Away we go...

I must confess, it's relatively rare these days that I sit at my computer and wonder what I'm going to type. Hah! If only my fingertips could move as fast as the thoughts in my head. Indeed, the impact of TJ's story weighs heavy on my mind, pressing my heart with each word that he shares during our interviews.


Usually there is plenty of time for laughter...he makes certain of this!





The struggles TJ has faced, the obstacles he has overcome, yet through it all a smile has remained on his face. He is one of the sweetest, most heartfelt 21-year-olds I've ever known; so poised and confident that everything happens for a reason. As the mother of a six-year-old little boy named Conner, I pray each day that my son will look to TJ as a role model and follow his example of dealing with the uncertainties of life in a positive manner.

I admire TJ the most because he is willing to put himself out there for all to judge with a keen eye, even sacrificing his privacy in order to help millions who are suffering and in pain. He believes that for every disabled person he inspires, his efforts are well worth every minute spent.

This privilege I have been given to write TJ's story is an enormous responsibility - one that I do not and will not take lightly under any circumstance. He is one that can, and will, inspire many people; and I will do my best to convey his story while respecting those who have given him the opportunity to move forward with his life.

Now, before I sign off for the night, I promised on March 23rd that a special event would take place today. So...



for those whose names are listed below, please shoot me an email at toryminus@yahoo.com , and I'll reply with the necessary information for you to receive your T'shirt and poster that was donated by TJ's family members and friends.

Tameka Harpole
Julie Musil
Jan
Rhonda Renee
Christy Middleton
Emily Feely
Emily Martin
Kevin
Bud Ranta
sasF79


Most importantly, I wish to say THANKS to all who have supported this project and prayed for TJ a full recovery. Have a wonderful weekend, everyone! Love, Tory

ONE BIG TEAM!

"We are sorry to inform you that your project is not a match for us at this time." It's the sentence that every writer dreads to receive in their inbox. Yet, unfortunately, this happens all too often to newbie writers before they are successful in gaining literary representation for their projects.

From the first query letters I sent out for The Human Candidate, I realized that finding a literary agent was not going to be simple. There had to be a substantial amount of research performed and a polished proposal to support my qualifications for being the perfect person to write this incredible story. So, instead of allowing self doubt to get the best of me, I rolled up my sleeves and went to work!

Now some of you following this blog may wonder why TJ chose me to write his story in the first place. Well, I hope that in the near future you will have the opportunity to shake this young man's hand and ask him this and other questions for yourself. But for now, I'll do my best to provide you an answer.

From the moment I stood by TJ's bedside in Atlanta, I knew from the look in his eyes and the calmness in his voice that he chose me for a reason. TJ knew that I was willing to go the extra mile without compromising the respect and dedication of those who had worked tirelessly to help him and his family. He knew that I would adhere to his wishes regardless the outcome or the pressure from others to reveal more than I should.

TJ and I relate to one another's pain and sufferings in life and understand when the other says, "Sometimes you just have to make the best of a bad situation and find a way to move forward!" We get that disease and injury spares no family...it's not a question of "If" but "When" a close family member, neighbor, classmate, or co-worker is diagnosed with a chronic illness or becomes injured as a result of an accident. We understand that life is worth living and worth helping as many people along the way.

For TJ and his family, it is such an honor to take part in this remarkable journey, and I am forever grateful for the confidence they have found in me. Above all, I thank God for giving TJ and me strength to persevere, and our families and friends for supporting our efforts to bring this story to life.

Much love, everyone, and have a wonderful weekend! ~ Tory

R & R and Homecoming Week at MHS!

Soon after I embarked on this adventure to become a published author I made three promises to my family and friends: 1. To set practical goals. 2. Not expect too much too soon. 3. Never give up.

So, a few days ago, when each promise was seriously reconsidered, the words "Revise & Resubmit" entered my vocabulary, as one of the Super Agents with the full of my manuscript asked to see my story again after revisions were made.

At first, the thought of combing through each line in my 400 page novel felt, well, like climbing Mount Everest barefoot. But after realizing this was the closest I'd come to gaining representation for my story, it seemed as if a match had been struck beneath my bum, forcing me to get busy editing EVERY.SINGLE.WORD.

So, onward and upward I go, moving one step closer toward representation for book #1. Hopefully, at the end of this journey, my family and all of you will have the opportunity to read this exciting tale of Callie and Scott.

In closing, I'd like to share more pics from another great week with the family! Have a fantastic weekend, everyone! Tory



Homecoming week at Millry High School. This photo was taken on "tacky/nerd day," and let's just say that Conner felt mortified wearing this tacky outfit & ridiculous hairstyle!



Catie before the parade.




Hoping to fill their bags full of candy and beads, Carlie and Conner listened carefully for the parade to begin.



"Throw me some candy, please!" Court begged!



It was such a fun week for us all! Go Wildcats!!!

No News Is Good News!

Okay, friends! Quick update: Still no word from the SUPER agents who have requested the complete manuscript and partial for Book #1. As the old saying goes, "No news is good news!" so their lack in response gives me great hope they are seriously considering my project.

Now, those of you who know me best, understand why these requests could not have come at a better time, so please keep me and my family in your prayers! I assure you, regardless the outcome I WILL continue pushing forward with a smile across my face. You see, the words "give-up" and "throw in the towel" simply have no meaning in my vocabulary.

Also, two wonderful blogger friends of mine, Lindsay Currie and Julie Loden, are biting nails like me as they anxiously wait for a response from the three agents who requested their co-authored YA novel, HARMONY. I encourage you to follow their blogs Tiptoe Kisses , Julie Loden. I just know something GRAND is coming down the pike for this remarkable duo!

Have a great evening, everyone! Tory

Excitement In The Air!

After an adventurous (and a bit stressful) week of shuttling the older children to and from school, helping w/ homework, entertaining Courtney at home, cooking, cleaning, yadda, yadda, yadda, I have some pretty exciting news to share with all of you.

Over the past few days, I've been extremely busy preparing email submissions for my first young adult novel because TWO remarkable agents have taken interest in the concept and have requested the full of my manuscript! *squeals loudly and does a happy dance in the kitchen* This now brings the total of requests to 5 partials, 4 fulls, and plenty of rejections and no responses in between. But as the old saying goes, "It only takes one YES to become a published author."

Take the story of Theodore Geisel for example (used from Adventures in Agentland). Theodore had written a picture book manuscript called THE HOUSE ON MULBURRY STREET. He shopped it around. He sent it to twenty-two editors and, after that twenty-second rejection, Theodore decided he would go home, shred his manuscript, and give up his dream.

On the way home, he ran into an old friend of his, who had become an editor. His editor friend convinced him to let him see his manuscript. The editor changed the name of the book to THE CAT IN THE HAT, and Dr. Seuss was born.

Once again, thanks for all your support! In more ways than one, your kind words and encouragement have kept me chasing the dream of becoming a published author. I promise to update as soon as I hear from either agent. Have a great weekend, everyone! Tory

Is It A Good Idea To Post Your Story Synopsis Online?

Today, after visiting different writers' blogs, I noticed several authors had posted their story summary in hopes of gaining feedback from their followers. For the majority, the responses were great. There were even a few to receive comments from bestselling authors. This was nearly enough to make me follow suit, but something held me back. Okay, yes, I'm a scaredy cat when it comes to posting details about my story. In fact, no one other than my parents, husband and siblings know the title to my project. You see, I've had way too many nightmares in which a creepy book-thief-type-villain makes millions from stealing my concept.

So, my questions for you guys (veteran writers please speak up!):

1.) Is it safe to put your synopsis online, exposing it for the world to read?
2.) What if someone steals your plot? *gasp and cry for hours/days...*
3.) But what if an agent stumbles across your book summary and falls in love? *happy dance* Isn't this worth it?

I'd love to know your thoughts! Have a great Friday, everyone! Tory

Wonderful Secret Agent has a BLOG!

I'm ashamed to admit that I'm officially a stalker of Wonderful Secret Agent's blog in hopes that she will update today with something I can squeal about.

Let me explain. Last week, after e-submitting my manuscript to a fabulous agent in New York City, I stumbled across her blog and have since become obsessed.

She is a very reputable literary agent, and I would be knocked off my feet with enthusiasm if she were to connect with my YA novel.

It's funny because I'm not alone on the stalking issue. My mom, husband, and oldest daughter are also obsessed with checking out her blog for updates.

Given that Wonderful Secret Agent usually posts the number of manuscripts she has requested in a day, I know that mine was one of eight from a pile of 63 query letters (OMG!).

I wish you could hear my mom and I analyzing each of her posts. We have disected each phrase in hopes of finding something promising (maybe even a secret code or hidden message saying, "Yes, Tory, I want to represent you!").

She hasn't updated in a few days, so needless to say, I'm anxiously awaiting her next post.

So, to all my writing buddies out there, I'd love to know if any of you have ever stalked the Internet for information regarding the agents you've queried. Thoughts, please!

Have a wonderful Sunday, everyone! Tory

Why Does an Unpublished Author Need an Agent, Anyway?

The title for tonight's post pretty much sums up the topic of discussion, so if you're not interested in learning how a literary agent PAVES the road to publication, then check back on Monday for something different (I'm thinking somewhere along the lines of, How to Keep Your Sanity During the Query Process, but if you have something you'd like me to write about, drop a line in the comment box and I'll discuss it next week).

A few people have asked why I need a literary agent in the first place, so after countless hours of research and stalking numerous blogs of first time authors, I give you the top five reasons why I would never (Okay, I know one should never say NEVER, but at this point, I'm saying NEVER!) attempt to publish my novel without having someone educated and experienced in dealing with major publishing houses.

The Top Five Reasons An Unpublished Author Needs An Agent:

1.) As bad as you want to believe it, your book is NOT perfect! (Agents know how to get your book into the best shape possible before submitting it to editors. Most agents are editorially savvy, so if they connect well enough with the plot then they begin looking at the project with a keen eye. But GEEZ, you would not believe how many first time authors refuse to make one change to their manuscript! Don't worry, I'm not that kind of gal.)

2.) Literary agents have friends in high places! (Agents spend a large portion of their time building strong relationships with editors and publishers. They meet for lunch; they attend conferences together; they wine and dine at book parties; they become friends. So after cultivating these relationships with one another, most editors know if they receive a manuscript from Jane Doe Agent, then it's a story worth reading.)

3.) Negotiating! (Let's dream a little here. Suppose editor A falls in love with your manuscript and wants to make an offer. Awesome! But what if editor B and C from Jane Doe Agent's list call with interest in your book? This is when it comes in handy to have Jane Doe Agent working on your behalf. She knows how to raise the offer and get the best deal possible for you, her client.)

4.) Contracts! (Just the sound of this word makes my head spin! Unless you're an expert at reading and understanding the fine print on publishing contracts, chances are this is the moment you realize how smart you were in seeking representation. Publishing agreements are extremely tricky, but for experienced agents, they are all the same. They know when to push and when to back off.)

5.) What if you aren't happy? (Let's just say everything has gone smoothly up to this point, when suddenly, you see the cover design of your book and hate it! Yet before you pick up the phone to complain to your editor, you remember this person is someone you want to keep happy. So instead of ruffling your sleep-deprived editor's feathers, you dial Jane Doe Agent's number and vent your frustration away. The agent doesn't mind being the bad guy in this situation. It is her job to work diligently on your behalf to express any and every concern to the editor. In the end, the book is published as an expected best-seller, and you now have time to begin writing another book. After all, isn't this the best part?)

Well, in closing for tonight, I hope you learned something new about the role an agent plays in publishing a book. Have a fabulous weekend, everyone! Tory