Vigilant Silver Fox

Today, I munched on my very first garden grown tomato.  The taste of this freshly picked, firm, fleshy fruit is a great addition to any culinary dish.  As I prepared my lunch, I teased my palate with the bottom slice of the tomato. Oh, the cool watery texture was sweet.   Placing thin slices upon cream cheese, hummus, and avocado made my sandwich a gourmet treat.  The rich red color made my lunch a visual portrait. Yummy! This summer delight almost didn't happen. My husband and I decided not to plant our annual large vegetable garden. The rationale for this decision was driven by the following forces:   First, we live in the Intermountain West. We have to wait until after Memorial Day to even think about anything more than beets, carrots, or any tuber that might survive the Spring frost.    Secondly, June mysteriously was over-scheduled with workshops, reunions, and other travels.     And of course, we had new projects requiring more time f

The process of tracking your query letters requires planning. If you want to build a table or set up a tracking system in EXCEL, you owe it to yourself to check out  QueryTracker ™ (   www.querytracker.com  ). It is a free site offering writers the opportunity to learn more about publishers and agents while keeping track queries. QueryTracker ™ currently has 1829 literaty agents and 173 publishers on its data base. It is user friendly.   It offers a premium level for a fee. I have not chosen it. I am still learning about the steps involved in submitting my manuscript. This site will give you the opportunity to explore the submission expectations of agents and publishers. Not all submissions requirements are equal. You need to be prepare to have the following documents ready for each submission situation: "The Query Letter" - If you think you have accomplished a miracle writing your first novel, you haven't made your bread and butter until you master the art of the