Thirteen Things about MG Braden In no particular order, only how they come to me, these are some of my favourite songs: 1. If We are the Body – Casting Crowns 2. How Do I Live – Trisha Yearwood 3. Bring it on Home – Little Big Town 4. Live Like You were Dying – Tim McGraw 5. When You Say Nothing at All – Allison Kraus 6. Before He Cheats – Carrie Underwood 7. Because of You – Kelly Clarkson 8. Picture – Kid Rock, Sheryl Crow 9. Home – Michael Buble 10. Paradise Theatre – Styx 11. Cry – James Blunt 12. When I’m Away from You – Kim Carnes 13. Woman in Chains – Tears for Fears Links to other Thursday Thirteens!

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of how you are acting, or what you are saying, especially if you post on other writers blogs, writing forums, readers loops, etc. I mean it should go without saying but somehow it doesn’t. Sometimes I write things in a post and then I make sure I read it and if it isn’t pc then I don’t post or I rewrite it.

Yes, it is ok to have an opinion but there are editors (the people who buy your books for publishers), readers (the people who buy your books from the publishers), other writers (the people who can recommend you to editors or readers) and Lord knows who else, reading your post. So how your opinion comes across is very important.

Some people don’t care and maybe that works for them but I grew up in the corporate world and that’s how you lose jobs. I’ve got to figure it works the same here so I try to treat it the same. Some things are better left private, words can’t be taken back and many times things get taken out of context.

I try, and I hope it comes across that way, to treat people like I want to be treated, whether in real life or not, but especially online where it too easy to take things the wrong way. In real life I tend to be a bit sarcastic, and I am online too but I try to really look at the way I’m wording things so that they are (hopefully) funny and not mean. I would feel awful if someone thought I was being purposely hurtful.

No real reason for this post, I’ve just been blog hopping and sometimes I wonder if people realise that even their comments are read by more than just the person originally intended.

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DD (she’s the baby in the first photo) and DS1 in 2002 and then again in 2006

Thirteen Things about MG Braden This list is of 13 books that I have read that I consider a “good read”. Not necessarily a keeper, although that is true for some of them, but just an enjoyable read, that evoked something in me. This could be laughter (chick lit), chills (suspense), thinking (mystery), feel good (romance), or any number of things. In no particular order: 1…. Kane and Abel, Jeffrey Archer – just a really good book. Prodigal Daughter wasn’t as good but still pretty good. Solid reads. 2. The Crossroads Cafe, Deborah Smith – best book I’ve read this year. Very heartfelt. 3. 72 Hours, Shannon Stacey – great suspense and good characters. 4. Jonathan Kellerman’s Alex Delaware Novels – pretty much any one of them. They are very good. Characters are real and flawed and the suspense often grabs you in the gut. 5. I Did (But I wouldn’t Now), Cara Lockwood – funny and light. 6. To The Brink, Cindy Gerard – my introduction to this series and it was a good one. 7. Blow Fly, Patricia Cornwell – I have generally loved all the Kay Scarpetta novel’s however the last few haven’t been as great, still good though. 8. Vendetta, Fern Michaels – another series I like, even the name is good “Revenge of the Sisterhood.” 9. Puppet, Joy Fielding – first time I have ever been completely caught off guard by something. Usually I suspect but this…I had to re-read to make sure what I read the first time (see if you can make sense of that!) 10. Harry Potter, J.K. Rowling – Yes, I know I shouldn’t but I do (love them). 11. Q is for Quarry, Sue Grafton – OK, I admit it I do like series books. I know they must be hard to put out time after time and to those who do it well, I bow to you. 12. Bullseye, Jessica Andersen – I used to really love HI, then not so much, and now I’m finding ones I like again. Jessica Andersen has some good ones. 13. Nany Drew Mysteries, Carolyn Keene – the books that started it all for me. My love of reading and of suspense. Links to other Thursday Thirteens!

Get the Thursday Thirteen code here!

The purpose of the meme is to get to know everyone who participates a little bit better every Thursday. Visiting fellow Thirteeners is encouraged! If you participate, leave the link to your Thirteen in others comments. It’s easy, and fun! Be sure to update your Thirteen with links that are left for you, as well! I will link to everyone who participates and leaves a link to their 13 things. Trackbacks, pings, comment links accepted!

View More Thursday Thirteen Participants

I’m not good at waiting. Well that’s not true, I am if I know approximately how long I will be waiting. It’s uncertainty that drives me batty and pushes the insecurity level up. If you say you will hear by X date then I’m good, at least until that date has passed. I try to set my own limits…if I don’t hear by this date then…but I don’t like them as much. I think this all stems from my background in administrative/corporate management where there are all sorts of deadlines that I know I, or others, have to meet. Most things are run on a schedule.

I realise in the publishing world things are run on a schedule too but, unfortunately, the newly submitting writer doesn’t necessarily know what it is. I think for some writers this might be a good thing. Some people would prefer to think that their submission is still in for consideration rather than admit that a deadline has passed and their not hearing anything may be bad news. I’m the kind of person who would like dates to mark down on my calendar to match my submissions, so that if that date has passed I can follow up or let it go and move on (not that it makes rejection easier just that it makes it more business-like and less personal).

Writing is intensely personal to me, and I suspect to most writers, but I also want it to become my business, something I can earn an income from. In order for me to separate how personal each story is I need to make the transactions/submissions business-like. I’d like approximate wait times to diarize and bring forward. I know some pubs now have a tracking submission so you can at least see where you are in the queue. That seems like a good idea too. If I can write a time line down in my date book I am able to move on.

I’m like this in other parts of my world too. Recently my baby has had a chance to audition for a Huggies commercial. When we called we were given a date we would hear back. When that date had come and gone, I was disappointed but able to move on because I was aware if we didn’t hear that was it, I wasn’t left wondering will we? Wont’t we? A few days after the deadline we did hear back and we took him to the bootycall (lol – just a wee joke, it is a diaper commercial folks!). Now we’ve been given a new date to hear back so I am calmly waiting because I know there is a deadline. Am I so excited and wanting him to be chosen? Heck, yes! It is also deeply personal, obviously, because he is my sweet baby. However, I know there are a million babies wanting this gig and only one or two that may be exactly what they are looking for, so once the date comes and goes, in my head I am able to move on. Hopefully this analagy makes sense, I haven’t had a full cup of coffee yet

What do you prefer? Would you like set deadlines so you know what’s what or are you a free-flowing, go with the flow kind of person? How do you think it affects your writing? Post a comment and let me know.