Acceptance, Rejection, and NaNoWriMo...oh, my!

Yes, I do have a lot to update today, and I wanted to get it all out of the way before my life becomes devoted to NaNoWriMo.

Today, I heard back from Wild Child Publishing about my 10,100-word horror story titled "Once Upon a December Nightmare." My story was accepted, and I am working on sending the contract to the editor-in-chief. I do not know when it will be out though. Although based on what I think I can do with revisions and such, it could be out as soon as late March, early April. I will have to discuss things with the editor to know more.

Here is the blurb about ONCE UPON A DECEMBER NIGHTMARE:

After their night of a movie and dinner is a bust, Cassie, her best friend Mary, Mary’s sister Denise,and Denise’s boyfriend James all decide to go joyriding on an old mountain road. A tree blocks their path back to the main road, so the four turn the truck around in an eerie clearing where four deer carcasses are placed. Thoroughly spooked, the four begin the seven-mile journey back to civilization. When the old truck’s lights go out, they decide to brace the cold December night and walk back to the mainroad. Their cell phones don’t work, the truck is broken down, and they aren’t the only ones out there in the forest. Something or someone is hunting them. Will they get out alive or will the ominous message of the dead deer happen to them too in their December nightmare?

The story is loosely based off an event that happened to me and my friends when we decided to go joyriding one December night. Fortunately, our nightmare did not end as tragically and horrifically.

On to the rejection, I submitted "Hounded" to The Nautilus Engine on Tuesday. On Wednesday, I got my rejection. This is what the editor said:

Hello Cherie

Thanks for letting me read "Hounded".  Unfortunately, I see a few too many Philip Marlowe take-offs (I've even written one myself).  I'm going to pass on this one but I'd be happy to read any future efforts you'd care to toss our way.  Good luck! Thank You,

Ron Warren
www.thenautilusengine.com

I'm embarrassed to say, but I had to look up Philip Marlowe. I do suppose my story is in the same vein as his, but it is also quite different. I suppose I'll just have to find a place that takes those types of stories before I submit "Hounded" elsewhere.

Now, on to NaNoWriMo, for those of you that don't know what it means, it is National Novel Writing Month, which occurs in November. The brave writers out there attempt to write an entire novel (minimum 50,000 words) all in the month of November. I have decided to make my own attempts at NaNoWriMo this year. For those that are planning to participate, please add me. My username is bookworm0753. I have my laptop coming (hopefully by Halloween), and I have my outline set to write my novel VIRTUOSO.

Here is the blurb for VIRTUOSO:

Nadia Godunov is a violin virtuoso in her freshman year at Wyderly College in Ridgewood, VA. When her drummer boyfriend, Marcus Giovanni,and she have a terrible car accident, both will never be the same. A month after the accident, Nadia wakes up, finding that her left hand is broken and that her boyfriend is dead. While she copes with her grief, she finds that moving on is hard to do. When she dreams, she senses that her boyfriend is still with her. She tries to regain proper use ofher left hand, so she can continue being the violin virtuoso she once was. She even finds a new boyfriend, medical student Derek Smith. Yet, something isn't right with young Nadia. Lately, she has been having terrible headaches, and she has found she can move things with her mind. Best or worse of all, her former boyfriend just might not be as dead as she once thought, and he wants to win her back. What is a girl to do when all she wants to do is pick up the pieces and move on with her life?

VIRTUOSO is a YA Fantasy novel with a touch of romance. Honestly, I could see this book becoming a trilogy, but for now, I'm focusing on just starting and finishing it in November.

As for other writing news, I'm still waiting to hear back from several publishers. I will keep everyone updated as I can. November I'll mainly be focused on finishing VIRTUOSO though, so please don't expect quite as many updates, although I will keep updating where I'm at with NaNoWriMo. I'm getting excited about November.

Also, Happy Halloween!