Time to Tie It UP!

If you're wondering about the title, check out how many posts Randomocity has and then how many What's Under the Kilt? has. 21 each as of this post! Of course, if I go back to Scotland, that may change... Anyway...

I didn't post at all last week because of a lot of reasons, number one being that the wireless internet in my sorority house was supposed to be fixed, but instead, it just go SO much worse. Worse as in I haven't had access to the internet for more than 5 minutes at a time in my room for over a week. Worse like that.

That's just ONE of the reasons that last week was the week from Hell. Want to know the others? Here's a full list...

1. No reliable internet
2. Other chairs for the musical competition NOT doing their jobs in any way and therefore making mine that much tougher (I want to shoot something)
3. Napier was not replying to my e-mails, but I finally got that taken care of
4. My iTunes account got hacked and I had to wait until their stupid office hours to report the hack
5. My iTunes account was then disabled
6. Girls in my sorority are A) putting pressure on me to place since we didn't last year and B) asking why I cut the script this way or that and being rude about it
7. I broke the middle finger of my left hand

There are two more personal reasons, but that's the gist. One more and I'd have an even 10. So I'm hoping this week will be better, but considering my luck, I doubt it. Awesome, huh?

Sorry for the negativity, but I barely made it through last week. I think I held about five breakdowns at bay. Still in the process of holding them back. I need to get through this competition and then I think I can breathe. It's really March 1st that I need to get to. Also looking for an internship, preferably in Nashville, preferably in the hospitality industry. But that I can do myself. The competition is the biggest thing because I literally have no control over the cooperation of the other houses and I don't know how to motivate them!

OK, so you want to know what my To-Do list said last week?
Tuesday: rehearsal
Wednesday: rehearsal
Thursday: rehearsal
Friday: go home
Saturday: come back
Sunday: DESTROY WORLD

I don't remember writing Sunday's task, but it didn't happen. Don't worry. The world is not destroyed... yet.

On the plus side, no internet means that I've been writing a LOT. Made it well past 200 pages and almost at 54,000 words!

I really don't have much to say. I apologize for the negativity both here and on Facebook, but sometimes you just need to vent, you know? OK, well here's the random tidbit for the day. Boogers!

Last thing: The competition ends tomorrow! Can you help me?

http://www.facebook.com/photo.php?fbid=10150360442630182&set=o.21508152068

This is Kate Brown signing off...

Stay random!

Quick Update

Hey, if y'all want, you can go to the link posted below, Like the page (Topdeck Travel) and then Like the picture that I posted. Please? You'll help me get closer to winning a trip to Australia or New Zealand. The contest ends Jan. 31st.

http://www.facebook.com/photo.php?fbid=10150360442630182&set=o.21508152068

I need over 350 Likes to win. I was looking through the other entries and the one I saw with the most had 350 Likes. I have 407 friends on Facebook, so you'd think I could beat that, right?

Please help me!

Thanks! Kate Brown, signing off...

Stay random!

We're baaaaaaack!

Somehow, the second word in the title for this post doesn't come across as creepy as it is supposed to. I tried.

Not much has changed. I will say that my dad's lawyer is currently reviewing the contract from the aforementioned publisher (the one from just before New Year's Eve) and we'll see how that goes. So there's still a chance of publication within the next six months or so. Again, I'll try to keep you posted... No pun intended. Or was there?

I'm back to school now. Had my first real day of classes today. My last first day. WOOHOO! Yeah, I'm stoked. I'm still working out the kinks, though. Edinburgh Napier University are still idiots and I've had a problem with a course I'm supposed to be enrolled in, but not. But now it's closed and I have to get an override. Ugh. I don't know how it happened, either. I swear I was enrolled before the break, but now? Nuh-uh.

*Breath*

OK, back to normal, sort of. Got a new room in the house and I took pictures, but I think the layout's gonna change again anyway. I'm not sure I like it. TV is in the wrong place. Pictures on the walls aren't staying well (because of the paint, not the wall). Here are some hastily taken pictures (taken via iPhone!)



OK, so I'm totally having déjà vu in the extreme. I feel like I've seen that Scottish flag on my wall BEFORE I put it up there. This is so weird.

Oh well. Onward! DINNER! Breakfast for dinner. As my friend, Dilan, pointed out, it's BRINNER! I'm stoked. This is Kate Brown signing off. Remember...

Stay random!

New things!!!

OK, so here's an update on my roller coaster of a life.

First, I decided not to go with this agency either. Yes, hopes up and then dashed. Trust me, I hate it too. It's killing me and that's not an exaggeration. HOWEVER, I have submitted to more agencies and am constantly improving the story as we speak (or rather type/read) so even if the current queries get negative replies, that's fine. I'll just resubmit to them again! MUAHAHAHAHAHAHA! Wait... That evil laugh? Ignore it. I swear I'm not some evil mastermind bent on world domination... or am I? *eyebrows waggle suggestively*

Second, as you can see from reading the previous paragraph, I've gone completely insane. Not just the half-insane that any writer needs to be, but full on crazy. No worries, though.

Third, and I have to announce this here because I feel like once it's in writing, I'll actually succeed, I am going to try NutriSystem after a week of being back at school. I'm waiting until then so that I can get settled and into a bit of a routine before starting. Plus it's gonna be a crazy first week back. I'm going to do my best to work out when I can, but because of that damn tendinitis in my knee, I can't do cardio like I want to. So Wii Fit, it is! Among other things.

Fourth, and this is AWESOME, I am chair for my sorority of a competition which involves basically every NPC, IFC, and NPHC house on campus. It's a musical competition and I've busted my butt this winter break to get the script and music cuts ready. I'm so stoked! And we're going to DOMINATE! Not only do we have awesome girls, but we're paired with two awesome fraternities and a great NPHC sorority! WOOHOO!

Fifth, if you happen to talk to Edinburgh Napier University, will you tell them to get my damn transcript to the UofA and NOT to me? Dumbasses won't respond to my freaking e-mails. Bastards. I told them to send the transcripts to Faytown and not to me, but what did they do this summer? You guessed it. Those papers came straight to good ol' Overland Park, KS. Did I mention they're dumbasses? Cuz they are.

Sorry for that rant. I believe that is all for now. Tons to do and little time in which to do it and still take care of the necessities in life. Look for the bare necessities, the simple bare necessities... *whistles the rest of the song*

Oh, sorry. Are you still here? My bad. This is Kate Brown, signing off. And remember...

Stay random!

Still a good new year...

OK, so if you are friends with me on Facebook, you probably already know that I've reconsidered the publisher mentioned in my previous post. In looking at reviews by clients/authors of theirs, I found that this publisher just isn't what I'm looking for. They have many poor reviews and few good ones.

Yes, that's bad, but on the bright side, I received a reply today from an agency, which is different than a publisher. For those of you who don't know, a literary agency is there to help promote your book to publishers. It opens doors that would be closed to an author without an agent. You see, many publishers do not accept unsolicited manuscripts, which means those doors? Closed to me. But WITH an agent... YAY! More open doors... and windows and trap doors, too. Can't forget those.

So here's the deal: this agency is going to review my manuscript (the full, newer version that I just sent) and they should get back to me within 7 to 10 days. In reading reviews I saw that, if I sign a contract, and they DON'T sell my book within 90 days, there is a part of the contract which states that the contract then becomes null and void. So if it doesn't work out, I'm not obligated to stay with them after 90 days. And their usual percentage is only 10% which doesn't exactly seem steep, right?

Anyway, I know I got my hopes up (and possibly yours), but I feel that this is the way to go and I still have a good feeling going into this. Thoughts? I'm open to opinion!

That's all for now. I'll try to keep everything posted... Twitter, Facebook, and soon... YOUTUBE! I've already done two vlog's, but haven't posted them yet because I kind of think they suck, but once I get more information, I'll start posting them. OK, I'm really done now. Remember...

Stay random!

What a Happy New Year It Is

So first off, HAPPY NEW YEAR!!! Hope you're all partying safely and having a ton of fun.

Second, I got the BEST phone call of my life yesterday, hands down. A certain publishing company called about a certain manuscript written by a certain aspiring author... I think we all know who that is, right? No? Well, OK... IT'S ME!

Yep, so I still have to look over and sign a contract, etc, but it's basically in the works as we speak. NOW, before you ask, I HAVE looked at the company and have decided that it is my best option currently. So, why have I not signed yet? Cuz mumsy and daddy wish to peruse said sample contract and then we'll discuss it and see if any changes need to be made. While I understand way more than I did before taking Hospitality Law last semester (OK, yes it was helpful in THIS way), I still can't say I would catch or think of everything. Dad's a good person to go to for that sort of thing. He's smart. I think I'll keep him.

Anyway, I'm stoked to really get working on it. Oh, what is it called, you may ask? The Rose Legends: Found (Book One). It's the first in a series! A series of six. Yeah, that's a LOT. I know. And I haven't yet finished all of the other books... So I'm working on them. But book one is my priority.

YAY! Thanks for sharing in my random excitement. Happy New Year once more and enjoy it!

Stay random!