Timing Is Everything (or that's what I tell myself)
Timing Is Everything (or that's what I tell myself)
Some thoughts on finding the right home at the right time ...
As a mom of three, I often feel like my home is bursting at the seams. While my husband would happily leave everything from board games to outgrown bicycles beside the curb for bulk garbage pick-up, I insist that these items—especially if they’re in decent shape—find the right home. Unfortunately, (for my husband) sometimes that can take a while. But when it works out, it feels fantastic.
Here’s a quick example: I bought the red wagon picture above 20+ years ago. When my boys were little, this is where they’d sit as we watched the local July Fourth parade. In recent years, my youngest son and I used the wagon to pull bags of mulch and top soil around the yard as we gardened together.
Given these memories, it’s often hard for me to part with certain items. (I once wrote an ode to an inflatable waterslide I was forced to part with, sigh.) But to appease my husband, I try to pare back every once in a while.
If I sell something through an online marketplace, I put the money toward a take-out dinner. I’m clearing out and I get a night off from cooking—win-win.
I’d been meaning to clean up this wagon and sell it for the cost of a pizza for a while now. When I finally posted it online, a lady reached out and said she wanted it for her grandson. “This is my first time doing this, but my sister lives in your town. She can pick it up for me,” she wrote.
Long story short, her sister lives four doors down and we’ve been friendly for two decades. We couldn’t believe the coincidence. I told her there was no way I’d accept any money from her sister. Days later, she appeared on my porch with a batch of still-warm chocolate chip cookies to my family’s delight.
I saw my neighbor earlier this week and she said her sister’s grandson loves the wagon. I felt so happy it had found the right home.
My point is this: If I’d attempted to sell this wagon at any time over the past few years, it wouldn’t have had this lovely outcome.
Are you wondering, “Where are you going with this, Liz, and what does it have to do with writing?” Here’s the story: I’ve had a manuscript “on submission” (out with editors at publishing houses) for a few months now. I’ve gotten some nice feedback, some not-so-nice feedback, and some conflicting feedback, but I still haven’t gotten an offer.
It’s very easy to get down and want to give up, but I’m choosing to believe that this manuscript just hasn’t found the right home yet.
That said, if everyone could send good publishing vibes my way, I’d appreciate it. My dear friend William and his adorable cat Becky have had their fingers and paws crossed for me since February and they’re exhausted.
Thank you in advance!
How’s the next book coming along, Liz?
Ooof, how much time do you have?
I started writing a new manuscript because everyone agrees that’s the best thing to do to take your mind off the one that’s out with editors. So … I began a project and I’ve been enjoying it … or I was until I realized I’d started it in the wrong place and needed to scrap chapters 1-3. Ouch. It took about a month of writing, deleting, and rewriting to find a better beginning.
One thing I’m excited about: I’ve decided to set this story in Oak Hill, the fictional town where The Perfect Neighborhood takes place. So, if you’ve read that one, be on the lookout for side characters making a comeback!
Upcoming Events:
My last appearance until fall will be Saturday, June 4 from 4 to 6 p.m. at Barnes & Noble in Union, NJ. If you’re in the neighborhood, please stop by and say hi!
I look forward to participating in an author day in October in Monmouth County. More details to come!
Hear me babble:
One of the most fun and inspiring parts of promoting a book has been chatting with podcast hosts. Last year, I received a newsletter from an author I admire, Teri Rizvi, executive director of strategic communications at the University of Dayton, and she mentioned that she’d joined Podmatch.com.
On her recommendation, I signed up and it’s been such a joy to connect with so many interesting people. Last month, I had a chance to talk with Dr. Keri Ohlrich & Kelly Guenther, hosts of The Breakout, which is all about “breaking out” of the boxes that we create for ourselves.
My incredibly-talented friend Gail Shalan introduced me to her voice actor pal and host of the Desideratum podcast, Theresa Bakken. We had a great conversation and I’m such a fan of Theresa’s work. I hope you’ll check it out!
It was an honor to meet these ladies and I’m determined to publish another book if only to have the chance to talk with them again.
What I’m reading/listening to:
It.Goes.So.Fast by Mary Louise Kelly
Filled with wisdom, humor, and heart, this memoir really moved me. As the mom of a high school senior, so much hit home. I highly recommend it.
Synopsis: The time for do-overs is over.
Ever since she became a parent, Mary Louise Kelly has said “next year.” Next year will be the year she makes it to her son James’s soccer games (which are on weekdays at 4 p.m., right when she is on the air on NPR’s All Things Considered, talking to millions of listeners). Drive carpool for her son Alexander? Not if she wants to do that story about Ukraine and interview the secretary of state. Like millions of parents who wrestle with raising children while pursuing a career, she has never been cavalier about these decisions. The bargain she has always made with herself is this: this time I’ll get on the plane, and next year I’ll find a way to be there for the mom stuff.
Well, James and Alexander are now seventeen and fifteen, and a realization has overtaken Mary Louise: her older son will be leaving soon for college. There used to be years to make good on her promises; now, there are months, weeks, minutes. And with the devastating death of her beloved father, Mary Louise is facing act three of her life head-on.
Once Upon a Lie by Rebecca Taylor
I just started this one and I’m hooked! Rebecca was kind enough to blurb The Perfect Neighborhood and we’ve exchanged a handful of messages over the years so I’m thrilled to see her latest already garnering great reviews.
Synopsis: Mia Strauss is trying to be a good mother. She’s worked hard to build a stable life since losing her memory at eighteen when the assailant, who shot and killed her famous father, pushed her from the third-story landing of their gold coast mansion. But lately, Mia is losing control and feels she’s being watched wherever she goes. The eyes…they are everywhere. She is trying to keep herself together and is taking more and more of her prescription drugs to quiet the rising panic and anxiety. But when her husband, Alexander, comes home to find her face down on their living room floor, she’ll need to make some drastic changes, or risk losing her girls.
There’s No Coming Back From This by Ann Garvin
I was sent a copy of this novel, which promises to be the perfect poolside reading!
Synopsis: It seems lately that Poppy Lively is invisible to everyone but the IRS.
After her accountant absconded with her life savings, newly bankrupt Poppy is on the verge of losing her home when an old flame, now a hotshot producer, gives her a surprising way out: a job in costumes on a Hollywood film set. It’s a bold move to pack her bags, keep secrets from her daughter, and head to Los Angeles, but Poppy's a capable person—how hard can a job in wardrobe be? It's not like she has a choice; her life couldn't get any worse. Even so, this midwesterner has a lot to learn about the fast and loose world of movie stars, iconic costumes, and back-lot intrigue.
The Little Girl With a Secret by C.G. Twiles
If you haven’t read one of C.G. Twiles’s thrillers, what are you waiting for? Fast-paced, twisty, and propulsive are just a few of the ways I’d describe this author’s compelling collection.
Synopsis: Only She Knows What Happened
The betrayal…
After finding her fiancé and best friend in bed together, Syra Fragos flees heartbreak for the lush farmland and unplugged serenity of Amish Country in Lancaster, Pennsylvania.
There, she stays in a farmette with no electricity or Wifi. But there is one perk: handsome caretaker Jonas Martin. A decade ago, he was banned from the Amish after refusing, without explanation, to marry his pregnant teen girlfriend, Lydia.
The accident…
When Lydia is tragically killed in a buggy accident while riding with her and Jonas’ young daughter, Jonas returns home to Amish Country. Is it to make amends to his daughter? Or does he have a darker motivation…?
Find out more on Goodreads.com and mark it “want to read” while you’re there.
Got a book club?
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Until next time, happy reading and writing!
Timing Is Everything (or that's what I tell myself)
Sending good vibes and agree that sometimes you have to just wait for the right timing (something I need to frequently remind myself of).
Sending all the good vibes! I heard an indie publisher in a recent interview say that stories are cyclical. Needs and interests cycle around and to keep submitting because you never know when you'll hit a publisher's cycling interests. I also learned early in my freelance magazine writing career to have three or more queries ready to send out for every rejection. Also emailing you with another idea! Not to self-publish, btw.