In memory of these shoes....

Yesterday, two icons from my childhood passed away.

I'll never forget running around the house pretending to be one of Charlie's Angels. My brother played the part of Bosley. (Yeah, he'd kill me if he knew I told.)

I'll also never forget when my mom won floor seats to a Michael Jackson concert. I wasn't a big fan of his, nor have I ever been, but she made me go with her. As it turned out, I was glad she did. That guy really knew how to put on a show.

My thoughts and prayers go out to both of their families.

On another note, the house across the street finally sold. It's been on the market for three years now. Back then, the housing market in my area was booming. Yet, the house didn't sell. Now, the housing market in my area is almost at a standstill, and it sells. Go figure!

It gives me hope. Despite the state of the publishing industry, all of us writers trying to get published have a chance. If the house across the street from me can sell in this market, perhaps our books can too!

Don't forget to enter your suggestion for the Name the Cute Little Guy contest. Click on the picture of the penguin in my side bar to enter. You have until Monday. Have a great weekend!

The Ugliest Shoes Ever!

That was the caption on this photo. I'd have to agree, but I guess beauty is in the eye of the beholder! The person wearing them must like them, right?

My friend recommended this book for me to read. I won't mention the title or author. (As usual, I don't want to offend anyone.) She loved the book, and we typically have the same taste when it comes to literature. So I thought for sure I'd like it, too. But I don't. I have been trying to get into it for over a month now, and I just can't. I have always finished every book I have ever started reading, but I'm not sure I will be able to finish this one. I'm only on page 128, and there are over 600 pages. The print is tiny, too. According to my calculations, it must be over 250,000 words. That's a lot of words! Especially when many of them are unnecessary adverbs and adjectives, and the voice is completely unbelievable.

My point is this, and I've made it before, the publishing industry (and apparently the shoe industry) is a highly subjective business. The author liked the book. An agent liked the book. A publisher liked the book. And some readers (like my friend) liked the book. I am curious, though, how many times was the manuscript rejected before it found its home?

I'd also really like to know how many times the design for these shoes was rejected before it found its home! The good news is that if these shoes can get manufactured, surely my book can get published!