My Writing Space - Jane Hunt

I'm continuing my series about something that interests me personally: writing spaces. I love to hear about that creative nook writers make for themselves in order to encourage the word-smithing genius. Therefore I've asked some of my author friends to share a picture and description of their personal writing spaces. 

My guest for this week is Jane Hunt, whom I've never met in person -- perhaps due to us living on different continents, but had the pleasure of getting to know during Harlequin's 2012 SYTYCW contest. (I still cringe when I think of my insanity with that contest -- seriously, I think Harlequin revamped the entire competition after hearing about the things I'd done last year.) Neither Jane nor I were finalists that writing contest, but both of us went on to successfully publish 2014. (You can ignore the hint of "nanny-nanny-boo-boo" in my tone).

Jane's first novel THE DRAGON LEGACY ("a sensual paranormal romance" -- sounds yummy!) will be released in January 2014 through Crimson Frost Books.

From the Desk of Jane Hunt:
Hi Janie thanks for inviting me to talk about my writing work space today.

I have an office on the second floor of our three storey house. In the summer I love to write in the garden or in the summerhouse. It has been known for me to write in bed if it's cold and rainy outside. I have shared the office since I started writing full time a year ago. I gained exclusive use of this work space in August when my husband moved into the garden office. I have roof top views of the surrounding countryside but ideally I would love to overlook hills and lakes. Well I can dream.  

My work space has a modern desk, bookcases and lots of ornaments. I share the space with my dogs Jazz and Oby they are wonderful company when I am writing for long periods of time. My favourite office possession is my Laptop a Christmas present from my children last year. Something I couldn't live without. I also adore my collection of ornaments given to me by my mother. I particularly love the desk and typewriter teapot and the secret garden. My keep calm plaque from my daughter always makes me smile.  

My desk although functional is the part of my office I like least. I would prefer an antique ladies writing desk. I came close to having one for my 30th wedding anniversary in August this year but we used the money to adopt Oby our latest dog from a rescue centre.

More about Jane Hunt:

My website is Jane Hunt Writer

First Steps is my blog.

Twitter: @ jolliffe03

Facebook pages: Jane Hunt Writer and The Dragon Legacy

Google+ Jane Hunt

Pinterest

Guest Blogging - Coz I'm Kind of a Big Deal (in my own mind)

I'm a guest blogger today at fellow writer and friend Maria Buscher's A Journey from Creation to Publication blog. 

Warning: it's about my experience with last year's "So You Think You Can Write" contest. (AKA: The time when Janie went absolutely bat-crazy over a silly writing contest.) Head on over there and check it out: 

A Journey from Creation to Publication

The Road to Publication: Jumping Head-First Through the Open Window

"When God closes a door, He always opens a window, because you can't throw yourself out of a door."

That pretty much summarizes my life. This week particularly in my writing.  One door very definitely closed. I was not a finalist in the “So You Think You Can Write” Contest. I blogged about the insanity that completely overtook me my experience during this contest a few days ago.  I was shocked by the number of people who contacted me via comments, Twitter, or Facebook about how crazy they also had become during the contest also.

We unpublished authors? Evidently we’re a fanatical lot. I blame it on listening to all the voices in our heads.

But even as I posted about my utter idiocy SYTYCW experience, I was STILL secretly hoping that I might be one of the Top25, since the official list had not been released yet. So for four more days I still spent more time on Twitter than I did anything else. A taste:

 

(That's right, you saw the important one: can we please get a shirtless shooting match between Aarow & Hawkeye?? Pretty please?) Anyway, finally on Friday, the official list did come out. And guess what? I wasn’t on it.   My very adult response:

AND THEN, not two hours later, I kid you not, my husband walks in with the mail. In his hand is a letter from Harlequin.  I knew it had nothing to do with the SYTYCW contest, but I had three other partial manuscripts in with them, and I knew this was news about one of them.

I was sure it was a rejection, since it was in an actual envelope and very official looking. I didn’t even want to open it since I was still reeling from not making it into the Top25. But I did open it.

Lo and behold, it was a request from an editor for me to send in the FULL MANUSCRIPT for a book I’ve been working on (not the same one as for SYTYCW) called See No Evil.  They had read the first three chapters and synopsis, and thought highly enough of it to want to see the entire thing.

Now this doesn’t mean they’re going to offer me a contract or publish my book (want more details about rejections in publishing: see here), but it is definitely a big step towards my publishing goal.  I was excited! I was thrilled! I was like, What SYTYCW contest??!!

And that was about when Karma bit me in the… ahem, Karma bit me. I realized I need to finish the book the editor requested. It isn’t long enough or polished enough or… finished.  Definitely not in any shape to send to an editor any time soon.  So I’ve been writing like a fiend and will continue writing/editing like a fiend for the next few weeks.

And I will offer my sincere apologies to the lady who I derided in my last post because she didn’t have her manuscript finished.  Because… Pot, meet Kettle and call her black. That’s what I get for being mean.  (And btw, the lady who hadn’t finished her manuscript is a lovely and gracious person and quite talented. Well deserving of being in the Top25).

For me it’s time to refocus. Get serious and get writing.  Get that manuscript into the editor.

And try something new like lowering myself carefully out of the window that has been opened rather than flinging myself out headfirst. 

But not too carefully. Because where's the calamity in that? :)

Countdown to the Marathon - T Minus 15 Weeks

Training at T Minus 15 weeks (Sept 26-Oct 2)

Another week of training for the Disney Marathon coming up on January 13, 2013. My training log for T Minus 15 weeks (Sept 26 – Oct 2):

Miles ran:  25 (10mi, 15.1mi)

Miles scheduled: 23

Cross training: Pilates x 1 – Have got to get back into my regular plan of 2 Pilates and 1 Yoga classes per week. 

Total miles run since training began: 169

Audiobook: Finished Eat and Run: My Unlikely Journey to Marathon Greatness by Scott Jurek.  I enjoyed  it a great deal, but am going to try something different next – fiction, I think. So far I’ve listened to You Are An Ironman, 7 Habits of a Highly Effective People and Eat and Run. I’m thinking about The Help or Life of Pi next, but am undecided.

Running song o’ the week:  Something to Believe In by Parachute. 

General Notes: Two long runs this week kept my mileage up, or I would’ve been in trouble. I really felt great on the 15-miler, which gave me hope that maybe, just maybe, this marathon is really going to happen in a reasonable time frame. 

I’ve also come to realize how much weather plays a factor in my running. We had a hot spell late this week – back up into nearly the 90s – which made even the idea of running unappealing. I definitely would not have done the 15-miler in that heat. But give me mid-60s and I’m thrilled to be outside.

Will Trade Pride for Votes...

So today is the day you probably feared – somewhere deep inside – would come as a result of reading my blog.  I know and I’m sorry.  Sigh. It pains me too.

I’m about to ask you for a favor.

The good news is I’m not asking you for money or to buy anything (although if anyone is interested in Yankee Candle’s or Boy Scout Popcorn, we have tons of fundraisers going on in this house).

Cue adorable kitten drowning in sand to garner votes...

No, instead I need a vote from you in a contest. Harlequin Romance is holding their “So You Think You Can Write” Contest (yes, I cringe a little at the title). It’s a writing competition for unpublished novelists. Over 600 writers have submitted the first chapter of their books, in all the 19 different romance lines Harlequin publishes – from sweet & Christian (like mine) to the more Fabio-inspired. 

Harlequin is asking the general public to help them narrow it down to the best 25, by voting once per day for their favorite from Oct 2-11. The top 25 (actually 28; 25 by popular vote, three “wildcard” picks by editors) will submit their full novels. From there, the editors will narrow it down to three and then the public will again vote.

Anybody who makes it into the top28 is guaranteed to have their full manuscript read by an editor and feedback provided by the middle of November.  As someone who has had a query into Harlequin since March and has yet to hear a word of feedback, I have come to truly appreciate the opportunity to have feedback in such a short turnaround.

So, I need your help this week in form of your vote. You can either read all 600+ entries and judge for yourself or just trust that mine will be your favorite and vote for me without reading the others. :-)

Vote for my chapter every day from October 2-11. You only get one vote per day, but you can vote from every computer, ipad, smart phone, dumb phone  or anything else that has an Internet browser in your house, office, school, shed, neighbor’s house…whatever.  You don’t have to sign up or give any personal information to vote.

Click here to vote for Janie's chapter: Unbreak My Heart

Oh yeah, you can even read my chapter if you want to. :-)