Hen Lit Writers

Vote for The Writer's Life!

2007-01-10T21:24:00.000-08:00

Hi everyone...

It's that time of year again and the Preditors & Editor's Readers Poll is in full swing!

The Writer's Life has been in operation since 2001 and provides writing resources, promotional opportunities for writers, and a newly added promotional workshop. But, more than that, it's a labor of love.

As the editor of The Writer's Life, my goal is to help writers achieve their goals of becoming published and help them promote once they have achieved this. It is to all the writers out there I dedicate this website, and it is my hope that The Writer's Life was a part of making their dreams come true.

If you would be so kind and vote for us under the "Nonfiction Magazine/Ezine" category at Preditors & Editors and to vote for the editor (moi) under "Magazine/Ezine Editors," I would greatly appreciate your vote. To vote, click here, and thank you!

Dorothy Thompson
Editor, The Writer's Life
www.thewriterslife.net

THE SEARCH FOR THE MILLION $$$ GHOST Book Trailer at YouTube!

2007-01-05T06:54:00.000-08:00

A new and improved version of THE SEARCH FOR THE MILLION $$$ GHOST book trailer at YouTube:

The Search for the Million $$$ Ghost Book Trailer!

2007-01-01T19:46:00.000-08:00

Six women. One eccentric millionaire. And a ghost that refuses to be found....

Check out my cool book trailer at www.milliondollarghost.homestead.com/trailer.html!

Dorothy

Happy New Year & A New ROMANCING THE SOUL Book Trailer!

2006-12-31T19:50:00.000-08:00

To all our hen lit blog readers, I'd like to wish every one of you the happiest new year! Although it's not officially 2007 for another hour, let's take the time to reflect on what we have accomplished in the past year. Did we meet our goals? Did we try to be the best we can be?

I hope every one of you found your dreams; and if not, let's work even harder at finding what we are looking for and becoming who we want to be in the upcoming year. But, no matter what kind of resolutions you have lined up, the main key is to be happy.

With that in mind, I wish you a Happy New Year and may all your dreams come true!

Also, I'd like to show you a new video I made of my book, ROMANCING THE SOUL. Enjoy!

Authors Chat Lounge 2 Tonight!

2006-12-04T08:29:00.000-08:00

Hi guys, just want to let you know that I'll be a guest at Lea Schizas' online conference chat room at the Authors Chat Lounge 2 tonight at 7 p.m. eastern time. Come on out and find out all about my new eBook, "A Complete Guide to Promoting & Selling Your Self-Published eBook," and how you, too, can write, publish and promote your own eBook. To get into the chatroom, click here and sign in!

FREE CHRISTMAS EBOOK!!!

2006-12-01T09:24:00.000-08:00

Hi everyone,

On behalf of my writing group and myself, I am pleased to announce the release of our holiday ebook, "Season's Greetings from The Writersville Gang"! This 70-page downloadable ebook is absolutely free with no strings attached. This is our way of showing gratitude to the writing community. To get your free e-copy, visit http://www.writersville.homestead.com/seasonsgreetings.html.

Happy holidays to all of you!

New Zumaya Romance Imprint & Poll!

2006-11-21T11:19:00.000-08:00

Hi readers,

I've just been passed the news that Zumaya Publications is planning to open a romance imprint, but they have so many wonderful names to choose from, they can't decide which one to pick!

That's where you come in!

Here are the details:

This past July Zumaya Publications moved business operations from its long-time home in British Columbia to the warmer climes of Austin, Texas. In the coming year, we plan to implement a number of exciting changes, and we want to invite booklovers to join us and qualify for prizes in three special contests.

In January 2007, Zumaya will establish a new romance imprint. Our authors have come up with ten excellent ideas for a name for the imprint, and we're interested in finding out which of them appeals the most to readers. So, we've set up a poll on Yahoogroups at Name That Imprint. To vote for your favorites (yes, you can vote for more than one) just send an email to http://us.f509.mail.yahoo.com/ym/Compose?To=name_that_imprint-subscribe%40yahoogroups.com.

If you're already registered with Yahoo Groups, you can just ask to add the group to your roster. Or go to http://groups.yahoo.com/group/name_that_imprint/ and sign up directly.

When the poll ends on 15 December, we will enter the email addresses of the voters into a contest. Three will win a gift card worth $100, $50 or $25 provided by Zumaya authors, as well as some special personal gifts the authors are lining up as we speak; a complete list will be provided in a week or so. Not only that, we're offering five holiday-themed ebooks—three for adults and two for kids—free for the duration of the poll.

So, even if you don't read romance, come to Name That Imprint and let us know which of the names tickles your fancy.

____

So, help us out, won't you? Lots of prized (MONEY!) and if you click on the files there, you'll have access on two freebie Christmas books! Thanks muchly!

Dorothy Thompson
Editor, The Writer's Life
www.thewriterslife.net

Virtual Book Tour - Stop # 4 - Nutter's Gang!

2006-11-06T07:14:00.000-08:00

Omg...I have my very first review!

Everyone...hop over to Michelle E. Ellis' blog at http://www.meellis.blogspot.com/ where she's hosting me today and read my very first review! I'm about to have a boomer chick conniption!

What I found really neat is that my eBook, A Complete Guide to Promoting & Selling Your Self-Published eBook, has given Michelle ideas for promoting her already-published eBooks which has given her the confidence to query RT Magazine! Woo-hoo! Go Michelle! Let us know what you find out!

Everyone...pleeeeze, go over to Michelle's blog and leave a comment!

Virtual Book Tour

2006-11-01T08:25:00.000-08:00

Good morning everyone!

I'm happy to announce that I will be touring blogs this month in my first ever virtual book tour for my eBook "A Complete Guide to Promoting & Selling Your Self-Published eBook"!

I will be stopping off at blogs all over the country and talking about promoting your own eBooks (really it's not as hard as you think) in case you wanted to generate some Christmas spending money, or just in case you might want to do this yourself in the near future.

If you would like to follow along with me, you can visit my promoting eBooks blog at eBook Promotion for Self-Published Authors to find out where I'll be going next.

My first stop is today at Kathy Holmes' blog, "Women's Fiction With Attitude"! So, follow that link, and if you have any questions about self-publishing or promoting eBooks, or promoting in general, leave a comment in her blog and I'll answer it there for you.

Happy promoting to you and see you there!

FREE HALLOWEEN EBOOK

2006-10-30T13:36:00.000-08:00

Happy Halloween, everyone!

In honor of All Hallows Eve, my writing group, The Writersville Gang, and I are giving away a FREE Halloween eBook for anyone who loves reading about ghosties and bumps in the night!

All you have to do is visit www.writersville.homestead.com/hauntedhappenings.html to find out how you can get your free copy!

Enjoy and have a safe Halloween!

Boooooooooooooooooooooooooo.......

Dorothy

A Complete Guide to Promoting & Selling Your Self-Published eBook

2006-09-17T15:02:00.000-07:00

Okay, gang, it's here! A COMPLETE GUIDE TO PROMOTING & SELLING YOUR SELF-PUBLISHED EBOOK has arrived. If you would like to make money from the comfort of your home with no overhead and 100% profit, it's time to start thinking about writing your own eBook and selling it yourself. Why yourself and not an e-publisher?

Glad you asked.

YOU can do everything they can do, and all the profits are yours alone.

And don't think you can't do it, either. I've done it, and I will continue doing it because while I'm waiting for the royalty checks to come in from my other books and while I'm waiting for a NY contract for yet other books, I'm making money.

How do you make money from a book others have to read over the Internet?

You are so inquisitive!

But, that's what I'm here for. My eBook, A COMPLETE GUIDE TO PROMOTING & SELLING YOUR SELF-PUBLISHED EBOOK, explains it all. It's a 120-page PDF-formatted guide to show you how to promote your ebooks better than an e-publisher can. How?

By implementing the steps I've outlined in the eBook, you are guaranteed sales. While it may take time to complete, you'll be able to sit back and enjoy that added revenue you didn't have before.

I mean, think about it. It's a win-win situation. You can't go wrong.

My eBook, priced at $19.99, is comparable to others selling for hundreds. You read that right. HUNDREDS. And people are buying them.

People love information they can't get over the Internet or other places, and people are buying them because this priceless information is condensed into one easy-to-read and easy-to-follow location. By opening up my ebook and following the directions in each section, you'll find ideas of where to promote your eBook you never thought of before.

Oh, how I wish this information would have been available when my first eBook was published by an e-publisher. The money I have lost can never be regained, but the knowledge I have accumulated since has enabled me to promote my own eBooks with guaranteed sales.

Dan Poynter, marketing guru and author of over 100 self-published eBooks says,
“It does not matter if you sell out to a large (NY) publisher or publish yourself, the author must do the promotion. It does not matter if you publish a pBook (paper) or an eBook, the book must be promoted. Promotion methods are not the same for pBooks and eBooks. You can promote your eBook for little or no cost. A COMPLETE GUIDE TO PROMOTING & SELLING YOUR SELF-PUBLISHED EBOOK shows you how to promote your electronic book.”

If you'd like to find out more about A COMPLETE GUIDE TO PROMOTING & SELLING YOUR SELF-PUBLISHED EBOOK, visit www.thewriterslife.net/promoteebook.html. For more tips on how to sell your eBook, visit my new promoting blog "eBook Promotion for Self-Published Authors" at www.selfpublishedebookpromotion.blogspot.com.

Happy sales to you!

Romancing the Soul - # 2 Bestselling Book at Zumaya Publications

2006-09-12T18:12:00.000-07:00

Wonderful news...I just found out (thanks to Kathy Holmes!) that Romancing the Soul, my soul mate anthology, is # 2 bestselling book at Zumaya Publications! Can I get a woop-woop????

Check it out at http://www.zumayapublications.html/!

Age is Just a Number

2006-08-23T05:42:00.000-07:00

Kathy made an interesting post today (see next post). What is the latest on hen lit anyway? Are people buying it and, on another note, are publishers buying it?

I thought about this for awhile. As a reader, what age do I like my characters to be?

And, you know what I decided? It really didn't matter as long as I enjoyed the book. If the book sucked, I put it down, but age never really came into it.

This is why I feel that when we market our books written with the protags "of a certain age," drop the hen lit moniker and call them women's fiction.

You know, some of the best books I've ever read had the main protags as children and teenagers, and I'm nowhere near that age, but I really enjoyed them.

"Heide"...everyone remembers that book...wasn't that the most delightful book you've ever read? How about "Go Ask Alice"? That book was the most wonderful book of its time and was written from a teenager's POV. Just the other day I bought "Peter Pan" from Walmart because it was 2/$1.00, and I bought "The Wonderful Wizard of Oz," too.

Okay, they are classics and it was such a bargain so maybe they don't count.

So as I am a woman "of a certain age," and I have written a book with the protag "of a certain age," what books do I buy normally?

It doesn't matter because what books I do buy lately, I have read excerpts up on the author's website and loved it enough to buy the book. The last one was a how-to book, but as far as fiction goes, I would have to say it was a protag in their late thirties. But, it didn't matter how old they were. I wanted the book and I wasn't disappointed.

Would I buy a book with the protag "of a certain age"? Sure, I would because age does not matter. The story has to be compelling. It has to be one I've heard others say was great or after I read the excerpt, I knew this was a book I'd be interested in.

So when people say that chick lit is dead or hen lit is dead (or dying or whatever they are saying...marketing ploy?...gotta admit that's a wild one), I tell them to get over it because it doesn't matter what age the protag is. The story is what matters.

So, all you "chick lit" writers or "hen lit" writers, call your book a woman's fiction because, basically, that's what it is. We went through the stage of having a certain name for it, but let's not box ourself in like that. We could call them "women's fiction with an edge," but then I'm sure someone would come up with a moniker for that, too. Don't let them have that opportunity. They'll eventually come up with ways to call that a marketing ploy, too.

As for Transita, maybe they shouldn't have boxed themselves in with one genre, also. It's like one of those specialized stores in the mall that sell to one particular market. Eventually, they do something to expand that market or they go under. I hate to see that happen to anyone.

In retrospect, don't box yourself in, either. Women's fiction is versatile. Maybe we should stick with that and not put ourselves in a position where we're labeled. But, while we cater to the public and the publishers who we wish would publish us, we're still hen litters at heart. And, keep writing those stories about women (and men) "of a certain age," because if the story is intriguing enough, it will sell, and the public will buy.

And the Survey says ...

2006-06-22T08:48:00.000-07:00

Hey Ladies -

I'm conducting a survey in conjunction with research I'm doing for my E-book.

Chicks Over 40: Real Life, Real Women

How to rev up your life at any age

So, please come on over and give me your input. It's online, anonymous and will only take a minute. You can access the survey from my web site or go directly here.

This should be helpful, too, in light of today's post on the Wylie-Merrick agency blog. It talks about how you can write from your heart or you can write what the readers want. Well, I say readers over 40 want books about women over 40 - and not just the stereotypical ones out there, either. So, let's do everything we can to let NY know what we want as readers. And then maybe they'll come looking for us, as writers. :)

Thank you.
Kathy

Agent Kristin on Lady/Hen Lit

2006-06-14T11:18:00.000-07:00

We've been so blessed in having so many wonderful agents answer our questions in Dorothy's TWLAuthorTalks group. Agent Kristin is no exception. In fact, I received an interesting response from her about the state of lady/hen lit. She said that while editors say they want stories about women over 40, when you give it to them, they seem to suggest that it would work better if the protagonist was 30 rather than 47. Hmmm ... I can believe that.

Still, she thinks there really is a market out there for the over 40 crowd but it has to be something different than what she's seeing. It can't be the stereotypical husband leaves wife for younger woman. It needs to focus on what real women in their 40s and up are going through.

That sounds like just what I've been saying in my complaints about the lady/hen lit I've been seeing on the bookshelves. Still, my manuscripts must not be hitting the right mark either. Others must not see the story I think I'm telling. And that gives me something to think about, to figure out where my books are falling short. Perhaps it sounds too much like "chick lit" - meaning the characters sound too young. So they think they're seeing the same old thing and miss the deeper story underneath the surface. Or it could just be they haven't found the right home yet. Who knows? Still, something to consider.

In my latest manuscript, the focus really isn't on age. There's a vague allusion that they're in their late 30s but nothing much more is said about it. And in the wip I just started, it's not even an issue at all - I have no idea how old this protagonist is yet. But it seems to be turning into a thriller. So it could be the perfect venue to introduce the age thing. Because age seems to be the scariest thing of all. :)

- Kathy

The State of Hen Lit

2006-06-13T10:59:00.000-07:00

Thanks to Dorothy, this group seems to still be alive and well. I'm so glad. So, what's happening in the world of lady lit or hen lit anyway? Anybody care to report in?

During my morning blog reading of Camy's Loft, I stumbled upon this book, RV There Yet? It looks like they're still publishing our books. So what is the future for hen lit? I'm hoping that Agent Kristin can answer that question during Dorothy's TWLAuthorTalks chat with Kristin this week.

In the meantime, I'm still writing books about women who are 40ish. "Real Women Wear Red" is still being considered by publishers and my latest, "Vent of a Woman" is also starting to make the rounds. I'm also writing articles for various sites including the latest, Fabulously Forty. Remember, you don't have to be 40 to believe that life not only continues after forty but gets even better. Feel free to drop by, sign up, read articles, blog, or just hang out.

So, what's everybody else doing?

Kathy

Literary Agent Kristin Nelson in TWL Author Talks!

2006-06-09T18:46:00.000-07:00

I'm happy to announce that literary agent Kristin Nelson will be fielding questions in TWL Author Talks on Monday, June 12, 2006 for the entire week! Last week, as you know, we had the talented Jenny Bent and the response was overwhelming! Fifty people signed up overnight, so now's your chance to get in on finding the agent of your dreams!

Now, here's the coolest news....Kristin has agreed to a pitch slam on Friday, June 16th!

So, what's a pitch slam?

A pitch slam is summing up your entire book in one sentence, in this case, and having one of our literary agent guests tell you if it's something they would be looking for or not. Not as easy as you think.

Last week, we had Jenny Bent giving her input on the pitches and you'd be amazed at how hard it is. While some of us walked away with out tails tucked between our legs, we learned just what it is that makes a pitch stand out and was an invaluable lesson!

Kirsten Mortenson, one of the members of TWL Author Talks, explains some of the things that Jenny didn't like in the pitches people submitted while she was a guest (thank you, Kirsten!): 1. Not original enough/has been "done to death."Takeaway: Make sure your pitch shows that you have the twist/color that makes your concept stand out from similar novels. 2. Pitch confusing. Couldn't tell who was doing what.Takeaway: Edit out extraneous information. Make sure its clear to what/whom the pronouns of your sentences are referring. Maybe follow a fairly simple setup/conflict/resolution structure in your sentence to make sure it's easy to follow . . . 3. Missing story "arc."Don't just list the characters and setting. Make sure you've also set up the main conflict and resolution. 4. Conflict not compelling.Make sure the conflict you've presented is "big" enough to show that you've got a strong plot. 5. Bland title.
Jenny got me on #2. I totally confused her and I'm revising before the next pitch slam with Kristin Nelson.

Another member of TWL Author Talks, China, explains just what it might take to gain an agent's interest in a pitch slam:

"There are a few different ways, that I know of, to do a one sentence pitch. I'm not saying these are the only or best ways, or guaranteed to work, or anything like that. These are just a few of the ways we learned to do them at the creative writing program from which I graduated.

**Note--my examples are not real, and shouldn't be held against me. ;)

The first technique: Character, Conflict, Hook

Describe your character, why we should care about him or her (ie the conflict), and what makes this book different from any other with a similar theme or storyline.

A lot of times the different parts of your pitch blur--your conflict can also be a hook, or your hook can also be a conflict.

Example: A struggling single mother (character and conflict al lwrapped into one) loses her job (conflict) and finds the only way to support her family is to become a stripper (hook, conflict). That's a little low concept and a whole lot rough, but I hope itillustrates the technique.

**********

The second technique: GMC (Goal, motivation, conflict)

This is pretty similar to character, conflict, hook. It's simple--your one sentence should introduce your character, explain his or her motivation, his or her goal, and his or her conflict.

Example: When a waitress (character) is inadvertently sucked into another dimension (conflict), she must battle not only the forces of darkness but her own inner demons (conflict AND motivation) in order to find her way home (goal and motivation). As with the CCH style pitch, sometimes the goal, motivation and conflict can intertwine.

************

Third technique: The high concept pitch.

In this one, you mostly introduce the concept of your story.

Example: Martians and vampires fight for world domination, leaving astring of human bodies in their wake.

There are many other techniques, but I want to add in some general tips.

1. You don't need to give very much detail about your character, plot or world. This should be your story boiled down to its absolute barest bone structure.

2. Using a character archetype is more effective than using character specifics, and also cuts down on length. Use "a washed up musician," rather than, "Lenny Diamond, a struggling singer-songwriter in his 50s..."

3. Your pitch--even a single sentence pitch--should have a little bit of the flavor and tone of your story. If you write light and frothy, your pitch should be light and frothy. If you write with a quick wit, your pitch should display some of that. If you're writing humor, your pitch should be at least a little funny/witty."

Thank you, China!

I can't imagine doing this in person. I know many authors who have gotten book deals this way, but who knows, maybe there's a book deal or two that will be result out of our virtual book slams with our agent guests. If nothing else, it gives you invaluable input by professionals in the field. See you there!

Dorothy, moderator TWL Author Talks

Dorothy Thompson “The Soul Mate Queen’s” Virtual Blog Tour

2006-04-17T09:03:00.000-07:00

Dorothy Thompson, also known as The Soul Mate Queen, announces her first virtual blog tour stop at Lisa Renee Jones’ blog at http://lisareneejonesjournal.blogspot.com/ to announce her new relationship e-class “The Soul Mate Triangle – Unlocking the Mysteries of the Soul Mate Relationship” which will begin taking students on May 1, 2006.

“The Soul Mate Triangle – Unlocking the Mysteries of the Soul Mate Relationship” is a one-on-one personalized relationship e-class that is guaranteed to find your soul mate(s) by the end of the class or your money back. This is an ongoing relationship e-class – sign up whenever it’s convenient for YOU – that is delivered to your e-mail box. This is to provide for you total anonymity and so that Dorothy can evaluate your situation and help you in areas that need attention without anyone else knowing who you are or interfering with the process.

Hurry over to Lisa’s blog today because the virtual blog tour ends on Wednesday!

If you would like to learn more about this e-class, you can visit www.soulmatequeen.homestead.com/eclass101.html. If you have any questions, you can email Dorothy at thewriterslife(at)yahoo.com.

May all your soul mate dreams come true!

Dorothy

New Free E-book for Writers

2006-02-18T17:18:00.000-08:00

Hi gang,

I just wanted you to know that my writing group and I have put the final touches on our first publishing venture called "A Funny Thing Happened...On the Way to Getting Published."

It's a collaberated effort of thirteen of the members of The Writer's Life, an online Yahoo! group that was founded in 2001. This is the first e-book in the line of many more e-books we have planned in the upcoming year.

And it's absolutley FREE!

If you want to find out how you can get your free e-book, click here.

Please fill out the form when you get there to support your fellow hen litter, okay?

Thanks!!!!

HenLit "the next thing"

2005-11-28T16:06:00.000-08:00

I was playing tennis with a writer that some of you know, Cara Lockwood. I told her about my travails and troubles with getting a decent agent. I mentioned that I'm doing contemporary fantasy, which she said is really going to be popular soon. I sure hope so.
But then I popped my HenLit idea on her and she just practically squealed: "HenLit! Yes, that's the next thing." She even guessed the title when I gave her the basic plot idea. I guess that 's a sign that I should write this this novel, isn't it, ladies?

Meanwhile, I got a request from a very hot agent for a partial on my fantasy novel. And...a movie company said no, but very nicely. They really enjoyed reading the novel...just not for them. One day, I will figure out what those code words mean.

Anyway, hope Cara's view is the right one. We should strike while the metaphor is hot!

Lynn

"Hens"/"Ladies" and our reading habits

2005-11-21T16:58:00.000-08:00

I like the term LadyLit - even though it does conjure up the picture of a tipsy English dowager. But I digress .. . .and I haven't even started on the topic.

As a Hen/Lady/Crone/Goddess of a Certain Age, I read books written about protagonists of all age groups (and all ethnic, religions and sex groups, too).

I think we (the above category of reader although speaking mainly of my own fine-self) are more diverse in our thinking - women in our age group see the world as a whole and not as compartments. "Well, now, let's see, Martha, I can't read THAT book because it's about a female transvestite who is a fallen Catholic practicing Witchcraft as a Wizard. I could just never relate." I know that's a bit far-fetched. But as someone who reads diverse genres and (GASP!) literary fiction, I am not really opposed to reading about the aforementioned female transvestite - as long as it's an interesting story - one that will hold my interest.

I've met a lot of people over fifty who've read (and reread) every Harry Potter book - good stories.

On the other hand, I would like to see stories about women like me - fiftish, a tad overweight but still sexy, bright and charming, intelligent and empowered. We are out there - and I, for one, am working on a couple of entries into that category.

So, ladies, keep up the good work. Write those entertaining stories.
We are a force. A beautiful, rounded, soft, loving, intelligent force.

Mitzi
www.mitzimusings.blogspot.com

PS - Thanks to those of you who comment on my meanderings on my blog. Nice to know my words are not lost in cyberspace.

Enough with the stilettos

2005-11-19T10:37:00.000-08:00

I have to agree with Kathy....Women in the over 40, over 50 and yes, even the over 60 age group (though I'm not there yet) have a lot to offer the reading public.

We're not all working in the corporate-climbing positions, or spending our Saturday evenings whining/wining either with a "boyfriend" or because of lack of one. The most important thing in our life might not be designer clothes, numbers on the scale, working out at a gym or that pair of stiletto heels we simply must have.

Many of us have evolved from the "chick" to the "hen" and have the life experience to prove it and yes, write about it. We had the chick lit issues once....but hopefully, many of us baby boomers have moved forward. We've reached a point in our lives where we know who we are and some of us even like that person that evolved. We no longer require the approval, reassurance and false friendships that we once did.

So we come to the publishing world with a whole different set of issues/topics.....from being a primary caregiver, to opening our own business, to being alone for maybe the first time in our lives, and all of it has been a learning experience.

Hey, seniority counts for something and hopefully the publishing world will soon see that many women in the reading world would like to read about something other than the newest pair of stilettos or what it's like being 30. We've been 30 and all the years that followed is what has given us the developed characters and plots that should make "hen lit" a top seller.

Chick Lit is Real Fiction for Real Women

2005-11-14T06:19:00.000-08:00

Interesting article about chick lit and its sub-genres posted on the chick lit group:

Women's lives are reflected in 'chick lit' genre

I love how the genre is spreading and is beginning to encompass a new voice for women's fiction. But, as the article mentions, one of the problems with hen lit is that the genre title alone is disparaging and the individual book titles all sound so angry or unenticing. But not only are women in general disparaged, including their fiction, but older women are denigrated even more. I think it's time to fight back. Show what real live women are all about - no matter their age. How do we do that? I don't know exactly but I'm willing to sound the battle cry. :) In the meantime, we just keep writing. And maybe our numbers will speak for themselves. And we'll leave our mark on women's fiction in general.

Hen Lit Dismissed as "Clever Marketing Ploy"

2005-10-13T09:46:00.000-07:00

Received this from Transita today:

***
"On Women's Hour today (Thursday 13th) Jenni Murray, Philippa Gregory and Mavis Cheek discussed the growing phenomenon of "Matron Lit" or "Hen Lit" or whatever it is they're calling it these days.

Disappointingly in our view it didn't really address the issues we'd hoped would emerge and the whole movement was dismissed as a "clever marketing ploy".

While we're over the moon that Philippa thinks we're clever, we were slightly taken aback when the view was expressed that "women simply don't want to read books like this".

If our website membership is anything to go by then we must reluctantly disagree with their proposition but we'd like them to hear it from you.

So, I guess the question we're asking is, do you want these type of books or are we whistling in the wind?

If you'd like to make your views known please visit our website and take part in this quick straw poll.

Transita Poll

When the results are in we'll pass them on to the BBC."

***
I would be curious what the issues were that she was hoping to address. While I'm all for older women being featured in fiction these days, so far I haven't really enjoyed the stories. Anyway, you can decide for yourself and vote on their web page.

Chick Lit Out, Matron Lit In

2005-10-11T17:18:00.000-07:00

A new generation of romantic heroines are as likely to ascribe their hot flushes to the menopause as to the proximity of a tall, dark handsome stranger.
Publishers on both sides of the Atlantic are abandoning “chick lit” in favour of a new breed of romance reflecting the experiences of the older woman.

Read rest of the article on The Telegraph.

I know this is a month-old article and probably was used to promote Transita, but when I came upon this article in a search, my eyes widened. Keep talking hen lit, baby. This is music to this hen's ears!

Dorothy Thompson to Appear on Single Talk Radio Show Today!

2005-09-24T03:46:00.000-07:00

I will be on the Single Talk Radio Show today which you can hear live on the web at http://www.worldtalkradio.com/show.asp?sid=191. If you are the first to email Eliza at SingleTalk@adelphia.net with a soul mate question, you will receive a free autographed copy of my book,Romancing the Soul!

If you do miss the show, it will be archived. I believe I'm the last segment at 4:40 EST (adjust to your geographical location), but you might want to tune in earlier to catch the other guests who are talking about soul mates, also. So, join me as we explore the secrets of why you need soul mates in order to find your higher self!

Dorothy

Hen Lit Writers

2005-09-21T20:04:00.000-07:00

Where do I go now?
I have a problem. I finished my last ms. (not a henlit thing) and sent if off to my agent. She hasn't replied yet and it's been more than a month. However, I'm trying to stay cool about this. I'm not crazy enough to think she jumped on my ms. the minute it came to her door.

My problem now is that I started a Hen Lit comic novel a while back and, frankly, I'm not feeling very humourous right now. I've been trying to read funny books to get me back in the mood, but it's not happening. In fact, I have a great desire to write something extremely adventurous and literary that will require tons of research.

Now, I know that I could do the humorous novel quickly, because it's snappy and punchy and doesn't take the time a literary novel would take. And my journalistic background would help, because I'm used to punching things out quickly when need be.

But, but, the literary gods aren't letting me do that. I probably could wait a month and rediscover my sense of humor or I could force myself to get going and work on the Hen Lit book. Or...I could go off into research land and come out maybe six months later.

What's the advice out there? Can someone write humorous stuff and not be feeling very funny themselves? Maybe it's the Katrina fiasco. Maybe it's that my sister just put her dog down. Maybe it's the stupid editors from my last magazine assignment. Maybe it's my allergies. But I'm just in a funk.

Lynn

I've surfaced

2005-09-05T07:52:00.000-07:00
Geeze, I've had a time getting back here. Of course it had nothing to do with the fact I forgot my user name and password. Anyway....here I am.
Have a question for you guys.....what's your definition of the genre of "romance" vs "women's fiction."
The reason I ask is because I just finished my first Debbie Macomber book....The Shop on Blossom Street. I'd heard she switched from romance to women's fiction with Thursdays at Eight (which I haven't read)
While I enjoyed Blossom Street, I really wouldn't categorize it as "women's fiction." It smacked more of the romance genre to me. I consider authors like Anita Shreve, Sue Miller, Elizabeth Berg and Luanne Rice "women's fiction." Yes....there's a "love story" but somehow the plot seems to have more depth and substance. Just my opinion.........and I'm wondering what yours is.

"Menopause the Musical"

2005-09-04T11:57:00.000-07:00

With my mind on the devastation Katrina brought and my own self-questioning of whether we really should get out of hurricane country and go back to earthquake country out West - I stumbled onto something rather hilarious and thought I would share it with you. There's nothing like a little comedy relief - something we could probably all use about now.
Anyway, I'm browsing the Orlando Sentinel and I come across this show called "Menopause The Musical." It looks too good to pass up. (Note: it may be coming to a city near you - just check out the web site.)
"Inspired by a hot flash and a bottle of wine, writer/producer Jeanie Linders created the show as a celebration of women who are on the brink of, in the middle of, or have survived The Change."
It all started in a tiny 76-seat perfume-shop-turned-theatre in Orlando, FL on March 28, 2001. Four women at a Bloomingdale's lingerie sale with nothing in common but a black lace bra and hot flashes, night sweats, memory loss, chocolate binges, not enough sex, too much sex and more. A joyful parody of 25 re-lyricized classic baby boomer hits, the 90-minute show features such chart-toppers as "I Heard It Thru the Grapevine; You No Longer See 39" and the disco favorite "Stayin' Awake! Stayin' Awake!"
It made me laugh and gave me chills at the same time. I feel inspired. I feel invincible. The possibilities seem endless. We are in demand, ladies, and it's time to get ourselves out there. The world is waiting! :)

Why I Love Being a Hen

2005-08-27T16:20:00.000-07:00
I was just in a discussion over at BoomerWomenSpeak.com, talking about menopause. Seems there are some that are...shall I say, confused...about what is going on in a woman's body during this transitional time.

Some are complaining about hot flashes and being tired and some are actually thinking that they are losing it.

To clear up some misconceptions about this "change" of life, I'll give you the low-down from someone who has been there, done that, and still there.

First of all, let's talk about that weight gain, girls. All of sudden, you look down and you're twenty, thirty pounds heavier. As in, what the hell happened, you know?

Okay, not good for your health, but did you realize what a nice set of knockers you have now?

As someone who was quite thin at one time (hard for even me to believe), I actually stuffed my bra. Okay, not good to admit something like that, but when everyone else has something you don't have, why not. Anyway, now, I don't have to. In fact, I even jiggle! And oh man wait until you put that low-cut sweater on...you'll love it! I know I do!

Another thing. Those nasty once-a-month occurrences when all you want to do is curl up and die? No more! Do you realize how much money you are saving on feminine products??? Not to mention that great sex you can have knowing not only will you not have anymore bambinos as a result of it, but you're saving even MORE money by not having to buy all those clumsy birth control devises! and a bag of chips!

And, hell, all that money you're saving, you can now afford that trip to the Bahamas you've dreamed of!

(Oh, that's another thing. You can use hell and other cuss words and no one dares call you down about it.)

Now here's the best part. You remember when you used to tell people to do something, they didn't do it? Well, that doesn't happen anymore! When you talk now, sister, EVERYONE listens. They know that if they don't, you'll rip their heads off their scrawny little necks and not think twice!

Listen, sisters, this is the best freaking time of our lives. Now, get off your arses and write about it!!!

Is this henish or not?

2005-08-24T22:33:00.000-07:00
I wasn't going to write about this. It's personal and this blog is about hen lit. Then I realized, what I have to say fits the whole concept of hen lit and its audience.

H/S have created the Next line, for women at the next stage of their life.

Well, I'm entering a new phase of my life. My kids are grown. I have the required grandkids. What else is out there? I've been asking myself that question for a few months now. About six weeks ago, I searched the internet for local jobs. I didn't find anything that was worth the gas money into town.

I widened my search area. After all this is Alaska. My goal was to find a job on the slope. Work two weeks, fly home for two weeks. But all of a sudden I was looking at jobs in my old field. My college degree and earlier profession was in the medical field. Why not? Maybe I hadn't been out too long.

So, I downloaded applications and faxed them to a couple hospitals. That was the middle of July. I talked to my last place of employment. Not about coming back, but because some of my former co-workers had inside information on the hospitals I was interested in. Plus I was encouraged to fill out an application for there. I did. Though moving back to Anchorage was not high on my list.

Then on August 5th, I found another hospital in the state needing my skills. I downloaded the application, then called human resources. I wanted to know what the housing situation was like there. It doesn't matter how great a job is, if there isn't housing, it's meaningless.

I faxed the application back to them late that afternoon. They called me on the following Wednesday. Would I be interested in them flying me over and trying it out for a mont to six weeks? Uh, yes. Very interested. I could see the upside to that. I'd be able to get my medical legs under me again while checking out the area. At the end of the time frame, I'd know if I still had it, if I liked the area, and they'd know if they liked me. A total win/win situation.

Well, it didn't exactly turn out like that. They're flying me over for three months. They provide my housing while there. At the end of three months, they fly me back home. If I like them, and if they like me, they'll make me a permanent offer. If I'm unsure, I might be able to talk them into another three month temp position. I really don't know. All I know is that I'm going for three months.

I want to love the area. I want to fall right back into the work. I want to feel confident about my work again. I want to know when I make a judgment call it was the right call.

I'm scared because of the years in between the last time I slipped on a pair of scrubs and the next time I'll put them on.

Mostly I'm excited. I get to go to a remote town. I'm going to the Alaskan Bush. I'm going to see a part of Alaska that most Alaskans never get to see. I'm going to get to spend three months in a brand new area, learning a brand new culture or in this case, cultures. I get to learn the history of the area. I'll get to see the first snow of the year there.

For the last eight years I've been tied to a shop and/or computer. I haven't had time to really live. Now I get to live and experience new things.

In the end, that's what hen lit is all about. We've made the best home we could. We raised and supported our children. We supported our mates. Or divorced them. Or remarried. I've done all those things.

Now, it's my turn. Because of a choice I made years ago, I have a career that will allow me to see as much of Alaska as I want to see. I can spend three months at that hospital, or make it long term. But as long as I am able to work, I just realized, I have options. I can get a permanent job wherever I want to live in this state, or I can do short temporary assignments all over the state.

So, for the next three months, I'll be living the life of a hen. I've entered the "next" stage. It's exciting. It's thrilling. And yes, it's scary. But I'll keep writing about it and I'm sure some nugget of truth I learn along the way will make it into a story.

Happy hen lit reading and living.

Blogs

2005-08-22T22:40:00.000-07:00
For some reason, I haven't been able to post to my main blog for a few weeks.

Until I can figure out why, I've set up another blog at blogspot. Click here for my latest ramblings.

Like everyone else, I've been swamped lately. I'm spending several hours a day writing, plus trying to get a few other things under control.

The strangest thing happened today. A friend sent me a link. Please understand, I do take things like this very seriously. My heart does go out to Olivia. I can't imagine what she must be going through. With that said...that's my latest WIP. Husband disappears off their fishing boat. In this case, it's pre-season, so it's a test run. No one is onboard with him. He disappears. Five years later he returns.

Imagine how you'd feel. Your husband, disappears. Everything points to a tragic death. You've spent five years believing you were a widow. You were madly in love with him. You've prayed, or whatever your method is, for one more chance to see him. All you want is the chance to tell him how much you love him. Then one day, out of the blue, he returns.

Are you happy? This is the love of your life. Of course, you are. That is until it hits you that he's alive, meaning he didn't die on you, he walked out on you.

As I read the article, all those things that my character have had to face flashed through my mind. How will Olivia's story unfold? I don't know, but I honestly hope there's a happy ending for her.

Where has all my energy gone?

2005-08-20T20:05:00.000-07:00
I have been remiss in my blogging! So, sorry! Hope everyone is doing great. There's been so much going on that I barely feel like there are any spare moments in the day any more.

Since the end of July, I...

1. Signed with a new literary agent and couldn't be happier. She's out there sending my manuscripts and getting me read quickly.
2. Attended the RWA National Conference in Reno, NV and saw soooo many of my writer buddies and met a lot of new ones, too.
3. Started my new job and hit the ground running. Great company. Fun people. And, at (almost) 39, I'm one of the oldest people there. Very odd thing.
4. We've put our condo on the market and have been having strange feet come through looking at the place.

So, forgive me for my lack of blogging. I swear, if I had known in my twenties how much energy I would need in my late 30's, I'd have found a way to store it up or something. LOL! It's like, every morning, it's harder and harder to haul my ass out of bed and into the shower. Then, the commute seems to get longer and longer. Full of people on the trains, bumping into you and not saying "excuse me." Being back on that 8-5 wheel has definitely taken some adjustment, but I'm trying to be good to myself and always take that one hour lunch to read or write or just people watch.

But, the commuting time gives me a lot of time to read and I'm quickly delving into the NEXT books. I like that it's "that next phase" in life. However, I hope the books aren't all going to be about divorced woman. That seems to be a theme with the ones I've read and heard about. Then, I realized that my manuscript I'm targeting NEXT with is about a divorced woman. I'm such a hypocrit! :)

I really enjoyed Jennifer Archer's SANDWICHED and thought the three POVs in the story were well done and excellently executed. If you haven't read it, definitely go pick it up.

Well, I'll be better about blogging. Time to go make dinner. Roasted pork loin with a double-potato hash. And wine, of course.

Marley = )

The Attitude of Today's Older Woman

2005-08-19T01:56:00.000-07:00
It is almost 5 in the morning and I've been up a half hour. If I were ten years younger even, this would be considered a big no-no. Seems as soon as I turned the big 5-0, if something wakes me up, I can't go back to sleep no matter how hard I try.

While up, I decided to grab me a sandwich (another big no-no since my self-proclamation of starting a diet as of uh yesterday and pilgrimages to the fridge in the middle of the night is definitely not on the diet list rules) and a pepsi (again, NO-NO), and catch up on email. It is when I was in email I came upon an article about Demi Moore finding her soul mate, Ashton Kutcher, at a casual dinner with friends.

It did provide me with fodder for a future soul mate article, but what caught my attention was a quote she said in this article that went:

"It's been a challenging few years, being the age I am, with so much focus
now on how I look," Moore says. "Almost to the point where I felt like, well,
they don't know what to do with me. I am flawed. And I'm not 20. Not 30. But I'm
certainly different from what most people feel someone in her 40s should
be."

Demi is my hero.

What's this have to do with writing hen lit? That's the attitude I want to see and read. I want to hear about those Demis out in the world who are finding love at later life and portray what it really is like in today's world to be 40 and above. She is my inspiration.

Now, another great thing about getting up in the middle of the night is when your tummy is full, and you've been up for an hour or so, you can finally go back to sleep.

See you in the morning...zzzzzzzzzzzz....

Hen Lit - Humor or Not?

2005-08-09T06:53:00.000-07:00
This is more of a question than a reflection, but I'm confused and hope my hen litters can help shed light on this for me before I lose my everloving mind.

Okay. Chick lit is full of humorous passages and fun to read. I figured hen lit to be about the same only with older protags.

I had started writing a book (Over the Hill) and when I found out about the hen lit genre, I made sure that I followed the rules. The book came in at 80,000 words so it's basically good to go.

One by one, the agents request the partial and one by one, they turn it down.

Okay.

So, I figure something is wrong with the first chapter...not a thing is mentioned about any road trip and that's basically what this book is all about.

So, I'm rewriting the first chapter, no problem. Or, so I thought.

I was over at eHarlequin this morning, reading the excerpts from the books they have out in the NEXT line. Is it early morning or am I just not finding humor in any of these? Egads, you know?

I've written an 80,000 word book for what?

Oh, but there's more. In checking out the titles, there is a dang book about a road trip! As in, oh my god. Is someone upstairs trying to tell me something?

Not only did someone already write a book about three older protags going on this road trip, as if that wasn't enough to make me want to eat a whole box of white creamy melt-in-your-mouth donuts in one sitting and down it with a two-litre of pepsi along with two packs of cigarettes, I find no humor whatsoever in the excerpts on the site.

Maybe I should stick to writing about soul mates...groan....at least I know what I'm doing.

Okay, can anyone shed any light on this? I know, I know, just write and don't worry about everything else, but what do I do when it's already written and there's another book out there similiar in the same genre no less, plus there's no hint of anything in it being humorous (I could be wrong...I'm just going by the excerpt on the site). Did five months of my life go down the drain in writing it? What's it going to do...sit in a file for years just like the thousand other projects I've started and forgotten or canned or just chalked it up to practice????

ARRGG.

Bits and Pieces from Reno

2005-08-02T13:23:00.000-07:00

Here are some bits and pieces I've heard about chick/lady/hen lit in Reno:
RDI is focusing on the 18-34 market. Manuscripts with heroines 35+ are being sent to NEXT and NEXT is actively buying.
Pocket is looking for chick lit novels about women who are dealing with today's issues for a broader 30- to 40-something market.
Tor is open to manuscripts with "mature" chicks.
And as an addendum, I just read something about Avon having a line for the 40+. I may need to do a little more research but it looks to me, ladies, that hen lit is just coming into its own. I'm very excited about it.
- Kathy

What's A Woman To Do?

2005-07-26T14:59:00.000-07:00
I agree with you, Kathy. I also thought Next was devoted to at least the over-40 age group. Like you said, it's very difficult to know what to send where.
I read an article earlier today on the new book out, Younger by Pamela Redmond Satran. The ARTICLE can be linked here.
Seems this author was trying to appeal to all age groups with her book. But like the article said, was it just a marketing strategy? I know publishers love "gimmicks" ie: what will stand out and sell in the marketplace.
But..........what's a woman to do? Especially when said woman is an author trying to break into that marketplace?

Hen Lit - RDI or NEXT?

2005-07-25T16:18:00.000-07:00
Okay, so now I'm really confused about hen lit - who wants it and what are they expecting. When I first heard about NEXT I interpreted it to be for the 40+ crowd. "Hen lit" I thought. The examples on their web site was "somebody having a baby for the first time at 45" or a story about "3 generations." Since I was writing a book that had 3 different age groups, although not all related, I said "perfect." Then the NEXT books came out. And guess what? No chick lit or hen lit voice. Not really. Not to the extent of my ms. So I figure NEXT is about the age - not the voice.

Then I heard about a new release from NEXT and the main character is 30. Huh? Guess it's not the age after all. "It's about a major change in somebody's life" I read. And "hen lit is over at RDI." Huh? Okay. The RDI web site says it's all about Fiction with Attitude. And that RDI has grown up. Excellent. This sounds like it's right up my alley. But recently somebody had posted on one of the writing loops that RDI was focusing on the 18-34 crowd. So, is it about age or voice?

I have a full over at NEXT but I'm wondering if it's more suitable for RDI. Maybe they'll love it over at NEXT and think this is just what the line needs. Or, if not, maybe they'll forward it to the appropriate editor. I can only hope. In the meantime, it sure is confusing about where to submit what. An agent would be nice but I think they're just as confused as I am. :)

My Debut

2005-07-22T12:40:00.000-07:00
Thanks for the invite to join this blog. As a baby boomer and author of women's fiction, "hen lit".....my protagonists are over age 50.....I'm looking forward to blogging here. A little background on me....I'm originally from the Boston area, have lived in Florida for 18 yr. and recently relocated to an island, 24 miles from the mainland, off the west coast of Florida. For the past year I've been writing mysteries and am now in the process of revising my completed manuscript for agent representation. Did I say "revising?" "Birthing" would probably be a better word, as what I'm doing is taking some characters, some plot and a little of this and that from my two other mysteries and creating a whole new manuscript. I'm hoping to strengthen the overall market appeal. So we shall see where this leads me.......
To balance my sanity on those days that writing leads me to drink way more caffeine than I should, I love to knit. I find it not only soothing but I love the quiet time that lets me visit with my characters and get to know them even better. Knitting allows me "thinking" time for those plots to germinate and hopefully grow. At the moment, I'm making a poncho for my 11 yr. old granddaughter.
I also love to read.....is there any writer that isn't also an avid reader? Obviously, the past year I've been reading lots of mysteries to improve my own craft of writing, but every now and again, I toss in something else. Since I'd never read MacDonald's Travis McGee, I'm reading the first one and enjoying it a lot. Also recently read some of Carolyn G. Hart's mysteries, along with Monica Ferris. Both great mystery authors.
Well, that's a wrap for my debut blog and I hope to see you again soon..............

Move Over Howard Stern, Hello Dorothy!

2005-07-19T14:34:00.000-07:00
Too bad my name isn't Dolly or that title up there would be kinda cute. Reminds me of Carol Channing...think that's who sang it...ANYWAY...

Well....today I am a radio star.

NOT.

I don't see how people can do that stuff every single day. Guess practice makes perfect, but as this was only my third radio interview and there was a lot of time in between gigs, I guess I'm not there yet, but you wanna know a secret?

It's cool as *#%@!

After a few trips to the bathroom *if you catch my drift*, I settled in my chair, waiting for them to call. And then...something ocurred to me. With all the goings on in my house, I decided very quickly that the bedroom would be the perfect place for my interview. It was where the air conditioner was and if I got a hot flash, I'd be better off in there than in the living room where not only is it warmer than the rest of the house but noisier, too.

I grabbed my book (just in case I forgot the name of it), my notes (just in case I forgot what I've been preaching for years about soul mates) and my pepsi. I laid out everything on the bed and waited. It approached 10:30 when they were supposed to call and nature decided to make her appearance again and I flew back in the bathroom. Why is it that I always get the shits when I have interviews? Oops, delete the bad word...sorry (I'll go back and do it later).

Anyway, I'm sitting there thinking and trying to hurry the process since the phone was in the other room and if it rang, I didn't want to be caught with my pants down (no pun intended).

I finished up as quick as possible and flew back in the bedroom. Ten minutes had passed and still no call and the first thing in my mind was that I had gotten the time all screwed up. Central time is different from eastern time, and maybe central time is two hours, not one hour, difference - you know how it is when you got the runs, you're old and you're about to make a fool of yourself in front of millions (well, a few anyway) of people.

Five minutes more went by and I decided to stretch out on the bed and rest. My heart was pounding through my body and I thought wouldn't it be cool to die and have everyone say Cuzin Eddie killed Dorothy? I'd really make headlines then.

Anyway, the phone rang. Well, that was enough to give you a coronary right there.

I jumped up, took a deep breath, and breathed a hello into the receiver, hoping it was Aunt Matilda down the road or a telemarketer or something. I have no problem hanging up on either.

"Hello, Dorothy?"

It was THEM.

But a funny thing happened once I heard the angelic voice of Penny Sansevieri, co-host of the Cuzin Eddie Show. I don't know what happened to me, but I became THE SOUL MATE EXPERT.

Hell, it was so much fun, I couldn't shut up. Twenty minutes flew by when Cuzin Eddie had to interrupt us to say we'd run out of time.

I went nooooo...but I have so much more to say, to preach, to enlighten the world with! I actually didn't say that, but I wanted to.

Cuzin Eddie was real cool. I wasn't sure how he was going to feel about the whole soul mate thing, but he winged it real well. Penny was excellent, need I say more. Both made me feel so comfortable. They asked me to come back and I said hell yeah. Well, it was more in the lines of "Thank you! I would love to!" (you can't look redneck over the air waves or no one will buy your book, that I have learned).

Afterwards, I felt elated. One more stepping stone towards overcoming stage fright and hopefully it will result in a sold book or two. I have another radio interview in August and this one everyone can hear on the web AND archived. Eek.

So, anyway, I did it and I feel great about myself and that's what it's all about. *grin*

Dorothy Thompson to Appear on Cuzin Eddie Show Tomorrow!

2005-07-18T09:48:00.000-07:00
Hi everyone!

Just a note to let you know that if you're going to be in the Illinois area, I will be appearing on the Cuzin Eddie Radio Show with co-host Penny Sansevieri tomorrow morning at 9:30 Central Time. I will be discussing my book, Romancing the Soul, and how you can find the soul mates in your life. Hope to see you there!

Dorothy ThompsonEditor/Co-Author of "Romancing the Soul"
www.dorothythompson.net
Don't forget to check out my new advice column blog at:
www.soulmateadvice.blogspot.com

I've been tagged!

2005-07-12T10:30:00.000-07:00
I've been tagged by Pam, so here are my answers...

Number of books I've owned...

Wow...I don't think I can count that high. I started buying books when I first started getting an allowance at like 11 or 12 years of age. I used to religiously buy the First Love by Silhouette books the moment they hit the revolving rack at the store. In fact, I still have all of the books in three boxes. I read a lot from the library in my early days, but once I got a job and started buying things with my own money, I really bulked up. I'd say currently, I have about 200 books scattered about next to the bed, on the book shelf, in storage or at my sister's house so she and my nieces can read them.

Last book I bought...

This is easy...from my favorite place to buy books -- Amazon.com -- I bought my friend, Eileen Rendahl's second lady lit called BALANCING IN HIGH HEELS and am reading it right now. Right before that, I bought (also from Amazon), THE TIME TRAVELER'S WIFE, which I haven't read yet, but am looking forward to. Oh...actually, you've got me on a technicality here because there was a promo on eHarlequin for the new NEXT books coming out and I bought all four of the July books for $13.00 -- but I don't have them yet.

Last book that was given to me...

My friend, Diana, sent me our friend, Shanna Swendson's ENCHANTED, INC. to read. I think she was giving it to me...maybe it was just a loan. LOL! If that doesn't count, then my friend Megan in Santa Monica gave me a kick-ass Weight Watchers cookbook that I can't get enough of.

The next book I plan to buy...

Well, see, this is a hard one to answer because I'm constantly telling myself I'm not going to buy any more books because I get so many for free through friends and conferences or because I have a book person living next to my bed in the form of the 50 some-odd books sitting there in the "To Be Read" pile. I am looking forward to Sandra Brown's WHITE HOT that I'll probably pick up soon after release in August.

Last book I read...

Ummm...well, still reading one, so technically that's not the last one, right? I think it would have to be my friend, Jessica Bird's RITA nominated AN UNFORGETTABLE LADY, which was really good. Jessica has an excellent way with words.

Five books that mean a lot to me...

This is a no-brainer to me...

1. GONE WITH THE WIND -- and I know that sounds cliched, but this book is amazing. Simply amazing. The characters are so real, so deep, so 3-D. The story unfolds during a time of turmoil and sadness for our country, yet these characters all pull together to try to make their world right again and just keep on going. I love Scarlett O'Hara. She's totally a chick lit heroine. People think she's a bitch...but it's not that. She's young. Naive. Unexperienced. And she's thrown into the dire situation of growing up fast, taking care of herself and tending to those she loves. And make no argument...Scarlett does love fiercely. Why else would she work so hard to put food on the table and keep Tara from being sold because of taxes. She tells us straight up -- telling off God, in fact -- that if she has to lie, cheat or steal, she'll never go hungry again. And she doesn't. She has an amazing mentor in Melanie and a tumultuous love affair with Rhett. It's just an amazing story, well written and brilliant. The first time I read it was in 7th grade for a Civil War book report. I wanted to read it and the teacher said it was "too grown up" for me. I told her she was wrong and I got the highest grade on that book report in the class...A+...so there! :)

2. ASHES IN THE WIND -- loved, loved, loved this book. It was the first romance I ever read when I was 11, I believe. It was my sister's book and on the shelf in her room, but I would sneak in and read it in pieces. I cried over the love story and my heart melted for the characters. Just all around a changing experience that totally turned me on to romance books for the rest of my life.

3. THE THORN BIRDS -- again, loved this book. So detailed. So epic. So tragic and painful. Forbidden love and what people would do for it and to protect it. The passion and politics of the church were very interesting and so true, even today. Father Ralph was beyond a hero. He had flaws. He had ambition. He had a heart. And Meggie...man, you just grew up with her and knew her. It was a lovely story of family and heartbreak and love and moving on with your life. Excellent book. Too bad Colleen McCullough went all Roman and wrote like five Caesar books when she should have been writing more books like this one.

4. OUTLANDER -- Diana Gabaldon had me on the first page with this one. And, I picked it up at a tiny little bookstore in Halifax, Nova Scotia back in 1998 before the Outlander books became the cult that they are now. I couldn't put this book down. And, I totally bought into the fact that this WWII nurse went back in time and fell in love with a Scotsman. The historical details were riveting, the characters intense and the romance...just made you melt. The three books that followed were equally as outstanding and I consumed them like a Michelin three diamond meal. I haven't read the last book in the series, THE FIERY CROSS, but it's on the list of books to read.

5. BRIDGET JONES'S DIARY -- one of the funniest damn books I've ever read. (That and THE EDGE OF REASON.) Love this character. Love, love, love her. She is every woman. She does stupid shit that we all do. And she owned up to it and said, "love me in spite of it." She was flawed, made tons of mistakes, but was loveable and identifiable. The voice in this book just sings like an opera. This also turned me on to Chick Lit and made me realize that *I* might be able to write characters like this who are real and flawed and sympathetic. The book, of course, follows PRIDE AND PREJUDICE, but the twists and turns and angles that Helen Fielding did make it modern and a true classic in its own right. I've read this book three times and could easily fall into it again.

Well...there...I'm done. A lot, but hopefully gave some good recommendations. And now...I tag Kathy to see what she has to say! Go for it, Kathy!

Marley = )

This is why I write

2005-07-06T21:51:00.000-07:00
After hours of sleep and a lovely conversation with a dear friend/former family member, I know why I write.

I write because I'm not scared to tackle characters that make others uncomfortable. I'm not scared to write the scenes that leave me drained and sobbing when I'm finished. I'm not scared to feel their pain so I can find the words to express it on paper.

That's why I write. Because I'm willing to go where others refuse to go.

In the end, I think that's an important reason to write.

I love books that bring me nothing but happy tears. I also like books that twist my gut and force me to quesiton my beliefs about things.

As a writer, I want to write the books that bring tears of sorrow and joy, the books that also make the reader squirm with discomfort because maybe my character is a little close for their comfort and I want them to question their feelings about some of their prejudices.

Let's face it, each of us has prejudices against something or another. We make rash judgment calls based on how a person speaks, dresses, presents themselves or even based on what mode of transportation they use.

I'd love to think we were past the days of when the color of a person's skin mattered, but I realize even those prejudices still exist. I'll leave that topic for other writers. Ones who have more authority to broach that topic than I have.

I'll tackle the ones that are more common. The one who talked to me today has a phrase that I really adore. She says she feels like the granola queen and she's sick of living in an area where she sticks out in her granola attire. She's sick of worrying if her shoes match her outfit perfectly. She wants to move back to flannel shirts and Carhartts land.

That's not the one I'm dealing with in my book, but it's requiring readers to take another look at a character they'd rather just slap the label of loser on and be on their merry way.

So, my earlier post wasn't about my lack of self-esteem. It was about my confusion of friends basically telling me I shouldn't be writing about this character.

Sorry. That's the character for this book and if I can find a home for it, at least two more books. This is the story of one person's life and it absolutely fasinates me. It's a life that should be honored, not scorned. Which is why this character is so important to me. In real life, most people do scorn people just like my character.

Happy hen lit reading.

Why we write

2005-07-06T01:00:00.000-07:00
Why do we write?

When things are going really well, I can come up with a zillion reasons why I write. When things aren't going so well, I stammer and stutter. I pause. Usually a very pregnant pause.

I worry if I've only got one book in me. Now, on the surface this is really pretty humorous. I've written six complete manuscripts and each is different from the other. I've completely revised three of them. So, I should know that I have more than one book in me.

Yet when I strip everything away and when I'm in the middle of creating a new work, I worry that that one is the only one in me that will be any good.

I'm tired. I shouldn't be blogging. I'm sick. And I've surpassed frustration.

I know what I want to write. Why is it so hard to find people who will read my work and help me write what I want to write better? Most want to tell me how to write the way they'd write it if they were to write it. That's not what I want or need to hear. I want to know how to make my characters better. My story better. Not shred it and write your image of it.

I have a dear friend who wants me to write funny stories. Okay, except it's hard to write 300 pages of funny. Very few people can do it and even fewer can do it well.

Chick lit and hen lit are supposed to have a certain voice. There's supposed to be humor in them. But out of all the chick/hen lit books I've read, most don't do several hundred pages of funny. There are humorous moments, but there are serious moments, too. Kind of like life.

There's supposed to be this kick a** attitude. But really, none of them carry it all the way through. When your heart has been broken, or grandchild is in the hospital fighting for his or her life, no one has a kick a** attitude.

So here's the deal. My protags are over 40. They've been knocked down a few times. And guess what? If they don't get knocked down a few times in the story there is no story. So, they're going to have to struggle. How can all their struggles be funny?

They can't. Or at least in anything I write, they can't.

So when my readers tell me to be funny. I want to scream. When my readers get hung up on the teeny, tiny, I want to scream. When they tell me a character can't be like that, it doesn't do me any good. Tell me what bothers you and then I can either adjust it so it comes across as I meant it to come across. But the truth is, I love my characters. They're real to me. If you, the early reader, sees something that makes you strongly dislike that character, I need to know.

But if that trait is there, it's there for a reason. Don't tell me to get rid of it. Tell me how you perceive it and give me the option of revising it so you can see the same layers and complexities that I see.

Because anything less than that only makes me wonder why in the hell I'm writing anyway. And today, over something so minor, I'm wondering just that. Why in the hell am I writing?

But it's not just today, it's an accumilation of friends letting me know that I'm not writing the type of story they want me to write. They want me funnier. They don't want me to dig so deeply into my characters. They want them to be...dare I say it...shallow.

Happy hen lit reading.

Mature and Settled?

2005-07-05T02:20:00.000-07:00
Hey everyone!

Sorry for the long absence. First, I was on vaca at my parents' house, enjoying being babied, spoiled and fed three times a day at all-u-can eat buffets! What is it with 70 year olds feeling the need to stuff themselves until they fall over asleep? :)

Also, I've been in a flurried frenzy of job interviews and I'm happy to report that after six months of unemployment, I am newly employed! I'll be starting at a great, successful asset management company in downtown Boston on August 3rd and couldn't be happier.

I thought I'd share something "hen lit" related and age related that might be of interest.

During the interviewing process these past few months, I've found that I've been the "top candidate" at most places I've gone to. Why? Because I've been competing with twenty year olds and college graduates for the positions I've been applying for. See, I've been a Marketing and Events Director/Manager for the last 16 years and when I lost my job in February, I decided to downsize my life a bit and go for Executive Assistant roles. I'm tired of the travel, the stress, the deadlines and the frenetic pace that marketing has played in my life. But in doing so, I've had to convince headhunters and recruiters that yes...at nearly 39, I do want to do this type of work.

And in doing so, I've been up against the twenty year olds. Yeah, I've seen them sitting there with their little pony tails and perfect blue suits and their folder full of samples from whatever college internships they've had. I know, because I was one of those people 16 years ago. Hell, I was more grown up and mature at 23 than I am now at 38 1/2! But, it's very interesting because I can see those people getting asked the "where do you want to be in five years" question and the "how would your best friend describe you" inquiries. With me, I don't play the bull$hit question and answer game. I'm too old for that crap! *EG* I talk straight forward, I let my experience and computer skills speak for themselves. I laugh. I joke. I'm me. I don't play games. I poo-poo them when they ask text-book standard interview questions. And I get asked back for second interviews.

Please don't interpret this as cocky...I'm anything but that! I'm the world's most insecure person when it comes to certain things...but not job interviewing. I know that if I can get my foot in the door, I can win them over. And I did. But I had no idea I'd be competing with people 16+ years younger than me.

Then, I was told by the company that hired me that I was "mature and settled" and that's what made them like me so much. Me? Mature? Settled? Damn...I sure fooled them, eh? *EG* But seriously...it was a turn around for me...expecting to lose out jobs to someone younger, thinner and blonder, but for once, my age, experience and life knowledge played in my favor.

So, I think it's cool to be mature and settled. After all, I have a husband of nearly 16 years, enough credit card debt to make a college graduate weep and a mortgage that gets paid on time every month. Suppose you have to be mature and settled to do all of those things...right?

Good thing they figured all of that out without me having to demonstrate a hot flash for them. *giggle*

Now, it's off to finish the lady lit and get it out to NEXT before I start the new job!

Hugs,
Marley = )

Is Europe More Age Friendly?

2005-07-03T16:00:00.000-07:00
I read an article that quoted Actress Charlotte Rampling, who turned 60 this year, as saying that Hollywood has a "barbaric" attitude towards older actresses. "Having wrinkles is not a reason to be put away. In Europe, they understand that, thank God."

So maybe I should have titled this "Is Europe More Adult Friendly" because my comments go beyond just age-friendly. Recently a couple of people commented on my blog that Europeans were not quite as family obsessed as the US. Good news to me because while I respect a person's choice to have children, I also want to find my place - without children. I would like to go to a restaurant with my sweetie and not have to worry about a baby sitting behind us and jumping up and down on our heads. A very clever French friend of mine always said she was careful to seat couples far from the families. If only there were more of those clever people in the service industry. But it figures - she was European. And now I read that Europeans are not quite as age-phobic either.

Or maybe I should have titled this "Is Europe More Body Image Friendly" because I remember trying to starve myself when I was in my 20s and, having a naturally voluptuous body, I could only get so thin. A coworker married to a Brit said my trying to lose more weight was nonsense. Her husband would think I was the perfect size. Thankfully, my husband does too. :)

I'm starting to wonder if I belong in Europe. And here I say this on the eve of the biggest American holiday. While I really don't want to leave my country, I would like for some of those European sensibilities to make their way over here. Sometimes it seems to be getting worse rather than better. But with Harlequin's NEXT series of books for real women over 40, we're headed in the right direction. And that's something to celebrate - no matter what country you live in.

Put Away Those Rockers, Granny, We’re Going Skydiving!

2005-07-02T14:30:00.000-07:00

There’s a discussion over at TWL Author Talks about hen lit.

One member asked just what it was and Kathy (of this group blog) and I are trying to explain it to her. It’s really simple, but I’d like to add a little bit of what I said so that if anyone happens upon this blog, they will know where we are coming from and, hopefully, it will help them to understand just what “hen lit” is all about.

So, what is hen lit...

I think that what we writers of this genre are trying to say is that as women of this particular age group, we should have come to a place in our life's journey where we have finally found ourselves (and if we haven't, we don't have much time left to do it, so you better get cracking!) so that is true life to us. If we rely on others to fulfill our needs and make us happy, we better backtrack and fix that. So if we want to portray the "real" life of someone in this age genre, let's stick with the facts.

By this time, we should be comfortable in who we are and are finally accomplishing some of those goals we have set out for us and if we haven't, we are working on it.

So what we are doing with our time, besides taking care of our family life, we are working, writing, whatever in order to accomplish those last few goals before time runs out.

Now I know that isn't going to happen in every hen lit story...some may be about finding love in their later years...but I think that what hen lit readers are going to want to read are ways to get through these last years without going totally bonkers.

I think they are going to want to read about women who are making strides in their personal lives and careers and reading how they are going about doing that so that it would encourage them to do the same.

Gone are the days when grannies are sitting on rockers on the front porch. They are out there taking skydiving lessons and exploring the continent.

That's the kind of story I'd want to read...to give me hope that once I reach the golden years, it's not going to be all about complaining over what ailments I have or wishing I were younger again. Make sense at all?

My Bad

2005-06-30T18:13:00.000-07:00
Since the writers' conference I've been MIA here. Oops.

I didn't mean to go missing. It just happened. I had to change web hosts. Long story, but email coming through my domain mail was fine. It was email going out that was a problem. At least four large servers were bouncing all my email back to me. AOL (which I really hate and wonder why anyone is still with them, but that's another story), AT&T, hotmail (hello, hotmail is bouncing MY emails????!!!!) and nauticom.net (this one is pretty ironic, yes?). And no one had any idea how many others that I wasn't aware of.

Long story short, my web host or the parent company of my web host appears to allow adult sites. Therefore, the rest of us are being punished by using them.

So, I had to get a temporary new address so I could function. Then I had to find a new web host. One that doesn't allowe adult sites. And all of it takes time. Way too much time.

Plus my friend was about ready to launch my new design. And everything that could go wrong, did. Not because of her, but because Murphy and his law were out in full force.

If you're interested, take a peek at my new look. I think it makes it so much more Alaskan, which is what I was after.

Now it's back to writing. So much work to do and not enough decades left to get it all done.

Happy hen lit reading.

NEXT Debuts

2005-06-28T08:00:00.000-07:00
I feel like I'm blogging all over the place but I wanted to post about the NEXT debut books. I plan to visit B&N sometime over the holiday weekend just to see the display. I've heard it's really nice. I also read an excerpt from "SANDWICHED" by Jennifer Archer and my fears that there wasn't a chick lit voice in the 40+ set are unfounded. Anybody receive their copy and want to comment?

This Ol' Hen Went Promoting!

2005-06-28T07:57:00.000-07:00
Hey all you hen litters out there!

I know this isn't related to writing hen lit, but this old hen has come up with a new blog I'd like to tell you all about.

See, I was quite frustrated over the recent (TWO!) rejections from agents last week, so I took the time to regroup...adopt more strategies and perhaps figure out this crazy writing world...and started promoting my already established soul mate relationship advice column when I came up with an idea to blog my advice!

Yeah, blog'it, baby!

The new blog is called "Are You My Soul Mate?" and can be located at www.soulmateadvice.blogspot.com.

See, I don't write the "usual" relationship advice column; mine is more to instruct those searching for their soul mates. I have all this intuitive wisdom going to waste so I thought I'd come up with yet another way to not only promote my services (all free!), but my other books, ROMANCING THE SOUL and HOW TO FIND AND KEEP YOUR SOUL MATE, too.

Eventually I'll probably be putting all these questions and answers in a book further down the road, but for now, I'm having FUN trying to help all these people understand what the soul mate experience is REALLY all about.

So, check it out if you'd like. I think you'll like it.

Meanwhile, query, query, query is on the agenda for today.

The Process

2005-06-26T16:27:00.000-07:00
I’ve been mulling this over. It was part of an e-mail I got, in response to a remark I'd made to a friend, about his comfort level with professional writing.

He wrote: “And I'm not sure I ever want to become too comfortable either. I know I'm comfortable enough once I find the heat of the words. But outside of that...the comfort of knowing my process…”

“The comfort of knowing my process” really stayed with me. And I thought about what my process was, if I had one. I think I’m trying everything once. Since I didn’t know the beginning of the story, I started in the middle, with a fairly linear approach. But once I started coming up against some pretty big gaps – There were places I had to skip because I didn’t know what was going to happen – I switched to writing the parts I was sure of. One day I got to this great line and I knew it was my last line.

So then I had to go back and start hooking things up, writing segues and deciding, like with a movie, when to cut to the next scene, and what that should be; the order of events. And like with the rhythm of the words, I had to find a rhythm for switching scenes. The work I sent to my teacher had the third edit and that was adding the description and changing from present to past tense. I really prefer using both tenses, even though I know that’s the kiss of death. I don’t mean in the same sentence but, for the sake of immediacy, I like to switch into first.

I started writing 1500 words a day. This was for Nanowrimo. Every morning I’d edit what I wrote the day before. And I like to do it that way. But when I went back, after about four months – I wasn’t doing anywhere near 1500 words during the holidays – I found all kinds of things that needed fixing, things that had looked okay the next morning. I fuss with stuff a lot and I think it keeps getting better. But I know there comes a point when I can look at something one too many times and can’t tell shit about it. So I stay way away from that.

Because my story covers so many years, I am looking at a way to have the early years be backstory instead of the beginning. And I’m getting into this thing where the characters have secrets from each other, as a way to create tension. So much to learn.

So how do YOU do it? What works for you?

Markets for Hen Lit?

2005-06-26T14:03:00.000-07:00
I discovered a blog for Intrigue Authors where they post some of their questions about writing for Intrigue, and I thought it would be interesting if we discussed some of the craft and business end of hen lit writing here.

I think we've all heard of NEXT and Transita, but I'm wondering if there are other markets for Hen Lit. I looked at the early books that Transita was publishing and didn't think the style really fit what I think of as Hen Lit. Because, to me, it's not just the age - it's also the voice or tone. It's chick lit for the over 40 crowd, as stated on our Hen Lit yahoo page.

An agent, who requested my full ms, did not want me to send it until I heard from NEXT, who recently requested a full. So, I'm thinking there must be other markets, if she would still be interested and they were not.

I keep reading how NEXT wants the focus of the story to be on the woman's journey and not romance. Well, I have to laugh because this is the first manuscript I've written with this much romance. But the romance is just a part of each woman's journey so, hopefully, I'm worrying about too much romance for no reason. :)

- Kathy

40+ is Fabulous!

2005-06-21T13:15:00.000-07:00
Had to share my recent agent news here on the Hen Lit blog. Yesterday I received a response from an agent who loved the 40-something character in "Real Women Wear Red." She said she was fabulous! So, of course, I am feeling especially fabulous. Doesn't even matter if she felt the project wasn't the right one for her. I am still feeling fabulous - and it gets better. Today I received an agent request for a full. You just never know about those SASEs that show up in your mailbox. Sometimes it's a no and sometimes it's a go. Along the path to becoming a published author, we must celebrate our successes. And so I will enjoy a nice Australian red tonight and focus on the present.

- Kathy

Hen Lit Personified

2005-06-17T15:57:00.000-07:00
I am delighted to be able to share in this very-happenin’ Hen Lit -- And I do believe this is a “special community”-- so thank you, Dorothy, for the opportunity.

In 2000 I turned 50, and that April 15th I left my husband, after 30 mostly-good years. By April 15 of the following year I had no breasts, no hair, no man, didn’t know where I’d live or what I’d live on.

I started writing.

Today I am working on finishing my first novel (Hen Lit), I volunteer at Providence with the Breast Cancer Support Center, visiting patients after their surgery. I also write a monthly column in their newsletter, in addition to creating a monthly recipe.

I am trying my hand at fixing up houses (so far so good) and the stock market (Hmmmm, that’s been rough). I was a belly dancer but couldn’t wear the costumes any more. My oncologist said court reporting was too stressful so I left that world as well.

I have learned how to be the kind of woman I want to write about. Sexuality, adventure, nature, learning; the power of beauty is what drives me.

A "Next" Step...

2005-06-17T12:00:00.000-07:00
Just thought I'd share my great experience with you on my online Next pitch I had yesterday with editor Jennifer Green of Harlequin.

What was so great about this pitching opportunity was the fact that I had twenty minutes (okay...it was only supposed to be ten!) to really flesh out my story, the details, the emotions, the conflicts, the characters, etc. to Jennifer and she provided me with some excellent feedback! It was almost like getting an oral revision letter. She pointed out the strengths of the story and she pointed out what didn't work for her as an editor looking at the story. She thought the idea was fresh and original and had a lot of potential to it.

Things about the Next line for anyone interested...is that Jennifer was really stressing that this line isn't about romance. It's about the heroine's journey. Her life lesson. Where she's "at" at this point in her life...something that propels her to change. The endings aren't about a happily ever after with a man or a romance, but it's about a satisfying ending for the reader. I thought this was very important as we write these older heroine stories that might be targeted certain places that as wonderful as it is for the heroine to find that love of her life, that often times, with older women at changing points in their life, sometimes it's that recognized "love of self" that's even more important.

So...all in all, a great experience! I'm refreshed and excited and ready to make some revisions (and cut some pages since I went over the word count...duh!) and then I'll send in the requested full manuscript.

Definitely, if you have something to send in, Jennifer is a very fair, forthright and open editor.

Good luck!
Marley = )

This Little Hen Went to the Boardwalk!

2005-06-14T23:26:00.000-07:00
Every once in awhile, there comes a time in every writer's life where she totally loses it, such as I have in the past week. Deadlines, and all those other "work" things that leaves you totally bonkers. I knew if I kept going at this rate, this little hen's heart was going to go, so I decided to take a little trip to the boardwalk...

It was a mother/daughter bonding day and what a great excuse to turn off the computer and get some much needed R&R. However, I was not only doing this for my sanity...I was on a mission. *Play the Mission Impossible tune now*

I was going to buy a bathing suit.

Now in my younger years, buying a bathing suit was no problem. There were always racks and racks of cute little bikinis and I could have my pick and choose.

However, as I've "gracefully matured," I finally had to come to terms with the inevitable...

I've graduated to a one-piece.

Yeah, you know the ones that either fat people or old ladies wear. One piece.

I've fought it tooth and nail for years as I've watched my belly grow from a soft little pouch to a double wide and I knew this year, I was going to have to accept the fact that I'm...er...old and it was no way jose was I ever going to fit into a bikini anytime soon. If ever.

So, that was my mission today - as hard as it was for me to accept - I was going to buy my first one piece bathing suit.

My daughter - who could pass for a model in any fashion magazine - and I went to Sunsations in Ocean City, Maryland, to buy each of us a bathing suit. She had bought one there last year and she told me that they have a great selection and it would be no problem to find what I was looking for.

Well, I don't know what planet she was from, but that wasn't exactly what happened....

I chose two suits - one all black and another black with pink flowers.

The Foreign Lady (why do all the clerks at Ocean City come from foreign countries?) led me to the dressing room where I unclothed and prepared myself for the inevitable. I looked like a beached whale no matter what I put on.

Okay.

I walked out of the dressing room and Foreign Lady wanted to know which one I wanted.

"Too fat," I said and headed back to the bathing suit racks.

I came back with my third choice. It was slightly higher but I was desperate. I was not going to leave that store without a bathing suit.

Foreign Lady let me back in the dressing room where I unclothed again. I went to put the bathing suit on but it was kinda tricky. I finally managed to pull one part over my head and squeeze into it. Now not only did I look like a beached whale, I looked like a beached whale that had their innards sucked out by the seagulls. Yeah, my stomach was sucked in all right but I knew I couldn't hold my breath long enough for a day at the beach in that thing, so I gave it up.

I walked out of the dressing room and Foreign Lady only shook her head. I knew she didn't understand.

I gave it up and my daughter and I headed for the boardwalk. Maybe I'll find something there, I thought.

Now if anyone has ever been to the boardwalk at Ocean City, Maryland, you would know that this is not the place to buy a bathing suit for a beached whale...I mean, over the hill beach mamas.

This is the place the youngens go to buy their barely-there bikinis, which leaves people like me up the creek without a paddle.

But, I didn't mind. My daughter and I had a fabulous time, despite the fact that our mission was never accomplished.

However, another mission WAS accomplished. I was destressing by the minute.

We went inside one of the pizza places there and had a salad and shared a medium pizza. If I was going to be deprived of a bathing suit, I might as well not worry about what I ate at that point.

We hung out. And laughed. And remembered the old times when we'd think nothing of jumping on one of the amusement park rides and not throwing our dinner up. We watched little kids on the merry-go-round and remembered the times when I used to watch my kids do the very same thing.

We walked and talked and remininced.

It was time to go and we stopped at Dolly's for a tub of their famous caramel popcorn. We sat on the bench and ate it while we watched the crowd pass by.

And then it was time to head to the car when Melissa said, "I don't want to go home."

I turned to her and said, "I don't either."

She smiled. I looked at the crowd one more time, gathered my keys, and we headed back home.

If you'd like to see a live cam view of Ocean City, click here.

A new chick in the hen house...

2005-06-14T15:36:00.000-07:00
Many thanks to Kathy and Dorothy for inviting me into the flock! Don't you just love all of the chicken puns? Ahhh...the pun, the lowest form of humor. Loves it!

But seriously, thanks so much for the invite and I'm happy to toss my voice into your lovely group. I just finished my first lady/hen lit book. Although, I'd say it's more lady than hen as my heroine is 38 years old and at a major crossroad in her life. It's the life experience, I think, of these older, wiser, more mature heroines that makes the genre so appealing to me, personally. Don't get me wrong...I love chick lit and love reading it, but I think as our society ages -- and let's face it, the baby boomers are getting into their late 40's and early 50's -- there need to be more stories addressing women at all stages in their lives. I mean, I have such obscure references in my book that I'm pretty sure the younger set won't likely get. Things like Rosie Greer and his needlepoint hobby...watching Carnac on The Tonight Show and The NBC Nightly News with John Chancellor and David Brinkley...hell, the Huntley-Brinkley Report!

I'm greatly looking forward to the new NEXT line by Harlequin that debuts next month. Already, a couple of titles have grabbed my attention and I'll be sure to pick them up. I like how they have a chick lit cover feel to them and I believe they're coming out in trade size with a mass market price. It will be interesting to see how this works and if these books resonate with people.

I have the great fortune of getting to pitch my lady/hen lit book to Jennifer Green of NEXT on Thursday in a special eHarlequin pitch. My book is titled FOUR WINES AND A FUNERAL and the high concept is "Sideways" meets "Garden State" meets "Sweet Home Alabama." Would be great if NEXT is interested in it.

Well, I've blathered enough for starters. Thanks again for inviting me along for the ride!

Marley = )

Will the Real Hen Lit Age Please Stand Up

2005-06-14T07:08:00.000-07:00
It's been awfully quiet around here so I thought I should post something. So why not talk about age? How old is too old? How old is old enough? These seem to be the questions surrounding "hen lit." But age, of course, is all so subjective.

I've been concerned that hen lit would only be focused on characters that were in their 50s and up. Concerned because chick lit seems to leave off around 38. So what about those women just turning 40 and the lives they reinvent for themselves all throughout their 40s? Well, I needn't have feared. As you can see from her comment on my Real Women blog, Marley mentioned that her winning manuscript for the NEXT editor pitch has a protag in her late 30s. That is interesting, especially since NEXT mentions a sample story might be about a woman having her first baby at 45. I read that to mean that the protag had to be at least 45. Doesn't look so. That's great news to me.

So now the question on the hen lit board is "how old is too old?" Is 57 too old? What about about 60-something - the age of one of the 3 women in my manuscript, Real Women Wear Red?

Well, here's hoping that the age range is much more flexible than we might imagine. But, then, again, it probably depends on the age of who is being asked. 50 might sound ancient to somebody in their twenties but 60 might seem rather young to somebody in their fifties. Believe me, the older I get the younger these ages seem. So, how old is too old? I've always been fascinated by stories of people reuniting with their high school sweetheart when they're in their seventies and eighties. But maybe that's what the new EPIC Romance line is for. Because you're never too old for love.

- Kathy

Writing...

2005-06-08T19:14:00.000-07:00
All day, I thought it was Thursday. When I do that, and realize I'm wrong, it's like being handed an extra day.

I'm working away on a new WIP. I want to have a very clear idea where it's going by Friday. Huh? Am I nuts? Of course, I am. I've been plunking out page after page a day. Friday is the start of our local conference and I want enough to be able to pitch the project to an editor.

So, I hope the other hens will keep posting, because other than maybe a conference update, I'll be in hiding until late Tuesday or Wednesday.

Happy hen reading.

HenLit posting on my xanga blog

2005-06-07T21:05:00.000-07:00
Recently, I joined a mailing list called HenLit, which is a pretty clever name for literature that's post-chick lit. For those who haven't been paying attention, chick lit (or books for young women) has been the latest publishing bonanza. Well, the latest bonanza that doesn't have Dan Brown's name on the cover.

Ever since "Bridget Jones' Diary" (which I did not read), the publishing industry has gone wild turning out hot pink volumes by the truck-full. Most of them are pretty standard, however. They involve a young woman in New York who's trying to make it in the publishing/fashion/fashion-publishing industry while trying to find a really good guy.

Those of us who think there really ought to be something out there for women who've had, ahem, a bit of experience in life, Hen Lit was born. And there are some older-than-chick lit novels on the market that did quite well, including "The Revenge of the Middle-Age Woman," and "The Hot Flash Club." (I haven't read those, either.)

But I became interested in Hen Lit when in a chat with my agent, I learned that publishers are dying to reach the Boomer market, but haven't found the right books yet. Many are eager for heroines over the age of 40 or so. So, while I was awaiting critiques on my work-in-progress, I started a couple chapters of a really wacky comedy involving four women "of a certain age," who are going through such things as a surprise 40s pregnancy, husbands running off, learning how to date again, and facing an empty nest. I tried not to lean on the hot flash thing, which I don't really see as particularly humorous. Maybe I'm just weird.

Someday, when I'm done with my revision of Work In Progress, I'll return to the screwball comedy and truly give HenLit a try.

But anyway, the point of all this is that the Hen Lit group has a new group blog, of which I am a proud member. I still don't know how to put a list of recommended links on my xanga page, but here's the link for HenLit.

I hope some of you folks, especially those in the Zen of Middle Age and writers' blogrings enjoy it.

Lynn

Fiction for Women 45+ Must Be Hot

2005-06-07T05:55:00.000-07:00
In surfing the internet, I stumbled across Nora Robert's latest book, "Black Rose" - the second in her "Garden Series" trilogy. It just happens to be about a woman who is: independent, 45-years-old, twice divorced, and, believing in second and third chances, about to embark on a new romance. While it's a romantic suspense and not hen lit, it's interesting to me that Nora has seized the opportunity to jump in and write to the 45+ market. Can't wait to see how far this trend goes and hope we're all a part of it.

- Kathy

In the Hen Lit Generation, but writing fantasy

2005-06-05T22:44:00.000-07:00
I just thought I'd take the time to come over here and introduce myself. I'm Lynn Voedisch, a journalist and fiction writer who happened upon Hen Lit thanks to Jody Pryor. I'm not exactly doing Hen Lit right now. In fact, I'm doing final revisions on a contemporary fantasy novel about a reporter who discovers the remains of Atlantis. Not exactly Hen Lit, especially since my protagonist is 33 years old.

However, I have the first two chapters done of a Hen Lit idea--a pretty wild and crazy comedy. My agent said it is the kind of thing publishers are looking for these days. So, I'm hoping that I can get that written a lot faster than my fantasy novel. That took my two years to write and these revisions seem to be taking eons. I thought I'd be done by June, but guess what? I'm afraid I've missed the deadline I set for myself. All those editors will be traipsing up to the Hamptons by the time I get this thing done.

Anyway, I live in Chicago, used to write for the Chicago Sun-Times. I'm attempting to freelance. (Landed an assignment with Dance magazine and then realized it's a cruddy all-rights contract. Looks like I'm going to have to accept this cruddy deal and just hope I can renegotiate if they want me again.). I have son in college who will be moving out in about two weeks. It's hard it imagine having an empty nest.

My blog on xanga is listed on the Hen Lit site. Come on over. My blog is very general, and I usually just stick to any area of writing. I use the blog for thinking out character motivation, interviewing the characters, doing essays on life in general, stories about my life in the 'burbs, and then there's the political diatribe I get in there once in a while. I actually was introduced to blogging via political work and I thought I was going to just blog on politics, but things changed.

Hope you like it. I'm hoping to be doing Hen Lit soon.

Lynn

On the way to Alaska

2005-06-04T15:23:00.000-07:00
Disclaimer: I don't edit blog entries. All typos and pathetic grammar are mine and mine alone.

Kathy's post about cruise ships reminded me of our ferry ride to Alaska.

Today is our official anniversary. Nine years ago, we stepped foot on the rock that holds the lovely inside town of Ketchikan. But this story isn't about Ketchikan, it's about what happened before we arrived there.

We drove to Prince Rupert and boarded the ferry there. It's 90 miles from Prince Rupert to Ketchikan, which translates to a six hour journey. No, don't bother with the Gilligan's Island theme music. We really did reach our destination.

The night before, we pulled into Prince Rupert. It really is a gorgeous area. It wasn't until we'd hit Alaska, that I learned Prince Rupert is an island, too. Most people don't realize it either. The bridge isn't all that long. I thought it was over a river. Nope. Prince Rupert is an island. Nine years ago, the first thing I noticed, besides the huge, gorgeous trees was the smell. There's a pulp mill there. It's a very distinct odor.

We'd been on the road for five days and I was sick of sodas. I wanted water. A tall glass of clear, ice cold water. Because it was almost 9 p.m. when we hit Prince Rupert, most of the cafes were closed or closing. We found a Subway. I ordered my sandwich, chips and water. I was handed a cup and directed to the soda fountain. I filled the cup with ice chips that made my mouth water. I had a severe case of travel food fuzz on my tongue. Then I found the button for water.

My eyes widened in horror. In the middle of Subway I had to fight my tears. Normally, I'm not a crier, but yellow water after five days of heavy traveling will make the toughest hen an on demand crier. I wanted clear water. You know, like in the bottled water type of crystal clear water. Not water that looked like it was siffoned off the local pond.

Anyway, we went back to the hotel and I checked the ferry schedule. We were supposed to leave the next night at about midnight. My hubby and I talked it over. We wanted on the first ferry out of dodge, or in this case, Prince Rupert. Luckily, there was one leaving that night. Yay!

I made a call to our future Alaskan landlord and asked if it would be a problem if we arrived a day early. Not a problem.

So, the room we'd checked into less than two hours earlier, we checked out of and headed to the ferry terminal.

We walked around outside. Even at that time of night, it was light out. Eagles dotted the landscape. Otters were playing in the water. All of us Cheechakos were ohhing and ahhing. We talked to a man and his wife who had an RV. They were boarding the ferry to explore the inside passage and then head up to the rest of Alaska. They'd worked all their lives for their six week Alaskan vacation.

I almost felt guilty. A month before we hit the Prince Rupert ferry terminal, we'd had no plans to live in Alaska. We knew we wanted to move, but we weren't sure to where. We decided we'd move to the first place that offered both, my husband and myself, fulltime jobs. That place happened to be Ketchikan. Sure, I'd dreamed of Alaska all my life, but my husband was really hesitant. The kids weren't all that thrilled either. One had just graduated middle school and the other one at home was approaching middle school. No, they weren't what one would call tickled pink.

So, we're chatting with the others who are getting ready to board the ferry. Meaning the other smokers who don't want to hang out inside the terminal, because we were invaded by a sports team of very noisy pre-teens and teens.

And there he is...the world traveler. The supposed Alaskan sourdough, who knows all and doesn't mind revealing his wonderful travel tips to those of us that are beneath his genius mind. My first questionable clue was his obvious lack of intimacy with soap and water. Just because I refused to drink the yellow water didn't mean I was above using it to wash the road grime from me.

When the ferry finally arrive, an hour late, we boarded. Actually, Mr. World Traveler and his equally filthy sidekick boarded. We were in our truck and drove onto the Taku. After we parked, we had to leave the deck and go to the top. We went to the observatory deck, where almost every one else had migrated to. That is everyone, except the ones who had also booked a berth.

Mr. World Traveler and Mr. Filthy Sidekick were there. Come on, if they can't afford soap and water, did you actually expect them to spring for a berth? Me, neither.

Every word out of Mr. World Traveler's mouth was uttered at a volume where everyone on board could hear him. Yes, even the crew in the engine rooms.

The kids and I rolled out our sleeping bags and tried to sleep. Good Lord, it was cold. Coming from the high desert of Nevada, temps that barely reached 60 degrees was nippy. The joint in my hip ached from the cold. The kids finally fell to sleep. I dozed every few minutes. Dear hubby had to explore the ferry. He was like a kid in a candy store. What made it move at so many knots? Would they let him see the engines? Would they let him steer the big old boat? Obviously, he didn't get to see anything or steer it either.

Sometime during the night, the crew closed all the blindes in the observation deck. They said the light reflected off the windows and back into the Captains eyes. Okay, that's not a good thing. Yeah, close them. By that time, the world traveler and his sidekick were snoring and drooling. Yes, they were doing both...in public. And during the night, they even passed gas.

During the early morning hours, dear hubby woke me. "Come with me," he said. A new day was dawning. Finally, I was able to see the landscape of this new land that was to be our new home. Islands littered the watered. Giant spruce were everywhere. A soft mist fell around us. Breath taking doesn't do justice to the scenery.

I tried to blink away the tears. Over the decades, I'd imagined Alaska, but nothing had prepared me for the reality. I inhaled a lung full of the cleanest, crispest air I'd ever breathed. It was tinged with the odor of trees, flowers, wild grass, moisture and salt water. The air was alive. We woke the kids. Others were stirring.

The world travelers woke. The blindes were still lowered. Instead of lifting them and using the straps to hold them up, our world travelers ripped them from the snaps and tried to shove the bottom behind the top to make them stay open.

Before they could destroy too many blinds, the crew came in and opened the rest. We watched as they shoved them up the window, then snapped the strap to keep them up. The world travelers had the decency to appear embarrassed. My family and I watched them. Their cover was blown. They knew even less about Alaska and the ferry system than we had.

I heard my husband snicker. Then a giggle escaped from me. Before long, all of us were laughing. Tears running down our cheeks. The world travelers slunk out of the room.

Within minutes, we'd also left the room. We wanted to see more, because the ferry had rounded another island and Ketchikan lay before us. In all her wonderful glory, she opened her arms for us.

Because we had a vehicle, we couldn't walk off the ferry, so we drove off. But as soon as we could, my husband pulled over and we touched Alaska. Tears filled my eyes, a smile covered my face and my heart sang. After all those years of searching, we were finally home.

What does this have to do with hen lit and hen lit writers? Everything. That's what the stories are about that we write. People, even after the age of forty, who find what every human strives for...peace with who they are and where they are, physically and emotionally.

Happy hen lit reading.

Native Californian Living in Florida

2005-06-04T07:15:00.000-07:00
I’m a native Californian living in Florida. I find myself setting most of my books in California, but if we were to move back to California, I'd probably write about Florida. It seems that I must write about some place that feels out of reach. It creates a longing and a passion in me.

One of the attractions to moving to Florida was the plethora of cruise ships. Well, not having cruised for awhile, in spite of the proximity, must have created a longing so great that I had to write a novel set on a cruise ship. At first, I thought I was writing 3 different novels. But when each character found herself on a cruise ship, I realized it was the same story but with all 3 women's lives connected: a 20-something, a 40-something, and a 60-something. I'm currently shopping this novel, Real Women Wear Red, to agents. This is what I call “where chick lit meets hen lit.” And that pretty much describes my writing. I love the voice of chick lit but I tend to write about women who are at least 40.

To read my Fiction for Real Women blog, go to chicksover40. You can also visit my web site at kathyholmes.net or read my LiveJournal blog where I'm known to go on about religion, politics, or some life issue. I guess it shouldn’t be too surprising that we writers have so many blogs.

- Kathy

The Frozen Hen

2005-06-03T20:44:00.000-07:00
Okay, I'm not freezing right this minute. In fact, it will be a few more months before I start shivering again. Still, I'm the Alaskan Hen.

Amazingly enough, my works are set in Alaska. Some of the characters have lived in the 49th state all their life, others are new comers, and still others have felt Alaskan all their life, even if they weren't born in Alaska.

I had a hard time with that last sentence. Why? Because I wanted to say "even if they weren't born in the 49th state." Why is that such a problem? Because when most of my characters were born, Alaska was not a state.

What else makes Alaska a unique setting? On the southern end of the Kenai Peninsula, the local Safeway stocks frozen fish sticks. Why is that weird? Because Homer has adopted the title of "Halibut Capital of the World." Duh. Which one is going to be in your freezer? Mrs. Paul's or fillets of the 50 pounder you caught last summer? That's what I thought. While the characters in my stories haven't actually said it, almost all of them do wonder why the fish stick section isn't replaced with more Ben & Jerry's.

I guess it's appropriate for me to make my introduction mostly about Alaska. It was nine years ago, June 4, 1996 at 6:30 a.m. when we drove off the State Ferry the Taku and called Alaska home. I'm not going to say how old I was on that day, but I'm very much a hen. And Alaska is very much this hen's home. It's only natural to combine the two in my writing.

Which means irony is king...err...queen.

Hopefully, within the next couple years or so, my works will start hitting the shelves near you.

Until then, my skeletal web site is here. And my personal blog that can contain almost anything is here.

Happy hen lit reading.

Why I am a Hen Lit Junkie - Dorothy Thompson

2005-06-03T16:09:00.000-07:00
Well, I guess I'll start. I'm Dorothy Thompson and I'm a hen lit junkie. Why? Well, I'll explain.

Before I even knew there was such a thing as hen lit or even chick lit, I wrote a book. I finished it in five months - a record for me, I must add. I was aiming for the romance market. It was about a romance novelist from New York who finds love in the foothills of the Ozark Mountains. Well, Avon rejected it. Too much like they already had, they said. Besides, romance wasn't the main point - the main character finding more meaning to life and finding herself was. Someone suggested that it leaned more towards women's fiction and not romance, even though the girl did get the boy in the end. The reasoning was that it focused more on the main character's feelings and actions and not the classic love story that the romance market was looking for.

I sent a chapter or two to one of my online friends and she said that it sounded a lot like chick lit, only the protag was too old.

After she said that, I put "chick lit" in google to see just what this "new" genre was all about. I checked out every link, read all the excerpts on Amazon and basically...

I fell in love.

And then...

I discovered my calling. A new genre. Actually, they were calling it a sub-genre. Hen lit.

Now I could write what I wanted! I could have my protags over the chick lit age and New York was buying!

That's when I started on another book I call "Over the Hill."

Now, "Over the Hill" is a fun little book that I enjoyed writing immensely. When it was oh about 50,000 words into the novel, on a whim I decided to query an agent and was I delighted when she requested the partial. Now, I'm nowhere near THERE, but it's a start.

Only, I had one teensy-weensy problem. I told her it was 70,000 words because no one would accept it that short and I figured I had plenty of time to finish it.

Well, that plenty of time was two weeks later and I was in a dilemma - write 20,000 words before she requested the full (you notice I said WHEN!).

Today, it's 80,000 and still counting. Actually, I'm having trouble saying goodby to the characters. So I guess I can sequel them?

Anyway, that's where I'm at right now.

I'm also the compiler/editor/contributing author of "Romancing the Soul - True Stories of Soul Mates from Around the World and Beyond" and a syndicated relationship columnist. If you would like to visit my website, you can go to www.dorothythompson.net.

My projects right now are a how to book for first time authors called "1001 Secrets First Time Authors Need to Know!" which will be published next year by Zumaya Publications and the sequel (or prequel?) to "Over the Hill."

The Hen Lit Writers Blog Debut!

2005-06-03T07:21:00.000-07:00
Welcome to the premier of the Hen Lit Writers Blog where you get all the latest news on what happens in the hen lit writing genre. The writers of the Hen Lit Writers Blog come from a diverse background, but all share in the love of writing the hen lit genre. Thanks for visiting!