A few updates and some writing!

Hello! Okay, so a few updates. I'm still waiting on this second publisher to get back with me. I've been in contact with them and they're 'sending their response' in the mail. It was posted Tuesday so I should be getting it any day now! (Don't mind me stalking my mailbox...) I have no idea if its a big FAT 'no' letter or if it's another contract to view, either way I'm excited to see because that means I either get to send in my other contract or potentially view another and then send it in. I am so ready to send in a contract and find out exactly when my book will be published. At this point, I don't even care if this other company doesn't like my manuscript, I'm just ready to get the ball rolling!

I've basically finished my second book, which is somewhat of a sequel to my first. It can be a stand alone but it's about one of the characters in my first book. I have a few changes to make and a ton of tweaking and I need to really focus on editing, but i'm taking a small break from it until I send in my contract for the first book. Then I'll work on getting the other ready to send in to be viewed! A lot goes into sending in a manuscript. Not only do I have to bust out an entire book but then I have to revise it (which is just as hard as writing it) and then edit. I truly hate editing. I just want to write and then have someone else fix all my grammar, haha!

I'm also working on another book and i'm so incredibility excited about it. I was originally going to post the prologue on here but I'm afraid that if a publisher wants to publish it as well, then they might not be happy about me posting some of it online. So i'll keep it tucked away for now. I think it's going to be pretty long. It's divided up into four summers, and I'm not even half way through the first summer yet and it's already at 10,000 words. Kind of exciting!

Here's a little writing from a graduate class. In less than 500 words (which is extremely difficult for me), we had to write a short scene regarding a modern-day family that travels to their town in a completely different time era. We were to 'flex our creative muscles' and it was a lot fun to write!

Copyright © by S.J. Sylvis

When Rev. John told my dad what was going on with our town, he knew we needed to bolt. He came straight home from the church, sweating profusely in his dress shirt and pants. He loosened his red tie and yelled at us all to pack a bag and meet him out front within five minutes. My mom demanded he tell her what was going on. 

"What is going on Rick?! Why are we packing a bag? Are you in trouble?" 

"Betty, do you trust me?" He asked her as a matter-of-fact. 

My mother just stared at him in the eyes, reading his expression. She looked at me and my little brother Jake and told us to hurry up, as she ran to the bedroom to pack her own bag. 

I later found out, through the hushed voices of my parents that they were coming. I kept asking who 'they' were, but no one would answer me. 

When we got to the old, brick church and ran inside, we were rushed to the basement and the Rev was standing there with a needle in his hand. He gave my dad a short, tight nod and that's the last thing I remember. 

When I woke up in the church basement, I was confused and disoriented. Everything looked the same around me except for my parents and Jake.

"Finally! We've been up forever, waiting on you."Jake threw his tiny seven-year old arms around my neck and squeezed tightly.

When I pulled away from him, I was confused at his choice of appearance. I glanced at my parents and their clothing confused me too. They were all dressed as if they were from the 50's. My mom was wearing a red skirt down to her knees, heels, and a black blouse. My father was wearing dress pants, along with suspenders, and my brother was in similar attire to my father, just a different color shirt. I felt like I was being punked. 

"What the hell are you guys wearing?" 

"Anna, don't cuss! This is a church!" My mother hushed me, which just lead to more confusion. "Listen, just act normal when we go outside. We're in the year of 1951. Don't ask questions. Just get dressed and let's go." My mother pushed me into the church pantry and there was a similar outfit to hers hanging up on the door. I slid the white blouse on, along with the light pink skirt and slipped the uncomfortable pink heels on my small feet all while being confused out of my mind.

When we walked outside, I almost fainted. The entire block was full of women wearing the same outfit as my mother and I. The cars on the road were just like those that would be in an classic car show. No one paid any attention to us as we shuffled down the street, passing by happy couples pushing infants in old fashioned strollers. Everything was different, even me.