So, I taught at the college today and hustled home before going to pick the kids up at school.  A big box sat on my porch.  Well, I figured it was the RWA books I’m supposed to judge for the RWA Rita contest.

It wasn’t.

The Magnificent Megan (Yes, I borrowed that term from Cynthia Eden, but Cynthia is right–our editor is awesome) grabbed some promotional copies of FATED for me.  Then, I held my first book in my hands.  Very cool.  The picture on the front is altered slightly from my coverflat – the woman has a couple of bite marks on her neck.  Oh yeah.  🙂

I may have gotten a little emotional when I lifted the first book out of the box.  Then it was pure excitement.  I held my book.  🙂  It’s been just over a year from “the call” when FATED sold.  (Remember it was called “Urban Bite”).  The year has been wonderful, and the book is about to be on the shelves.  (2/22/11).  It will be available on Kindle on 3/1/11.  Thanks to everyone who’s showed such wonderful support during this year…I really appreciate it.

Also, The Gourmet Way in Hayden is having a book launching/signing party on February 22nd from 4:00 to 7:00pm.  There will be wine, giveaways and some fun.  The public is invited and I hope to see all of you there.

I’ll have some contests and giveaways for signed copies of FATED coming up.  For now, I’m lining my copies up on my bookshelf and just admiring them.  🙂

Well, I’ve added the 20,000 words to Not Urban Bite – some backstory, some fleshing out and some foreshadowing for book two.  Oddly enough I enjoyed the heck out of adding to the story.

I spent some time on the phone with my agent yesterday discussing my other five books.  I learned something, too.  The stories she likes best are the ones I wrote for the heck of it.  Just for fun – just for me.  Not the ones I wrote with the publishing industry in mind.  Hmmm.

Also, I have two young adult books  (YA) that aren’t truly YA.  They’re adult books masquerading as young adult.  (And apparently not hiding very well).  This point was driven home the other day at Costco.  I was walking out the door, waiting for the lady to check my cart and give me the coveted yellow highlighted slash across my receipt, when two teens ahead of me had a conversation.  It went like this:

LOL

OMG

ROFLMAO

And I thought ‘WTF?’  Are they actually using texting acronyms to have a conversation?  It took every ounce of control I had not to bash their heads together to see if a complete word would pop out.  So, maybe I should stick to adult writing for now…

Okay – so I’m still reeling from the book deal.  My neice Kylie thinks I’m cool, and my cousin Neil thinks my picture with the cowboy hat is lame.

I need to add about 10,000 to 15,000 words to the book.  Both my agent and editor made broad suggestions – like, this character needs more depth or this character needs to be fleshed out.  Now I’m on my own to add depth and flesh out.  I’m not sure what the deadline is yet for these changes, though I do know the final draft must be in the editor’s hands by May 1st. 

I’d also really like to know the name of the book.  I called it ‘Urban Bite,’ but the publisher is changing it because ‘Urban Bite’ sounds too much like an urban fantasy novel, and my book is a paranormal romance.  I really don’t mind the name change, but would like to call it something other than ‘Not Urban Bite’ or NUB.  ‘NUB’ isn’t quite the connotation I’m looking for.  So, I’m not sure when that happens.  Hopefully soon.

And I need to start thinking about books two and three.  Maybe come up with an outline for them.  However, I don’t outline – or plot.  I just sit and write.  Though I think I will do full character sketches for book two – maybe then my characters will have fleshed-out depth from the get-go.  🙂  Also, I think Neil should get a cowboy hat for his birthday this year.  Though he’d probably put it through the washing machine by accident.   Tune in to see what happens next…

Welcome to my blog!  I thought it would be interesting to follow the path from book sale to publication – since I have no idea what to expect next.  First, a bit about my year of writing.  I’ve always wanted to be a writer, so last December (08)  when we were snowed in, I thought maybe it was time to actually write something.  I wrote a book.  Then I wrote another one.  Then…I started the querying process.  Eeek.  Lots of ups, lots of downs.  Those rejections are not fun.

I had a book called Urban Bite about feuding vampires, and I didn’t really query it because rumor had it that vamps were out.  But, as I sat at my desk on Dec. 10th, 2009 – it was either jump on the treadmill or send a couple of email queries out.  Email won.  The next day I received a request for a partial (first 50 pages) from an editor at Kensington Publishing.  I sent it.

The following Tuesday the emails went as follows:

9:00 am – partial request from an agent (now my agent)

9:30 am – full manuscript request from the editor (now my editor)

1:00 pm – Full request from agent

The next day:  Offers from both editor and agent.  I signed with the agent, they negotiated, and now I have a three book deal with Kensington for the first book to be released early in 2011.  They’re calling the series, “The Realm Series.”  So, what happens now???  Check back and we’ll find out together.