Do you ever get bored by your daily grind?
I do. That’s why I wrote a sci-fi adventure after three real estate mysteries.
It’s also why I have some randomness planned for the blog for March. I’ve been “launching” Good, Clean, Murder for, like, ever and I am ready for a break! Enough with blurbs, pictures, games, and pitches. It’s time for something not the norm. (And it’s also time to get serious about writing that pesky little sequel!)
I’ll start March Random-ness with a video. 
Filed under not writing
I had the fabulous opportunity to be a guest blogger at http://blog.fit2b.us the most wonderful online yoga and pilates studio in the world.
Fit2b.us offers workouts in a wide range of intensities and even has videos to do with your kids.
But I’d say the best part of fit2b.us is the instructor, Bethany Learn. She’s a true, qualified professional. And she’s also a real true mom with a home and pets and a life. She totally understands what it is like to do yoga while the dog is running circles around you and the gerbil is rolling in his ball under your plank pose.
As nice as it is to find a real person instructing yoga and pilates, it is even better that Bethany really invests in her members. From the first warm welcome to her site to personally answering your fitness questions, she is dedicated to your fitness path.
Since joining the studio I haven’t stopped talking about it. And now I get to talk at the studio. So stop by and see what my New Year’s fitness journey has been like as I take on the role of guest blogger.
Filed under things I wrote elsewhere
Filed under Uncategorized
I am working on a short story right now. It’s a little something that landed like a thud in my brain one night. It hit me that it would make an impact and I thought I’d try and write it. (Clues to the story lie in the paragraph above but I believe you could never guess what it is really about.)
I’m not sure how it ends. Isn’t that the way? One thing I love about writing is that it has evolved for me into something very like reading. The story entertains me as it comes along. I do a bit of plotting before hand, draw an outline of the action for a novel, or a mental picture prompt for a short story. But writing the story surprises and entertains me as much as reading a new book does.
I hope to post this newest short story in the coming week–before 9/13. It plans to be a long one, around 3000 words.
I’m enjoying this short format as away to work on scene building and the details, which I hope to improve on in my coming novels. Since I am transitioning from playwriting I find I still rely heavily on dialogue. Also a benefit, building up a store of shorts gives me something for future contests and journals
I’m currently waiting in anticipation for word on the Talbots 6 word story/win a trip to Paris contest (as well as the Wordstock and Writers Digest short fiction contests.)
Until the fateful day I hear back (or never hear back) from said contests, writing (and Amazon.com royalties) will have to be its own reward.
Filed under Uncategorized
If you are wondering about the book for sale at the side of the page, here’s how I wrote about it (and myself) in a recent query letter.
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What has everyone had on their mind for the last three years? The economic crisis and the crushing loss of equity in their homes. The market is perfect for Foreclosed: A Mitzy Neuhaus Mystery.
The phones at Neuhaus New Homes Real Estate office had stopped ringing. For sale signs were stacked in the closet. It is the financial crisis of a lifetime and Realtors everywhere are starving. But Mitzy Neuhaus knows there is still money in town. Old Money. If Mitzy can break into that market she can keep her business running and keep her employees fed.
Mitzy has all of her wits trained on one house; If she can sell this mansion, her worries would be over. If only it were that simple. Mitzy finds herself up against the dual enemies of a handsome, egotistical business rival and her own outspoken self. Before she knows it her business, Christian witness, and the safety of the people she loves the most are all on the line. Is a personal grudge going to keep her from saving her business or is something far more dangerous getting in her way?
My writing credits include the one-act play “The Right Spirit” which was produced by Artist Repertory Theater of Portland, Oregon and received a Drammy Award, from the Portland theater community. Other experience includes the short story “The Proposal” which placed in the FreSch Scholarship contest. I wrote the office newsletter for Pregnancy Resource Center. Working in children’s ministry at church, I write my own curriculum and stories for children.
My novel, while not overtly religious, involves the spiritual life of the characters. This is a perfect fit with OakTara’s mission to publish books that introduce people from all walks of life to Christ.
I have a BA in history and a passion for real estate. In Foreclosed, Mitzy Neuhaus uncovers a dangerous mystery when she tries to sell a Victorian Mansion of unusual pedigree; as story line that combines my favorite subjects.
A Realtor works with people from across the spectrum and has access to their homes day and night, a perfect job for the amateur detective. The opportunities for crimes are endless. I see Mitzy Neuhaus Mysteries as a series of at least five novels. The second novel is tentatively titled Mid-Century Modern.
Thank you so much for taking the time to review my query. I look forward to hearing from you.
Traci Hilton
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Andrew Rothery's Web Comic
