Remembering September 11, 2001

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Notch

Twenty years, two trials and numerous secrets ensue after a teenaged girl is murdered.

Excerpt--

"Now, tell me about the girl," said Sheriff Morgan.

God, here we go again. The words were at the back of Kevin's mind, but he was terrified to bring them forward. This was the part they'd all been waiting to hear. The part where they would decide exactly what his role in all of this had been. Like dogs in heat they all want a piece of me. His throat closed. He counted three dead flies on the narrow windowsill. A fourth lay on its back fitfully flailing its legs in some sort of macabre death dance.

Morgan leaned closer. "Talk to me, Kevin."

Kevin fixed his gaze on the drab gray wall farthest away from the door of the interrogation room. "She was lying on her left side...." There ain't no stoppin' us now, girlie, he recalled Jasper telling the redhead the night the three of them went to the abandoned meat packing plant to have a little fun. He scratched his forehead, hiding his expression. Or was it the blonde he'd said that to?

NOTCH - Mystery Novel - First Draft Completed
Copyright 2010 Sharon Austin All Rights Reserved
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Bizarro World

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Coffee Break

August-- More queries for WENTZEL FARM went out this month. Four of the emails bounced. I couldn't find updated addresses.

Yesterday, I emailed six queries for SMOKE.

Haven't heard anything about my two short stories.

There is some good news...

First let me say, I'm superstitious about certain things. I don't have a problem with ladders and black cats, but I do have a problem posting actual titles of unpublished work on this blog. I stay with the 'working title'.

Announcing good news is another problem. Every time I receive a request for sample pages or the full manuscript I tell everyone I know, then, sure enough, the story gets rejected.

So, all I can tell you about my good news is...

Wait and see.

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Happy Birthday To Me

Famous Virgos [Aug. 23 - Sept. 22] who are writers:

Friedrich Hegal, Theodore Dreiser, Johann V. Goethe, Mary Godwin Shelley, William Saroyan, William Rice Burroughs, Antinon Artaud, Craig Claiborne, Edith Sitwell, Taylor Caldwell, Grace Metalious, O. Henry, D.H. Lawrence, Henry L. Menken, George Fenimore Cooper, Agatha Christie, Upton Sinclare, H.G. Wells, Stephen King

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New Book Releases For August

I CURSE THE RIVER OF TIME
by Per Petterson -- http://perpetterson.com/

MENTOR
by Tom Grimes -- http://www.tomgrimes.org/

MOCKINGJAY
by Suzanne Collins -- http://www.suzannecollinsbooks.com/

PACKING FOR MARS
by Mary Roach -- http://www.maryroach.net/books.html

BROKEN
by Karin Fossum -- http://www.goodreads.com/author/show/163027.Karin_Fossum

FREEDOM
by Jonathan Franzen -- http://us.macmillan.com/author/jonathanfranzen

THE RED QUEEN
by Philippa Gregory -- http://www.philippagregory.com/

YOU LOST ME THERE
by Rosencrans Bladwin -- http://www.nytimes.com/2010/08/22/books/review/Thompson-t.html

SYMPATHY FOR THE DEVIL
by Stephen King, Michael Chabon, Kelly Link, more -- http://www.nightshadebooks.com/

From: http://contemporarylit.about.com/od/newreleases/tp/august-2010-books.htm

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Update On The Blaze Trilogy

I've started the second draft of Book 2, FIRE [working title].

Book 3 will be written after I finish FALSE FACE.

Several months ago I submitted a full manuscript of Book 1 to a small press publisher. I've never heard back from them. Today I found out the company has gone completely digital, they're not accepting any submissions at this time, and the editor I sent the full to no longer works for them.


It just wasn't meant to be.

Next week I'll send out a new batch of queries.

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