IN THIS ISSUE:
My monthly column update
Book Happenings
Q & A Time


Happy Spring! And a Happy Easter to you all…

I wasn’t sure we were going to survive winter this year. The snow just kept coming and coming in the St. Louis area… But I think it’s safe to say we’ve reached the end of it at last. Achoo! Sorry, that’s my hay fever kicking in. I’m 100% positive spring is in the air now!

The best thing about spring is feeling the warmth of the sunshine, listening to the love songs of the birds as they return to their nests and observing the vibrant beauty of the flowers bursting forth from the soil. So, can you guess what this month’s “Every Day *is* Mother’s” column is all about? Did you say “flower bulbs?” Yes, flower bulbs… You know, you can learn a lot from a flower bulb. Check out my essay, “The Miraculous Tulip Bulb” online now at:

http://pages.sbcglobal.net/cynthianna/momsday_index.html
(You may have to copy and paste the above URL into your web browser to get it to work.)

My column is regularly featured in Miscellaneous Ramblings ezine, but recently “MR” has changed its web site address. You can read it online at by clicking this link: http://www.bandalbooks.com/MR.htm

And don’t forget to drop me a line sometime and tell me what you think. I enjoy hearing from my readers.

~~BOOK HAPPENINGS~~

With my trusty AAA map in hand, I recently traveled to the quaint riverfront town of Quincy, Illinois. There I enjoyed sharing my talk about the ups and downs of manuscript submission with the members of the Quincy Writers Guild. It’s always exciting to meet so many wonderful writers, including inspirational novelist Leisha Kelly and fellow “Darkstormyite” Tracy Broemmer. Welcome to the newsletter, y’all! Feel free to make yourselves at home. :-)

(If you know of any on-line friends who’d like to read this newsletter, tell them they can fill out the short form at my web site: http://pages.sbcglobal.net/cynthianna. If they prefer, they can send a short email to cynthianna@hotmail.com with “Newsletter request” in the subject line, and I’ll put them on the list pronto. Thanks.)

Don’t forget that “Literacy Day” is set for April 12th at Wal-Mart and Sam’s Club stores throughout the nation. I’ll be reading aloud for fifteen minutes at the Crestwood, MO, Sam’s Club at 10 AM and at the Wal-Mart in Fenton, MO, at 2 PM. More info on this event is available online at www.literacyday.com. I hope to see you there. Remember—a book a day keeps illiteracy away!

Well, I was really hoping to make some kind of definite announcement this month about my romantic-comedy, BEAUTIFUL DREAMER, currently under consideration at Dorchester Publishing, but you know how it is. (Sigh!) I did get up the nerve to call New York again, but you can imagine what happened. I got the usual run-around: “It’s still sitting on an editor’s desk. That’s a good sign. We’ll be in touch.”

What does that mean exactly? Is my story being seriously considered for a contract or does it mean my manuscript is being used as a drink coaster? Who knows? All I know is that my patience is wearing awfully thin. Twelve months seems more than enough time to make a decision. I keep thinking even the world’s busiest toy-maker, Santa Claus, can manage to produce results on that kind of schedule!

In the meantime, I’ll keep writing, querying and submitting other manuscripts. But I have to admit that some days I feel like slamming my forehead against the desk and yelling “Agh! Why did I ever think I could succeed in this crazy business?” I’m seriously considering starting up “The Flat Forehead Writers Association of America” (“FFWAA” for short,) in order to encourage my fellow frustrated writers. But we’ll need a logo and a better motto than, “I can’t believe it’s a rejection!” One thing I am sure of, is that our mascot should be the flounder. (Get it? A flounder is sort of flat… Yeah, I know it’s a rather lame idea, but can you think of a better one?) ;-)

On the plus side, I still have two books in print for your reading enjoyment.

COUNTRY BOY, CITY GIRL (contemporary romance)
by Cynthianna Appel ISBN 1-58851-918-X
Publish America Inc. http://www.publishamerica.com
(trade paperback edition—available at Amazon.com, BN.com, Wal-Mart.com and other online booksellers. Electronic formats available at Wings ePress.)

THE FIXER-UPPERS (contemporary romance)
by Cynthianna Appel ISBN 1-59088-984-3
Wings ePress http://www.wings-press.com
(trade paperback and electronic editions)

Now, it’s time for everybody’s favorite—

~~Q & A TIME~~

Q. I was wondering who your biggest inspiration to become a romance writer was? What other careers did you consider? Thanks for your time and response, I appreciate it. Mathis P., Las Vegas.

A. It’s difficult for me to come up with a single big "who" who inspired me to take the perilous path toward publication in romance... There are actually two names that immediately spring to mind--my mom, Ann, and my next-door neighbor while growing up, Julie. Julie lent me a whole grocery sack full of Harlequin romances to read while we were snowed in from school one winter. Up until that time, I had been a great consumer of classic science fiction along the lines of Heinlein, Asimov, Clarke and H.G. Wells. But it wasn't until that winter when we were stuck inside the house huddled around the fire for weeks on end during a series of blizzards that I discovered the wonderful world of romance reading. I promptly finished off that sack of books and asked Julie for more!

Flash forward many years (and a cross-country move and a husband and two kids) later. In between bouts of chronic unemployment and pregnancy, I write articles and essays for various publications, along with doing book and movie reviews for the local newspaper. (I had studied film in college and dreamed once of making "small romantic-comedy films" that would have all the box-office potential of Star Wars. Yes, I know this dates me and it doesn’t make much sense, but I was young and naïve and that was long, long ago, in a galaxy far, far away.) I really enjoyed freelancing, but, somehow, non-fiction writing didn't totally satisfy my hunger to create. I wanted to write more—I wanted to go back to screenplay writing actually—but I realized that I didn’t have any connections in Hollywood. I decided to give novel writing a try instead.

Over the course of several years, I penned some deadly serious non-romance novel manuscripts (that sit in boxes quietly gathering dust somewhere in my basement) before my mother told me to “lighten up and write something funny.” Hmmm, now that was a challenge I couldn’t resist! What could I write that my mom (an avid mystery reader) would consider “light and funny”? I reached back into my memory and remembered all those delightful romance novels I’d read in junior high. However, I decided I’d give romance writing a twist—I’d write an “anti-romance” or a comedic love story where the hero and heroine did all they could to NOT fall in love, but they can’t help it in the end. Thus, my first romance novel, THE FIXER-UPPPERS, was born.

That was a very good question, Mathis. I hope I answered both parts for you. Thanks for sending it in.

If you have a question--any question, related to writing, romance writing, publishing or whatever--email me at cynthianna@hotmail.com.(Do not hit "reply" to this newsletter--your email will bounce.) Results guaranteed or double your money back. :-)

And don’t forget you can read my answers to writing questions from previous newsletters online at:
Writing Tips
http://pages.sbcglobal.net/cynthianna/writingtips.html

Until next time, enjoy the sunshine, enjoy the birds, enjoy the flowers—but don’t forget to take your allergy meds before you venture too far into the fields. Achoo!

A Blessed Easter to you and yours--
Cindy
(a.k.a. Cynthianna Appel)
My web site: http://pages.sbcglobal.net/cynthianna

P.S. Feel free to forward this newsletter on to an email friend or ten. You'll be glad you did. (But if you do forward this, please forward the entire contents and not just bits and pieces. Thank you.)

P.P.S. Pray for peace and for the safety of our troops! You can learn the name of an individual in the armed services to pray for at www.presidentialprayerteam.org .