THEN ENTER TO WIN A COPY OF YOUR OWN.

The adventure begins with the blog tour
for
The Star
Prophecy by Joan Sowards

We will be giving away THREE copies of The Star
Prophecy.

It's easy to enter.
1. Visit the fabulous reviews and leave a comment letting us know why
you're excited to read The Star
Prophecy. Remember to include your email address.
2. If you tweet about the blog tour, or post about it on your blog or
facebook, leave the link in the comments section and you'll receive an
additional entry.

Good Luck! Entries close at midnight (MST) on January 28.


*****
You are crazy. No Nephite has ever
returned.

Most people laugh when they hear of Enoch's dream of returning to
Jerusalem to find the infant Messiah. Even Enoch's future father-in-law
mocks him when he asks for a postponement of his long-awaited wedding to
his beloved Rebekah. A few take Enoch seriously - the shipbuilder Omnihah,
Enoch's teacher David, and the prophet Nephi.

Five years before, a Lamanite named Samuel had stood on the wall of
Zarahemla and prophesied that "five years more cometh" and the Christ
would be born in Jerusalem. Time is running out! Enoch knows he must set
sail across the great waters in search of his dream - to see the face of
the Messiah.

The Star Prophacy is a surprising
story of courage and love, faith and fortitude. Sail with Enoch and his
friends across the sea through hardship and adventure in search of the
Christ child.


January 10
I Am A Reader, Not A
Writer

January 11
Totally Tina

January 12
Peggy Urry

January 13
Tangled Words and Dreams

January 14
Kaylee Baldwin

January 17
Of Writerly Things

January 18
Writers Mirror

January 19
Bonnie Gets a Say

January 20
The Blessing of Family
Life

January 21
Anna del C. Dye's Blog
Renee S. Clark

SO YOU WANT TO WRITE A NOVEL

This is a funny video that I got off of JM Tohline's blog. I hope you enjoy it. My wish is for a publishable new year for all of my cyber friends who desire to be authors.