The ripple in my pond

I got a rejection letter today.  *Sigh*.  Must have been the week for them.  Patty got one too.  And yes, there was a flash of disappointment as I recognised my own handwriting on the envelope.  A ‘yes’ would come by email or phone.  A ‘no’ always comes by mail.  It’s not that I am particularly surprised.  I always expected a lot of rejection letters before I got my big break (which is simply a ‘yes’ from anyone!).  But I struggle because I know this manuscript is good.  How do I know it’s good?  Apart from the fact I have been refining it for almost two years now, I have entered it in two competitions and have been shortlisted on both occasions.  I am confident it’s a good book – in fact, I think it’s more than a good book.  One of the feedback sheets I received from a judge confirmed this.  This anonymous-yet-published author stated that they felt the book was ready for publishing and it should be picked up soon.  They gave me full marks on every criterion.  So where do I go from here?  If the manuscript can’t be refined anymore, what next?

It’s written in the stars

I need to set the record straight.  I don’t believe in astrology.  Period.  The likelihood of my life being influenced by the orbits of heavenly bodies is about as likely as the quality of my day being determined by the dead cockroach I found in the kitchen this morning.  I believe in a Creator, someone who made the moon, the stars and the sky and hung them so beautifully in intricate patterns.  I believe that Someone started this earth spinning at just the right angle on its axis and gently set it in motion for the perfect orbit around the sun.  I’m pretty clear in my own mind when it comes to this.  So it might surprise you to find that there was something in the stars this week that I took as a clear sign…