A Lament for Copper

courtesy of BBC America

Certain TV shows are food for my muse. Others are pure eye candy. Others feed my love of history. Sometimes, all three converge. Like in Copper on BBC America.

While watching Doctor Who last fall they kept advertising Copper, set in NYC in 1864, just after the draft riots. Civil War? In a BBC costume drama? SO there! I was hooked from the first episode.

Then the lead actor, Tom Weston-Jones, became A'yen, my space opera hero. I pretty much screamed when a second season was announced, and waited not so patiently for it to start airing this summer. I'm totally invested in the show, the characters, the sets, the costumes, the relationships. Totally. Invested.

Then last week I find out it's not getting a third season. This wouldn't usually be a problem, except BBC America pulled a Sci-Fi Channel on Farscape and announced it AFTER filming wrapped on the season finale. I recorded it Sunday night because I was Fringe binging with my sister, and watched it last night.

Come on, BBCA! You can't do this to me and Copper's fans! You can't put Richie and Lola's bodies into barrels, leave them on the floor of Paradise, have Eva nowhere to be found, and call that a series finale. You just CAN'T. Not when I'm totally convinced Eva's baby is actually Corky's and Corky still hasn't fully made up with Francis.

Kudos for wrapping up the second season arc and answering the questions about why Corky, Morehouse, and Matthew are bonded together. It was an amazing setup with Eva's disappearance and Tammany Hall for a third season. And now you won't give us one.

I'm upset, BBCA. Very upset.

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What Happens At A Writing Conference

I'm lucky enough to be in an organization for writers that hosts an amazing conference every year. I'm even luckier that I've been able to go seven times. Yes. I've been to SEVEN writing conferences. Each one has been unique and memorable, with new things learned I can immediately apply to my writing.

It's in September every year and is the highlight of my year. This year I wasn't sure if I would make it, but the money all appeared, I found the cheapest plane ticket I've ever seen out of my local airport, and off I went on Friday the 13th to Indianapolis.

This was the second time this conference has been in Indy. Last time was in 2010, which was a really bad year for me. A lot's happened since then, including me finishing almost four 95K+ novels and switching markets.

A couple of things really stand out. First was James Scott Bell's Quantum Story class all day Saturday. One of the best classes I've ever sat through and I have more notes from that one class than my last four conferences combined. New ideas flowed, a couple more things clicked. And then he got to the last forty-five minutes of the class where he talked about the secret to unforgettable fiction.

He put it in one word. Joy. Find your writing joy, and your fiction will be unforgettable. Well, I found my joy last May when A'yen walked into my head. It just took eight months to see it, and another four to finally make the decision to totally cross over and enter the ABA market.

The other thing to stand out was getting a chance to talk for a few minutes, TWICE, with the agent I've been courting for the last year. I was able to run my next idea by her, get some great feedback, and she advised taking one particular element out. Which I promptly did and WOW. The entire world fell into place and I'm even more excited about it than I was before. More details coming on it later.

As always it was an amazing experience. So much laughing, brainstorming in person, introducing John Barrowman to people who have never had the pleasure of gazing on his handsome face, and nowhere near enough sleep. Lack of sleep is part of the experience. And more than a few God moments, which for me are very important. It's very cool to have attended a Christian conference, in a market I used to write in, and receive confirmation--amidst so many talking about how Christians must write only Christian fiction--that crossing over is the right thing for me to do.

My writing self is re-energize and rejuvenated for another year. And more than ready to keep honing my craft and write books people can't put down.

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