Because I *am* the QNotKU (and you're not)

It's been almost a year now since my wife, Teri, passed on--just two weeks before her first book was published.

In order to celebrate her life and her achievement in getting published, which was one of her life long desires, her co-author and I are running the Teri Smith Memorial draw.

It is very easy to enter so please come along and make this contest and remembrance of an amazing woman, wife and mother something very special.

All the details and how the enter the draw are on my website here.

I look forward to seeing you there.

S.J. Willing.

MARCH 31 SIGNING (LANDMARK WALDENBOOKS, ALEXANDRIA,
VA)

Who - Jean Marie Ward
What - Signing WITH NINE YOU GET VANYR and ILLUMINA: THE ART OF J.P. TARGETE with chocolate, goodies and the chance to win a facsimile Wishstone like the one which plays such a large role in WITH NINE YOU GET VANYR.
When - Saturday, March 31, 1-5 p.m.
Where - Waldenbooks, Landmark Mall
5801 Duke Street, Space G304
(Second Floor across from Barneys)
Alexandria, VA 22304
Tel. - (703)370-6869
Contact - Tracy L. McPeck, Store Manager.


APRIL 27 SIGNING (TURN THE PAGE, BOONSBORO, MD)

Who - Jean Marie Ward
What - Signing WITH NINE YOU GET VANYR with Nora Roberts, Julia Quinn, Lisa Gardner, Madeline Hunter and eight fellow Washington Romance Writers authors.
When - Friday, April 27, 11:30 a.m. to 2 p.m.
Where - Turn the Page Bookstore Cafe
18 N. Main Street
Boonsboro, Maryland

Tel. - (301) 432-4588
Contact - Stacie Wilder, Events Manager.

Preditors and Editors is once again having their annual contest and Teri & Jean Marie's book, With Nine You Get Vanyr, has been nominated in several catagories. Please take a moment and vote for Teri since she's not able. And if there are any others that are nominated, please respond and we'll add you to the list.

thanks!

Book
http://www.critters.org/predpoll/novelsf.shtml
With Nine You Get Vanyr

Author
http://www.critters.org/predpoll/author.shtml
Teri Smith & Jean Marie Ward

Book Cover
http://www.critters.org/predpoll/bookart.shtml
With Nine You Get Vanyr or any of the other wonderful covers done by Anne Cain

Artist
http://www.critters.org/predpoll/artist.shtml
Anne Cain, the wonderful artist that did Teri & Jean Marie’s cover

Editor
http://www.critters.org/predpoll/bookeditor.shtml
Jess Bimberg, their editor

Publisher
http://www.critters.org/predpoll/ebookpublisher.shtml
Samhain Publishing

Others you can vote for:

Romance
http://www.critters.org/predpoll/novelr.shtml
Ann Vremont

:)

Being the biggest Qnotku groupies of them all we're collecting all stories and any novel chat that Teri might have sent out to folks with regard to maybe getting them finished and put up into a book(s) for print post-humorously. Because we all believe Teri should be getting more kudos for her work that just one novel.

So if you have anything like that I'd be really really grateful if you could forward the emails, stories to me at

sjmsmith44@comcast.net

Any little snippets at all that you have will be gratefully received since we want this to be pure Teri for as much as we can.

Many Thanks

S.J.

Our cover has been officially released! Isn't it great?



On November 07th, With Nine You Get Vanyr will be released electronically. And then, on February 20, 2007, it will be released in print and available in Borders. Can you tell how excited I am? Also, as an FYI, Jean Marie and I are setting up a WardSmith blog -- we'll let everyone know when and where once we get it looking purty and what not.

huge hugs,
Teri

Decided to take a shower after working on our Eurydice & Orpheus story. During the shower I had some editor thoughts that I decided to share with you. Aren't you just the lucky ones?

( Deep Editor Thoughts, Obtained While Getting Wet )

Well, that's about it, me hearties. Take care of yourselves and don't accept any wooden politicians.

hugs,
Teri

It seems all I do lately when I post to LJ is let folks know I'm still around, but still coping with a lot of physical problems. Am I sick of that? You bet. So this is the only space I'm wasting in it: I'm alive, still haven't had the surgeries yet and in misery from the epidurals they keept giving me in a effort to reduce the pain. Grrrr.

Editor Thoughts

Thesaurus 101: If your heroine can't decide between two lovers, please DO NOT have her oscillate between them. She might vacillate or she might seesaw or even blow hot and cold between them. But oscillate? What is she? An electric fan?

Kiddos,what you've got to think about when you go looking for "different" words to amp up your manuscript is that there is more to a word than just its definition. You need to ask yourself: How do folks use that word in everyday conversations? Does it fit where I want to use it? "Oscillate" is most nearly connected to electric fans nowadays. The mental image a reader might get from: "Valerie didn't know what to do. So she oscillated between Joe and Jack, unable to decide which man was the right one for her", isn't one the author has in mind, I'm sure. As an editor I'm more impressed with authors who use plain ol' every day words in unique and individual ways than writers who must spend hours combing dictionaries and thesauri for some neato oddball word, certain sure that the more they have the more impressed us editors types will be. Um...nope. Use your craniums, children, and your common sense.

Something cool from YouTube: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=75NhFaZyFrA

Be good, everyone. And if you can't: bury the bodies and settle out of court.

hugs,
Teri

I have pneumonia. Pronounced "pee-new-moan-ya" earlier by my granddaughter in an attempt to cheer me up. *checks* Nope, sorry Bree, didn't work. Dammit.

Anywho, thought I'd drop a line and let folks know I actually am alive, I just feel like a hairball the cat spat out. Finding out that I've been neatly excised from someone's emails, IMs and LJs -- someone who I'd thought was a close friend (and have no clue why she dropped me like a hot potato) -- isn't helping with my depression much either.

Man. I wish I could have a drink. But I can't, so maybe you guys could try and cheer me up? Tell me a funny story or bad joke or something. ANYTHING. I need a smile or two.


Drooping like a wilted petunia,
T

And now for my first partial ( DragonCon report, Day 1 )

More tomorrow, need to tend to hurty self now. Be well, young jedi.

T

First, found this "My Interests Collage" on dustbunnygirl's LJ and instantly gakked it.

( My Interests Collage! )

I think it's kinda neat.

Tomorrow I shall post on my DragonCon experiences -- I know everyone else has already done theirs, but alas, my stupid body decided I needed to pay (and severely) for all the fun I had at the con. Just getting back into the non-medicated swing of things.

Love ya all,
Teri

First, apologies for being invisible for so long. My third house has a retrograde Jerry Springer moon, I think. All sorts of catastrophes happening right, left and center, the worst being that hundakleptisis's mom has been in critical condition and on a respirator. She's had to have 3 surgeries within a week and, though finally off the respirator, is still having a lot of problems. It's been an anxious time for us.

On the plus side of life: tomorrow we leave for DragonCon! Woohoo! I'm on several panels in the writing track - some as an editor and some as an author. LOL, if you look at the pocket guide for me, you won't find me in the panels as "Teri Smith." Nope, for some unknown reason, whoever put together the guide decided to list me as "Teri Nutman." *frowns at jmward14* No rude comments from the peanut gallery, y'hear?

Doubtful that I'll post again till after the Dragon -- but I promise full disclosure on everything lilithsaintcrow and quietselkie do at the con. This ain't Vegas, baby. What happens here will be posted for millions to see later. hehehe...

I hope everyone has a fabulous Labor Day weekend!

hugs,
Teri

I was going to write this long and insightful post about being part of the generation that bridges the 20th and 21st century. And I did too.

Boy, did I sound like a pompous ass. *shakes head sadly*

I think instead I'll address some of the silliness the younglings that I deal with on a daily basis seem to have with my age and likes/dislikes.

( Blah, blah, blah... )

You know something? Who the hell wants to be a bridge? I'm damned happy as a rowdy old broad. Besides, I'm getting to the age where it won't be long before I can pinch guys' asses with impunity. *rubs hands together in anticipation* Oh, won't DragonCon be FUN then!

Love, Peace and French Vanilla ice cream, y'all,

Teri

Just a few things from my Writing folder. Use or abuse as you choose.

( Lots of Stuff )

That's all for me today, my lublings. The QNotKU hasn't had sleep for over 36 hours and is hoping she won't end up in the hospital because of certain events that have taken their toll. Be well, write creatively, love lots and eat more chocolate. It's good for you!

huggles to all,
T

An author told me the other day that she'd been advised by another author to only accept 10% of an editor's corrections. If she accepted more, the second author advised, then the editor would be "changing the author's voice."

I had to literally remove my hands from the keyboard so I wouldn't type something extremely profane to the IM chat we were having. If we'd been talking on the phone instead of online, I'd have lost my voice from screaming imprecations. When I had myself back under control I asked the author (who is one of mine, btw) what she thought about that. She said that it had worried her a lot. The moron who gave her this wretched piece of advice was a well-known erotica author. My author didn't want to reveal whom -- I guess she was getting the idea that I was pretty upset by that time. She did admit this author had never been published anywhere but electronically. (Color me not surprised.)
EDIT: My snide comment about only being electronically published was a bad one. There are a great many very fine writers out there who're only e-pubbed and my comment denigrated them and the legitimate electronic publishers out there that also put out quality books. Mea culpa and fifty lashes with a wet fettucine noodle.

( ...the rest of the gripe )

In other news of the day, my pirate name is:

Your Pirate Name Is...

Iron Fanny La Bouche

jmward14, you can quit laughing now. Or else I'm gonna hafta hurt you.

Peace all,
T

I mentioned in a post to whitemunin that Daniel Radcliffe, aka Harry Potter, will be appearing in a run of the play Equus in London.

I also mentioned that I cannot wait for the explosion of fervid fan fiction that's going to erupt from this. Not to mention that some (or hordes of) enterprising fan(s) will take clandestine pictures of young Daniel in all his...er...glory. Oh boy...

I can see it now: Harry flying gloriously naked through the air after having spiked numerous Ravenclaw brooms. Harry gleefully spanks the monkey while Draco and Snape glare impotently (but not for long) from below. Actually, that's probably pretty tame to what some of the HP folks will come up with.

I can't wait.

:rubbing her hands together in anticipation:

Teri

And pre-con excitement begins to build. This year I attend not only as assistant editor and press for Crescent Blues, but as a guest author/editor (for Samhain Publishing). I'm on a couple of panels in the writing track and I'm very excited (and, yes, nervous) about the whole thing. Not sure if we'll be participating in any of the Matters of the Force track, but I'm sure Cathy will find something for Jean Marie and I to do. (I hope so, I adore the MotF folks, they're good guys through and through. Even if most of 'em are stormtroopers. LOL.)

quietselkie and lilithstormcrow will be there too -- can't wait to finally meet and get hugs from two of my mostest favorite ladies. The granddaughter unit is already poring over her wardrobe and trying to talk me into buying her some baby-goth wear for the con. LOL. I can't wait to see her face on Friday when the zoo is let out of their cages. Should be interesting.

Back to catching up on my submissions and getting in some work on book two of our Domain series.

hugs,
Teri

PS:

You scored as BurmeseandtheTabby_Lovers. You are either the (ever so slightly spoilt) Burmese Baroque Beauty or the Poor Lovestruck Tabby. Which one do you see yourself as? Admirer or Admired? Oh, that's the question... </td> BurmeseandtheTabby_Lovers 100% MoonOriental 100% Tabby_the_Pageboy 83% GingerGardener 58% SiamesePrince 50% BraveTabby 42% CalicoAdventurer 42% HermitRussianBlue 42% Which Bohemian Cat are you? With cats-in-costumes pictures - meow! created with QuizFarm.com

Man. And the Rolling Stones. are doing a North American tour, starting in Boston.

I wonder if the sponsors will be Viagra and Aspercreme?

:runs before Moggy can get her hands on a sharp object:

:snicker:

Teri

(Stolen from vonandmoggy)

If You Ruled the Land . . . by wackyweasel
Your first name:
How you gained your rule:	Military coup, of course! They never saw it coming . . .Walked in and took the throne while they were at lunchRightful heir!!Strategic poisoning . . .Mind controlAsked for it really nicely, 'pretty please'No idea . . .
Your title is:	Your Great Grand High Majesty
Your symbol is:	the cat, because cats are fluffy and nice
You rule from:	an ice palace - cold, but so, well, cool!
At your side is:	your sexiest bodyguards
Your enforcers, troops, and guards are all:	sexy elves with swords
Your most popular law is:	No-pants Fridays
Your least popular law is:	Hot people register for draft; hey, your guards get old
Your worst enemy is:	Ringo Starr, but you can't remember why . . .
Your popularity rating is:: 94%
Your chance of being overthrown is:: 16%
Quiz created with MemeGen!

*off to think of a name for my new kingdom...*

LOL,
hugs,
Teri *making sure she has Beatle traps set around the throne*

It's been one of those millenia already. Can I go back a few years and get a do over? No? Well, crap. I was afraid of that. :grumble, grumble: :bitch, whine, moan:

Looks like surgery will be in my future sometime soon. This is not a bad thing, since I've needed it for quite a long time and am only, finally, being able to get it. More on that later, when it happens.

Thanks to everyone who sent me a manuscript from my Editor ISO post. I promise I'll get back with you as soon as I can. I wish I could promise you all a contract, but I can't. What I will promise, if I don't accept your manuscript, is why I didn't accept it. That's about as good as it gets, folks. I know the serious writers out there will understand.

The granddaughter unit is doing really really well. She's been spending a lot of time over at mostlynormal1's house -- hanging out with the kids that live around Pammie and going to the pool and church with Pam and her family. It's done her a world of good too -- she's improved so much from how she was when we brought her back from Ohio.

It's odd -- I've been thinking about lost friends lately. Folks that I either lost contact with because I moved away or other friends that drifted apart because either their lives changed or someone new came into their lives and they had no room for their old friends. That's sad when that happens, don't you think? No matter - I wish them all well.

Not long now till Dragon*Con. YAY!!!!

huggles and smoochles to all my lovely f-list,
T