This site is devoted to my love of life, relationships and writing as well as to my goal of becoming a published author.
My first book "Crazy Quilt", is set in Georgia in the 1970s and is the story of two estranged sisters who inherit their grandmother's Victorian mansion upon her death. But more than that, it explores how we build a family from the people we care about, and they don't necessarily have to share our DNA. This book was on authonomy.com for a year and a half and was read and reviewed by other writers on the site. I made it to the Editor's Desk this summer and received a positive review from a Harper Collins UK editor. Since that time, I've had the book professionally edited and am researching agents before beginning the query and rejection process. For an excerpt, click here. So much has happened since I started the first draft of my second book, "The Fifty-Week Wife." The story is set in England and though it starts with an apparent suicide, it is really a story of three couples and one true love. I had the book critiqued, edited and entered it in the Rising Star Contest of the Women's Fiction Writers Association. I was floored when it was named one of five finalists, and even more shocked when I won first place. That led to a request for the full manuscript from one of the agent judges. I'm pleased to report I signed with her and she is great. Now the book is on submission, which believe it or not is even more stressful than querying for an agent. We've had quite a few passes. It's frustrating, but I believe things happen for a reason, even though it may require a bit of distance before that reason is clear. For now, I'm working on a new book to keep myself from obsessing. If it (meaning publication) doesn't happen on this book, I'll just have to pick myself up and keep going. For an excerpt, click here. I also have a another novel in the works, "Fear of Landing," a story set in both D.C. and in London and spanning 3 decades. It's loosely based on my experiences with a British "pen pal" when I was in my 20s. I put that book aside to write "The Fifty-Week Wife." And it's still sitting there, because I'm hard at work on my next book, loosely based on something that happened to my grandmother as a child. This one is set in the South (I seem to vacillate between the South and the UK) and is coming along nicely. There's a fantastic writer from England I met when I was part of the online UK writer's community Authonomy.com. We've started co-writing a book that I love. I mainly wanted to do this as a vehicle to get his writing out into the world. I adore his language and the way he can make a place and time come alive with words. His writing is a very different counterpoint to mine, but I hope the story will give us both a place to call home. The bigger problem is keeping him focused on the task. So, do I have every confidence this book will get finished? I do not. In some ways I wish I had discovered this love of writing when I was younger, but it is what it is. And it certainly makes for an interesting next "chapter" of my life. I look forward to sharing that journey. UPDATE: Sadly, my first book hasn't sold. I may be wrong but I fear it was pitched too much as a suspense, and while it has those elements, it's much more a tragic love story IMHO. As my agent says ... Onward! I'll be doing revisions on new book the month and hope to have it to my agent by the end of summer. Talk about crossing fingers! Hope she likes it. If not, back to the drawing board ... er ... computer. |
WooHoo! THE FIFTY-WEEK WIFE won First Place in the Women's Fiction Writer's Association Rising Star Contest for 2017 (for unpublished works). This landed me a fantastic literary agent, so one hurdle jumped ... many more ahead. Fingers crossed. This is my favorite book I've written thusfar. UPDATE: Sad face. Agent wasn't able to sell this (I'm told it's not uncommon for first book not to sell) but she loves it. If I can get published with another book, maybe just maybe, this one will make its way out into the world as well. That would thrill me beyond measure.
Another WooHoo! My latest work-in-progress is called THE SODA FOUNTAIN SISTER AND THE FLOWER LADY (working title) and by some cosmic stroke of luck is a finalist in the 2019 Romance Writer of America's Golden Heart Contest in the mainstream with a central romance category. I'm gobsmacked as book is still only a footstep away from a rough draft. I'll be going to New York at the end of July for the conference and awards ceremony. As a previous winner told me, being a finalist IS the win. If you win in your category, you get a necklace, you get your photo taken and that and $4 will get you a coffee. I'll take finalist for the win. Happily. UPDATE: Going to NYC for the ceremony was fun (my sister came as well for support!) but terrifying. The ballroom was enormous and easily 1,000 people were there. I've never had a panic attack but if I were to have one, that was the time. Actually thrilled not to have won, which meant I didn't have to get up and give a speech. I finished the book and got great feedback from my critique group. Sadly, when I sent it to my agent, she didn't love the book and didn't think she could sell it. My sense is it was too heavy on romance for her liking. But it did get a 5-star review from Reader's Favorite. Something. I may end up self publishing this one. We shall see. In the meantime, I'm hard a work on a new book, more in the domestic suspense genre, which is the type book that landed me an agent. It's been a tough one to write but I have ideas for another book after this one, and another after that. Won't ever stop trying. |