Last day before the new year. Where the hell did the time go? I'm looking forward to the next year, hoping it will bring as much luck in publishing as 2009 did. I've got a lot of stuff in the works, and I hope you all will be able to enjoy it sooner rather than later. I hope you have a safe and wonderful New Year!
If anyone is interested, my friend Lyn, who owns Residential Aliens, has produced their first print issue. He has been kind enough to publish several of my short stories, and I'm sure the magazine will be chocked full of wonderful stuff. You can check it out here: http://www.resaliens.com/subscriptions/
I'm pretty excited. I received a letter in the mail yesterday asking for more chapters of my nonfiction book. It seems odd that they want to keep seeing chapters, but they haven't said no yet, so I consider myself lucky. The letters are really nice because they give me pointers on how to make the book better, which I don't think they would do if they were going to say no. Even if they do, like a friend pointed out (thanks, Tamara), they have given me everything I need to make it appeal to another publisher. Hopefully by the new year I will have a definitive answer!
I hate the dentist. Good gravy I really hate the dentist. I know that not a lot of people out there like the dentist, but I remember a time when it didn't bother me to go. I have pretty healthy teeth (I'm 31 and have had only one cavity), so I haven't had a lot of painful work done. As I was lying in the chair today, I kept thinking about when I was a kid and how I used to love how slick and clean my teeth felt after my visit. Now, my gums are bleeding and my mouth is sore. The dental hygienist is just mean. I know it's my fault for not flossing like I should, but do they really have to gouge your gums? You would think that with all the advances in medical technology they would find an easier way to remove plague. Why do they still insist on using a pointy metal scraper?
I'm pretty excited because the local newspaper decided to do a story about me. I'm kind of disappointed, though, because they revealed my alter ego. It was fun to be anonymous, but I'm not anymore! Oh, well. I suppose it was bound to happen sooner or later!
I took the plunge: I joined Facebook. I already had an account on myspace, but I didn't do too much with it because I couldn't figure it out. I joined Facebook at the behest of a friend. So far, I've reconnected with a few high school friends that I don't really remember. Weird how Facebook works like that.
I had a pretty good Thanksgiving week last week. I received an acceptance, a request for more material, and two rejections. The acceptance was for an anthology Sonar 4 Publications is putting out, and I'm very excited about it. The request was for a nonfiction book I am working on, and the rejections were from agents. One of them was pretty bizarre. Here is what the email said:

Thanks so such for querying us, but we are unsure that this premise would work in this tight market. All said we would encourage you to do what many of our clients have done prior and self- publish with a reputable, and recommended, publisher. This is a new age in publishing, and as evidenced time and time again, neither The New York Times bestsellers list nor major booksellers discriminate against the self published. Oftentimes, authors choose to get proactive in order to build a sales record and boost their chances of being picked up.

I would like your permission to pass along your information to someone who can help you get started on your path towards getting published. If you are ready to become proactive about your career we will let them know more details about your manuscript and how to get into contact with you. There are a lot of publishers that seem to have gotten the better of new authors, the two that we refer you to are not of that ilk, they have had a number of successes.


I was a little flabbergasted when I read that, and I couldn't understand why an agent would recommend being self-published. I do not necessarily think self-publishing is bad, but I don't need an agent to send my stuff to a self-publisher. I can send my own stuff. Are they getting kick-backs from the companies? I didn't request any more info, so I don't who they would have recommended. And why wouldn't they have recommended an independent/small publishing house? They are probably even more reputable/acceptable in the publishing world than a self-publisher. It's strange.

Plus, if they had even bothered to read my query, they would have found that I already have a small/independent publisher. Why the hell would I need a self-publisher? Besides, I'm not looking for a PUBLISHER, I'm looking for an AGENT. Oh, well. I just cut my losses and moved on.
Pembroke Sinclair's books on Goodreads
Life After the Undead Life After the Undead
reviews: 55
ratings: 100 (avg rating 3.64)

The Appeal of Evil The Appeal of Evil (The Road to Salvation, #1)
reviews: 38
ratings: 63 (avg rating 3.54)

Wucaii Wucaii
reviews: 32
ratings: 35 (avg rating 4.11)

Death to the Undead Death to the Undead (Sequel to Life After the Undead)
reviews: 20
ratings: 39 (avg rating 4.23)

Dealing with Devils Dealing with Devils (The Road to Salvation, #2)
reviews: 22
ratings: 32 (avg rating 4.00)