Queries - in progress

Sending queries means sending a letter to agents, telling them a bit about the novel, and asking if they would be interested in representing it (me/my heart and soul) to publishers. It's a lot like asking someone for a date. It's hard. It's vulnerable. There's rejection we're not supposed to take personally.

Workshopping plays gave me a rather thick hide. You have to learn to listen—not to everyone, but those you trust—and sift through their advice to find the nuggets that will make your story better.

Writers, hell, all artists, face rejection. I’ve known very talented writers, far better than I, who threw their manuscripts in the drawer after one rejection. (It was even a personalized, positive rejection.) Recently, one writer said it took her 120 queries before her book was accepted by an agent and subsequently published. Stephen King’s Carrie was rejected over 30 times before someone helped shepherd it into the world.

The first set of queries is out. Does anyone want to guess how many queries it will take to get a positive response from an agent? For the person who guesses the closest to the actual number, I'll write you a haiku. Send your guesses to the email address sending you this newsletter. That competition will end when an agent asks to talk.

Puro New Mexico

When you visit here, don't ask where the Mexican restaurants are—ask where the best New Mexican food can be found.

Just because we have enchiladas and burritos doesn't mean the food is Mexican. (Mexico is a country sitting at our border, and we love Mexican food.)

New Mexican food evolved from Indigenous foods, becoming a fusion of Spanish and, yes, Mexican flavors. What further sets our food apart is our passion for green and red chiles.

Character Influences

Meet Pearl, an orange tabby cat, companion to Sam and Amara Cudney (both writers with their own books).

Pearl served as a model for one of the characters in my book. Cat, not human, of course. She was adopted as a kitten from Española Humane, a great animal shelter, located north of Santa Fe.

Pearl has two older siblings, Siva and Rosie, who migrated from Hawaii to New Mexico. These two are semi-feral, refusing to change their outdoor Hawaiian lifestyle. For several years, they have somehow survived the coyotes who also live nearby. But then, Rosie is famous for having fought a wild boar on the Big Island.

Pearl is an indoor cat who is allowed backyard privileges. She is a bit of a special needs kitty, as one of her back legs doesn't work as you'd expect. Pearl limps because of it. Around the neighborhood, Pearl is often seen on walks with her humans, while in her cat (aka baby) carriage. Her leash training is in progress.

Yes, we have become those people.—Amara

Never underestimate a determined cat, however. Pearl shocked her companions one day when she leaped over a wall in pursuit of a bird. Thanks, Pearl, for the inspiration.

Stay kind and curious, friends.—JD

What's Important

Questions to ask your friends and neighbors— Are you okay? Do you have what you need?

Some stuff you can do, if you have a little extra—

• Fix something that needs repair

• Share meals, groceries, books, your phone number

• Leave some $$ with the restaurant manager, telling them it's for someone who needs something to eat

• Donate to your local food bank

• Ask your veterinarian/doctor/dentist/therapist if someone is in arrears on their bill, and pay part or all of it anonymously

• listen

People can be both hurting and proud. We don't always want to tell each other what's going on. Check-in. Pay attention. Let’s watch out for each other. We're all we've got.

For every meal a food bank provides, SNAP provides nine. There's no way we can meet that gap.—Jill Dixon, Executive Director, The Food Depot, located in Santa Fe and serving nine New Mexico counties.