I’ve been querying agents for both The Abandoned and Seven Minutes to Midnight, and have met with what appear to be form rejections:

Thanks for your query, but I’m sorry to say I’m not the right agent for your book. I wish you the best of luck in your search for representation.

and

Thank you so much for querying us with your project. Unfortunately, we did not feel it was the right fit for our agency at this time. Thanks again for thinking of [name of agency removed] and we wish you nothing but the best in your publishing career.

 That is, when they actually respond (some of them haven’t).  Well, not much to do but sent them on to another, hopefully more receptive, agent and get back to writing.

Lately I’ve been working on a rewrite of The Wolven: Animal Nature (that book I’ve already written twice?  that book I thought I’d lost to the computer gods?).  I’m on chapter three and I have to say that I think it’s definitely going in a good direction.  I realized that I was so unhappy with the first two drafts because basically it was all plot and no characterization.  Sure, the characters had some traits, but then they never behaved in accordance with those traits… which becomes a problem because essentially the story can go anywhere, because the characters are not making decisions based on who they are.  They’re just doing whatever the hell they want. 

I’m going to say that I was inspired in how I am rewriting by Stephenie Meyer.  Stephen King can knock her all he wants, but she’s created some very powerful characters that have affected a lot of people (throwing plot aside).  So I’m dwelling a lot on how the characters feel and their reasoning for their decisions in this draft.  This not Twilight with werewolves, but hopefully my characters won’t be random people who describe themselves as shy then behave in an outspoken way.

I also started working on a short story I started several years ago.  Haven’t gotten too far.  I think I need to read some Edgar Allan Poe or something to really get in the mood for this story.  Still working on some edits for The Abandoned between sending it out.  Melissa wants me to hurry up and write the sequel for Seven Minutes to Midnight, but I haven’t been too interested in doing that–I’ve only written a couple of pages.