Okay, so while it appears I've abandoned this blog, I just want to say that ...okay fine. I abandoned this blog. In my defense, I did try to write a post about our Christmas Tree debacle but it somehow got deleted and
But now I bring news. Some big time news. As in a book contract! Yep, that's right.
It's been a slog, albeit an enjoyable one. Over the years I've written several novels. Way too many novels. Like more than fifteen projects over 50k words. Some were decent, others not so much. Most were scrapped. Three or four became something. All were rejected.
Over the years I got discouraged. I still wrote, but more for myself. Still, on a whim, I pitched my favorite novel on #pitmad back in December. #PitMad is a pitch party on Twitter where writers tweet a 280-character pitch for their completed, polished, unpublished manuscripts. Agents and editors make requests by liking/favoriting the tweeted pitch.
So I received a like from Immortal-Works Press and sent off the query and first page. I wasn't overly excited. I'd played this game before. In fact, this project--some form of it, anyway--had gotten six likes and had been requested before.
But Immortal-Works rang a bell. I had worked with them when they read my flash fiction entry on their site. But again, I remained calm. Over the years, I've sort of learned not to get my hopes up
And them came a request for a full. The editor wanted to read more. That never-will-learn heart of mine kicked up a gear even as I told myself I wasn't getting worked up about it. I sent it in and forgot about it. No, I didn't.
Fast forward to two weeks ago. On a Sunday morning when I happen to check my email. Boom. The acquisition editor said she loved my book. She cried. Did I mention she loved my book? They would love to publish it.
Love to publish it.
Is this a joke? I actually sent that back. it's just been such a long road for this book.
But it's no joke. JUSTICE IN A BOTTLE has found a home.
It's only fitting that it's this one. Nita, my main character is my favorite of any I've ever written. Seriously, any other character and I would have given up on this sucker years ago. I've had agents tell me they liked the writing but didn't think it was okay for me to write this story. I've had people tell me the story is too grown up. I've been through tense changes, rewrites, edits and so many drafts. And now it's going to happen.
But it's going to take more work. More edits. More work to promote it. And I have my second wind.
My son, six now, looked at me and said he couldn't believe I was going to be an author. He's proud of me, and that's so cool. I think as parents we are always going to be proud of our kids. But it's just as important for them to be proud of us, right? So my son is proud of me. My wife is proud of me. Heck, I'm proud of me.
But i need to get back to work.
I'll keep you posted!
