The Steam Room

Two years ago, Letting Go, my very first published novel, came out. I remember when I read that first email from Siren asking me to rewrite it in third person. (You thought I was going to say it was an acceptance letter. Ha! It wasn't a rejection letter, and that was all that mattered.) It had originally been written in first person from Sabrina's point of view. They wanted me to add some scenes from Jonas's point of view. I remember staring at the screen, thinking, "It's her story. Should I make the changes?"

It didn't take very long for that thought to morph into "How hard could that be?" The request was phrased in a very positive and encouraging way. They loved the story, but their house style demanded some changes. I thought about it for about a day, and then I sat down and began rewriting my story from the beginning. You might think all I had to do was change the pronouns, and you'd be wrong. I learned a lot about how point of view affects the kinds and tenses of verbs you can use and the kinds of observations a character can make. Sabrina was originally one intuitive woman. I tried to bring that out in the rewrite.  In the end, I thought it was a strong story. Personally, I still prefer it in first person, even though I do like the addition of the scenes from Jonas's viewpoint. When the rights revert to me, I plan to make some changes, expand the ending, but I'm on the fence about changing it back to the first person point of view.

I sent it back within three weeks -- did I mention that I'm a workaholic? -- and I had an offer for publication within two weeks. Ironically, I got the offer from Siren the same day I got a rejection from another publisher.  I was told to expect an April 2010 publication date. They sent my first round of edits in late December. I whizzed through them, only banging my head against the wall a few times, and Siren asked if I wanted to move my date up to February 2010. I wasn't going to refuse!

I was so excited. The day they sent my cover, I couldn't stop staring at my computer. It's one of Jinger Heaston's best.

Amazon Buy Link       BookStrand Buy Link

Readers have said some really nice things about this book, both in the reader reviews (see Amazon and My Earnest Reviews at BookStrand) and in letters they've written to me. At first I thought they were being nice, but then I realized that people who review don't pull their punches. Some of my other books weren't as well-received, so that underscores how much people liked this one.

What did I learn from this experience? Many things. I'll share a few:

1.  Siren is about the best place for a new author to start out. They are so supportive, and the author's group is just bursting with experienced authors who answer questions and cheer for you. I've made some strong connections and some good friends.

2. Promotions is a difficult undertaking because there's no proven or effective way to do it. I stopped wasting my time doing promotions. Now I just write. I may appear at another blog or do a radio show, but that's more for personal enjoyment. Plus, I got to talk to Tymber Dalton on the phone. How cool is that? Even my mother is a fan. (BTW- my mother's favorite book of mine is Irrepressible Force.)

3. People really, really, really connect with Sabrina. That makes me happy because she's a lot like me, and I like to be liked. (Who doesn't?) Almost all the letters I get are about Letting Go. Some people tell me they enjoyed it. Others share personal stories. Many ask me to write a sequel.

During the spring of 2011, I didn't have any works in progress. I sat back and took stock of the ten novels I'd published. Some things I'm proud of. Some, not so much.  I promised myself that I would only put out stories I loved from that point forward. I wrote a lot over that summer -- 3 novellas and a full-length novel -- and I loved each of them. Yes, Justin and By My Side have already been released. Out of My League will come out Feb 21st, and Re/Bound is scheduled for spring. Loose Id tells me it'll be part of the Men of Mystery Special Collection. I've always wanted to be part of a collection.

When I first put down my reflections on Letting Go, I tried to say that I couldn't write a 5th Awakenings novel because each attempt I made fell flat, so I let it go. It wasn't meant to be. However, since then, I've begun the 5th Awakenings book. I have about 24% written, and I have so many of the rest of the scenes playing through my head, begging to be written down. Part of what made it easier is embracing my decisions to focus on BDSM and to not force a story.  This one is titled Ana's Choice. Anastasia Morozov (sister of Lex and Stef from Two Masters) is home for good, and she's set her sights on exploring her submissive side. Who better to guide her in that life path than Stephen Galen, the object of her teenage crush?

Ana's Choice marks a new direction in the series, and I now have vague ideas for a 6th and 7th novel. These won't come out as close together as the first four because I'm also continuing the Oasis series, and I'm working on a companion novel for my BDSM romantic suspense novel, Re/Bound. 

Questions for you:

1.  What was your favorite Awakenings moment?

2.  Who would you like to see get the next Awakenings novel?