I Ain't No One-Hit Wonder, Baby!

Big news for my writing career yesterday. I got "THE CALL" again!! Harlequin Intrigue has contracted me to write not one, but FOUR more books for them.

When I got the call the first time back in June, selling Primal Instinct, one of the things my new editor said was "So whatcha working on currently? Hurry up and get a proposal into us soon so we can get another book in the works."

Well, never being one to do things the easy way, I decided I would send Intrigue a multi-book proposal, rather than just a boring (but probably much wiser) single-book proposal. You know, since I had so much writing experience and...stuff. I worked frantically through June and July and sent it off to them, unsure of its strength or if it was what they really wanted at all. Newbie fears.

Honestly, I had a daily expectation of receiving some sort of email from Intrigue along the lines of: "Hey new kid, don't get too big for your britches. Just one book please. Who do you think you are?"

But they didn't. In September I got an email from my editor saying she thought I had "done a great job" on the proposal and that she was sending it up the chain for final approval. And I got the word yesterday: they want all four books. Crazy!

Thanks True Lies.

Each of the books I proposed was a stand-alone, but they all dealt with the Branson siblings -- three brothers and a sister -- who find their lives and hearts in peril. They are all connected to S.H.I.E.L.D Omega Sector, a covert inter-agency task force made up of the most elite agents our country has to offer.

Fun stuff. I rub my hands with glee every time I think about it. Lots of possibilities for great twists and mayhem. And, of course, falling in love.

All four books are scheduled for 2015 release: January and February then May and June. This gives me a couple month break from promoting during their release -- I'll need it.

The multi-book proposal involved me writing: 

1. A one-paragraph description of all four books and how they fit together (in this case, four siblings who are also involved with Omega Sector).
2. A brief synopsis (2-3 pages each) of books 2-4.
3. A full synopsis (7-10 pages) of book 1.
4. The first three chapters of book 1.
5. The potential back-cover blurbs for all four books (this wasn't actually required, but since I had them, I sent them anyway). 

I'm excited about all four of these stories (I'll post the blurbs soon) -- I believe they all have the potential to be great, if I can do them justice. But having to write four books (well really 3.25 books, I already have the first one 3/4 done) in ten months is daunting.  Plus, did I mention the whole Ironman Triathlon thing? Yikes. 2014 is going to be a busy year.

Time to hit the writing cave. Maybe I can set up my treadmill there.

The Road to Publication - What Happens After "The Call"

So, evidently once you write a book and the publisher accepts it and agrees to publish it, you have to do more than just sit there and wait for the royalty checks to come rolling in.

Go figure.

Since I got “the call” a couple of weeks ago that Harlequin wants to publish my book, I’ve had to convince my four kids (and some of my most-supportive/naive friends, bless them) that I am not going to be famous just because I publish one book.  Kiddo #3 wanted to know if people were going to stop me on the street and want my autograph (and, you know, perhaps his too…  since he’s my son).

I think I put the issue to rest by taking them to the library and pointing out the 1000s of books there. Could they picture the face of one single author enough to be able to recognize him or her in the street and ask for an autograph?

Kiddo #3 again: Sure, Mom. You. I love that kid. Seriously.

The point is, I don’t think there’s any danger of the paparazzi following me around any time soon. Or ever.  As a matter of fact, this is the most accurate statement I’ve seen about writing in a long time:

But don’t get me wrong, it’s still exciting.  Especially on days like today:  I received my request from Harlequin to complete the Art Fact Sheet for my book .  

 They need all sorts of details. A brief synopsis. Detailed description of the characters, settings, and themes (which, interestingly, are from choices in a pull down menu --  evidently, there really isn’t anything new under the sun).  They even want celebrity look-alikes for my characters, if I can provide them.  Um, you mean like Shane West?

Hehehehe. No problem.  

I also have to write a couple of scenes, not that necessarily happen in the manuscript itself, that capture the book’s essence.  All of this to give the artists an idea of what my book is about because they don’t actually read it. Which I guess is right, but not what I expected. I'm so excited to see what they come up with. But that probably won't be until near the end of 2013.
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I also have to create an Online Retailer Biography - info sent to booksellers such as Amazon, Barnes & Noble, etc. and will appear on their websites about me when my book is released. They want to know everything that can be known about me!!  In 500 characters or less.  :-)

Next week, I head to Atlanta for the Romance Writers of America national conference. I’m excited that I’ll be able to meet my editor face-to-face, as well as a number of writing friends I’ve been talking to for months now.  I’ll get to attend multiple writing workshops, a Harlequin-author-only dinner, and even a… pajama party?  Ummmm… okay.

It’s a little nerve-racking, navigating this road to publication. But exciting most of all.

"The Call" - I'm Going to be a Published Author!

I got “the call” today. It’s official, Harlequin is going to publish my novel See No Evil (although the title will probably change) as part of their Intrigue line!!!!  The book will be on shelves in April 2014.

To give you an idea of what Intrigue covers look like. :-)

It has been a long journey just to get to this point. The Harlequin eBoards has been a place of constant support for me over the last year. Published and aspiring authors convene there to rejoice, commiserate and sustain each other during the highs and lows of publishing navigation. We pass the virtual chocolate (or in my case, cream-cheese frosting) during rejections and throw virtual parties when someone receives an offer for publication.

Today was my party! And my online friends have requested my “call story.” What can we say? We’re romance writers. We love to hear of someone being swept off their feet and carried off into the sunset bookstore shelves.

It starts back in May of 2012, when the Harlequin Intrigue editorial team had a writing contest. They wanted unpublished writers to send a back-cover blurb of a potential book, as well as a 100-word snippet from the work itself. They would choose the top 5 and ask to see more. This is the blurb I sent:

Ten years ago Adrienne Jeffries was a profiler for the FBI with a talent so remarkable she became known as the bloodhound -- someone who could sense and track evil. But the price she paid for her abilities was too high, costing her almost everything. So she left the Bureau with no intention of ever returning.

FBI Agent Conner Perigo is trying to catch a killer who has eluded his team at every turn. He will use any means available -- including an unwilling ex-profiler with some sort of hocus-pocus abilities -- if it means finally getting ahead of the killer. What he doesn't expect is his attraction to Adrienne or his desire to protect this vulnerable beauty.

And she needs his protection, especially now that it seems the killer has targeted Adrienne as his next victim.

I was chosen for the top 5. After a chat room meeting with the editor discussing more details of the book, she requested a partial, which is a synopsis and first three chapters. I sent those in June.

In October, I received  (via snail mail) my request from Harlequin Intrigue for my FULL MANUSCRIPT. For those who don’t hang out in the Harlequin eBoards, a full request is a big deal. No publication offer is coming unless you first have a request for the full manuscript.  Of course, no offer may come even if they do…

So I took about six weeks to complete and polish my manuscript and sent it off in mid-December. 

Then the waiting game began again. The general rule of thumb is that it will take up to six months to hear back from an editor.  It’s hard. I even heard the story of a lady who had sent her manuscript, waited six months, emailed the editor only to find out it had never been received at all.

Never been received at all? I woke up in the middle of the night in February in a panic. What if the editor hadn’t received my manuscript at all like the other lady?  (That this had only happened one time of the 1000s of manuscripts received by Harlequin, made no difference to my psyche – don’t interrupt my neurotic fit with facts and logic!) I ran downstairs to look at December’s snail mail receipt signature from their office.

It was signed by Bob. Unreadable last name.

Bob.

Although I was sure Bob Nolastname was stellar at his job and not just some homeless NY person who had wandered in off the street and taken refuge in the Harlequin mail room, I decided maybe I better double check. Not having a direct phone or email address, back onto the Harlequin eBoards I went. I finally posted under “Ask the Editors” section asking what I should even do.

Allison Lyons, Intrigue line editor, responded directly. She had my manuscript on my desk and was currently reading it.

Yay! – she had it! Terror!! – she was reading it!

At the end of April, Allison Lyons contacted me again. She liked See No Evil and wanted to pass it up to the Senior Editor for possible acquisition. So up to the Senior Editor it went. Finally the person who would ultimately decide.

At the Smithsonian just before The Call

Time slowed to an almost halt as I waited to hear.  Each Monday I said to myself (and anyone around who would listen): THIS is the week I will hear from Intrigue. I said that to myself for SEVEN Mondays. I checked my email incessantly, hoping for word.

Finally, this week we took a family trip to Washington DC for a couple of days. I decided I wouldn’t take my laptop or iPad or anything that would ping me when I got an email.  If Intrigue emailed me, it would be there when I got back.

Ends up they didn’t email. Allison, the editor from Intrigue, called. I didn’t recognize the number, but I answered.

So there I was in the middle of the dinosaur exhibit in Smithsonian Museum of Natural History – surrounded by dozens of blaring children – receiving one of the most important phone calls of my life.

Intrigue wanted to buy my book and hopefully publish more of my works in the future!

We didn’t talk for long, between my giddiness and all the T-Rex madness, it was hard to converse effectively. But Allison was very gracious and enthusiastic.

Before we hung up, her last words were: Welcome to the Intrigue Family. 

I feel like little orphan Annie running around Daddy Warbucks house:

"I think I'm gonna like it here!!!"