Keenan
A beautiful work in progress by Stephen McGuinness Continue reading Keenan
Month: May 2016
Lamao Limay
*Third line of each stanza is read rapidly without pause. Smiles are bright on brown faces I have known, eyes crinkled against the sun; Home is a shack with thatch for a roof and a barrel that caches the rain as it runs; An old woman sifts rice in the shade of acacia as her husband and sons fish from a boat not far from … Continue reading Lamao Limay
Pitching To Agents: First Bite
Dear lovely people, I have an agent’s request for more material! How exciting. How incredibly thrilling! How amazingly nervous I am! The agent, Jackie Lindert, requested the first three chapters of Honey Ko. I sent them off in an email a few minutes ago. Here’s the pitch that earned the request: “Tom Nelson, tethered to apron strings stretching nine-thousand miles around the world, worries that … Continue reading Pitching To Agents: First Bite
Carolan’s Concerto part 3
Please enjoy Stephen McGuinness’ Carolan’s Concerto part 3. I found it mesmerizing. Continue reading Carolan’s Concerto part 3
Pitching to Agents: My Duh Moment
Hello lovely people, I received another polite frownie-button rejection email today. That brings me to five rejections from twenty-two submissions. That’s okay, though. I never expected my journey to be easy, and I expected rejections. That’s the way it is. However, rejection doesn’t have to lead to dejection. I may feel otherwise if I reach one-hundred submissions without having an agent fly to … Continue reading Pitching to Agents: My Duh Moment
Pitching to Agents: Lessons Learned
Dear lovely people, I’ve submitted my query letter for Honey Ko to twenty-two literary agents since May 9th. I’ve received four rejections so far, which is pretty good considering all agency websites inform you that, due to the high volume of submissions, they cannot respond to every submission. They tell you they can only respond if they want the writer to provide more information, as … Continue reading Pitching to Agents: Lessons Learned
Literary Agent Pitch for Honey Ko
Dear lovely people, What do you think? Does my pitch grab you by the lapels and make you shout, “OMG! I have to read this book NOW!” Let me know what you think. “Dual timelines carry the reader on an emotional journey of love and betrayal, loss and discovery as two couples, threatened by forces of nature and war, find love while confronting weakness of … Continue reading Literary Agent Pitch for Honey Ko
Carolan’s Concerto part 2
I hope you enjoy Carolan’s Concerto part 2. Continue reading Carolan’s Concerto part 2
Carolan’s Concerto part 1
I’ve never re-blogged a post, although I’ve had three guest posters. One of them, Stephen McGuinness, is the author of this brilliant work. I’m proud to share this with you. Continue reading Carolan’s Concerto part 1
Susanna IV
I trembled as I reached for Susanna, my Spanish Madonna, and touched her hip. My palm pressed against her soft, smooth, white flesh and her warmth spread over me until my face flushed and the burn of rising excitement engulfed me. I rubbed my hand across her shoulder and trilled my fingertips along her spine, raising goosebumps from her skin and causing her to shiver. … Continue reading Susanna IV
Looking Back
I’m aboard Norfolk Naval Base for a friend’s retirement ceremony. I look out across the harbor and see, not the buildings, aircraft taxiways, ships, and Sailors in my field of view, but the aircraft carriers and amphibious assault ships I sailed on. I served aboard several ships and aircraft squadrons in my twenty-seven year career, and right now I’m walking the flight decks, banging into … Continue reading Looking Back
The Writings of William C. Pennington 