Osiyo~
I finally have some truly blog-worthy news! (My life is boring.) On August 8th, or there about, one of my cps challenged us to write a chapter or more and enter it in the
Mills & Boon fast track. This is submit however much of a wip during that month, and they will return a response in that month. It made it possible to avoid all the mail my submission, wait for it to make it out of the slush pile (file 13 to those non writers who don't know what a slush is) and wait eternally. Like I don't have enough to do? Another story? There's absolutely NO WAY I can fit anything else...ok, fine. Tell me what to do, oh great leader.
Yep. I accepted the challenge regardless of everything else I had in progress. After all, it's just one chapter and I don't write medical so I'll send it in and forget about it because there's no way they will want it. What do I know about medicine? Not a lot...ok, nil, nothing! I know when I get sick I go to the doctor, and then usually regret going. But, I racked my pea brain for three days, not an iota of an idea coming to me. Finally, while ducking out of hubby's drywall mud path a niggling of an idea whispered in. What if the heroine is a veterinarian. One thing I do know some of is animal care, being a farm girl. The next thing that came to me was a skunk. Yep, a skunk. Then my cps helped me decide that my hero is a medi-flight EMT. I ran with that (before I could run from the room) and wrote one chapter. Just one. After all, that's all that was required of me and I still had other things to finish. Two weeks later I sent in my medical chapter to Mills & Boon. And forgot about it.
Two days later I got a response as promised (not the two days, but before the end of August). Seemed 'they' whoever that may be had read PDV and, I quote here, "thoroughly enjoyed! It was funny, sweet and fresh". Fresh! Of all the words in her email, that one popped out at me the most. We hear agents and editors all the time saying they want 'fresh material', new spins on old hats. I can help but envision the group of them sitting around one desk while she reads my chapter aloud to the office. They are laughing, crying and "thoroughly enjoying"
MY writing! Then earth slams up and smacks me between the eyes. The missive also said, "we'd be very interested in seeing the first three chapters"! Yikes!!! and double yikes! Three chapters, there ain't! I wrte
ONE, not three!
It took me three weeks of hard labor (I'd rather have another baby, hard) but I squeezed out another two chapters. I let my cp Twinkies tear it apart and then I sent the first three chapters to, get this...
my editor!... and went back to work on those patient other projects once more.
Two weeks passed with no word, not that I expected any, nope...not bull-headed me. One more day comes. Midday arrives along with my daily phone call from oldest daughter. While we chat I decide to check email. There in black and white is
my editor's name on an email. Here it comes... the inevitable rejection. The "Thanks, but we made a mistake, no thanks".
Daughter waits for me to open it and then I read it aloud without pre-scanning the contents. Oh, my, goodness!!! I reread...yep, sure enough.
My editor (I think I may forever write her title in italics, it's so cool!) is requesting...THE FULL!
She wants the whole shebang, the kit and the caboodle, the full whammy-shaker!
hears roaring applause whistles and cat calling
K, maybe that's in my head. Sorry.
But it has been an amazing 24 hours since I opened that email. I need to thank my wonderful CBC Twinkies for all your help and support, and for listening to me whine over this whole project. I especially want to thank Melinda, for causing this rollercoaster ride. (I will also blame you when I'm bald, honey.)
Thanks to all my writer friends for so many pats on the back and cheers for success. Sorry I made so many of you look like leprechauns, but you know I love green! Mostly, I need to thank
my editor (yes she has a name and I will use it 'when' she buys this book!) for this chance to show her what I can do with paper and pen, or monitor and keyboard. I appreciate this opportunity with all my happy dancing little heart. (Sheesh, the way I'm carrying on, you'd think I'd won the Rita or something...that's the next goal!)
So, does this mean I will be a published author very soon?
YES!!!! Realistically...no. It's not going under contract (yet), but I have to write the ms and send it to
my editor for a Christmas present. Not actually. That's my self-imposed deadline that she has graciously agreed upon. And then I'll be in indefinite waiting mode while I write something new, and she enjoys my book.
So, what does a London editor, a sassy veterinarian, and a too-hot-to-handle EMFT have in common?
Mwah!
In other news:
I just finished reading
Her Lone Cowboy by the talented Donna Alward.
This is the second brother in a two-book set. I fell in love with this wounded war hero from page one.And I know I will never be the woman this heroine is! I admire her fully. Great job Donna, and thanks for a delightful read!
Next from my teetering TBR stack? I'm in a toss between my contest win,
Michelle Willingham's Surrender to an Irish Warrior, and
Brenda Novak's first in the Perfect trilogy
The Perfect Liar.
Hmm, Hunky Irishman...great suspense...hunk...suspense... Tune back in two weeks for the answer to this dilemma. But don't forget to catch up between then and now, too!
Dodadagohvi~
