The "thing" in my head (UPDATED!), why there are pics of me, and PFOs

I'm going to the University of Maryland Medical Center this afternoon so that the doctor can tell me that the "thing"in my head hasn't changed and I can go on with my life. (Update! I'm back; not only is "the thing" stable, but it's been stable long enough that the doctor says I don't need to come back!)  This is quite a difference from three years ago, when he was calling it a tumor and telling me it needed to come out --  in a risky surgery, because of its proximity to my optic nerve and my carotid artery.  He was talked out of surgery by another doctor, who convinced him that it was most likely benign, had most likely been there since I was in the womb, and didn't need to be removed unless it showed signs of changing.  Which it hasn't, of course.

I'm thinking back on that time three years ago, and how, 

even though nothing really changed, everything did.  I honestly thought I could die.  I mean, I had a TUMOR in my head, and the surgery to remove it was RISKY.  We went to the Outer Banks of North Carolina for a few days that Spring Break,

and it was then that I decided that I would no longer avoid having my picture taken.  Yes, I am overweight, no longer young, no longer attractive.  Yes, I'd rather hide from the camera (and to be honest, I still position Amy in front of me whenever possible!)  But I realized that if something happened to me, my family would rather have pictures of the physically imperfect me than no pictures at all. 

Next week I see the cardiologist about the PFO (NON-life-threatening hole in my heart, which could be causing/contributing to my migraines. The PFO can be fixed with outpatient surgery.)  And I'll be seeing the pain management doc soon, too, to get facet-joint

 injections in my neck.

The Five Randoms' Hook Contest

I'm thrilled to be one of six finalists in The Five Randoms' hook contest.  A hook is a very short summary of a book, intended to "hook" the interest of an agent.  The finalists are submitting the first pages of our books, and the winner will have her first chapter critiqued by agent Wendy Schmalz.  This is an incredible opportunity, and the competition is tough!

Here are the finalists' hooks.  I can't wait to read ALL of these books!

1.  The Book of Esther by Stephanie Boman 

http://sboman.livejournal.com/

FIRST PAGE: http://thefiverandoms.livejournal.com/6251.html

The Book of Esther: A Faerie Tale is an urban fantasy retelling of the biblical story of the same name – but the persecuted race in this version is Fae.

As a seventeen-year-old Faerie, Essie Hadassah's greatest desire is to blend in, lead a normal life and distance herself from her freaky Fae heritage.  She is part of a new generation of disillusioned Faeries no longer interested in being nature’s caretakers (an unfortunate fact contributing to the earth’s climate change).  Reluctantly competing to be the Mortal king's fiancee to please her cousin Cai who is raising her, Essie learns that the lives of the Faefolk are endangered.

Essie may be in a position to help them, but how does a girl who’s always shunned her birthright suddenly defend it?

Can Essie prevent her people from being changed into Vacants by soul-sucking Demons, ward off the earth’s environmental crisis and save herself from an impossible romance, all while coming to terms with her cultural identity?

2.  Weaver by Myra McEntire  

http://writingfinally.blogspot.com/

FIRST PAGE IS UP!  http://thefiverandoms.livejournal.com/6107.html

Emerson Cole has flushed her meds. Four years ago her parents died in a car accident and that’s when she started seeing things...swooning Southern belles, 1920’s jazz trios, Native Americans in loincloths. Medication kept her visions at bay for a while, but the side effects left her a complete zombie. Now that her "happy" pills have gone the way of the porcelain pipeline, Em’s personality is back. So are the dead - but this time one of them knows things about her - and he just happens to live in her bedroom.

3.  Crime Sketcher Case Files by Elissa Cruz 

 http://elissadcruz.livejournal.com/

Eleven-year-old Matthew Howell knows three things about solving mysteries:

1)   Keep your eyes open.

2)   Ask lots of questions.

3)   Draw fast.

People don’t always appreciate his lightning-quick pen or his talent for drawing, though.  Like Derek, for example, who is so tall and stiff when he plays baseball that Matt can't help but sketch him as a tree, or the crusty old custodian who makes the perfect model for a skeleton drawing, complete with overalls and a chain of keys.  But when Matt's best friend, Joey, has his set of ultra-collectible action figures stolen right out of the classroom and the adults at Washington Elementary don't seem interested in tracking down the thief, Matt knows he may be the only one who can solve the crime.  He sets out to help his friend and prove his artistic talent is good for something other than making enemies or earning him a permanent seat in detention.

4.  Demon in Residence by Angela DeGroot 

http://angeladegroot.livejournal.com/

 Lonely thirteen year-old Melanie is afraid. She’s afraid of the bullies at school, the ill-tempered homeless man down the road, and that her dad won’t return from his cross-country road trip to “find himself.” To make matters worse, Melanie’s fears of things both real and imaginary have aroused the attention of a fear demon who wants to literally scare her to death and consume her soul. The demon lures Melanie into his domain, plucks fears from inside her head and conjures images that transform into deadly reality before her eyes. Melanie must find the courage to believe in herself or she will die alone in the dark like she's always feared.

5.  Wolfsbane at Midnight by Joan Stranding 

http://authorwithin.blogspot.com/

Scarlet's red hooded cloak is supposed to protect her from the dangers of the forest as she gathers herbs for her grandmother's potions, but when she meets the woodcutter's seventeen-year-old son, Oren, the cloak fails to protect her from the powerful attraction between them.

Days before her sixteenth birthday, the Witching Ball grants Scarlet powers to see people's past, present, and future. Only then does she discover how dangerous Oren really is.

 Now Scarlet must decide whether to help Oren find a cure for the curse placed on him by her ancestors or seek revenge for her grandmother's death. WOLFSBANE AT MIDNIGHT is my 50,000-word version of a classic fairytale in which "Little Red Riding Hood" unwittingly falls in love with the werewolf who killed her grandmother.

6.  Spinning Coins by Barbara Quarrier Dell

SPINNING COINS is a YA time travel fantasy with a Shakespearean twist.

POLLY, an atheist, and JOY, an uber-sweet conservative Christian, have nothing in common, until a magic coin transports them to an alternate-reality 1526 Denmark.  Despite their opposing world views, the girls must work together to find a way home -- or accept that this is their new reality. Just when it seems possible that there may be a chance at the future after all, a couple of sixteenth century guys make the girls question if they even want to go home.  And an evil priest and a mob of rabble-rousing Lutherans might make it impossible.

Major progress on Spinning Coins!

Woo hoo!  I finished writing Spinning Coins on Sunday, and mailed it to a professional editor, Kathryn Johnson, on Monday.  She read it Tuesday night and Wednesday morning, and sent back a very detailed report on ways I can improve it.  Most of the changes she recommended will be easy to implement (making things clear to the reader that are obvious to me!), but she's also recommended a major restructuring.  

I originally started the book in first person, but alternating between three POV characters (Polly, Joy, and Polly's brother Will.)  Early readers suggested that this was too confusing, so I rewrote it in third person -- but still alternating between the three main characters.  Kathryn, the editor, suggests that this is STILL too confusing.  AND, she really thinks first person comes across better.  So now I'm going to switch it back to first person, and use Polly to observe Joy's POV.  This way I'll have two POVs instead of three.  I really can't think of a way to eliminate Will as a POV character since his plotline is totally separate from Polly and Joy's plotline.

In any case, it's back to the - er - writing board.  I'm excited about going back to first person!  I liked it better that way, too.

Also, I entered The Five Randoms' "hook" contest this week.  The prize is that literary agent Wendy Schmalz (Lois Lowry's agent) will critique the first chapter.  I got an e-mail this morning that my hook (very short synopsis) was accepted into the contest, and will be posted next week.  I would be thrilled to get a chance to work with Wendy Schmalz, so here's hoping!

I've been listening to a lot of Danish rock/metal/alternative music the last few days, trying to find a musician or band for Polly to follow.  My daughter Carrie helped me pick Band Ane, a solo musician playing the "laptronica."  The music is described as "electronica."  I think Doug/Will would like it, too!  Here's a video:  http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xAhmVus62S4