I'm a West Virginia-born gal who married the sweetest Yankee in the world. I'm a Christian, and I write stories of authentic love after marriage. I homeschool my children. And I love big dogs, MacGyver, coffee, tulips, and wasting time on video games.
I'm also the ACFW West Virginia area coordinator. We're kinda spread out in this wild, wonderful state, but we have a FB group page if you want to keep up with conferences in the area. Contact me at heatherdaygilbert@gmail.com if you're interested in joining.
I recently joined with two author friends, Becky Doughty and Jennifer Major, to launch Married...with Fiction (Married...with Fiction). Married…With Fiction is a hub where authors reach out to connect with other authors, where agents and editors share their insight in the industry, where marriage and other family matters are supported and encouraged in fiction, as well as in a real live community.
I started this blog to share some of my first completed novel, Otherworld, with readers. The first thirteen chapters are up on this blogspot. It was paranormal fiction and I loved it, but it was too short. I'd completed it in a month for a NaNo challenge. Someday that book will find its way to print (even if I have to self-pub!), or I have people who are going to hunt me down and beat the ending out of me!
My second novel, God's Daughter, is indeed the proper length at 80,000 words. It's historical fiction, based on the Icelandic sagas, and it's about one of my favorite Viking heroines, Gudrid. She should be in every history book!
I've also completed my third novel--Miranda Warning--a mystery set in West Virginia. I am represented by Ruth Samsel of William K Jensen Literary Agency (http://www.wkjagency.com/news.php).
For more on my auspicious (or perhaps inauspicious) writing start, go to this post: http://heatherdaygilbert.blogspot.com/2012/02/origins-blogfestin-which-poet-morphs.html
Glad to have you visit my blog!
5 comments:
Now I am intrigued about the paranormal fiction work, too! Perhaps you could make it available as an e-book on Amazon?
I've definitely thought about it, TZ. I'm currently thinking about revamping it (needs to have 80,000 words compared to its measly 50,000). You can read some of it on here, if you look up OTHERWORLD in the search box. I need to rewrite the entire ending, I think. But thanks for the interest...I do have lots of people who need to know what happens after chapter 13 (as far as I posted on this blog!).
Why expand it? If the story is there, go with it. The trend for self-published ebooks is 50-60k words in length. But I see you're also represented by an agent. Is the story being shopped right now? Then you might need to wait. Best wishes!
Thanks so much, Lyn. Yes, when I finished it, I thought it was complete at 50,000 words. But since I've had a few years away from the MS, I've decided on a different ending and I've learned some dialogue "tricks of the trade" along the way! I've revised the first chapter and I'm ready to plow into this thing and make it even better. And I do have an agent! So we would be shopping it to the CBA at some point, hopefully.
Hello fellow Wrimo!
My first NaNo book sits unpublished, also :-) I'm excited about November for another challenge!
Your site is fun, I've enjoyed browsing!
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