Crime Time

It's been so long since I've posted that I almost got lost getting here. For a mad moment I thought I was Jeremy's fedora . . .

But I'm okay now. The thing is, I've been *helping* my dear friends Laurie Clayton and Michael Crawley. They've written a crime novel for Max Crimes, a new imprint from John Blake Publishing Limited, created especially for Maxim Jakubowski.



And they've been busy! See, John Blake Publishing sends the copy edited manuscript to the authors, in this case Michael and Laurie. The master document is also sent via email. The authors are asked to go through the copy edited hard copy and accept or reject changes. Then the authors make the accepted changes to the master document.
When the process is complete, the master is emailed back to John Blake Publishing.

I pale to think that at one time I thought I might be a good copy editor. Gasp.
The hard copy of The Women's Club was covered in comments and symbols. She (we know in this case the c.e. was a she) did not miss a thing. From the embarrassingly obvious (Johnny Walker should be Johnnie Walker) to the minutest detail (ellipses is done like so: space dot space dot space dot space) and beyond (an en dash is different from an em dash is different from a hyphen, doncha know.)

I do now!



Actually, poor Laurie worked on it solo for about two weeks, agonizing over each suggested change. One day she opened the emailed copy (which is called, appropriately enough, soft copy)and worked on it all day without actually ever saving it to her computer.

The work was lost. She lost her mind.

After that, Michael took over. He, having a much greater ego than she, zipped through the rest of the document accepting and rejecting and making the accepted changes to the soft copy and voila!

Once the doc had been emailed back to the publisher, it was time to get their publicity package together.

Publicity package? Huh?

That's right! Along with the usual bio and cv they were asked a number of questions pertinent to the process of publicizing their novel. And once that was done, an eight by ten glossy of each of the authors was requested.

Ye Gods!

Yesterday Laurie (fresh from the hairdresser's) and Michael (fresh from a nap) experienced their very first photo shoot. Nothin' fancy, you understand.

The digital pictures were sent off to John Blake's Head of Marketing, thus completing their latest round of work on The Women's Club.

Phew.

The front and back cover is ready. When the novel is published in the fall, and I'll make sure to let you know the date when we - er - they do, they'll receive their third and final advance.

Third? You mean? Yes, John Blake gives their authors a first advance on signing of the contract and a second when the completed manuscript is accepted. A third when the book is published.

Oh Gawd it's all so civilized. But then, from the signing of the contract to the novel's publication is about a year, so there's time to do all this stuff.

It's been great. I'm really excited. You know, for Michael and Laurie.

And don't they make a nice couple when they're all cleaned up and smiling for the camera?



'I love my editor' picture from www.gawker.com
Copy edited page of Toronto Star from http://fletter.tumblr.com

Oh Lucky Me

Good news arrived the other day from Random House. Sarah's Education has been picked up by the Germans.
I love this part of publishing, don't you? I do absolutely no-thing and get more money for my book. Yay!

Also, as a few folks at the correspondence school for writing that employs Felix as a senior tutor have retired, I threw my hat in the ring. I was asked for copies of my diplomas and degree. Of course I had to locate them first, which I did. It was with immense satisfaction that I photocopied my BA from University of Alberta, my certificate from Humber School for Writers (having done a novel writing course with DM Thomas through Humber, and attended their one week summer writing school program) and my diploma from The Institute of Children's Literature.

When I was attending university not one but two of my boyfriends (over the four year time span) tried to convince me not to bother finishing uni and getting my 'useless' BA. Although I was still a boy crazy girl, I ignored them and kept plugging away until the cap and gown ceremony that made me a grad.


In the years when I had little children, I took a couple of writing courses, including one at the very school I was applying to tutor at, having studied with Felix Baron (!) and the Institute of Children's Lit and the Humber program. It kept me writing a certain amount when writing was wayyyyyy down on the list of my housewife's priorities.

So I sent my cv and copies of diplomas/degree in to the school and received an email welcoming me to the institute as a new tutor.

The whole process was so easy it floored me. Now I have students to teach, using the course material the college provides, and if I need help I can turn to the senior tutor sitting just to my right at his desk, and have all my questions answered. All from home.

I love it.

Oh God oh God how I love being a writer. Thank you thank you thank you.



And writers are my favourite people, too.

I feel like a very lucky woman today, and wanted to share my happiness with you.

xoxo Madeline

A launch party for The Cougar Book is under way right now! Come on over here to join in the fun. Leave a comment and you just might win a copy of the book. Here's a list of the authors who have stories in 'The Cougar Book':

eremy Edwards
Rachel Kramer Bussel
Sascha Illyvich
Heidi Champa
Tara S. Nichols
Craig J. Sorensen
Donna George Storey
J. C. Wesner
Randall Lang
Madeline Moore
Bill Brent
Adriana Kraft
Keeb Knight
Jolene Hui
Dona Lee
D. L. King
Doug Harrison
Brenna Lyons
Emerald
Trish DeVene
Julia Barrett
Blue Canyon
Shanna Germain

Not a bad line up, I'd say.

So come to the launch party and maybe you'll be the lucky winner of a copy of 'The Cougar Book.'

Cougars!

Yes folks, it's cougar time on the ol' web again, and where there are young studs to be discussed, well, there you'll find Madeline Moore.

The occasion? The launch of The Cougar Book, edited by Jolie du Pre and published by Logical Lust.

The date? February 14, 2010,

The happenings so far?

February 9 - An interview with Madeline Moore on Logical Lust. Go right here to read the interview with me, or you can start at the beginning but please - make sure you get to me before you stop commenting!

Please stop by and comment.

February 20, 2010 - Launch party at Jeannie and Jayha

Chat with the authors, including me, and read excerpts from the book.



Don 't make my bathing beauties sad, come join in the fun.

For a chance to win a free copy of The Cougar Book, follow the link. And thanks Jeremy, for letting me know about it.

xoxo Madeline

The painting used in this post is by Robert R. Bliss: "Untitled Pair of Young Men" If you have interest in this painting, contact Outer Cape Auctions.)

The Women's Club

Ta Da! Felix is weak but recovered from his near-death experience. He was well enough this past week to contribute to a final polish of our crime novel, 'The Women's Club.'

The novel is done! The novel is done! lalalalalala The Novel is done!

'The Women's Club' will be published in fall 2010 by MaxCrime in the UK. Yes, our editor, Maxim Jakubowski has his own imprint. WOW!

This is the first time Felix and I have co-written a book and it was a terrific experience. Our biggest difference of opinion? He thinks a book shouldn't be set in a specific place. I absolutely believe that it should. Happily for me Maxim is of the same mind as me on this one, so 'The Women's Club' is set in Seattle, Washington, USA.

This will be the first time a novel I've written will be published under my real name. Funny how I'm okay with a major body count attributed to me, but not if the bodies are fucking, as opposed to dead.

I finished my run-through at 10 pm Sunday. Around here we don't celebrate the 'end of the project' with champagne or any other sort of party drug. We say 'well done' to each other and carry on.

But I was excited because I finished in time to call my youngest daughter, who lives in residence at University. She' in first year. We'd arranged to talk if I finished before eleven.

I didn't even get to see her over the holidays because of Felix's illness. In fact I saw her for one 24 hr period over my birthday in August. Before that? Can't even remember. So I was looking forward to finding out all about life as a first year student.

But she didn't want to talk about that. She wanted to talk about how I have failed as a writer and need to get a real job.

Ouch.

She really roasted me over the coals, my friends. The fact that I just finished my fourth novel means nothing, because the other three are smut. She tells me there are a ton of kids on campus studying english who plan to be writers.

She's worried about me because I don't have much money. So her solution is to bully me into getting a 'real' job. When she was done with that topic, she moved on to her parents' divorce. She wants to know what I think I did wrong to cause the end of the marriage. She doesn't need to pester her dad about this, apparently, just me.
I guess I'd had enough by then, as I replied, 'I should've gotten out sooner.' Whereupon she told me to fuck off, (not for the first time in this conversatoin) and hung up.




Oh Boo hoo major sobs.

It's Tuesday now. I'm still sad. She is a powerhouse, this girl, a brilliant redheaded tornado of a person. But she's had it out for me for awhile now.

I've resolved to love her, forgive her, and be here for her when she's ready to see me. But I'm not going to go get an office job so she can stop worrying about me.
She is so much her father's daughter. I thought when he and I divorced that I was done with verbal abuse and mental cruelty. Apparently not.

We give up lot to be writers. We give up a lot to be parents, too. I'm okay with that.

I'm okay.