June is my birthday month. When I was a kid, I hated having a birthday in June because school was already out for the summer and it meant I couldn't be celebrated at school the way other kids were when it was their birthdays. I'm sure my mother was pleased, however, because she never had to schlep 30 cupcakes into my classroom.
Speaking of my mother and cupcakes, here's a somewhat funny story, and I don't think she'll mind me telling it. For various reasons, my parents locked onto the health food craze early on. Certainly before any of my friend's parents (if they ever did). Progressive, right? Uh, no. It was the bane of my 13-year-old existence (along with the 1968 Oldsmobile they picked me up from school in). Back in those days, one didn't have stores like Whole Foods or even Trader Joe's, stocked full of healthy options that actually taste good. My mom's version of health food was carob, no salt, no fat, and wheat germ sprinkled on everything.
But I digress.
At some point during this time, my mother was called upon to bring a baked good to a school or church function and she chose to whip up a carob concoction–I do believe they were cupcakes of some sort. She set them down on the table and awhile later a lady picked one up, took a bite and said "Ew, what is this?" She might've even let an expletive fly. I know I would have. But my mother was standing close by and she heard everything, causing her much hurt and embarrassment. Her response to the incident now is "What was I thinking?" Indeed, mother, indeed.
Of course, this post was meant to be an update of what's happening in Diary of Bedlam land, so I suppose I should get on with it. I am, at the moment, looking for an agent, which means sending out query letters to various agents and agencies, hoping they'll at least want to take a look at my manuscript. On the whole, the response to these queries has been great–I'm at about a 35-40% success rate and the manuscript is currently being read by four agents with a fifth one who asked for more material. Definitely not something I'm complaining about.
That said, there haven't been any offers of representation and not only is it possible none of these agents currently considering the manuscript will make an offer, it is extremely likely they will not. Such is the nature of the process, I'm learning. Still, I'm optimistic, I really am.
I'm also writing the sequel to Diary of Bedlam, the working title of which is Diary of Deception. It took me three years to write Bedlam, so I'm hoping to finish this one more quickly. I need to learn how to write a polished novel in 6 months or less, I think.
In a few weeks I'll be 43, can you believe it? Well, I'm sure you can, but I certainly cannot.
My mother’s idea of health food was the Spaghetti-Os without the meatballs and I’m pretty sure my grandmother once made brownies with bacon fat she’d saved in the fridge. It’s all relative.
Haha! Oh my, did this post bring back memories. Not only am I a fellow June-baby, but my mother went through the same phase. Did yours ever have you try the healthier way to clean teeth? Baking soda and hydrogen peroxide w/ maybe one other ingredient. *shudder* Nasty tasting, to be sure. ;p
Keeping my fingers crossed for finding an agent!
I still remember her brownies with spinach in them and frozen non-fat yogurt. “It tastes just like real brownies and ice cream!” Not really, but it did taste like love.
Girl, I feel your childhood pain of having a birthday when nobody was in school. Boo!
Fingers crossed you find an agent soon…