Good Rejection.

This weekend, I got a great rejection from Kensington.


What is a good rejection?

One where the editor or agent signs it him or herself. One where they give a feedback (a little or a lot) on what your writing needs to make it pop in this highly competitive field.

Something personalized.

And I got one!

So I'm excited to go back to Dracula's Secret and revise it again. No more fear! Time to pump up those stakes and heighten the drama.

I'll post more when I figure out how to do that. ;)

The many gifts of sorrow, or Guess Who Reads Romance?

My maternal grandmother is in the hospital. Last week, I flew half-way across the continent to be with her, and things were not looking good.

So I decided to tell her that I was writing romance and not anything sweet, either. I had been worried she would disapprove.

She held my hand and said, in her tiny, halting voice, "I love you because you're you. I know there are lots of different books out there."

Cue huge crying jag here.

I am staying with my father who lives very close to that hospital. It's fair to say that he and I have had differences of opinion. I had feared telling him and my step-mother than I was writing romance.

My Dad is a PhD. in chemistry and my step-mom an MA in mathematics. I remember lots of very intellectual books in our house. So I was not going to let them know I was writing genre fiction.

Until I saw a Linda Howard title on the counter.

Which I found out they both were reading.

So I told them.

Now my parents are very busy giving me ideas for new novels!

In the middle of fear and worry, beauty and harmony can grow.