CINDY APPEL NEWSLETTER FOR NOVEMBER 2003
IN THIS ISSUE:
My monthly column update
Book Happenings
Q & A Time

Happy Thanksgiving!

Thanksgiving Day normally brings forth fond memories of mouth-watering turkey, succulent squash, creamy mashed potatoes and gallons of gorgeous gravy… But have you ever stopped to think about the meaning of the holiday itself? (Hint: The name is a compound word meaning “to give thanks”. And that’s just what this month’s column is about.)

Every Day Is Mother’s Day for November: “Giving Thanks” now online 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. And don’t forget to “share it with a friend” by passing the link along.)

As always, I appreciate your feedback.

Here’s a comment I received about last month’s column:

Cindy, I loved “It’s 4pm—Do You Know Where Mom’s Taxi Is?” That was great! You know what this “Mom's taxi” wants for Christmas? A jet like the Jetsons have on their cartoon so when I'm sitting in traffic or waiting on a train I can just zoom and zip around. O.K., so it's just a fantasy It's still a nice thought! Teresa

I hear you, Teresa. Well, you know what they say… “Necessity is the mother of invention.” Are there any talented engineer moms out there? I guarantee you’ll have at least two happy customers if you do happen to come up with some kind of “Jetsons jet car” to ease our commuting woes. ;-)

~~BOOK HAPPENINGS~~

I received some great “fan mail” after my recent book sale announcement. Here’s what a few of you had to say:

I just read your newsletter, and I wanted to extend a heartfelt CONGRATS on the Gryphon Books for Writers deal! Way to go! Sincerely, Cindy W.

Hi Cindy, Always enjoy reading your wonderful Newsletter! I know I can always count on
picking up a nugget and it never fails to bring on a knowing smile. Congratulations on your book contract. You go girl! All the best, Nelda

Thanks Nelda and Cindy (great name, by the way) for your kind words. I’m really looking forward to seeing my name on the book cover. I’m hoping several million book-buyers will be, too. :-)

CONGRATULATIONS!!! Yes, you deserve the capitals and exclamation points for the accomplishment of another book sale. …And you have much to be thankful for in the sale of the "Slushpile Monster", a really great title and idea. God bless you in all your efforts, Leisha Kelly

Thank you, Leisha. I’m honored to receive such praise from such an accomplished author! For all of you out there who haven’t read Leisha’s book “Julia’s Hope” (and it’s sequel, “Emma’s Gift”) I highly recommend you rush to your closest bookstore and purchase a copy. It’s one of the most enjoyable, inspirational novels I’ve ever read. I promise you’ll love it every bit as much as I do.

But I have to report that the title of my funny “how-NOT-to write” book (THE CURSE OF THE MANUSCRIPT-EATING SLUSH PILE MONSTER) is under scrutiny by my editor. She feels the title is a bit too long and too “negative sounding” to sell the book. If anyone has any good title ideas, feel free to send them my way. As of last count my editor said she’d had garnered about fifteen different suggestions. Surely we’ll be able to agree on one of them! :-)

On the fiction submission side of things, I received a request for a complete contemporary romance manuscript from a very big publisher a couple of weeks ago. I was absolutely floored when the letter came to me in my own SASE. I figured it was a rejection—and a very quick rejection, too. But, no, the editor I had submitted my query to informed me she had passed my sample chapters on to another editor at the same publisher, and this editor in turn said to send her the whole thing. Wow—even though the first editor didn’t think the story would work for her line she liked it enough to pass it along to another editor. Things like that don’t always happen in the publishing world. It’s great to know I have a “friend” in the business! ;-)

Which leads me to my next reader’s comment:

I loved THE FIXER-UPPERS but have not read COUNTRY BOY, CITY GIRL yet. How do purchase a signed copy?

I’ve got some copies of COUNTRY BOY, CITY GIRL that I’ll gladly autograph and sell to anyone who’s interested. Just email me at cynthianna@hotmail.com for details. But if you can’t wait, check out the info below on ordering either of my novels online:

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

THE FIXER-UPPERS (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: That's amazing you have an exchange student from Germany. Or was that part(of last month’s column) fiction?

A: No, it’s true. Her name is “Charly” (short for Charlotte) and she’s from Stuggart, Germany. She’s here for three weeks and is “shadowing” my high-schooler and learning all about life in America… and how great American peanut butter is compared to the European variety! Life has been a bit more hectic than usual so I haven’t had the chance to write about our visitor yet. I’ll probably get around to it next month after she returns home.

Hosting a student from a foreign country is a real eye-opener. You really start to see your own city, state, country and language in an entirely different way. I highly recommend the experience to everyone.

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

Check out answers to previous questions online at: http://pages.sbcglobal.net/cynthianna/writingtips.html

Until next time, I wish you and yours a peaceful and peace-filled Thanksgiving Day. (Be sure to save up your energy for the “Holiday Rush” to come.)

God bless!
Cindy
(aka Cynthianna Appel)
My web site: http://pages.sbcglobal.net/cynthianna

P.S. Feel free to forward this newsletter on to an email friend. Better yet, tell them to sign up to receive the newsletter in their own email box. 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.)